The Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum is a fun commercial for the Daytona 500. It is an exhibition race; it doesn’t pay points and there is nothing at stake. Hence, the drivers can battle it out without anything to lose. Also, this is the only time NASCAR makes a halt at Los Angeles. However, according to Martin Truex Jr., this race is important for a different reason.
Advertisement
A good start makes everything easier; it lays a foundation to build upon. A victory in the Clash does just the same, said the 2023 Clash winner. The JGR driver clearly noticed how different his mentality was in the beginning of 2023 than it was back in 2022, when he finished 15th in the inaugural race. Confidence is the key and more so in a competitive sport like NASCAR. Winning the Clash builds just that.
How important was winning the Clash last year to start the season in a positive direction for the No. 19 team?
“I think it was definitely a huge part. It builds confidence and particularly in the decision-making process. We went to the Clash in 2022 and we were absolutely awful.… pic.twitter.com/qiJMxRw0ym
— Joe Gibbs Racing (@JoeGibbsRacing) February 2, 2024
“You always want to start the season strong, exhibition race or not,” said the Toyota driver. “You want to go out there and win and get your confidence going. That just kicked things off for us and we knew we were back. We knew we could do it but, until you actually do it, you always have that question in the back of your mind. That weekend answered the question that we could still win races.”
The Clash did serve its purpose, says renowned rapper
The motive behind hosting the first edition of the Clash was simple. In the words of Bill France Jr., “We were trying to build some excitement for the Daytona 500 and that year was the first time that CBS was covering the 500 flag to flag. They wanted something to help promote that, and also their TV crew needed a dress rehearsal.”
Besides building up for the famed Daytona 500, the Clash serves another purpose for the sport as a whole. And that is attracting new fans from around the country. And it seemed to work well for Grammy winning rap artist, Armando Christian Pérez AKA Pitbull.
“I cannot tell you how many of my friends hit me up after 2022 asking, ‘Yo, man. What was that?'” he admitted. “Two weeks later a bunch of them were at Daytona to see it for themselves. Now they come out to see what’s up at the Coliseum every February. I know for a fact that the Clash is why they watch now. They know fun and this is fun.”
Mr. Worldwide, who is also the co-owner of Trackhouse Racing, had performed at the Clash in 2022. That year was quite special because it was also the first year that this season-opening race was not held at the Daytona International since its inception in 1979.
