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Daytona loses Busch Clash as NASCAR moves exhibition race to L.A. Coliseum in 2022

Zach Dean
The Daytona Beach News-Journal

The Busch Clash is dashing to the West Coast in a move that doesn't thrill Daytona Beach area race fans.

NASCAR confirmed late Tuesday that the Clash will move to the Los Angeles Coliseum in February 2022. The iconic venue will be converted into a quarter-mile, asphalt short track for the event. 

The Clash has been held at Daytona International Speedway since 1979. The pre-season exhibition race has annually served as the first big event of Daytona Speedweeks. 

This past February, the race was moved to the Tuesday before the Sunday Daytona 500 and held on Daytona's road course for the first time. 

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In 2022, however, the Clash will be run in Los Angeles on Feb. 6 — two weeks before the 500 and a week before Super Bowl LVI, which will take place just down the road at Inglewood's SoFi Stadium. 

The NASCAR regular season will still open with the Daytona 500 on Feb. 20. 

“Los Angeles is synonymous with major sports and entertainment events, so we seized an innovative opportunity to showcase NASCAR at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum,” said Ben Kennedy, NASCAR senior vice president of strategy and innovation.

“We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to take center stage in this market as we get our 2022 season underway.”

But many area race fans didn't share Kennedy's excitement. 

Local race rans furious with decision

The News-Journal's initial story about the Clash's move to Los Angeles was posted to Facebook shortly after 7 p.m. Tuesday. It and was met with swift anger from the nearly 100 comments that continued to pour in throughout the day Wednesday. 

"Worst decision ever ... it kills Speedweeks," wrote Allen Todd.

"Just another nail in the coffin," added Jerry Price. "The city has supported NASCAR forever and for what?"

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Port Orange resident Jason Honerlaw said decisions like this are the reason he's stopped attending races.

Ron Higbee, of Daytona Beach Shores, responded to the news with a simple question: "How stupid can they get?"

Brandy Lee Ledford lives in North Georgia now, but grew up in Daytona Beach going to the Clash. For older fans, the race today was more than just an exhibition event. 

It was a childhood memory.

"It's disappointing," Ledford said. "It won't have the same reverence it does for those of us who grew up watching it from the Daytona track."

Busch Clash credit policy

Daytona International Speedway President Frank Kelleher said he understands the disappointment, adding that his team is already working to fill the void left behind. 

"I can't get into specifics, just know that there is a very large group of cross-functional people that are looking at every day of the week," he said. "We're just looking at things that we can program in, from the One Daytona side of the street to the Speedway side."

Those who purchased tickets will be credited on their account with the total amount paid plus an additional 20% of the total amount paid for tickets/parking.

"There's a lot of legacy with the event here," Kelleher said. "We've had a lot of fun with it, but we're also excited for the league out in L.A. right before the Super Bowl. From a Speedweeks standpoint, we're going to stay busy and keep the place as packed as we can with events."

While Kennedy said there was a chance the Clash could one day return to Daytona, the hope right now is that the move to the Coliseum will continue to generate "excitement" leading up the Daytona 500. 

As for Speedweeks, Kennedy doesn't believe eliminating the Clash will dampen the season-opening event. 

"The Daytona 500 has always been, and will always be, our biggest event of the season," he said. "When you think about the other events that lead up to the weekend, the duels, trucks, ARCA, Xfinity ... there's a lot of exciting content that I think we've provided for the fans and something that we want to continue to deliver going forward. 

"(Speedweeks) is still a critically important week to that part of the schedule."

Busch Clash move will be costly for Daytona Beach tourism 

Local fans weren't the only ones blindsided by NASCAR's announcement. 

The news also hit hard for those in the area’s hotel and hospitality industry, said Bob Davis, president and CEO of the Lodging & Hospitality Association of Volusia County. 

“I can’t tell NASCAR and the Speedway how to run their business,” Davis said. “They have every right in the world to do business as they see fit, but I wish they had given us more time than only four or five months (notice). As hoteliers, restaurants, amusements and gift shops, we will suffer greatly.  

“It’s huge and it’s going to cost us hundreds and hundreds of thousands of dollars in bed taxes and sales taxes,” Davis added. “There has always been three weeks of racing for the 55 years since I’ve been here. Race fans have come here for years and years. Now a lot of (advance room) deposits will have to be returned and a lot of people are going to be angry.” 

Davis said the loss will also undercut the theme of the “Wide.Open.Fun.” marketing campaign by the Daytona Beach Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, a series of ads that incorporates the Speedway’s presence into visitor pitches.  

“What do we have left in racing?” Davis said. “Start your engines for what?  We’re decreasing.” 

For the area’s tourism industry, the loss of the Clash will be “a tough pill to swallow,” said Rob Burnetti, general manager of the 212-room Shores Resort & Spa in Daytona Beach Shores.  

“It’s an event-driven market and these are pretty big events,” Burnetti said. “I understand what NASCAR is trying to do. They are trying to expand their markets, just like we do. I can’t knock what NASCAR is doing; it just stinks for our market.” 

At the same time, Burnetti, who is on the board of directors of the Halifax Area Advertising Authority, said that NASCAR’s decision is a wake-up call about the necessity to broaden the area’s appeal beyond special events. 

“We better have a plan to fill these holes in this market,” he said. “This really hurts, but the plan needs to be more than about filling Speedweeks. This market needs to be more focused on filling up on a regular basis. We need to find where to generate some new business.” 

NASCAR announces 2022 schedule

NASCAR followed Tuesday's Clash reveal by releasing the full 2022 schedule on Wednesday, which includes 39 events. 

One of the major changes includes a trip to World Wide Technology Raceway just outside St. Louis on June 5.

The 1.25-mile asymmetrical oval has hosted 21 Truck Series races since 1998 and was also a part of the NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule from 1997-2010.

Other notable changes include Homestead-Miami Speedway returning to the playoff schedule after two years in the regular season, the Bristol Dirt race returning as a night event on Easter Sunday (April 17), and Road America once again getting the Fourth of July weekend race. 

The Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona on Aug. 27 will serve as the regular season finale for the third year in a row, while Phoenix will once again be the championship race. 

The Daytona Road Course, meanwhile, was not included in the 2022 schedule after holding a Cup race each of the past two seasons. 

Staff writer Jim Abbott contributed to this story.