NASCAR Clash 2023 start time, TV schedule, live stream, format for Coliseum exhibition race

After a frigid winter, the NASCAR Cup Series is back. And it's opening its newest campaign with a little California love.

The Clash, the annual event that marks the start of race season, will take place at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. There are certainly worse places for drivers, crews and fans to be in early February.

Although just an exhibition, the Clash can serve as the spark drivers need for a grueling season. Reigning Cup Series champion Joey Logano foreshadowed his year-long dominance in 2022 with a winning display in the race.

So, who will take the crown in the prelude to the 2023 season? Only time will tell. But one thing is for certain: sparks are bound to fly under the Southern California sky.

MORE: Watch the Clash at the Coliseum live on fuboTV (free trial)

Here's everything you need to know about the Clash at the Coliseum, including start time, broadcast information and race format.

Clash at the Coliseum start time 2023

• Date: Sunday, Feb. 5
• Start time: 8 p.m. ET
• TV channel: Fox (U.S.) | TSN (Canada)
• Live stream: FoxSports.com, fuboTV
• Radio: MRN

For the second year in a row, NASCAR Hall of Famer Tony Stewart will help kick off Fox Sports' coverage of the 2023 racing season, joining Mike Joy (lap-by-lap) and Clint Bowyer (analyst) in the booth.

Clash at the Coliseum schedule 2023

There will be 27 drivers in this year's Clash main event, four more than last year. Those drivers will have to fight their way through traffic for 150 laps and try to keep their cars in relatively good health.

The 36 racers who have entered the Clash will get to practice Saturday ahead of a qualifying round that will determine which of four heat races each driver will compete in on Sunday.

The main race is listed to start at 8 p.m. ET, but the green flag is expected to drop at 8:20 p.m. ET.

Below is the TV schedule for all Cup Series sessions at the Coliseum this weekend.

• Saturday, Feb. 4

• Sunday, Feb. 5

Clash at the Coliseum 2023: Format, lineup, entry list

The 150-lap main race will be divided into two 75-lap stages, with only green-flag laps counting. The starting lineup will be determined by how drivers perform in their respective 25-lap heats (only green-flag laps count). The winners of Heats 1, 2, 3 and 4 will receive the first four positions in the lineup, followed by the second-, third-, fourth- and fifth-place finishers, for a total of 20 spots.

Drivers who finish their heat races outside the top five will take part in Last Chance Qualifiers (LCQ), two 50-lap dashes to complete the Clash field. Those who finish sixth through ninth in Heats 1 and 3 will compete in the first LCQ race; those who finish sixth through ninth in Heats 2 and 4 will compete in the second LCQ race. The top three finishers in each LCQ will advance to the Clash final.

The 27th and final spot In the field is left for the driver with the most points in the 2022 season who failed to qualify through the heats and LCQ races.

Here's the entry list for qualifying ahead of the weekend:

And here's how the field will line up for Sunday's race: