NASCAR has gone for something different and huge at the Los Angeles Coliseum with The Clash. Martin Flugger has guided NASCAR as he transformed the century-old stadium listed on the register of the historic place, and the host of the Olympics, World Series, and Super Bowls, into a NASCAR racetrack.
The NASCAR executive vice-president of engineering services says that going into the first race is always a tense proposition, be it at the permanent facilities or the Coliseum. You put in the time and do your best. But then you always have the butterflies waiting for the big day.
The day arrives on Sunday next with the Clash, the annual pre-season exhibition of NASCAR. The Clash travels to the LA Memorial Coliseum.
NASCAR Will Move Out From The Daytona 500 For The First Time With The Clash
It is for the first time that the race will be separated by days and miles from its permanent venue at the Daytona 500, which has been its partner from the time it came into being in 1979.
If things go to plan, the NASCAR race will have discovered a new permanent venue and a tick on the racing calendar.
The planning and execution was something that Flugger admits daunted him. The sheer scale of the project was both a surprise and sheer excitement.
NASCAR has always tried to cultivate links with the entertainment industry to bring variety to the appeal. And the plan to transform a storied venue into a race track.
The famed Coliseum is the home for the USC Trojans football. They constructed a 0.25-mile asphalt oval inside the Coliseum specifically for The Clash. The finish is spectacular, even before the cars move onto the track.
Though this weekend race isn’t the official start to the NASCAR Cup Series 2022, it remains the big deal, a bigger one than usual. The official start is with the Daytona 500 on February 20. the event at the Coliseum is the annual pre-season exhibition event.
The only difference is that The Busch Light Clash will move to the new venue instead of at the Daytona International Speedway and is set for February 6.
