The Clash is coming together.
For the third year running, NASCAR is building a temporary quarter-mile track inside of the L.A. Coliseum that will be used to host its season-kickoff Busch Light Clash exhibition event.
Construction began in December shortly after the L.A. Bowl and the track is scheduled to be completed by the end of January in time for tests on Feb. 1 ahead of the event, which takes place on Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 3 and 4.
NASCAR last week announced that the Saturday practice and qualifying sessions will be open to the public for free after originally planning them as TV-only events.
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NASCAR senior director of design and development Phil Sayers told American Cars And Racing that the track layout has remained largely the same, although they were able to make the surface slightly larger last year by pushing the barriers out farther than the first time around.
New Valley Construction of Phoenix, Ariz., is back again for the project, using a slightly tweaked asphalt mix aimed at reducing air voids to make it more durable and set faster.
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About 16,000 tons of material are required to cover the stadium’s infield, which is first lined with a plastic sheet to protect its grass surface. Fabric is laid over some sections for drainage then a layer of crushed gravel before the pavement is applied.
The process is being followed by a web cam at the venue, which can show a time lapse up to this point.
Sayers said deconstruction will begin as soon as the Clash champion is crowned, with barrier removal starting on Sunday night. After that, he estimates it will take just seven to 10 days to mille and remove the surface and let the grass see the sun again. According to Sayers, it stays in remarkably good shape and bounces back quickly.
NASCAR hasn’t yet confirmed a return to L.A. for 2025, but with construction of a new short track in nearby Fontana, Calif., that will replace the old Auto Club Speedway not yet started, there’s a good chance the series will want to stay in the market until it is complete.
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The L.A. Coliseum was designed with an unusually large infield that could fit a quarter-mile running track plus additional open space at one end, but has been reconfigured several times since it opened in 1923.
There aren’t many stadiums in the U.S. or around the world that could fit a racing track the size of the one being used for the Clash.
However, NASCAR has been looking at taking the concept to other cities and potentially other countries. Sayers says they’ve investigated several stadiums in London, although nothing has yet been decided on.
The Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum will be broadcast live on Fox at 8 p.m. ET on Feb. 4.
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