The Clash at the Coliseum
The Clash: NASCAR's pre-season exhibition race, moving from Daytona to the Coliseum and beyond.
The Clash is an annual non-championship pre-season NASCAR Cup Series exhibition event held in February before the season-opening Daytona 500. It was held at Daytona International Speedway from its inception in 1979 until 2021, then moved to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in 2022, to Bowman Gray Stadium in 2025, and back to Daytona in 2027.
Quick Facts
- Surface
- Concrete
- Configuration era
- 2022–Present (Stadium)
Lore & Background
The event was first known as the Busch Clash, created by Monty Roberts, brand manager of Busch Beer. It was a 50-mile sprint race for the previous season's pole position winners. The race has had multiple sponsors and names: Busch Clash (1979–1997), Bud Shootout (1998–2012), Sprint Unlimited (2013–2016), Advance Auto Parts Clash (2017–2019), Busch Clash again (2020–2024), Cook Out Clash (2025–2026), and Wheatley Vodka Clash (2027 onward). The 1987 race, won by Bill Elliott, averaged 197.802 mph, the fastest sanctioned race in NASCAR history. The 2013 race introduced fan voting into the format.
Reader's Guide
The race format has varied over the years. From 1979–1990: single 20-lap (50-mile) green flag sprint, no pit stops. 1991–1997: two 10-lap segments with field inversion. 1998–2000: two 25-lap races with a required two-tire pit stop. 2001–2002: 70-lap race with a required two-tire pit stop. 2003–2008: 20-lap segment, intermission, then 50-lap segment; fuel cell size reduced to 13.5 gallons. 2009–2012: 25-lap first segment, 50-lap second segment. 2013–2015: three segments (30, 25, 20 laps) with fan voting. 2016–2020: 75-lap race with 25-lap first segment. 2021: run on the road course layout using sixth-generation cars.
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