2022 Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum Race Preview and Best Bet
Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum
Sunday, February 6, 2022 at 6 p.m. ET (FOX) at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles
Who Will Participate
NASCAR events typically field about 40 competitors.
We'll know who those competitors are in advance because they'll be posted on an entry list before the starting lineup gets published.
The latter has typically been published on the Wednesday before race day.
Betting on this event may seem a bit tricky because of how limited the field will be. Some of the guys we bet on or against may not participate.
We only know that Kyle Larson will participate because he finished atop last year's standings.
This unique betting situation should encourage us to place more bets in case a driver we like doesn't make the field.
There are indeed 40 entrants who will have a chance to compete in the race itself.
However, this group of 40 will be narrowed to 23. This race will thus actually consist of 23 competitors.
Practice Makes Perfect
First of all, there will be practice sessions for the competitors.
This piece of news shouldn't be a surprise to hear because, last season, it was normal for practice sessions to take place when the track was new to competitors.
While the L.A. Coliseum itself is historic and has obviously been around for a lot of different sporting events, this is the first time that NASCAR is visiting this venue. So, practice sessions are certainly necessary.
You can watch these sessions on Saturday, February 5, at 9:30 a.m. ET on FS2.
It would be useful to see how these drivers and their cars look on this track.
How Do We Get To 23
At 5:30 p.m. ET, televised on FS1, on the same day of the practice sessions, qualifying will take place.
Qualifying will determine the positioning for the heat races, which will determine who will participate in the race itself.
The qualifying rounds will be single-car.
On Sunday, the following day, at 3 p.m. ET and televised on FOX, four heat races are scheduled.
There will be four heat races. Each heat race will be 25 laps and will field 10 different drivers.
The four fastest cars from the qualifying will start in pole position for each heat.
Drivers that, in the qualifying, finish first, fifth, ninth, 13th, and so on will participate in the first heat.
The second heat will field drivers that finished second, sixth, 10th, etc. The field in each respective heat will thusly be filled up.
Qualifying rounds assume extra importance because the top qualifying drivers will have a better chance of having pole position for the race.
In the race, pole position will be occupied by the driver who wins heat one while outside pole position will be occupied by the winner of the second heat.
Out of the 10 drivers in each heat, the top four will automatically qualify for the race.
Those drivers who fail to use the heat races to advance will get another opportunity in a "Last Chance" qualifying race.
This final opportunity will take place on Sunday at around 1 p.m. ET -- the second "Last-Chance" race will take place about 20 minutes after the first -- and will be televised on FOX.
These last opportunities will be 50 laps.
Starting position for the race will be determined by the order in which drivers finish in the heat race and, later, by the two "Last-Chance" races.
The drivers who require these last races will start towards the back.
The L.A. Coliseum Track
Drivers will complete 150 laps for this racing event.
One unusual aspect about the track is the very limited banking.
This track is banked at 2.5 degrees throughout.
It is an asphalt track inside the Coliseum that is a quarter-mile long.
My Bets
Martin Truex Jr., has a historical advantage on short tracks.
On such tracks, he has amassed six wins in 16 races since February of 2019.
Last year's runner-up, he is likely to continue succeeding.
This is also a track that no driver will have raced on before.
I believe that this absence of history will make the racing event a more chaotic experience because drivers' track history has predictive value.
As such, drivers who one normally wouldn't invest in will have more of a chance to pull a surprise.
My favorite lower-profile driver is Alex Bowman, who has the third-most wins on short tracks since February 2019.
He has two, which puts him behind Truex Jr. and Brad Keselowski in this respect.
Best Bet: Truex Jr. at +600 & Bowman at +1800 with Bovada
Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum
Sunday, February 6, 2022 at 6 p.m. ET (FOX) at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles
Who Will Participate
NASCAR events typically field about 40 competitors.
We'll know who those competitors are in advance because they'll be posted on an entry list before the starting lineup gets published.
The latter has typically been published on the Wednesday before race day.
Betting on this event may seem a bit tricky because of how limited the field will be. Some of the guys we bet on or against may not participate.
We only know that Kyle Larson will participate because he finished atop last year's standings.
This unique betting situation should encourage us to place more bets in case a driver we like doesn't make the field.
There are indeed 40 entrants who will have a chance to compete in the race itself.
However, this group of 40 will be narrowed to 23. This race will thus actually consist of 23 competitors.
Practice Makes Perfect
First of all, there will be practice sessions for the competitors.
This piece of news shouldn't be a surprise to hear because, last season, it was normal for practice sessions to take place when the track was new to competitors.
While the L.A. Coliseum itself is historic and has obviously been around for a lot of different sporting events, this is the first time that NASCAR is visiting this venue. So, practice sessions are certainly necessary.
You can watch these sessions on Saturday, February 5, at 9:30 a.m. ET on FS2.
It would be useful to see how these drivers and their cars look on this track.
How Do We Get To 23
At 5:30 p.m. ET, televised on FS1, on the same day of the practice sessions, qualifying will take place.
Qualifying will determine the positioning for the heat races, which will determine who will participate in the race itself.
The qualifying rounds will be single-car.
On Sunday, the following day, at 3 p.m. ET and televised on FOX, four heat races are scheduled.
There will be four heat races. Each heat race will be 25 laps and will field 10 different drivers.
The four fastest cars from the qualifying will start in pole position for each heat.
Drivers that, in the qualifying, finish first, fifth, ninth, 13th, and so on will participate in the first heat.
The second heat will field drivers that finished second, sixth, 10th, etc. The field in each respective heat will thusly be filled up.
Qualifying rounds assume extra importance because the top qualifying drivers will have a better chance of having pole position for the race.
In the race, pole position will be occupied by the driver who wins heat one while outside pole position will be occupied by the winner of the second heat.
Out of the 10 drivers in each heat, the top four will automatically qualify for the race.
Those drivers who fail to use the heat races to advance will get another opportunity in a "Last Chance" qualifying race.
This final opportunity will take place on Sunday at around 1 p.m. ET -- the second "Last-Chance" race will take place about 20 minutes after the first -- and will be televised on FOX.
These last opportunities will be 50 laps.
Starting position for the race will be determined by the order in which drivers finish in the heat race and, later, by the two "Last-Chance" races.
The drivers who require these last races will start towards the back.
The L.A. Coliseum Track
Drivers will complete 150 laps for this racing event.
One unusual aspect about the track is the very limited banking.
This track is banked at 2.5 degrees throughout.
It is an asphalt track inside the Coliseum that is a quarter-mile long.
My Bets
Martin Truex Jr., has a historical advantage on short tracks.
On such tracks, he has amassed six wins in 16 races since February of 2019.
Last year's runner-up, he is likely to continue succeeding.
This is also a track that no driver will have raced on before.
I believe that this absence of history will make the racing event a more chaotic experience because drivers' track history has predictive value.
As such, drivers who one normally wouldn't invest in will have more of a chance to pull a surprise.
My favorite lower-profile driver is Alex Bowman, who has the third-most wins on short tracks since February 2019.
He has two, which puts him behind Truex Jr. and Brad Keselowski in this respect.
Best Bet: Truex Jr. at +600 & Bowman at +1800 with Bovada
