What is the Weekend Format of the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series Clash at the Coliseum?

It won’t be long now before fans will hear the familiar roars of the NASCAR Cup cars. This is because the annual Busch Clash is starting this weekend at the Los Angeles Coliseum. For the first time, the Clash is being held at the Coliseum and not at the Daytona International Speedway.

Recently, NASCAR revealed the format for the race weekend.

First and foremost, all cars will compete in a single-lap qualifying session. This will decide the lineup for the heat races later on. Speaking of the heat races, four of them will take place and each will comprise 25 laps. The Top 4 finishers in each race will move on to the main event. Meanwhile, the drivers who miss out will head to the last chance qualifying races, which are 50 laps each.

In other words, there will be two of these races, and the Top 3 in each race will move on. Finally, the highest-placed driver from the 2021 campaign, who wasn’t part of the qualifying, will earn a spot in the main event. In all, the 36-strong field will be whittled down to 23 cars for the main race, which lasts 150 laps.

Who is the favorite to win the NASCAR Cup Series race at the LA Coliseum?

Admittedly, this is a difficult question to answer. This is because, not only is the LA Coliseum a new track, but the drivers are tackling it in new cars. In other words, there are two massive unknowns and the entire grid is going in blind. Sure, they may have tested the new cars to the moon and back, but this is a racing scenario.

The drivers and teams will also be aware of the smaller size of the track. Considering that there have been reports of a shortage of spare parts, the drivers may be extra careful not to get involved in too many wrecks. Additionally, the sport has gotten a lot stricter in terms of the Next Gen car. In other words, any kind of manipulation will face hefty penalties.

READ MORE: NASCAR Reveals Tentative List of Drivers Competing at the 2022 Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum