NASCAR’s roaring back into the spotlight, and it’s setting up shop right in the heart of the Los Angeles Coliseum. It’s been a hop, skip, and a jump—almost three months—since Team Penske grabbed their second crown. Now, the Cup drivers are gearing up for a comeback at the Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum. NASCAR stars would once again be burning rubber in a place where gridiron greats have dazzled and Olympians have struck gold!

The 2024 Clash isn’t just another race; it’s a milestone—the 46th of its kind and the third time this spectacle has ventured outside its Daytona cradle since it first revved up. And guess what? Bob Pockrass just lifted the curtain on this year’s Clash format. Spoiler alert: It’s got a twist or two compared to last year’s playbook. Well, that’s a discussion for later. But for now, the main issue is that despite fans buying tickets for the whole event, they’re being left out in the cold and won’t get to see the heat races live. 

Enthusiasts are getting strong backing from Jeff Gluck and Freddie Kraft

So, the fans who shelled out for tickets, expecting a full day of seven events, got a rude awakening. It turns out they can only catch three races. When fans voiced their disappointment, expecting the whole shebang like two years ago, Jeff Gluck stepped up to the plate.

Gluck took to Twitter, armed with screenshots of four such grievances, and laid it out plain and simple: “Have seen some replies from people who are upset they won’t be seeing the Clash heat races (which will run with no fans in attendance, per @bobpockrass). At a minimum, this should have been communicated to fans long before Bob’s tweet.”

Jeff Gluck got wind of the issue when Bob Pockrass let slip, “There is no public access on Saturday at the Clash from what I understand.” He couldn’t believe his ears, calling it a major oversight: “I had no idea about this until seeing Bob’s tweet. That is wild and seems like a huge miss not to let fans watch the heat races (which were previously considered notable enough to run on the main race day).”

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Freddie Kraft, Bubba Wallace’s spotter, didn’t mince words either. He also echoed Bob Pockrass’s tweet with a dash of sarcasm, “Let’s go all the way out to LA for the clash cause it’s a huge market and we hope to attract new fans. Now for fun, let’s lock them outta a big portion of the event.”

It seems the NASCAR community is rallying together, standing up for what they believe is fair play for the fans. Well, it would have been exciting for the fans to witness the little changes themselves.

NASCAR’s mixing things up a bit in the Clash format this year

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NASCAR is going back to basics with 23 cars on the track, just like the first time around in 2022. The official NASCAR page and Bob Pockrass have spilled the beans on the new setup, which is chopped up into five exciting parts: Heat Race Starting Lineup, Heat Races, Last Chance Qualifier, Main Feature Event, and Feature Lineup.

The drivers are divided into three practice groups, each getting three shots at the track. The fastest lap in their final practice is the golden ticket to their starting spot in the heat races. But don’t expect any solo qualifying runs this time; it’s all about that last practice lap.

Just like last year, there’ll be four 25-lap heat races. The top five from each heat get a direct pass to the Busch Light Clash. Those who don’t make the top five? They’re not out of the game yet. They’ll head to a 75-lap Last Chance Qualifier on Sunday afternoon. The starting blocks for this one are based on how they finished in the heats. Only the first two across the finish line in the LCQ will join the Clash, snagging the 21st and 22nd spots. And remember, only laps under the green flag count—no extra innings here.

Last year, we saw two 50-lap qualifiers, with the top three from each joining the Clash. This year, the 23rd spot in the Clash is saved for the highest-ranked driver from the 2023 season who didn’t make it through the heats, or LCQ. Ryan Blaney, our defending champ, is already in the main event.

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Then comes the big show: 23 drivers, down from last year’s 27, duking it out over 150 laps. The heat winners take the first four spots, and the lineup follows suit from there. And just like last time, there’s a breather at Lap 75.

Last year, Alex Bowman led the Hendrick Motorsports team with a fourth-place finish. Kyle Larson snagged fifth, making it two top-fives in a row in LA. William Byron cruised into tenth, marking his second top-10 finish at this track. Chase Elliott’s been in the mix both years, with his best finish at 11th in 2022.