NASCAR races at the LA Coliseum today. How to watch, race format and money on the line
NASCAR is ready to make history this weekend running inside the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, a first for the stock car racing series.
This year’s Busch Light Clash will be held on a purpose-built, quarter-mile oval in Downtown L.A. rather than its traditional Daytona International Speedway venue. Following practice and qualifying sessions on Saturday, NASCAR’s stars will run heat races on Sunday to determine the final field for the 150-lap main event at 6 p.m. on Fox.
Below is the TV schedule for Sunday’s heat races, last chance qualifiers and the Clash at the Coliseum.
NASCAR Clash schedule
- Race: Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum
- Location: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
- Date: Sunday, February 6
- Time: 6 p.m. ET
- Purse: $1,967,000
- TV: FOX
- Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
- Distance: 37.5 miles (150 laps)
- Stage Break: Lap 75
- 2021 Race Winner: Kyle Busch (Daytona Road Course)
NASCAR Clash heats and LCQ format
Heat races and Last Chance Qualifiers (LCQs) will determine the final, 23 cars racing in the Clash on Sunday evening. The four fastest cars from single-car qualifying on Saturday will be on the pole for each of the four heat races on Sunday. There are 36 cars on the race entry list.
Each heat race will consist of 25 laps. The first heat will start Sunday, Feb. 6 at 3 p.m. ET on Fox with RaceDay coverage at 5 p.m. ET ahead of the Clash.
The top four finishers from each heat will advance to the Clash, so 16 cars will advance by the end of the heat races. (The Heat 1 winner will start on the pole for the Clash, Heat 2 winner starts in the front row, Heats 3 and 4 winners will fill out the second row, etc.) There will then be two, 50-lap last chance qualifying races (LCQs) to determine the remaining cars advancing to the main event.
Additionally, the driver who finished highest in 2021 NASCAR points standings who doesn’t transfer based on finishing position in the heats or during LCQs is guaranteed a spot in the main race, which means reigning Cup champion Kyle Larson is locked in for the Clash.
The top three finishers from each of the LCQs (six cars total) will advance to the main event, filling out positions 17-22. The driver who gets the reserved spot based on 2021 points will start last for the Clash.
The Clash is 150 laps with a halftime break on Lap 75 that will last around six minutes for teams to work on their cars. Cautions will not count for heat races or the main event.
Dale Earnhardt holds the record for the most Busch Light Clash wins with six victories (1980, ‘86, ‘88, ‘91, ‘93, ‘95) when the event was held on the Daytona oval.
This story was originally published February 6, 2022 at 7:00 AM.
