Johnathan Walker:Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum: What to know, how to watch NASCAR exhibition race

The Johnathan Walker2024 NASCAR Cup Series season is set to begin this weekend when racing returns to a legendary Los Angeles venue for the Busch Light Clash at The Coliseum.

In Sunday's season-opening exhibition race, drivers will race inside the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, home to the University of Southern California Trojans football team and multiple Olympic Games.

The 2024 Clash is the 46th running of the event, but this marks the third consecutive year the race is being held outside of Daytona International Speedway since its inception in 1979. It has been held at the L.A. Coliseum for the previous two years and was held at the Daytona road course in 2021.

Dale Earnhardt Sr. holds the record for most victories in The Clash with six. Among active drivers, Denny Hamlin leads with three victories, while Joey Logano and Kyle Busch have each won The Clash twice.

Here is everything you need to know about the exhibition race:

NASCAR SCHEDULE: How to watch Cup Series races in 2024

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When is the Busch Light Clash?

The race takes place Sunday, Feb. 4 at 8 p.m. ET (5 p.m. local).

Immediately preceding the race will be a last-chance qualifying race for the Clash (6:30 p.m. ET) and the King Taco La Batalla en El Coliseo NASCAR Mexico Series race (4:30 p.m. ET).

Four heat races, which will determine the lineup for The Clash, will be held on Saturday, Feb. 3, beginning at 8:30 p.m. ET.

Where is the Busch Light Clash?

The race is being held at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, home of the USC football team and the main stadium for the 1932, 1984 and 2028 summer Olympics.

How can I watch the Busch Light Clash on TV?

Sunday's main event and last-chance qualifying race are both being televised nationally on FOX.

Saturday's heat races and Sunday's NASCAR Mexico Series race will be televised on FS1.

Will there be a live stream of the Busch Light Clash?

The race can be streamed on FoxSports.com and the Fox Sports app.

What is the format of the Busch Light Clash?

The Busch Light Clash at The Coliseum will feature 23 drivers competing in a 150-lap race atop a 0.25-mile asphalt oval inside the stadium. But not every car entered will qualify.

In order to qualify for the main event, drivers will compete in one of four heat races. The top five finishers in each heat will automatically advance to the main event, setting the top 20 starting positions.

Drivers who finish their heat races outside the top five will be relegated to the 75-lap last-chance qualifying race. The top two finishers in the LCQ will advance to the Clash and start 21st and 22nd, respectively. 

The 23rd and final position in the grid for the Clash is reserved for the driver who finished highest in the 2023 season points standings and did not transfer via the heat races or LCQ. Ryan Blaney, the defending NASCAR Cup Series champion, is locked into the main event.

Who won the 2023 Busch Light Clash?

Martin Truex Jr. won last year's race, a sloppy extravaganza that featured 25 cautions. Austin Dillon and Kyle Busch finished second and third, respectively. They joined Truex on a podium for a NASCAR-first medal ceremony held below the Coliseum’s famed peristyle.

What is the entry list for the Busch Light Clash?

There are 36 entries for the heat races (with driver's names, car number in parentheses, car manufacturer and team).

1. (1) Ross Chastain, Chevrolet, Trackhouse Racing

2. (2) Austin Cindric, Ford, Team Penske

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

4. (4) Josh Berry, Ford, Stewart Haas Racing

5. (5) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports

6. (6) Brad Keselowski, Ford, RFK Racing

7. (7) Corey LaJoie, Chevrolet, Spire Motorsports

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

9. (9) Chase Elliott, Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports

10. (10) Noah Gragson, Ford, Stewart Haas Racing

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

12. (12) Ryan Blaney, Ford, Team Penske

13. (14) Chase Briscoe, Ford, Stewart Haas Racing

14. (15) Kaz Grala, Ford, Rick Ware Racing

15. (16) Josh Williams, Chevrolet, Kaulig Racing

16. (17) Chris Buescher, Ford, RFK Racing

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

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

19. (21) Harrison Burton, Ford, Wood Brothers Racing

20. (22) Joey Logano, Ford, Team Penske

21. (23) Bubba Wallace, Toyota, 23XI Racing

22. (24) William Byron, Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports

23. (31) Daniel Hemric, Chevrolet, Kaulig Racing

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

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

26. (41) Ryan Preece, Ford, Stewart Haas Racing

27. (42) John Hunter Nemechek, Toyota, Legacy Motor Club

28. (43) Erik Jones, Toyota, Legacy Motor Club

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

30. (47) Ricky Stenhouse, Chevrolet, JTG Daugherty Racing

31. (48) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports

32. (51) Justin Haley, Ford, Rick Ware Racing

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

34. (71) Zane Smith, Chevrolet, Spire Motorsports

35. (77) Carson Hocevar, Chevrolet, Spire Motorsports

36. (99) Daniel Suárez, Chevrolet, Trackhouse Racing