What’s Next for the NASCAR Clash? Denny Hamlin Proposes Bold Option

The L.A. Coliseum has hosted NASCAR for the last three years as the venue for the annual Busch Light Clash. Now that the contract that began in 2022 has run its course, the only question on everyone’s mind is where the Clash is heading next. With various answers shooting up from different directions, Denny Hamlin has suggested a rather bold move.

Taking up the mic for Actions Detrimental, the Joe Gibbs Racing star expressed his opinion that the Clash should be removed altogether in favor of more practice before the Daytona 500. He said, “I would probably vote that we do not have the Clash and we run more practice before the 500. I think that’s a better use of resources. I think that is a better build-up for the Daytona 500.” However, he did mention that he wasn’t sure how NASCAR could then make up for the loss of a main-event TV viewership.

Hamlin’s take rode a balanced scale of dilemma, unable to choose what the right course of action would be. He pondered on the idea of moving it back to Daytona, and on that of investing in the infrastructure of other short tracks to suit the race. However, the financials of such moves did not make a lot of sense to him as a team owner and left him hanging in question.

“I don’t know what the right answer is. I wish there was an easier answer to it.”, Denny Hamlin said. One other suggestion that the brainstorm brought up but quickly brushed away was converting the Clash into the All-Star race and consequently, the North Wilkesboro event into a points-paying race.

Denny Hamlin thanks Los Angeles for hosting NASCAR over the last three years

Assuring listeners that NASCAR was hot on its heels in finalizing a schedule as early as it could, Denny Hamlin went ahead to express his gratitude for the efforts of the Coliseum over the last three years.

Hamlin said, “Everyone needs to look at L.A. and thank them for welcoming us to come there. I mean, we take a stadium and we tear it apart for weeks and then they build it back. I thought it was a huge success, no matter what, to our TV audience – there was a big bump in that.”

He concluded, “So whatever the next chapter is, if there is a next chapter, we will just see what it is.” Hamlin had talked of and thanked Los Angeles for the experience in his post-race interview at the Coliseum on Saturday, as well.