NASCAR Clash at the Coliseum: Martin Truex Jr. wins chaotic main event ahead of Austin Dillon, Kyle Busch

A new NASCAR Cup Series season is nearly upon us as its annual preseason exhibition returns to Southern California this weekend. The Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum will be run for the second straight year on the temporary quarter-mile track laid down over the pitch at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

Originally contested as a pseudo All-Star race to launch Daytona Speedweeks in 1979, the event now serves as a preseason showcase open to all drivers and complete with musical performances and celebrity guests in the entertainment industry capital.

Here’s everything you need to know about the Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum:

Format for the Clash at the Coliseum

Saturday night’s qualifying session set the starting grids for Sunday’s heat races. The overall fastest time set by Justin Haley won pole for Heat 1, Kyle Busch pole for Heat 2, third fastest wins the pole for Heat 3 and the fourth-fastest time wins pole for Heat 4. The remaining starting spots for each race will follow that pattern.

Each heat race will be 25 laps of green-flag running (caution laps will not count this year) with the top five finishers in each automatically advancing to the main event. Everyone else will be split into two 50-lap “last-chance qualifier” races with the top-three finishers from each advancing into the main. The 27th and final starting spot for the main will be the highest points finisher from 2022 that has not yet advanced.

The main event, the Clash, will be a 150-lap race with just green-flag laps counting and the winner bringing home a purse of more than $2 million.

Clash at the Coliseum results

1. Martin Truex Jr. (19), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

2. Austin Dillon (3), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

3. Kyle Busch (8), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

4. Alex Bowman (48), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

5. Kyle Larson (5), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

6. Tyler Reddick (45), 23XI Racing Toyota

7. Ryan Preece (41), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

8. Ross Chastain (1), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

9. Denny Hamlin (11), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

10. William Byron (24), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

11. Justin Haley (31), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

12. Kevin Harvick (4), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

13. Christopher Bell (20), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

14. Noah Gragson (42), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet

15. Chase Briscoe (14), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

16. Joey Logano (22), Team Penske Ford

17. Ryan Blaney (12), Team Penske Ford

18. Aric Almirola (10), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

19. Daniel Suarez (99), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

20. A.J. Allmendinger (16), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

21. Chase Elliott (9), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

22. Bubba Wallace (23), 23XI Racing Chevrolet

23. Todd Gilliland (38), Front Row Motorsports Ford

24. Michael McDowell (34), Front Row Motorsports Ford

25. Austin Cindric (2), Team Penske Ford

26. Ty Gibbs (54), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

27. Erik Jones (43), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet

Clash at the Coliseum heat race starting grids

Top drivers and best bets for the Clash at the Coliseum

Defending series champion Joey Logano won the only prior event on this track last year and is considered a favorite to repeat in the Clash. This being the shortest track the Cup cars run by a wide margin (the next-shortest is Virginia's Martinsville Speedway at just over half a mile), one would tend to favor drivers who excel on the short tracks. That logic is borne out in the betting lines at BetMGM as the six drivers with 10-to-1 or better odds all rank in the top 10 among active drivers on tracks shorter than one mile.

Best odds to win the Clash at the Coliseum:

• Chase Elliott +800

• Kyle Larson +800

• Joey Logano +800

• Kyle Busch +800

• Christopher Bell +900

• Ryan Blaney +1000

NASCAR Clash track profile and history

At a quarter mile with no true straightaways due to the usable space at the Coliseum, this temporary track is not only the shortest these cars run, but also the most unique. The shortness of the track and lack of banking (the corners are only 2.5 degrees compared to Martinsville's 12.5) puts the racing much more in the drivers' hands and nullifies any aero or horsepower advantage a certain team or manufacturer might have.

Prior to 2022, the Clash was run on the high banks (31 degrees) of the Daytona International Speedway. While restrictor plate racing requires a separate skill set and plenty of nerves, short-track racing is traditionally a more accurate test of a driver's skill and part of why NASCAR wants these showcase events on shorter courses — the midseason All-Star race will be at the .625-mile North Wilkesboro Speedway.

Celebrity involvement in the Clash at the Coliseum

Actor Rob Lowe will deliver the command to start engines for the Clash as the event’s grand marshal while USC quarterback Caleb Williams is the honorary starter and will wave the green flag to begin the race. Southern California hip-hop icons Cypress Hill will perform between the last-chance qualifiers and the Clash, while Wiz Khalifa is set to perform at the feature’s mid-race break.

Weather for the Clash at the Coliseum

The forecast calls for sunshine and a high of 71 degrees for qualifying on Saturday, while it will be overcast with a 42 percent chance of precipitation on Sunday. Cup cars are equipped to run in light rain and a damp track would certainly add a wild element to race day as last year’s race run under sunshine already had its share of incidents with five caution flags over the 150 laps of the feature race.

Entry list for the Clash at the Coliseum

Ross Chastain (1), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Austin Cindric (2), Team Penske Ford
Austin Dillon (3), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Kevin Harvick (4), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Kyle Larson (5), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Brad Keselowski (6), RFK Racing Ford
Corey Lajoie (7), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
Kyle Busch (8), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Chase Elliott (9), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Aric Almirola (10), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Denny Hamlin (11), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Ryan Blaney (12), Team Penske Ford
Chase Briscoe (14), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
J.J. Yeley (15), Rick Ware Racing Ford
A.J. Allmendinger (16), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Chris Buescher (17), RFK Racing Ford
Martin Truex Jr. (19), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Christopher Bell (20), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Harrison Burton (21), Wood Brothers Racing Ford
Joey Logano (22), Team Penske Ford
Bubba Wallace (23), 23XI Racing Chevrolet
William Byron (24), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Justin Haley (31), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Michael McDowell (34), Front Row Motorsports Ford
Todd Gilliland (38), Front Row Motorsports Ford
Ryan Preece (41), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Noah Gragson (42), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet
Erik Jones (43), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet
Tyler Reddick (45), 23XI Racing Toyota
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (47), JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet
Alex Bowman (48), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Ty Dillon (77), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
B.J. McLeod (78), Live Fast Motorsports Ford
Daniel Suarez (99), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet