2021 NASCAR Cup Series Champ Kyle Larson Brings Star Power to Groundbreaking Ceremony for 2023 Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum
LOS ANGELES (Dec. 15, 2022) – NASCAR proved earlier this year it could quickly build a temporary racetrack inside the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and stage an event unlike any other.
On Thursday morning, it left no doubt that it’s ready to do it again.
NASCAR broke ground on the (re)construction of its quarter-mile, asphalt track inside the iconic Los Angeles venue as preparations kick into high gear for the 2023 Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum. Kyle Larson, the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion, joined NASCAR and Coliseum officials to mark the occasion as excitement accelerates for NASCAR’s Los Angeles return on Sunday, Feb. 5.
“I’m a California native, so I was really excited to race inside the stadium earlier this year,” Larson said. “I can’t wait for us to get back here in February and put on another great show for the fans. It’s going to be here before you know it.”
And that’s why time is truly of the essence. Aside from a brief holiday break, construction crews will now work around the clock to prepare the quarter-mile asphalt oval for the most anticipated sequel in racing. In the coming days, workers will place and grade 9,200 cubic yards of aggregate and fill material atop 130,000 square feet of Visqueen and plywood that covers United Airlines Field.
Paving should begin Jan. 4, and the installation of barriers and fencing from Auto Club Speedway and the Long Beach Grand Prix is scheduled to commence two days later. By Jan. 20, all the SAFER barriers should be installed and painted, as final preparations begin for the arrival of NASCAR Cup Series teams during the first week of February.
The 2023 Busch Light Clash will once again be NASCAR’s season-opening exhibition race featuring NASCAR’s top stars. Hip-hop legends Cypress Hill will perform before the main event, and more in-race entertainment will be announced in the coming weeks. The 2022 Busch Light Clash featured a pre-race show from international superstar Pitbull and a halftime performance by Ice Cube.
Tickets for the 2023 Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum begin at $65, and kids 12-and-under are $10. Those are the same prices charged for this year’s inaugural showcase. Fans are encouraged to get their tickets now while supplies last by visiting www.nascarclash.com.
College students can experience the Busch Light Clash from The Coca-Cola Torch Party Porch for just $40. This standing-room-only general admission section, located on the Coliseum’s peristyle steps, provides college students with up-close access to all of the musical entertainment, driver introductions and racing action. College students can take advantage of this exclusive offer by visiting www.nascarclash.com/student.
About NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States and owner of 16 of the nation’s major motorsports entertainment facilities. NASCAR sanctions races in three national series (NASCAR Cup Series™, NASCAR Xfinity Series™, and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series™), four international series (NASCAR Brasil Sprint Race, NASCAR Mexico Series, NASCAR Pinty’s Series (Canada), NASCAR Whelen Euro Series), four regional series (ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East & West and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour) and a local grassroots series (NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series). The International Motor Sports Association™ (IMSA®) governs the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship™, the premier U.S. sports car series. NASCAR also owns Motor Racing Network, Racing Electronics, and ONE DAYTONA. Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, with offices in eight cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races annually in 12 countries and more than 30 U.S. states. For more information visit www.NASCAR.com and www.IMSA.com, and follow NASCAR on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat (‘NASCAR’).
About The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, a living memorial to all who served in the U.S. Armed Forces during World War I, has been a civic treasure for generations of Angelenos. Located in the Exposition Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, CA, the Coliseum is a 77,500 capacity multi-purpose stadium which opened in 1923. Home to the USC Trojans, the legendary stadium has been named as one of the nation’s 40 best stadiums to experience college football by Sporting News, and ranked USC football at the Coliseum as the nation’s No. 3 stadium experience by StadiumJourney.com. Following a recent renovation in 2019, the stadium is now home to a newly added seven-story suite and press tower which includes luxurious suites, loge boxes, club seats, a new press box, and the rooftop 1923 Club with a 360-degree view of the Los Angeles basin; along with several upgrades including new seating, updated technology and concession stands, additional food options for guests, and much more.
The legacy of events and individuals hosted in nine-plus-decades reads like no other, including the only venue to host two Opening and Closing Ceremonies, and the Track and Field Competition for the Summer Olympics (Xth Olympiad in 1932, XXIIIrd Olympiad in 1984) and soon a third (XXXIVth Olympiad in 2028); home to college football’s USC Trojans since 1923 and the UCLA Bruins (1928-1981); professional football’s Los Angeles Rams (1946-1979 and 2016-2019); appearances by U.S. Presidents Franklin D Roosevelt, Dwight Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, and Ronald Reagan; and international dignitaries such as Martin Luther King, Jr., Cesar Chavez, Pope John Paul II, the Dalai Lama, and Nelson Mandela, to name a few. Additionally, the Coliseum, designated a National Historic monument in 1984, has hosted some of the greatest acts in entertainment, including Bruce Springsteen, The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, Prince, and many more. For more information please visit lacoliseum.com.
