'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The quarter-mile oval used in NASCAR's Busch Clash at the L.A. Coliseum will be banked at 2.5 degrees all the way around its layout. The non-point exhibition race is scheduled for February 6, 2022.
The relatively shallow banking could pose a unique challenge to the series regulars, who race on tracks banked from anywhere between 12 degrees (Martinsville Speedway) to 36 degrees (Talladega Superspeedway).
Banking on race tracks enables cars on the longer outside lanes to keep pace with cars on the shorter inside lanes, keeping the racing competitive. Some tracks, such as Iowa Speedway, employ variable banking, also known as progressive banking. They feature a higher banking angle in the outside lane compared to the inside.
NASCAR's $1 million exhibition race
Although the exact cost of the event hasn't been revealed, the sport's Vice President of Marketing Services told The Sports Business Journal that it was roughly over a million dollars. The asphalt track will see a one-time use for the event before it is torn down and the venue returned to its original condition.
American rapper Pitbull will perform a 45-minute concert before the main event on February 6.
Auto Club Speedway president Dave Allen gave his thoughts on the exhibition event:
"Every time I walk in here, I get goosebumps... The opportunity for NASCAR to race inside the Coliseum is really unbelievable, and a credit to Ben Kennedy (NASCAR Senior Vice President of Strategy and Innovation) and the brainchild he had there for this event."
The association also released its first advertisement for the Busch Light Clash. The video starts off with a scenic Hollywood sign and the L.A. city skyline before moving on to the Coliseum.
The temporary race track does not feature a pit-lane garage as the format includes multiple heat races that don't require drivers to refuel their cars. The exhibition event could potentially be the first of many, paving the road for more races in major metropolitan cities. If successful, it could mark the return of regular stadium races that were once regular fixtures at venues such as Bowman Gray and Soldier Field between the 1950-60s.
