Race Weekend Central

Stock Car Scoop: What Will Make NASCAR’s 2022 Busch Light Clash a Success?

The 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season is here, and the podcasting duo of Bryan Nolen and Adam Cheek are back as it kicks off with the non-points Busch Light Clash at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The brand-new Next Gen cars take to a brand-new track with some fresh faces in the field as well, and the hosts return to the podcast trail to break it all down ahead of Sunday’s race on the .25-mile oval.

The duo discuss what needs to happen to make the Coliseum track’s debut weekend a success, their expectations (or lack thereof) for a nebulous weekend and more, as well as pick their winners for the race, which they’ll be keeping track of as the 2022 campaign unfolds.

Sign up for Stock Car Scoop on Apple Podcasts and Spotify or visit Frontstretch every Monday and Friday throughout 2022.

About the author

Adam Cheek joined Frontstretch as a contributing writer in January 2019. A 2020 graduate of VCU, he works as a producer and talent for Audacy Richmond's radio stations. In addition to motorsports journalism, Adam also covered and broadcasted numerous VCU athletics for the campus newspaper and radio station during his four years there. He's been a racing fan since the age of three, inheriting the passion from his grandfather, who raced in amateur events up and down the East Coast in the 1950s.

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Bill B

Umm, 36 cars on a quarter-mile paved track with no banking? I am guessing a bunch of bent sheet metal.

DoninAjax

I read that the average speed will be 44 mph which works out to 20 seconds per lap. Top speed is 60 and 20 in the corners. Pinecrest Speedway in the 60s was 15 seconds per lap at 60 mph average. Street Stocks would be faster.

Echo

Think about what your saying. Nascar “made” these teams travel across the country for this made for tv fiasco. Is Ben in charge, if he is he’s a replica of Brian.

DoninAjax

I’ve said for years that Brian still appears to make decisions. NA$CAR says he’s gone but who believes anything from the clowns in Daytona?

Echo

In a late night decision, Brian has decided to drive the pace car.

Robert B

Don’t only 23-24 cars make the Clash itself?

ChrisPhineas

How will this event be deemed a success? First…the track has to hold up. It cannot begin to deteriorate over the course of the event. Second…It is a good TV show. Make no mistake the Clash is TV Sports Entertainment, on par with WWE. This is not auto racing. It is a TV show, in LA, with cars going in circles, while there is a pre-race, and halftime show, along with a DJ during cautions.

Last edited 2 years ago by ChrisPhineas
Bobby DK

Nascar could have saved a ton of money and just let them run the 405, 210 and 605 freeway loop. During the weekdays I’ve read the average now is 22 MPH. Maybe 30 on weekends.

Echo

I agree with you.

Jeremy

The best thing they could do is fill it with water, stock it with bass, and have a fishing tournament instead.

Charlie

This is a tongue-in-cheek response: whatever Ben Kennedy dictates the success metric is.
At least they tried something different.
Now, if this works, wouldn’t the all star race be cool at Met Life Stadium in New York sometime around the first of May?

gbvette

This whole event is just another in a long line of NASCAR gimmicks, to try to gain attention. When an organization has to resort to gimmicks, to get attention and remain relative, it’s time they realize that they ceased to be relative years ago. If you can’t provide good product, silly gimmicks aren’t going to help either.

Steve R

i was thinking the very same thing

Jeremy

Color me unimpressed. If you’re running 4th, just shove 3rd into 2nd, into first and spin the leader. This is bull****, not racing. They might as well take out the inside walls, give them all a yardstick to wedge in the door, and have a demolition derby.

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