NASCAR Throwback: Joey Logano wins first-ever Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum

This weekend will be the third year of the Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum in Los Angeles. That first year was a learning experience. Drivers didn’t know what to expect, didn’t know how to race on the tight turns, really. Still, they made NASCAR happen at the LA Coliseum.

The Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum isn’t the best form of racing. What it is, is a spectacle and an entertaining show. Last year, we had drivers pissed off, yelling in their radios, spinning each other out, and more.

In the first year, we also had a lot of that. But, drivers were willing to be more cautious in that first year. They didn’t know how hard they could hit these Next Gen cars. Now we know they can take a real beating.

In 2022, we saw the race led by Tyler Reddick for the first third, then he had mechanical issues. Denny Hamlin also had problems in that race. Ultimately, it was Joey Logano who would take the win in the first Clash at the Coliseum.

This year, the Busch Light Clash will likely be a rough and tumble race. A lot of drivers felt sore after the event in 2023, so maybe the memory of that pain will keep the racing cleaner. There will also just be 23 cars in the main event.

Joey Logano won the first one, Martin Truex Jr. won the second edition – who will win in year three of the Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum?

Busch Light Clash enters third year with familiar favorite

This race has a lot of haters and I get it. The racing isn’t wonderful. We don’t see huge green flag runs, and the speeds aren’t what they would be on a track even half a mile long. But what NASCAR has managed to do with this event is impressive nonetheless.

I don’t think anyone expected this race to go as well as it has in the last two years. These drivers are the best at what they do, and many of them have picked up on the physicality required to win this race.

Heading into the third year of The Coliseum race, there is a favorite out there in the field. Martin Truex Jr., the 2023 winner is the favorite in Las Vegas. Here is the rest of the top-10 drivers:

Busch Light Clash: Odds to win
Martin Truex Jr.: +800
Kyle Larson: +850
William Byron: +900
Kyle Busch: +900
Ryan Blaney: +1000
Joey Logano: +1000
Denny Hamlin: +1000
Christopher Bell: +1200
Chase Elliott: +1600
Tyler Reddick: +2000

The Busch Light Clash is days away. NASCAR Cup Series racing is back. We’ll be in Daytona before you know it, folks. Get ready, another season of stock car racing is upon us.