NASCAR is back after a three-month break, as drivers and teams gear up for the 2023 season with the Clash at the Coliseum Sunday in Los Angeles.
The annual exhibition race, now in its second year in California after decades at Daytona, serves to whet the appetite of race fans ahead of the traditional season opener in two weeks.
The Clash features a unique format with multiple heats leading up to the main event Sunday night. Here's how they'll line up as Joey Logano looks to defend his crown from 2022.
MORE: Watch the Clash at the Coliseum live on fuboTV (free trial)
Here's what you need to know about qualifying for the NASCAR Clash at the Coliseum on Sunday, including the starting lineups for the heats and the main race.
Clash at the Coliseum 2023: Format, lineups for heat races
The Busch Clash main race is scheduled for 150 laps, with a caution scheduled after Lap 75. Only green-flag laps will count. Twenty-seven drivers will compete in the race following Sunday's heats. Thirty-six drivers, representing all the charter teams in the NASCAR Cup Series, were on the entry list.
Here's how the drivers will line up for each of the four heat races, which will help to set the starting order for the main race:
Heat 1
Car No. | Driver | Team |
31 | Justin Haley | Kaulig Racing |
10 | Aric Almirola | Stewart-Haas Racing |
48 | Alex Bowman | Hendrick Motorsports |
21 | Harrison Burton | Wood Brothers Racing |
22 | Joey Logano | Team Penske |
42 | Noah Gragson | Legacy Motor Club |
34 | Michael McDowell | Front Row Motorsports |
17 | Chris Buescher | RFK Racing |
77 | Ty Dillon | Spire Motorsports |
Heat 2
Car No. | Driver | Team |
8 | Kyle Busch | Richard Childress Racing |
3 | Austin Dillon | Richard Childress Racing |
5 | Kyle Larson | Hendrick Motorsports |
4 | Kevin Harvick | Stewart-Haas Racing |
47 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | JTG Daugherty Racing |
19 | Martin Truex Jr. | Joe Gibbs Racing |
2 | Austin Cindric | Team Penske |
9 | Chase Elliott | Hendrick Motorsports |
78 | B.J. McLeod | Live Fast Motorsports |
Heat 3
Car No. | Driver | Team |
20 | Christopher Bell | Joe Gibbs Racing |
11 | Denny Hamlin | Joe Gibbs Racing |
99 | Daniel Suarez | Trackhouse Racing |
14 | Chase Briscoe | Stewart-Haas Racing |
45 | Tyler Reddick | 23XI Racing |
6 | Brad Keselowski | RFK Racing |
38 | Todd Gilliland | Front Row Motorsports |
15 | J.J. Yeley | Rick Ware Racing |
12 | Ryan Blaney | Team Penske |
Heat 4
Car No. | Driver | Team |
24 | William Byron | Hendrick Motorsports |
16 | AJ Allmendinger | Kaulig Racing |
1 | Ross Chastain | Trackhouse Racing |
23 | Bubba Wallace | 23XI Racing |
43 | Erik Jones | Legacy Motor Club |
41 | Ryan Preece | Stewart-Haas Racing |
7 | Corey LaJoie | Spire Motorsports |
51 | Cody Ware | Rick Ware Racing |
54 | Ty Gibbs | Joe Gibbs Racing |
Clash at the Coliseum 2023 lineup, starting order
The starting lineup for Sunday night's main event will be mostly determined by the results in the qualifying heats.
The winners of Heats 1, 2, 3 and 4 will earn the first four spots in the lineup, the runners-up in each heat will earn the next four slots, and so on down to fifth place in each heat, for 20 spots. After that will come Last Chance Qualifier (LCQ) races to set the next six spots. The 27th spot will go to the non-qualifying driver who had the most points in 2022 season.
Position | Criterion |
1 | Aric Almirola |
2 | Martin Truex Jr. |
3 | Denny Hamlin |
4 | William Byron |
5 | Alex Bowman |
6 | Kyle Busch |
7 | Chase Briscoe |
8 | Bubba Wallace |
9 | Justin Haley |
10 | Austin Dillon |
11 | Tyler Reddick |
12 | Ross Chastain |
13 | Noah Gragson |
14 | Kyle Larson |
15 | Ryan Blaney |
16 | Ryan Preece |
17 | Joey Logano |
18 | Kevin Harvick |
19 | Daniel Suarez |
20 | Erik Jones |
21 | Michael McDowell |
22 | Chase Elliott |
23 | Christopher Bll |
24 | Ty Gibbs |
25 | Todd Gilliland |
26 | A.J. Allmendinger |
27 | Austin Cindric |