Rain threatened NASCAR race ends in overtime with Hamlin beating the field and the incoming storm
LOS ANGELES, Calif. - The rain threatened NASCAR Busch Light CLASH at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum ended with Denny Hamlin surviving several challenges to claim the overtime win with storm clouds closing in.
Hamlin spent most of the race in fender to fender battles with Ty Gibbs, Joey Logano, Kyle Busch, Kyle Larsen and Ryan Blaney.
With one lap to go, a spin out and a caution reset the field, but Hamlin was able to get out in front far enough to hold off former series champion, Busch and last year's champion, Blaney.
The burnout essentially churned up so much smoke Hamlin's number 11 car disappeared in front of the cheering crowd.
Hamlin, Busch and Blaney all stood up together at the Coliseum peristyle entrance and received medals, in Olympic fashion, with fireworks going off behind them.
Hamlin had the best qualifying effort, and started the race on the pole.
This was a non-points race.
Hamlin is the winningest driver in NASCAR, with 51 victories, who hasn't won a championship.
The race was originally scheduled for Sunday night but the monstrous weather system bearing down on California forced the hand of NASCAR officials to eliminate some of the Saturday night events and move the showcase event up a day.
It was followed by the NASCAR Mexico Series race.
There will be no racing on Sunday.
The CLASH format is a smaller field than the normal NASCAR race. There were 23 cars and drivers who did not make it in based on qualifying times went home early, and for most, that is a trip back across the country.
The next NASCAR race is the season opener, the 66th running of the Dayona 500, Feb. 18 on Fox.
This is the third year for NASCAR at the Coliseum as a pre-season event. The Los Angeles market, one of the most competitive for fans in the U.S. has responded with strong turnouts each year.
The access to drivers in events prior to the races in the last two years in L.A., including an expo on the property, that was a fan favorite.
This race was to have had a spectacular mid-race break including rap artist Machine Gun Kelly, but that was canceled due to the schedule changes.
Hamlin said the three years in Los Angeles for the pre-season race was a strong way to bring new fans into the sport.
He also said a new NETFLIX series on the NASCAR championship in 2023 has also introduced many new fans to the sport from a variety of demographics that were outside of the traditional followers.
NASCAR Mexico Series
The NASCAR Mexico Series was the second race of the night. It too beat the rain, although a light drizzle was falling at the end of the evening.
The race was won by Daniel Suarez who is also a full time NASCAR Cup Series driver with Trackhouse Racing. Suarez did not qualify for the main race of the night. After his win in the Mexico Series race he thanked his fans and everyone involved in that series where he started off racing.
After the race Suarez said the race was "very special for NASCAR Mexico" to race in the U.S. He also said he had to text many people to tell them the race was moved up a day and to come to the track.
Coliseum changes
The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum will now be recoverted back to a football stadium, where it serves as the home field for the USC Trojans.
The main change was in the area of the field. The first portion of the seating areas had safety fencing and large promotional ads.
For more information about the upcoming NASCAR season go to : NASCAR
