Just as any lead character in an adventure movie would do, I left my corporate 9-to-5 job to follow my passion for motorsports. Being an English Literature major with an affinity for racing, I felt right at home when I got the opportunity to be a NASCAR Editor here at EssentiallySports. While I have always been an ardent fan of Charles Leclerc and Ferrari, it was ES that helped me see why NASCAR fans are an equally passionate bunch! As I ventured into the world of stock car racing, I was fascinated to dive deep into the lives of all the drivers with these larger-than-life personalities and have been successful in serving the racing community with an inside scoop. And let's just say I very much resonate with the NASCAR audience, who love drama and controversy just as much as they love racing. Out of the rowdy bunch, I am personally quite intrigued by Denny Hamlin and his contentious views on the sport. After covering multiple in-depth stories on his 'Actions Detrimental' podcast, I now look forward to hosting him on one of ES's FanCast Interviews and providing Hamlin fans with an exclusive yet unknown side.

Misfortune has been a constant theme for Denny Hamlin. Despite starting the 2024 season-opening Busch Light Clash on the pole, the #11 Toyota driver has lost big places on the grid to fall behind in the pecking order. As the clash at the Coliseum continues, the 43-year-old has dropped to P6 in the 75th lap of the race and continued to gain one position to occupy the fifth position. However, Hamlin’s teammate, Ty Gibbs, pushed for the lead and eventually passed him earlier. As soon as Denny Hamlin was relegated to P2, he was in the thick of the competition, with Joey Logano and Kyle Larson hot on his heels. On Lap 50, Hamlin held his fort to not turn over the lead to Logano, with Larson closing in at P4. However, the #5 Chevrolet driver climbed up to P2, with Hamlin facing problems in the traffic. With many laps remaining, Hamlin can make his laps count. 

The NASCAR season has begun and Denny Hamlin and Kyle Larson are back to fight for the lead at the Busch Light Clash.

Ansuman Abhisek is a NASCAR Writer at EssentiallySports. Even before he made his
way into the world of motorsports, he had already made a name for himself in the
sports journalism field by working as a writer for a few media houses. Now,
having covered multiple Cup races live, he has often been the first to report
on-track incidents and also provide his readers with an in-depth analysis of the
same. His well-researched stories have been received well by both fans and
NASCAR drivers, like Natalie Decker. After covering numerous top trending
stories on Dale Earnhardt Jr, Tony Stewart, and Denny Hamlin, Ansuman has found
his specialization. If you ask him, his favorite stories are the ones where he
gets to talk about Dale Earnhardt Sr and his legendary tales.

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Ansuman Abhisek

ATLANTA, GA - JULY 08: Denny Hamlin ( 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Coca-Cola Toyota) looks on during qualifying for the NASCAR, M

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Hurricane Helene’s Victims

Pre-season games may just be for exhibition purposes, but they are a crucial part of the season for any sport. For NASCAR, this pre-season event has been the Clash since 1979. Since its inception, it has been held at the Daytona International Speedway until 2022 when it was moved to the LA Memorial Coliseum in 2o22. 2024 is the third season in which the race will take place at the new venue and in this period, racing fans have had mixed feelings about the event.
<h2><strong>What is Clash at the Coliseum?</strong></h2>
The Clash at the Coliseum is a pre-season exhibition race that is held on the weekend preceding the official season opener of the NASCAR Cup Series, the <a href="https://www.essentiallysports.com/category/nascar/daytona-500/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Daytona 500</a>. Clash is considered to be the unofficial commencement of a new season despite there being no Cup points for the drivers. The format of the race is also different from Cup Series races. It usually proves to be a testing ground for drivers to test their cars in a competitive setting before The Great American Race. Newer fans of the sport may believe that it is a recent concept, but the event has been around for more than four decades.

[caption id="attachment_1529467" align="aligncenter" width="1920"]<img class="wp-image-1529467 size-full" src="https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/2023-02-06T045556Z_1211916413_MT1USATODAY19932385_RTRMADP_3_NASCAR-BUSCH-LIGHT-CLASH.jpg" alt="NASCAR" width="1920" height="1199" /> Feb 5, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Martin Truex Jr. (19) and NASCAR Cup Series driver Kyle Busch (8) lead the field for a restart during the NASCAR Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jason Parkhurst-USA TODAY Sports[/caption]
<h2><strong>History of the Clash race</strong></h2>
The first ever Clash dates back to 1979 at the Daytona International Speedway. For the first 11 editions, the race used to be a 20-lap race on a 50-mile track. The first-ever winner of this event was Buddy Baker driving for the Rainer-Lundy racing team. The race was called the Busch Clash when it began, as it was ideated by Busch Beer's then-brand manager, Monty Roberts. He had worked in motorsports before with Ford and the Ontario Motor Speedway.
<h2><strong>Clash at the Los Angeles Coliseum</strong></h2>
Moving away from the Daytona International Speedway was a tough decision for fans, but NASCAR decided to take the risk in 2022. There have been several changes since the move. The track is 0.25 miles in distance on which drivers will race for 150 laps. Only the laps ran under green flags are counted and the event must end under green flag racing. As of 2024, a total of 23 drivers take part in the main race and 40 drivers try out their luck over the weekend. For the 2024 edition, the purse amount is $2.21 million, which will be distributed among the racers.

[caption id="attachment_1529502" align="aligncenter" width="1920"]<img class="wp-image-1529502 size-full" src="https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/2023-02-06T044251Z_150346482_MT1USATODAY19932295_RTRMADP_3_NASCAR-BUSCH-LIGHT-CLASH.jpg" alt="NASCAR Busch Light Clash at the LA Memorial Coliseum" width="1920" height="1280" /> Feb 5, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Drivers race during the NASCAR Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jason Parkhurst-USA TODAY Sports[/caption]
<h2><strong>Format for the Busch Light Clash at the LA Coliseum</strong></h2>
Over the years, the Clash has seen several format changes. For the 2024 edition, a total of 36 drivers will attempt to qualify for the main race on Sunday. The qualification will be held over 6 races but before that, there is practice. The drivers will be split into 3 groups of 12 for 3 practice sessions each. The fastest drivers in the final practice session will be the pole-sitters for the heat races. For example, the fastest driver in practice will start the first heat race from P1, the second-fastest will lead the second heat race, and so on.

There will be a total of 4 heat races with 9 drivers each. The qualifying positions for the drivers that are outside the top 4 fastest in practice will also be determined by their lap times in the session. For example, the fifth-fastest will start P2 in the first heat, the second-fastest will start P2 in the second heat race, and so on. At the end of the heats, the top 5 drivers from each race will qualify for the main event.

For the remaining drivers, there will be 2 last-chance qualifying [LCQ] races of 75 laps each. The winner of those races will qualify for the event. If the previous year's champion or highest points scorer doesn't qualify through these means, they would enter the main race regardless, but would have to start from the last position. The main race will run for 150 laps divided into 2 stages of 75 laps.

[caption id="attachment_1514275" align="aligncenter" width="1920"]<img class="wp-image-1514275 size-full" src="https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/2023-02-06T044249Z_1445897171_MT1USATODAY19932294_RTRMADP_3_NASCAR-BUSCH-LIGHT-CLASH.jpg" alt="Joe Gibbs Racing drivers Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr" width="1920" height="1135" /> Feb 5, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Denny Hamlin (11), driver Kyle Busch (8) and driver Martin Truex Jr. (19) during the NASCAR Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jason Parkhurst-USA TODAY Sports[/caption]
<h2><strong>Who are the past winners of the Clash?</strong></h2>
It may be an exhibition, but winning the clash would put anyone on an elite list. The first winner of the event was Buddy Baker and the year after, the Intimidator <a href="https://www.essentiallysports.com/tag/dale-earnhardt/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dale Earnhardt</a> was victorious. Earnhardt would go on to win 5 more Clash races, making him the most successful driver of the event. Legends like Darrell Waltrip, Bobby Allison, Jeff Gordon, <a href="https://www.essentiallysports.com/tag/tony-stewart/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tony Stewart</a>, Dale Earnhardt Jr, and <a href="https://www.essentiallysports.com/tag/jimmie-johnson/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jimmie Johnson</a> are also among the winners.

Since the race moved to the LA Memorial Coliseum, the two winners of the event have been <a href="https://www.essentiallysports.com/tag/joey-logano/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joey Logano</a> (2022) and <a href="https://www.essentiallysports.com/tag/martin-truex-jr/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Martin Truex Jr</a> (2023). <a href="https://www.essentiallysports.com/tag/kyle-busch/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kyle Busch</a> won the event in 2021 when it was held on the road course at Daytona and the last winner of the Clash on the Daytona oval was <a href="https://www.essentiallysports.com/tag/erik-jones/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Erik Jones</a> in 2020.

[caption id="attachment_1524672" align="aligncenter" width="1920"]<img class="wp-image-1524672 size-full" src="https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/2023-02-06T041347Z_203197533_MT1USATODAY19932201_RTRMADP_3_NASCAR-BUSCH-LIGHT-CLASH.jpg" alt="Martin Truex Jr" width="1920" height="1280" /> Feb 5, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Martin Truex Jr. (19) celebrates following his victory of the Busch Light Clash at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports[/caption]
<h2><strong>Changes in the name of the Busch Light Clash</strong></h2>
Over the years, the event has seen some name changes. In 2013, it was renamed from the Busch Clash to the Sprint Unlimited at Daytona. In 2017, it was called the Advance Auto Parts Clash before being renamed Busch Clash again in 2020. When the race was moved to the LA Memorial Coliseum in 2022, it was once again rebranded and is now known as the Busch Light Clash.
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td><span style="font-weight: 400">Venue</span></td>
<td>LA Memorial Coliseum</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><span style="font-weight: 400">Location</span></td>
<td>Los Angeles</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><span style="font-weight: 400">First Race</span></td>
<td>1979</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><span style="font-weight: 400">Distance</span></td>
<td>37.5 miles</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><span style="font-weight: 400">Laps</span></td>
<td>150</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><span style="font-weight: 400">Previous Names</span></td>
<td>Busch Clash, Sprint Unlimited at Daytona, Advance Auto Parts Clash</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><span style="font-weight: 400">Most Wins (Driver)</span></td>
<td>Dale Earnhardt Sr (6 wins)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><span style="font-weight: 400">Most Wins (team)</span></td>
<td>Joe Gibbs Racing (11 wins)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><span style="font-weight: 400">Surface</span></td>
<td>Asphalt</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><span style="font-weight: 400">Length</span></td>
<td>0.25 miles</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><span style="font-weight: 400">Turns</span></td>
<td>4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><span style="font-weight: 400">Prize Money</span></td>
<td>$2,210,000 (Total purse value)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><span style="font-weight: 400">Where to Watch</span></td>
<td>FOX</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum

Pre-season games may just be for exhibition purposes, but they are a crucial part of the season for any sport. For NASCAR, this pre-season event has been the Clash since 1979. Since its inception, it has been held at the Daytona International Speedway until 2022 when it was moved to the LA Memorial Coliseum in 2o22. 2024 is the third season in which the race will take place at the new venue and in this period, racing fans have had mixed feelings about the event. What is Clash at the Coliseum? The Clash at the Coliseum is a pre-season exhibition race that is held on the weekend preceding the official season opener of the NASCAR Cup Series, the Daytona 500. Clash is considered to be the unofficial commencement of a new season despite there being no Cup points for the drivers. The format of the race is also different from Cup Series races. It usually proves to be a testing ground for drivers to test their cars in a competitive setting before The Great American Race. Newer fans of the sport may believe that it is a recent concept, but the event has been around for more than four decades. Feb 5, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Martin Truex Jr. (19) and NASCAR Cup Series driver Kyle Busch (8) lead the field for a restart during the NASCAR Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jason Parkhurst-USA TODAY Sports History of the Clash race The first ever Clash dates back to 1979 at the Daytona International Speedway. For the first 11 editions, the race used to be a 20-lap race on a 50-mile track. The first-ever winner of this event was Buddy Baker driving for the Rainer-Lundy racing team. The race was called the Busch Clash when it began, as it was ideated by Busch Beer&#8217;s then-brand manager, Monty Roberts. He had worked in motorsports before with Ford and the Ontario Motor Speedway. Clash at the Los Angeles Coliseum Moving away from the Daytona International Speedway was a tough decision for fans, but NASCAR decided to take the risk in 2022. There have been several changes since the move. The track is 0.25 miles in distance on which drivers will race for 150 laps. Only the laps ran under green flags are counted and the event must end under green flag racing. As of 2024, a total of 23 drivers take part in the main race and 40 drivers try out their luck over the weekend. For the 2024 edition, the purse amount is $2.21 million, which will be distributed among the racers. Feb 5, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Drivers race during the NASCAR Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jason Parkhurst-USA TODAY Sports Format for the Busch Light Clash at the LA Coliseum Over the years, the Clash has seen several format changes. For the 2024 edition, a total of 36 drivers will attempt to qualify for the main race on Sunday. The qualification will be held over 6 races but before that, there is practice. The drivers will be split into 3 groups of 12 for 3 practice sessions each. The fastest drivers in the final practice session will be the pole-sitters for the heat races. For example, the fastest driver in practice will start the first heat race from P1, the second-fastest will lead the second heat race, and so on. There will be a total of 4 heat races with 9 drivers each. The qualifying positions for the drivers that are outside the top 4 fastest in practice will also be determined by their lap times in the session. For example, the fifth-fastest will start P2 in the first heat, the second-fastest will start P2 in the second heat race, and so on. At the end of the heats, the top 5 drivers from each race will qualify for the main event. For the remaining drivers, there will be 2 last-chance qualifying [LCQ] races of 75 laps each. The winner of those races will qualify for the event. If the previous year&#8217;s champion or highest points scorer doesn&#8217;t qualify through these means, they would enter the main race regardless, but would have to start from the last position. The main race will run for 150 laps divided into 2 stages of 75 laps. Feb 5, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Denny Hamlin (11), driver Kyle Busch (8) and driver Martin Truex Jr. (19) during the NASCAR Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jason Parkhurst-USA TODAY Sports Who are the past winners of the Clash? It may be an exhibition, but winning the clash would put anyone on an elite list. The first winner of the event was Buddy Baker and the year after, the Intimidator Dale Earnhardt was victorious. Earnhardt would go on to win 5 more Clash races, making him the most successful driver of the event. Legends like Darrell Waltrip, Bobby Allison, Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Dale Earnhardt Jr, and Jimmie Johnson are also among the winners. Since the race moved to the LA Memorial Coliseum, the two winners of the event have been Joey Logano (2022) and Martin Truex Jr (2023). Kyle Busch won the event in 2021 when it was held on the road course at Daytona and the last winner of the Clash on the Daytona oval was Erik Jones in 2020. Feb 5, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Martin Truex Jr. (19) celebrates following his victory of the Busch Light Clash at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports Changes in the name of the Busch Light Clash Over the years, the event has seen some name changes. In 2013, it was renamed from the Busch Clash to the Sprint Unlimited at Daytona. In 2017, it was called the Advance Auto Parts Clash before being renamed Busch Clash again in 2020. When the race was moved to the LA Memorial Coliseum in 2022, it was once again rebranded and is now known as the Busch Light Clash.  Venue LA Memorial Coliseum  Location Los Angeles  First Race 1979  Distance 37.5 miles  Laps 150  Previous Names Busch Clash, Sprint Unlimited at Daytona, Advance Auto Parts Clash  Most Wins (Driver) Dale Earnhardt Sr (6 wins)  Most Wins (team) Joe Gibbs Racing (11 wins)  Surface Asphalt  Length 0.25 miles  Turns 4  Prize Money $2,210,000 (Total purse value)  Where to Watch FOX

Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum Archives

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