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The NASCAR Cup Series season is about to get started with the 2022 edition of the Busch Light Clash! Forget everything you know about the clash because it’s moved from Daytona Superspeedway to one of the most legendary sports venues in the country. The Clash will be run on a track that’s been laid inside the LA Memorial Coliseum.
A temporary paved short track has been laid over the football playing surface and it will be removed following the race. The track sits on a protective bed, several layers of protective material, and a couple of inches of paved asphalt. This will be the most intense short-track racing that the Cup Series has ever been part of. So, who’s going to win?
According to oddsmakers the drivers best suited to grab the Clash Crown this season are Martin Truex Jr. and Denny Hamlin who both come in at +600. Oddsmakers must be looking at the driver’s overall resume when it comes to short tracks. That’s why Martin Truex Jr is at +600 as he has 6 short track wins over the last 16 short track races.
Here’s the breakdown of current active drivers and their wins on short tracks over the last 16 visits to that style of track.
Martin Truex Jr. – 6
Brad Keselowski – 3
Alex Bowman – 2
Kyle Busch – 1
Denny Hamlin – 1
Chase Elliott – 1
Kevin Harvick – 1
Kyle Larson – 1 (11 races)
Note that Kyle Larson was suspended for a while from NASCAR so he only has 11 races compared to 16 for the other drivers as per NASCAR stats.
Favorites
Here are the favorites to win the NASCAR Cup Series Busch Light Clash outright:
Martin Truex Jr +600
Denny Hamlin +600
Chase Elliott +650
Kyle Larson +650
Kyle Busch +700
Joey Logano +700
If you take a look at NASCAR stats you’ll notice that the favorites all come from the top-10 drivers that are currently racing and their performance on short tracks. The stats rank the drivers not only by wins but also by how many finishes they have on short tracks in the top-5, top-10, etc. That’s why Denny Hamlin is at +600 along with Truex.
2022 Busch Light Clash Predictions
Kyle Larson +650
Kyle Larson was on a roll in 2021 and he’s locked into the NASCAR Cup Series Championship race after his win last week at Texas and went on to win the title! There’s no reason why his production will fall off even in the new car. Larson has been racing everything with wheels attached to it for the last several seasons and winning everywhere he competes. I feel like he’ll settle in quickly for the Clash.
William Byron +1400
He’s not everyone’s first choice when it comes to picks but Byron comes in at +1400 for the Clash which makes him somewhat of a value pick. The same goes for Kevin Harvic – read below. Byron has two short track wins in his last 16 Cup Series short track starts. Plus, he’s finished 20th or better 10 of those 16 starts with 8 of those runs inside the top-10.
Kevin Harvick +1800
This is a gut feeling about Kevin Harvick. Last year was disappointing, to say the least for Harvick. This year he has a new car, a veteran team, and probably a desire to come out swinging. Harvick needs something positive early in the season to erase the issues the No. 4 team had last season. Harvick is ranked 8th in NASCAR stats when it comes to short tracks.
Others to Consider: Kyle Busch (+700) is faded in my eyes until I see how he opens up in 2022. Last year was a struggle to watch. I’m waiting to see what happens during practices. I know I should look harder at Martin Truex Jr but he was a bit inconsistent last year despite his success. And that burned me a few times. I’ll probably regret not going with the driver with the most short-track wins in 16 short-track races.
2022 Busch Light Clash Preview
Track: LA Memorial Coliseum, Los Angles California
Type: 0.25-mile asphalt oval, 2 sweeping for a 4 turn track.
Race Distance: 150 laps (Final feature/main event race)
Banking: 2.25 degrees in corners
Defending track winner: N/A
TV/Radio: Fox/FS1/ MRN
The temporary track is about the same size as a running track around a high school football field and just a bit wider. The race will consist of heat races that determine the final cars on the track for the main event. The main event (the Clash) will feature only 23 cars for a 150 lap final race.
2022 Busch Light Clash Betting Lines
Martin Truex Jr +600
Denny Hamlin +600
Chase Elliott +650
Kyle Larson +650
Kyle Busch +700
Joey Logano +700
Ryan Blaney +1200
William Byron +1400
Brad Keselowski +1600
Kevin Harvick +1800
Alex Bowman +1800
Christopher Bell +2000
Kurt Busch +2500
Austin Cindric +4000
Aric Almirola +4500
Tyler Reddick +4500
Ross Chastain +7500
Austin Dillon +8000
AJ Allmendinger +8000
Cole Custer +10000
Harrison Burton +10000
Ryan Preece +10000
Corey Lajoie +10000
Erik Jones +10000
Darrell Wallace Jr. +10000
Justin Haley +12500
Daniel Suarez +12500
Chase Briscoe +15000
Ricky Stenhouse Jr +20000
Chris Buescher +20000
Ty Dillon +20000
Michael McDowell +25000
Todd Gilliland +30000
Cody Ware +35000
Landon Cassill +35000
BJ McLeod +35000
