It was a whirlwind Saturday for everybody in NASCAR, which saw an unprecedented rescheduling of NASCAR’s Busch Clash at the LA Coliseum. “Life threatening rain” was in the forecast starting Sunday, the same day the race was originally scheduled to be run.
NASCAR moved up the race a full day to Saturday, allowing them to beat the rain and complete the race.
Denny Hamlin fought off the competition in a two lap shootout to take the victory in the pre-season exhibition race. Kyle Busch finished second, marking his third podium in three attempts at the LA Coliseum. Defending Cup Series champion Ryan Blaney rounded out the top three.
Weather Forces Controversial Rescheduling
NASCAR putting a makeshift track in the LA Coliseum meant having to postpone the race would cause many logistical concerns. And with the forecast looking like a washout until Wednesday, a decision would have to be made.
In the end, NASCAR announced around noon on Saturday that the main event would be moved forward to 5 p.m. that evening. All heat races were canceled, and the qualifying format had to be modified. With this decision, NASCAR managed to get the race in. But there were obvious costs.
Massive Ramifications
To accommodate for the fan inconvenience, admission was made free for the Saturday event. All paid ticket holders for Sunday were given refunds. Multiple celebrity appearances and concerts had to be canceled as well.
Only a few thousand people were in the stands for the race. The TV broadcast switched from FOX to FS1, likely costing millions of viewers.
Despite this, there was a risk the race might not be run at all had NASCAR waited things out. It was a lose-lose situation. By moving the race a day ahead, it ensured there was at least some racing action.
Is the Clash at the Coliseum Done For?
The status for the Clash at the Coliseum has been in question for a while now. The novelty of running a race inside the LA Coliseum has begun to erode among NASCAR fans and the locals, sparking debate over whether the Clash needs to move elsewhere.
The Busch Clash at the Coliseum already serves as a financial net loss for NASCAR on a dry weekend with paid admission. It’s safe to say a weekend like this will inflict severe financial losses for NASCAR.
NASCAR executives have stated the goal for the event in LA is to attract a new demographic of fans, regardless of financial losses. And while it may not be their fault, it’s hard to see how NASCAR will achieve that goal after this mess of a weekend.
Nonetheless, they got the race in. All focus now shifts to the Daytona 500 on Feb. 18th.
Image courtesy of NASCAR.com
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- Source: https://thegamehaus.com/sports/rain-forces-controversial-reschedule-of-nascars-clash-at-the-coliseum/2024/02/05/
