NASCAR: New location emerging for the Busch Light Clash?

The NASCAR Cup Series unofficially kicks off its season with the Busch Light Clash, an exhibition race in which teams race for pride, not points. While there is money and even medals awarded at the end of the race, grabbing the checkered flag at the end does not count for a spot in the playoffs.

The Busch Light Clash was contested at Daytona International Speedway for more than four decades, with all but one race (2021) run on the four-turn, 2.5-mile (4.023-kilometer) oval layout. The 2021 race was contested on the road course portion of the race track, featuring only sections of the high-banked oval.

In 2022, NASCAR decided to change the location of the Busch Light Clash and create a quarter-mile race track inside of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. It largely resembles a modern replication of the famous Bowman Gray Stadium short track.

The inaugural race at the home of the USC Trojans resulted in a significant crowd turnout and ratings success, ranging from diehard fans to casuals to first timers. But the novelty has phased out relatively quickly.

The Busch Light Clash isn't the only race that NASCAR is looking to use to evolve their product, as new tracks such as the Chicago Street Course have been developed from the sport's vision of bringing a different location and style of racing to the table each and every year.

With a constant desire to evolve and adapt, the Busch Light Clash may be move to a new location yet again.

Sports Business Journal's Adam Stern recently reported that NASCAR has had discussions about moving the Busch Light Clash to Dodger Stadium, the home of the Los Angeles Dodgers, in the coming years.

The move would keep the race in the Los Angeles market area, and it would further expand the sport from racing inside a football stadium to now racing inside of a baseball stadium. An even deeper expansion into the crossover of ball sports to motorsports could help further grow NASCAR's fanbase.

While other rumors of moving the Busch Light Clash outside of the United States completely have also been reported, keeping the race in the Los Angeles market while highlighting NASCAR's international series, like the sport was able to do this year, would be a logical move that keeps the race itself fresh with a sustainable approach.