NASCAR Expands The Clash Lineup

On February 5, 2023 NASCAR returns to the Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles to kick off the season with the Busch Light Clash.

Last year, NASCAR debuted the Next Gen car; this year NASCAR debuts a new format for The Clash and a tweaked Next Gen car.

During the 2022 season, the Cup Series races included 36 to 38 cars on a regular basis; when the green flag drops on February 5, the field will include three fourths of that field with 27 cars.

All of the charter teams and drivers are eligible to enter the race.  The new four slots will be open to the Cup Series open (non-charter) teams.

On February 4, the drivers will take to the track for practice and have three opportunities to work on the cars and will be followed by single car qualifying to set the starting lineup.

Amid the NFL Pro Bowl game and the Grammy Awards, the NASCAR Cup Series drivers will be divided into four groups based on how they qualified for four 25 green flag lap heat races.  The top five finishers from each heat race will move on to the main event.

Drivers who fail to earn a spot after the heat races will be entered into one of the two the 50 lap Last Chance Qualifier where the top three finishers from each race will move on to the main event.  The final spot will go to the highest Cup Series point holder from the 2022 season not already in the main event.

No matter how he places in the race, the 2022 Clash winner and 2022 Cup Series champion Joey Logano will be in the 150 lap main event.

The lineup for the 150 lap The Clash race will be:
Heat 1 winner
Heat 2 winner
Heat 3 winner
Heat 4 winner
Heat 1 2^nd place driver
Heat 2 2^nd place driver
Heat 3 2^nd place driver
Heat 4 2^nd place driver
Heat 1 3^rd place driver
Heat 2 3^rd place driver
Heat 3 3^rd place driver
Heat 4 3^rd place driver
Heat 1 4^th place driver
Heat 2 4^th place driver
Heat 3 4^th place driver
Heat 4 4^th place driver
Heat 1 5^th place driver
Heat 2 5^th place driver
Heat 3 5^th place driver
Heat 4 5^th place driver
Last Chance Qualifier 1 winner
Last Chance Qualifier 2 winner
Last Chance Qualifier 1 2^nd place driver
Last Chance Qualifier 2 2^nd place driver
Last Chance Qualifier 1 3^rd place driver
Last Chance Qualifier 2 3^rd place driver
2022 points provisional

The racing surface at the Memorial Coliseum is currently under construction.