2022 Busch Light Clash at The Coliseum
| Race details[1][2][3][4][5][6] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 1 of 2 exhibition races in the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series | |||
 | |||
| Date | February 6, 2022 | ||
| Location | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California | ||
| Course |
Permanent racing facility 0.25 mi (0.40 km) | ||
| Distance | 150 laps, 37.5 mi (60 km) | ||
| Average speed | 29.029 miles per hour (46.718 km/h) | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Joe Gibbs Racing | ||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Kyle Busch | Joe Gibbs Racing | |
| Laps | 65 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 22 | Joey Logano | Team Penske | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | Fox | ||
| Announcers | Mike Joy, Clint Bowyer, and Tony Stewart | ||
| Nielsen Ratings | 2.3, 4.238 Million Viewers | ||
| Radio in the United States | |||
| Radio | MRN | ||
| Booth Announcers | Alex Hayden, Jeff Striegle, and Rusty Wallace | ||
| Turn Announcers | Dan Hubbard (Backstretch) | ||
The 2022 Busch Light Clash at The Coliseum was a NASCAR Cup Series race that was held on February 6, 2022, at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California. Contested over 150 laps, it was the first exhibition race of the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season.
Format and eligibility[edit]
On September 14, 2021, NASCAR announced that the Busch Clash will move to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.[7] On November 9, 2021, the format for the 2022 Clash was announced:[8]
- The event is open for all teams and drivers for the first time in its history.
- A total of 350 laps in six races.
- The 36 charter teams and up to four open teams will participate in qualifying. Should more than 40 teams enter the race, it is unknown if qualifying will determine who advances to heat races.
- Based on lap times, cars are put in one of four heat races of 25 laps each. The top four drivers in each heat advance to the feature.
- All non qualifying drivers are assigned to one of two 50 lap heat races. The top three drivers in each heat advance to the feature.
- The highest driver in 2021 Cup Series points standings not in will also advance to the feature in the last position.
- The feature is 150 laps and will have 23 cars start the race.
Entry list[edit]
- (R) denotes rookie driver.
- (i) denotes driver who are ineligible for series driver points.
Practice[edit]
Chase Elliott was the fastest in the practice session with a time of 13.455 with an average speed of 66.890 mph (107.649 km/h) .[9]
Practice results[edit]
| Pos | No. | Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Time | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9 | Chase Elliott | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 13.455 | 66.890 |
| 2 | 4 | Kevin Harvick | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | 13.457 | 66.880 |
| 3 | 14 | Chase Briscoe | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | 13.470 | 66.815 |
| Official practice results | ||||||
Qualifying[edit]
Kyle Busch scored the pole for the first heat race with a time of 13.745 and a speed of 65.478 mph (105.377 km/h).[10]
Qualifying results[edit]
Qualifying heat races[edit]
Kyle Busch scored the pole for the race after winning the first qualifying heat race. Ty Dillon finished first in the second "Last Chance" qualifying race, however was disqualified for a restart violation, allowing Harrison Burton to qualify for the feature.
Race 1[edit]
| Pos | Grid | No | Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 18 | Kyle Busch | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 25 |
| 2 | 2 | 99 | Daniel Suárez | Trackhouse Racing Team | Chevrolet | 25 |
| 3 | 3 | 47 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | JTG Daugherty Racing | Chevrolet | 25 |
| 4 | 4 | 12 | Ryan Blaney | Team Penske | Ford | 25 |
| 5 | 5 | 11 | Denny Hamlin | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 25 |
| 6 | 9 | 1 | Ross Chastain | Trackhouse Racing Team | Chevrolet | 25 |
| 7 | 8 | 38 | Todd Gilliland (R) | Front Row Motorsports | Ford | 25 |
| 8 | 6 | 10 | Aric Almirola | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | 25 |
| 9 | 7 | 78 | B. J. McLeod | Live Fast Motorsports | Ford | 23 |
| Official heat race 1 results | ||||||
Race 2[edit]
| Pos | Grid | No | Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 8 | Tyler Reddick | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 25 |
| 2 | 7 | 14 | Chase Briscoe | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | 25 |
| 3 | 6 | 3 | Austin Dillon | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 25 |
| 4 | 2 | 41 | Cole Custer | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | 25 |
| 5 | 5 | 23 | Bubba Wallace | 23XI Racing | Toyota | 25 |
| 6 | 4 | 48 | Alex Bowman | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 25 |
| 7 | 9 | 19 | Martin Truex Jr. | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 25 |
| 8 | 3 | 21 | Harrison Burton (R) | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 25 |
| 9 | 8 | 6 | Brad Keselowski | RFK Racing | Ford | 25 |
| Official heat race 2 results | ||||||
Race 3[edit]
| Pos | Grid | No | Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 31 | Justin Haley | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 25 |
| 2 | 3 | 24 | William Byron | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 25 |
| 3 | 4 | 20 | Christopher Bell | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 25 |
| 4 | 2 | 9 | Chase Elliott | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 25 |
| 5 | 5 | 16 | A. J. Allmendinger (i) | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 25 |
| 6 | 6 | 4 | Kevin Harvick | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | 25 |
| 7 | 7 | 17 | Chris Buescher | RFK Racing | Ford | 25 |
| 8 | 9 | 51 | Cody Ware | Rick Ware Racing | Ford | 25 |
| 9 | 8 | 7 | Corey LaJoie | Spire Motorsports | Chevrolet | 25 |
| Official heat race 3 results | ||||||
Race 4[edit]
| Pos | Grid | No | Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 22 | Joey Logano | Team Penske | Ford | 25 |
| 2 | 2 | 5 | Kyle Larson | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 25 |
| 3 | 3 | 34 | Michael McDowell | Front Row Motorsports | Ford | 25 |
| 4 | 6 | 43 | Erik Jones | Petty GMS Motorsports | Chevrolet | 25 |
| 5 | 7 | 15 | Ryan Preece | Rick Ware Racing | Ford | 25 |
| 6 | 5 | 2 | Austin Cindric (R) | Team Penske | Ford | 25 |
| 7 | 7 | 45 | Kurt Busch | 23XI Racing | Toyota | 25 |
| 8 | 4 | 77 | Landon Cassill (i) | Spire Motorsports | Chevrolet | 25 |
| 9 | 9 | 42 | Ty Dillon | Petty GMS Motorsports | Chevrolet | 6 |
| Official heat race 4 results | ||||||
Last Chance Qualifier 1[edit]
| Pos | Grid | No | Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 11 | Denny Hamlin | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 50 |
| 2 | 4 | 4 | Kevin Harvick | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | 50 |
| 3 | 2 | 16 | A. J. Allmendinger (i) | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 50 |
| 4 | 8 | 51 | Cody Ware | Rick Ware Racing | Ford | 50 |
| 5 | 6 | 17 | Chris Buescher | RFK Racing | Ford | 50 |
| 6 | 3 | 1 | Ross Chastain | Trackhouse Racing Team | Chevrolet | 50 |
| 7 | 10 | 7 | Corey LaJoie | Spire Motorsports | Chevrolet | 50 |
| 8 | 5 | 38 | Todd Gilliland (R) | Front Row Motorsports | Ford | 50 |
| 9 | 7 | 10 | Aric Almirola | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | 4 |
| 10 | 9 | 78 | B. J. McLeod | Live Fast Motorsports | Ford | 4 |
| Official last chance race 1 results | ||||||
Last Chance Qualifier 2[edit]
| Pos | Grid | No | Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | 15 | Ryan Preece | Rick Ware Racing | Ford | 50 |
| 2 | 1 | 23 | Bubba Wallace | 23XI Racing | Toyota | 50 |
| 3 | 7 | 21 | Harrison Burton (R) | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 50 |
| 4 | 9 | 6 | Brad Keselowski | RFK Racing | Ford | 50 |
| 5 | 2 | 2 | Austin Cindric (R) | Team Penske | Ford | 50 |
| 6 | 8 | 77 | Landon Cassill (i) | Spire Motorsports | Chevrolet | 50 |
| 7 | 10 | 42 | Ty Dillon[a] | Petty GMS Motorsports | Chevrolet | 50 |
| 8 | 6 | 45 | Kurt Busch | 23XI Racing | Toyota | 45 |
| 9 | 3 | 48 | Alex Bowman | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 45 |
| 10 | 5 | 19 | Martin Truex Jr.[b] | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 0 |
| Official last chance race 2 results | ||||||
Starting lineup[edit]
Race[edit]
Race results[edit]
| Pos | Grid | No | Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | 22 | Joey Logano | Team Penske | Ford | 150 |
| 2 | 1 | 18 | Kyle Busch | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 150 |
| 3 | 10 | 3 | Austin Dillon | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 150 |
| 4 | 16 | 43 | Erik Jones | Petty GMS Motorsports | Chevrolet | 150 |
| 5 | 8 | 5 | Kyle Larson | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 150 |
| 6 | 7 | 24 | William Byron | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 150 |
| 7 | 14 | 41 | Cole Custer | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | 150 |
| 8 | 11 | 20 | Christopher Bell | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 150 |
| 9 | 21 | 16 | A. J. Allmendinger (i) | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 150 |
| 10 | 19 | 4 | Kevin Harvick | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | 150 |
| 11 | 15 | 9 | Chase Elliott | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 150 |
| 12 | 22 | 21 | Harrison Burton (R) | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 150 |
| 13 | 9 | 47 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | JTG Daugherty Racing | Chevrolet | 150 |
| 14 | 5 | 99 | Daniel Suárez | Trackhouse Racing Team | Chevrolet | 150 |
| 15 | 23 | 19 | Martin Truex Jr. | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 149 |
| 16 | 12 | 34 | Michael McDowell | Front Row Motorsports | Ford | 149 |
| 17 | 13 | 12 | Ryan Blaney | Team Penske | Ford | 147 |
| 18 | 20 | 23 | Bubba Wallace | 23XI Racing | Toyota | 146 |
| 19 | 3 | 31 | Justin Haley | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 116 |
| 20 | 18 | 15 | Ryan Preece | Rick Ware Racing | Ford | 75 |
| 21 | 2 | 8 | Tyler Reddick | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 53 |
| 22 | 6 | 14 | Chase Briscoe | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | 53 |
| 23 | 17 | 11 | Denny Hamlin | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 52 |
| Official race results | ||||||
Media[edit]
Fox covered the race on the television side. Mike Joy, Clint Bowyer, and three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and Stewart-Haas Racing co-owner Tony Stewart[12] handled the call in the booth for the race, while pit reporters Jamie Little and Regan Smith as well as Larry McReynolds handled interviews. Chris Myers and Jamie McMurray were the host and analyst in the studio.
Television[edit]
| Fox | ||
|---|---|---|
| Booth announcers | Reporters | Studio |
| Lap-by-lap: Mike Joy Color-commentator: Clint Bowyer Color-commentator: Tony Stewart |
Jamie Little Regan Smith Larry McReynolds |
Host: Chris Myers Analyst: Jamie McMurray |
Radio[edit]
| MRN Radio | ||
|---|---|---|
| Booth announcers | Turn announcers | Pit reporters |
| Lead announcer: Alex Hayden Announcer: Jeff Striegle Announcer: Rusty Wallace |
Backstretch: Dan Hubbard | Steve Post Kim Coon |
Television Ratings[edit]
The Clash was viewed by more than 4.2 million people, which earned it a 2.32 rating.[13] The ratings were only eclipsed by the 2022 Winter Olympics on NBC, which had 10.1 million viewers. Locally, the race earned a 2.7 and was the highest rated non-Daytona 500 race in the Los Angeles market in six years. This was the highest rated Clash since 2016, which was the last year it was aired on FOX.[14]
The heat races that preceded the race had nearly 2.6 million viewers.
Notes[edit]
- ^ Ty Dillon initially won the second last chance race, but was penalized to the end of the lead lap for jumping the final restart.[11]
- ^ As Truex was the highest-positioned driver in 2021 series points not qualified for the feature after heat races, the No. 19 team opted out of the race and used the provisional to guarantee his participation at the main event.[11]
References[edit]
- ^ "2022 schedule". Jayski.com. Jayski's Silly Season Site. Retrieved January 4, 2022.
- ^ "Entry List" (PDF). Jayski.com. Jayski's Silly Season Site. January 13, 2022. Retrieved January 13, 2022.
- ^ "Practice Results". NASCAR.com. NASCAR. February 5, 2022. Retrieved February 5, 2022.
- ^ "Qualifying Results". NASCAR.com. NASCAR. February 5, 2022. Retrieved February 5, 2022.
- ^ "Busch Light Clash at The Coliseum Heat Races Results". NASCAR.com. NASCAR. February 6, 2022. Retrieved February 6, 2022.
- ^ "Busch Light Clash at The Coliseum Results". NASCAR.com. NASCAR. February 6, 2022. Retrieved February 6, 2022.
- ^ "2022 Clash to be held at the Los Angeles Coliseum". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. September 14, 2021. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
- ^ "Competition format for Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum includes heat races, last-chance qualifiers". NASCAR.com. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. November 9, 2021. Retrieved November 13, 2021.
- ^ Utter, Jim (February 5, 2022). "Chase Elliott tops fairly tame NASCAR Clash practice". Motorsport.com. Los Angeles: Motorsport Network. Retrieved February 5, 2022.
- ^ Utter, Jim (February 5, 2022). "Kyle Busch tops qualifying, earns pole for NASCAR Clash heat race". Motorsport.com. Los Angeles, California: Motorsport Network. Retrieved February 5, 2022.
- ^ a b Utter, Jim (2022-02-07). "NASCAR Clash at the Coliseum field set after chaotic heat races". Motorsport.com. Retrieved 2022-02-07.
- ^ "Tony Stewart to join FOX broadcast booth for Busch Light Clash, Daytona 500". NASCAR.com. NASCAR. January 22, 2022. Retrieved January 22, 2022.
- ^ "Busch Light Clash TV Ratings". Jayski's NASCAR Silly Season Site. 2022-02-08. Retrieved 2022-02-08.
- ^ Dean, Zach. "NASCAR TV ratings are in, and the Clash is most-viewed since 2016. There's a catch, though". Daytona Beach News-Journal Online. Retrieved 2022-02-08.