LOS ANGELES – Alex Bowman led Hendrick Motorsports in qualifying for the 2024 Clash at the Coliseum as the organization placed three cars in the top 10 to start the race. This year’s event marks the third year that the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum has hosted the exhibition event.
Bowman drove the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 to the fourth starting spot (13.266 seconds). William Byron took sixth (13.316 seconds) in qualifying in the No. 24 Liberty University Chevy. Kyle Larson will start eighth (13.324 seconds) in the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, while Chase Elliott lines up 14th (13.401 seconds) in the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevy.
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Each driver’s fastest lap time from their final session on track determined 22 of the 23 spots in the field. Denny Hamlin took the pole position. The final spot went to the driver who finished the highest in 2023 driver points standings that had yet to automatically transfer into the Clash.
In two pre-qualifying practice sessions, Byron was fourth and Larson ranked seventh. Each team hit the track for two timed group practices of eight minutes with 12 cars each.
The Clash will occur at 8 p.m. ET with coverage on FS1, MRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90) 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. The event was originally scheduled for Sunday but an impending weather forecast moved the race up a day.
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In last year’s second race at the LA Coliseum, Bowman finished a team-best fourth, while Larson was fifth. Byron rounded out the top 10. Elliott qualified for the main event for the second straight season. Larson is one of three drivers to finish in the top five in both years on the purpose-built 0.25-mile track at the historic venue. Byron is one of four drivers to finish in the top 10 in both years of the event.
Hendrick Motorsports’ seven wins in the Clash are the third-most among all teams. All of their victories came at Daytona International Speedway, which was the home of the Clash from 1979 to 2020. The track’s road course hosted the 2021 edition of the Clash. Ken Schrader (1989 and 1990), Jeff Gordon (1994 and 1997) and Jimmie Johnson (2005 and 2019) each won the event twice, while Dale Earnhardt Jr. scored a win in 2008.
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