Long: Drivers make their point clear on Clash at the Coliseum

In Sports
2023-02-06 06:42:49Z
By NBC Sports

LOS ANGELES - So what to do with the Clash at the Coliseum?

The second edition of this exhibition race at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum showcased beating, banging and 16 cautions in a 150-lap race won by Martin Truex Jr. on Sunday night.

A year remains on NASCAR's three-year contract with the Coliseum - NASCAR holds the option for next year - and it seems all but certain Cup cars will be back next year.

With Auto Club Speedway President Dave Allen saying Saturday that his track will not host a NASCAR event in 2024 while being converted from a 2-mile speedway to a half-mile track, the Los Angeles area would be without a NASCAR race if the Clash did not return.

NASCAR is not likely to leave the nation's No. 2 TV market without a race.

A question this weekend was if the Clash would become a points race next year to replace the Auto Club Speedway date and allow NASCAR to have a new venue for the Clash.

"I think they should put (the Coliseum race) in the playoffs, personally. That would be perfect," Denny Hamlin said straight faced after Sunday's race before breaking into a smile to show he was speaking sarcastically.

Two-time Cup champion Joey Logano was emphatic in his response.

"No," Logano said, shaking his head Sunday night. "We can't do that."

Why?

"You're going to fit 40 cars out there? We can't even make a caution lap without the pace car bumping the last-place car."

Logano smiled as he spoke - then again he often smiles as he talks. He was not speaking sarcastically as Hamlin showed with his smile. Logano's grin was part of a passionate defense.

"No. You can't do that," Logano continued of why a points race at the Coliseum is a bad idea. "That'd be dumb."

Even in a celebratory mood after his first victory in NASCAR in more than a year, Truex was clear about his feelings of making the Clash a points race.

"Why would you screw it up," he said, "and make it a points race?"

Just because drivers don't like something doesn't mean it won't happen.

But much would have to happen to make this event a points race.

Those familiar with the charter agreement between teams and NASCAR told NBC Sports that they weren't sure that the language in the agreement would permit a points race at such a venue. With the charter system guaranteeing all 36 teams a spot in a race, it's not feasible to run so many cars on this small track. Only 27 cars ran in Sunday's Clash. That almost seemed too many.

Should there be a way to make this event a points race without all 36 running in the main event, there are other issues.

The purse would have to significantly increase. NASCAR stated that the purse for Sunday's Clash was $2.085 million. Last year's championship race at Phoenix had a purse of $10.5 million. The purse for last year's Cup race at Watkins Glen was $6.6 million. The purse for last year's race at Nashville Superspeedway was $8.065 million.

If NASCAR made the Clash a points race, then the purse would be expected to fall in line with other points races. Of course, there still would be the logistics.

But is it worth it to try to make an event something it doesn't need to be?

While the attendance appeared to be a little less than the estimated 50,000 for last year's race, it wasn't enough of a drop to warrant abandoning this event. Is a points race at the Coliseum going to increase the attendance significantly? No.

Just bring this event back next year as is.

"I think it's good for what it is," Logano said. "It's a non-points race. I think we need to go back to maybe only four cars (instead of five) transferring from the heat (races) … there's just too many cars (on the track). I think that's part of the issue as well."

Then, to make sure he got his point across about if next year's Coliseum race should be a points race, Logano said: "A points-paying race. No. I'll be the first to raise my hand that's a very bad idea."

But it's possible 2024 could be the final year for this event at the Coliseum.

If Auto Club Speedway's conversion to a short track can be done in time to be on the 2025 schedule, then the Los Angeles region would have a short track and NASCAR could move the Clash to a new area to reach more fans.

That's part of the goal this new dynamic NASCAR, which has moved Cup races to different venues in the last couple of years and will run its first street course race in July in Chicago.

While NASCAR has made such changes, making the race at the Coliseum a points race serves no purpose. Just listen to the drivers.