NASCAR’s unprecedented decision to move the Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum up one day because of the severe weather in Los Angeles on Sunday received widespread praise from the garage.
“I think it’s awesome,” Hendrick Motorsports driver Chase Elliott said. “I think it’s one of the most logical decisions we’ve made as an industry, potentially ever. I appreciate it. I know a lot of the industry personnel really appreciates the willingness to make a change like that. To be honest with you, doing an event like this on a Saturday night is a better fit for it anyway. I think it’s a win-win for everybody.”
NASCAR was set for two days of activity inside the L.A. Coliseum with a combined practice and qualifying session before going into four heat races Saturday night. The main event was slated for Sunday, with the last chance qualifier race and the third edition of the Busch Light Clash.
But everything was condensed to a one-day show, with practice and qualifying taking place just a few hours before running the Busch Light Clash. The race ran to completion, as did the NASCAR Mexico Series race before rain moved into the area.
The Los Angeles area is bracing for a coastal storm that could bring a high risk of flash flooding Sunday and Monday. The Weather Channel is calling it “California’s strongest storm” of the season and has meterologists reporting live up and down the coast.
“I think we should consider tonight a success only because if it didn’t happen tonight, I just don’t think it was going to happen at all,” Denny Hamlin said after winning Saturday night in his Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. “While there will be some people that are upset about not being able to use their ticket for tomorrow, they weren’t going to use it Monday either and Tuesday, I’m not sure was an option. This thing was just going to snowball into a really straining the teams, all the people here at the Coliseum that have to get this thing converted back over.
“Tonight was the only option to get this thing in, and I’m happy that NASCAR made unprecedented changes to make sure that the fans at least saw a race.”
The downside of the condensed schedule was losing the pomp and circumstance surrounding the event. There were no celebrity and athlete sightings or buildup to the main event. NASCAR was in hurry-up mode Saturday and did not have pre-race entertainment or the halfway break concert, which was supposed to be performed by Machine Gun Kelly.