CONCORD, N.C. -- The Clash has been attached to the DAYTONA 500 experience for over four decades. Now in it’s 43rd year, the race has become the official event to kick off Daytona Speedweeks before the first race of the season.
So, what is the Clash? Why has it become a NASCAR Cup Series tradition? How does a Cup Series driver get an invitation to participate? Why is this year’s race on the DAYTONA Road Course and not on the superspeedway? We got everything you need to understand Tuesday’s exhibition race.
The clash started in 1979 as a non-points-paying race to officially kick off the Cup Series season. Created by Monty Roberts, it’s considered the official beginning of the Cup Series season. Since it’s not a race that counts toward earning a championship, there is a cash purse attached to winning it. This allows drivers to try creative strategies to win without hindering their chances of earning a title later in the season.
The Clash also was a way to encourage drivers to get down to Daytona Beach, Florida, earlier in the week to promote the DAYTONA 500. Certain criteria put in place made the event even more exclusive among the Cup drivers.
For the 2021 season, all participants must have at least one of the following requirements:
- Earned a pole award during the 2020 season
- Past Clash winners who participated in the Cup Series full time last year
- Past DAYTONA 500 champions who raced full time last year
- Former DAYTONA 500 pole sitters who competed full time in 2020
- 2020 Cup Series playoff drivers
- 2020 Cup Series race winners
- 2020 Cup Series stage winners
By this criteria, Chase Elliott, William Byron and Alex Bowman all received invitations to this year’s Clash. Overall, four different Hendrick Motorsport drivers have won the race: Ken Schraeder (1990, 1991); Jeff Gordon (1994, 1997); Jimmie Johnson (2005, 2019); and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2008). Gordon went on to win the Cup Series in 1997 and Johnson earned his first championship in 2005 after they won the Clash that season.
Despite being an institutional part the Cup Series season, this year’s Clash will look a little different. NASCAR officials originally opted to use the road course at Daytona to use the last of the sixth-generation chassis before switching to the Next Gen cars in 2021. The coronavirus pandemic halted the unveiling of the Next Gen cars until 2022, but the sanctioning body decided to stick with the road course.
Since the Clash will take place on three-quarters of the 2.5-mile oval and the infield portion of the road course, this means the total length of the race will be 3.61 miles and 35 laps. It will be broken down into two segments – a 15-lap first part with a competition caution, then the final 20 laps. Normally, the race is 75 laps on the superspeedway.
Running on the road course could be good news for the Hendrick Motorsports drivers. Elliott won the inaugural event on Aug. 16 and led for 34 laps. Byron placed eighth in the event and Bowman finished 12th.
This year, Bowman will be on the front row and roll off the grid in second place. Byron will start fifth and Elliott will rev his engine in seventh out of 21 drivers. The annual Clash exhibition race will begin Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET on FS1.