CONCORD, N.C. – The format for the 2024 edition of the Clash at the Coliseum has been announced. This year's exhibition race marks the third year that the NASCAR Cup Series has come to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum for the event.
The format for the race on Sunday, Feb. 4 (8 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio-Channel 90), will look slightly different from last year’s race. The field will be 23 cars, which is a return to the field size of the inaugural edition in 2022.
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On Saturday, Feb. 3, the field of eligible drivers will be split into three groups for practice with each group getting three timed sessions. Practice will begin at 6:10 p.m. ET and be televised on FS1. Each driver’s fastest lap time from their final practice session will determine the starting lineup for that night's heat races as there will be no single-lap qualifying. The driver with the fastest time in the final session of practice will be on the pole for Heat 1, the second-fastest time will be on the pole for Heat 2 and so on.
The four heat races of 25 laps will take place on Saturday with the first of those beginning at 8:30 p.m. ET on FS1. Only green-flag laps will count and there will be no overtime. The top five from each heat race will advance to the Clash. The drivers that finish outside the top five in their respective heats move to the Last Chance Qualifier Race (LCQ).
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The LCQ will take place on Sunday, Feb. 4, at 6:40 p.m. ET on FOX. ahead of the main event. The starting positions for the LCQ will be determined by where a driver finished in their respective heat race. The LCQ will consist of 75 laps with only green-flag laps counting and no overtime. The top-two finishers in LCQ will advance to the Clash. The 23rd and final spot in the field will be awarded to the driver who finished the highest in the 2023 season driver points standings but has yet to automatically transfer into the Clash.
The Clash will take place at 8 p.m. ET on Sunday and run for 150 laps. There will be a break after 75 laps are complete. Only the green-flag laps will count and the race must finish under green. FOX will have the action as well as MRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90).
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Last year’s race saw Alex Bowman finish fourth to lead the Hendrick Motorsports quartet. Kyle Larson took fifth and has two top-five finishes in as many years in Los Angeles. William Byron’s 10th-place run gives him two top-10 finishes at the 0.25-mile venue. Chase Elliott has qualified for the event in both years with a best finish of 11th in 2022.
HOW THE CLASH LINEUP IS DETERMINED
1-Heat 1 Winner
2-Heat 2 Winner
3-Heat 3 Winner
4-Heat 4 Winner
5-Heat 1 Runner Up
6-Heat 2 Runner Up
7-Heat 3 Runner Up
8-Heat 4 Runner Up
9-Heat 1 Third-Place Finisher
10-Heat 2 Third-Place Finisher
11-Heat 3 Third-Place Finisher
12-Heat 4 Third-Place Finisher
13-Heat 1 Fourth-Place Finisher
14-Heat 2 Fourth-Place Finisher
15-Heat 3 Fourth-Place Finisher
16-Heat 4 Fourth-Place Finisher
17-Heat 1 Fifth-Place Finisher
18-Heat 2 Fifth-Place Finisher
19-Heat 3 Fifth-Place Finisher
20-Heat 4 Fifth-Place Finisher
21-LCQ Winner
22-LCQ Runner Up
23-Points Provisional to Highest Finishing Driver in 2023 Driver Standings Not Yet in Field
FULL SCHEDULE
Saturday, Feb. 3
6:10-8 p.m. ET: Practice (Three timed sessions for three groups), FS1
8:30 p.m. ET: Heat Race 1 (25 laps, top-five finishers lock into Clash), FS1
8:45 p.m. ET: Heat Race 2 (25 laps, top-five finishers lock into Clash), FS1
9 p.m.: Heat Race 3 (25 laps, top-five finishers lock into Clash), FS1
9:15 p.m.: Heat Race 4 (25 laps, top-five finishers lock into Clash), FS1
*Times for the second, third and fourth heat races are approximate.
Sunday, Feb. 4
6:40 p.m. ET: Last Chance Qualifier Race (75 laps, top-two finishers lock into Clash), FOX
8 p.m.: Clash at the Coliseum (150 laps), FOX