Happy Sunday,
NASCAR went all out to tap into the Los Angeles market this weekend while holding the Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum. Pitbull and Ice Cube performed, various former Olympic athletes and NFL stars were Grand Marshalls, and every NASCAR star was in attendance today. The event was marketed to those who are not NASCAR fans, with 70% of ticket sales being to “new” race attendees.
The race was held on a custom built Quarter Mile track on top of the historic Coliseum field. This track was the shortest track ever raced on in the sport.
I know what you’re thinking…Quarter Mile, they won’t even break 100 miles per hour? Why bother.
Not to flex on any one, but I talked to Chase Elliot before the race who told us that the drivers weren’t even shifting out of 2nd gear during the race.
So, how could a slow race be interesting? Well, let me tell you. For one, have you ever played a racing video game? You never brake and you use the car in-front of you as your brake when going into the turn, you send them into the wall and you go along your way. Today, I am confident that every single driver on the track touched the car in front of them at some point and was touched by the car behind them as well. Rubbin’ is racing boys!
Along with the amount of bumping and shoving amongst drivers, the fact that the track was so small allowed you to see the entire track from any seat in the stadium, which meant you saw every single second of action. At tracks like Daytona and Talledaga, you aren’t going to be able to see half of the track potentially. At the Coliseum, the short track included battles for every position, and there is no straight away to pull away from the driver you are fending off, so every inch counts.
Overall, the event was a success in my eyes. From the performances, to the crowd, to the racing format and the race itself. I would hope that NASCAR would consider renewing the Clash at The Coliseum for the 2023 and 2024 seasons as they have spoken about.
Congrats to Joey Logano on winning the first ever Busch Light Clash at The Coliseum, and also congratulations to him and his wife who are expecting their third child tomorrow.
Til Next Time,
Trevor
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