NASCAR Reveals Why They Chose the LA Coliseum for the 2022 Busch Clash

Recently, NASCAR Senior Vice President of Strategy and Innovation Ben Kennedy spoke about the 2022 Cup Series calendar. The schedule comes with a lot of big changes, with the Busch Clash’s relocation to the LA Coliseum being one of the prime.

Some pointed out that the track layout is similar to the Bowman Gray Stadium. So, the big question is – why did the sport opt for a venue with a temporary track instead of a permanent one?

He said, “The biggest reasoning behind it is, going to the Los Angeles market. If you look at the schedule today before that exhibition event. The only place you could realistically put it at was having the Daytona 500 ahead of our season.

“Given all the back-to-back racing and making sure that we had that off week within the season. On top of that, a huge market that we have in Los Angeles, the number 1 market for a lot of NASCAR fans.”

Why is it so important for NASCAR to return to Los Angeles?

Kennedy acknowledged that NASCAR hasn’t raced in LA in a while, due to the pandemic. As a result, he felt that it was important to get back to the Southern California market. The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum is a hugely important landmark, because it hosted several major sporting events. This included the role of the Los Angeles Rams home base, and it is also expected to host the 2028 Summer Olympics.

Now, it seems that the NASCAR Cup Series is also adding its own name to the list. Admittedly, the new track could get a trial by fire, because it will be the first race that the Next Gen cars take to the track. Additionally, this will not be a test, but a race situation, and the drivers will be in unfamiliar territory in a brand new car. One thing is for sure, the 2022 Cup Series season will be very exciting, with new cars and two new tracks.

READ MORE: NASCAR Expected to Move Busch Clash Location in 2022