As the 2023 NASCAR season reaches its halfway point, the anticipation for the 2024 season is already building, with news about a third consecutive exhibition race in the City of Angels. NASCAR is once again heading to Los Angeles for the Busch Clash race, a pre-season non-points event set to hit the asphalt at the ¼-mile oval inside the iconic LA Coliseum. The Busch Clash race made its debut in 2022, with Joey Logano taking the inaugural victory, while it was Martin Truex Jr. who claimed the crown come 2023.

Meanwhile, the 2023 season is heating up as it heads into the playoffs round of 12 at Texas. Last week’s Bristol winner, Denny Hamlin, is still basking in his victory, and on his podcast, “Actions Detrimental,” he provided valuable insights and the impact of the LA race as both a driver and the owner of the 23XI team.

Denny Hamlin reveals LA Coliseum race financial realities 

In the latest episode of the podcast, Denny Hamlin’s excitement about the return of the Busch Clash race to Los Angeles was palpable. Despite the logistical challenges it poses for teams, he sees it as a thrilling addition to the NASCAR calendar. Hamlin commented, “We got the clash that just got released today, right? So, the clash is returning to LA. I like that move too. I mean, I think that, you know, it is a long way out there; it is tough on the race teams for sure. But I still think it’s a cool venue and a cool type of format.”

His co-host, Jared Allen, echoed his sentiments, highlighting the appeal of staying in the LA market to generate excitement for the upcoming season. Allen said, “From a fan perspective and a way to build excitement for the season, I think it’s cool.”

Despite their enthusiasm, Hamlin acknowledged the practical challenges associated with hosting the season-opener. He pointed out, “From the team’s standpoint, it’s tough for the teams. Logistically, we start the season; we go all the way out to LA for this exhibition race. Then the following week, we gotta go all the way out to Daytona, the other side of the earth basically. And then the week after that, we go out to the west coast. So it’s just back and forth. So that part of it is tough.”

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Financially, Hamlin revealed that the Clash isn’t a lucrative event for teams, often resulting in financial losses. However, he noted that the race has historically been beneficial for the sport, attracting higher viewership ratings during its previous iterations.

From concrete to chaos – NASCAR’s dirt track gamble

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While the countdown to the three-year deal for “The Greatest Stadium in the World” will run its course in 2024, there’s another track that recently faced a contrasting verdict as its three-year run came to an end. The Bristol dirt track was slammed with the decision to abandon it for the upcoming season. This decision didn’t leave many heavy hearts in its wake as it largely confirms the Bristol dirt track’s reputation as one of the most hated race events.

After a hiatus of 50 years, NASCAR made a bold move by reintroducing dirt tracks back in 2021. Instead of opting for a purpose-built dirt track, the decision was made to transform the iconic Bristol concrete track into a dirt surface. While this decision initially generated considerable excitement, it didn’t take long for the novelty to wear off.

Hamlin, during his podcast, weighed in on this decision as he acknowledged that the Bristol dirt track had its moments, but, as time passed, the appeal seemed to wane, leading to the decision to remove it from the racing calendar. “Who knows if this means that the dirt race entirely will go away, or whether they take it to another place or not. But it sounds like definitely, the Bristol dirt’s going away. I think that’s the right thing to do for sure. I think that kinda ran its course, and you know the fans, hot and heavy the first year, second year, eh. But you know, that’s such a great venue that we hate to cover it up for dirt.”

Hamlin further highlighted the practical challenges and financial considerations involved in the transformation process, including the cost of adding and removing dirt, along with the cleanup efforts. “There’s a cost and expense to loading a bunch of dirt in that place and then cleaning up afterward, right? So Bristol dirt won’t happen next year; we know we are gonna have concrete for 2 races.”

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With all that being said and done, the 2023 season is well underway, keeping fans on the edge of their seats for the excitement yet to come.