By: Ashley McCubbin

After a long couple of months, the NASCAR Cup Series stars are set to hit the track for the first time since November – as long the rain co-operates.

The third annual Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum is scheduled for this Sunday, but there’s also heavy rains with potential “life threatening flooding” as some of the forecasters in the area are calling it. The good news is the track does dry wet if it is saturated, and the current tire package would allow for the cars to run in damp conditions around the tight confines of the oval.

Martin Truex Jr. won the 2023 edition of the special event, following a 15th in the inaugural event. He could use another good run of this fashion to bring good vibes in the new season. After all, last year did not go as he would have hoped with placing 11th in points and just two top-10’s in the final 11 races. As he contemplates whether retirement is in the future, being competitive will certainly play a role into his decision.

On the flip side, Christopher Bell is carrying the ball for Joe Gibbs Racing after making his second consecutive Championship 4 appearance with two trips to victory lane in 2023. The Coliseum has not treated him the best, though, with finishes of eighth and 13th.

Joey Logano won the inaugural edition of the race, following by a 16th-place finish last year. Ironic how those finishes compare the two years for both drivers, eh? The past series champion also did not have the 2023 campaign he wanted by placing 12th in the standings, but picked up five top-five finishes in the final 11 events so he’s not sunk as far deep in the sand as Truex.

It was Logano’s teammate Ryan Blaney that won the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series Championship, with three top-two finishes in the final three races of the year. The lone race he won, by the way, was at Martinsville Speedway, which is the closest track to the Coliseum on the schedule. He has now had much in Los Angeles though, placing 17th in both previous editions.

Perhaps we should be keeping our eyes on Austin Dillon, Kyle Busch, and Kyle Larson. Each of these Chevrolet drivers have placed inside the top-five in both previous Clash events. Are we surprised? Not at all, considering the trio is usually good on the short tracks regularly throughout the season.

Larson had the best season of the trio in 2023, coming up one spot shy of his second career championship after completing the season with three top-six finishes in the final four events, including a victory at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Busch proved he would be fine with the switch to Richard Childress Racing as evident by three wins throughout the year, but faded to 14th in points with three finishes worse than 15th to complete the season. Dillon is needing to pick up his performance after placing 29th in points compared to his teammate, with just one top-10 in the second half of 2023.

Speaking of teammates, Larson’s friends at Hendrick Motorsports are certainly on the list of drivers to watch, especially William Byron but don’t forget at Alex Bowman. Byron had a break-out campaign in 2023 with his first Championship 4 appearance and six trips to victory lane. He has not been spectacular at the Coliseum in the past, but consistent with finishes of sixth and 10th. Meanwhile, Bowman is looking for some of the magic that led him to starting 2023 as the points leader with consistency, before missing three races due to a back injury and completing with a single top-10 in the final nine events. The success all kicked off last year by placing fourth in the Clash.

An underdog to keep an eye on could be Erik Jones, as he enters his third season with Legacy Auto Club. He picked up a fourth at the Clash in 2022, followed by a dismal 27th last year due to contact and a suspension breaking. He will hope to kick off the team’s swap from Chevrolet to Toyota in a big way after scoring just a single top-five in 2023.

Picking up a sixth-place finish in the 2023 edition of The Clash, Tyler Reddick could use a good run after completing his break-out campaign in the NASCAR Cup Series with a pair of finishes outside of the top-20. He placed 21st in the inaugural running of the event due to drivetrain issues.

His team owner Denny Hamlin brings momentum with him, after placing third and eighth in the final two races of the season as the hunt for his first career championship continues. He placed ninth at the Clash last season, following a 23rd in the inaugural edition due to power steering failure.