With the upcoming Clash at the L.A. Coliseum set to be the 46th running of the event, NASCAR drivers will be vying to inject positivity into their teams and fans before the official season opener at Daytona. But that’s not all that is at stake. The prize money that is distributed among the Clash’s top drivers is typically lower than the amount in other Cup races. But in 2024, the people in charge have made the reward a little bit taller. As reported by Bob Pockrass of Fox Sports, the size of this year’s purse is a staggering $2,210,000.
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The overall purse (total $$ for all positions) for the Clash: $2,210,000
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) January 31, 2024
So, on February 4 (Sunday), the 23 drivers who are left hanging after the heat races and the LCQ will compete for the largest share of this $2.2 million pie. Though the race does not carry any points and is intended more of as a shakedown on the quarter-mile purpose-built rack at the Coliseum, the money could be seen as an attractive takeaway.
3-time Clash winner Denny Hamlin says of the event, “It’s a unique atmosphere and a fun race to kick the season off. It doesn’t really translate to anything else we do because the track is so small, but it’ll be fun to knock some of the rust off from not being in the car since November.”
The Busch Light Clash purse size in previous years
This will be the third time that the L.A. Coliseum hosts NASCAR stars for the pre-season race. In the first running, Joey Logano won the race and went on to become the 2022 Cup Series champion. The prize money that year was a little bit lower than $2 million. Considering the change in venue from Daytona to the Coliseum, NASCAR had added $750,000 to its weight.
.@NASCAR has boosted the purse for the Busch Light Clash by $750,000 to just under $2 million total, per sources, to compensate for the larger field and further travel than usual for that race this year. pic.twitter.com/9vnrridAZX
— Adam Stern (@A_S12) January 26, 2022
In 2023, when Martin Truex Jr. won the Clash, the purse was $2.085 million. One of the key changes from the race last year to now is the reduction in field size. With only 23 drivers competing this year, the shares and stakes will be much denser.
SHR’s replacement for Kevin Harvick’s legacy, Josh Berry, will be competing in his maiden Clash. He said to NASCAR, “I think it’s a really cool event. Having watched the races there, it’s really fun to get the chance to compete there. Obviously, with my background being in short-track racing, I think it should help, but I definitely think it will be a unique experience.”
The Clash can be followed on Fox, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio beginning February 4, 8 p.m. ET.
