NASCAR’s 2024 Busch Light Clash will take place on Sunday, February 4th from the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California.
The event is the first of the calendar year and will kick off the 2024 Cup Series season. NASCAR has held the non-points paying event since 1979, but only since 2021 has the race been held outside of Daytona International Speedway. The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, home to the University of Southern California Trojans football team, has its center field turned into a quarter-mile asphalt track. Joey Logano claimed the inaugural Busch Light Clash in 2022 with Martin Truex Jr. taking the gold medal last year.
Additionally, for the first time, the NASCAR Mexico Series will host its season opener with the NASCAR Cup Series. Daniel Suarez will be doing double-duty on Sunday returning to the series for the first time since 2014. Last year’s Champion, Salvador De Alba Jr., will partake in the event. See Brock Beard’s report of the NASCAR Mexico Series entry list here.
A total of 36 cars (all charters) are on the entry list for the 2024 Busch Light Clash. Kaz Grala and Josh Williams are the only two non-full-time drivers in the field. The race formatting can be found below.
The Clash at the Coliseum. Sunday, February 4, on FOX. pic.twitter.com/EiY0ULP33r
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) January 16, 2024
How to watch the 2024 Busch Light Clash at The Coliseum
SATURDAY
- 1:15 pm ET / 10:15 am PT – NASCAR Mexico Series, Practice 1
- Not televised
- 2:45 pm ET / 11:45 am PT – NASCAR Mexico Series, Practice 2
- Not televised
- 4:30 pm ET / 1:30 pm PT – NASCAR Mexico Series, Qualifying
- Fox Sports 1
- 6:00 pm ET / 3:00 pm PT – NASCAR Cup Series, Practice
- Fox Sports 1, MRN, SiriusXM
- 8:30 pm ET / 5:30 pm PT – NASCAR Cup Series, Heat Race 1
- 25 laps
- Fox Sports 1, MRN, SiriusXM
- 8:45 pm ET / 5:45 pm PT – NASCAR Cup Series, Heat Race 2
- 25 laps
- Fox Sports 1, MRN, SiriusXM
- 9:00 pm ET / 6:00 pm PT – NASCAR Cup Series, Heat Race 3
- 25 laps
- Fox Sports 1, MRN, SiriusXM
- 9:15 pm ET / 6:15 pm PT – NASCAR Cup Series, Heat Race 4
- 25 laps
- Fox Sports 1, MRN, SiriusXM
SUNDAY
- 4:30pm ET / 1:30pm PT – NASCAR Mexico Series, King Taco la Batalla en El Coliseo
- 150 laps
- Fox Sports 1, Motor Racing Network
- 6:30 pm ET / 3:30 pm PT – NASCAR Cup Series, Last Chance Qualifier
- 75 laps
- FOX, MRN, SiriusXM
- 8:00 pm ET / 5:00 pm PT – NASCAR Cup Series, Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum
- 150 laps
- FOX, MRN, SiriusXM
2024 Clash Predictions
With 13 drivers set for elimination, only 23 drivers will race in Sunday’s Busch Light Clash. A few large names will be in jeopardy of missing out on Sunday’s feature. Ryan Blaney, the defending Cup Series Champion, is the only driver locked in.
However, Blaney’s teammates of Austin Cindric and Joey Logano will both see struggles. I believe the two Ford drivers will be absent from the third running of the event.
On a positive note, no Hendrick Motorsports cars will be eliminated. Alex Bowman delivered a strong performance last year, and drivers like William Byron and Kyle Larson finished high enough in points that they will likely not be in jeopardy of elimination. This year will be a massive one for Chase Elliott, and he will find himself in the big show.
In back-to-back years, both RFK Racing entries of Brad Keselowski and Chris Buescher failed to qualify for the event. One will make it, but the other will not. Buescher is the pick, as the quarter-mile does not appear to bode well for Keselowski’s driving style.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. was also eliminated from last year’s show, but the driver would go on to claim the Daytona 500. I do not think he will find himself, but he sure can be one to make things interesting.
Another question mark comes with new full-time teammates Carson Hocevar and Zane Smith. Hocevar may find himself ruffling more feathers, and because of that, he will be eliminated. Smith will be in the mix, as well as veteran teammate Corey LaJoie. One of the two will make it, and I believe Smith will make it for Spire Motorsports.
Winning Pick and Top Five
My pick to win the 2024 Busch Light Clash will be William Byron. The driver had his most successful Cup career to date last year with six wins, an 11.0 place average finish across the full season, and a third-place points finish. He had not fallen outside of the top ten at the makeshift track in either the 2022 or 2023 running. If he does not get turned by a competitor, Byron will take home gold in front of a packed Los Angeles crowd.
Rounding out the top five: Alex Bowman (2nd), Tyler Reddick (3rd), Kyle Busch (4th), Kyle Larson (5th)
Be sure to watch the Busch Light Clash on Sunday, February 4th. Stay tuned here at LWOS Motorsports for NASCAR news, results, updates, and more.
