Getty Cup Series drivers race at the LA Memorial Coliseum.
Prior to the 2022 Cup Series season, NASCAR took the Busch Light Clash to the LA Memorial Coliseum. Several months later, Ben Kennedy revealed the unique origins of this move.
NASCAR’s SVP of racing development and strategy made an appearance on “The Dale Jr. Download” podcast on October 11 to discuss a wide variety of pressing topics. One of them was the decision to race at the LA Memorial Coliseum in both 2022 and 2023. As Kennedy revealed, this idea actually began when NASCAR evaluated the possibilities of racing internationally.
“It felt like an opportunity for us to just do something a little bit different, get out of the box,” Kennedy said. “So we came up with this idea in the fall of 2019 and actually, the Coliseum, in particular, started I would say more on the international side.
“…We were looking at new markets and, ‘Hey, where could we go and race in the future?’ And we were looking at this market — I’m not talking about the national series. Creating a localized series in a new market. We were looking at a market overseas, and it had four race tracks you could realistically race at. They were all road courses. You didn’t have any ovals.”
The Conversation Changed Based on the Available Properties
GettyBen Kennedy (left) originally targeted an international market.
While the international market, which Kennedy did not name, did not feature ovals, it had something else in ample supply. There were numerous stadiums that were large enough to potentially hold a NASCAR race.
“you had a ton of soccer stadiums and Olympic stadiums,” Kennedy continued. “We were like, ‘Hey, this might be an opportunity.’ One of the people came up with the idea of building a temporary track inside of it. Looked at it for a little while, that market ultimately didn’t come to fruition, but we were like, ‘Could we do something like that in the States?'”
This conversation led to Los Angeles, which Kennedy has said is the largest market for NASCAR. The team then focused on the LA Memorial Coliseum and its impressive history of hosting sports events.
The creation of the Busch Light Clash at the LA Memorial Coliseum ultimately took much longer than anyone expected. COVID-19 put the plans on hold for over a year. NASCAR was ultimately able to bring the Cup Series to the iconic football stadium in 2022, which resulted in a wild battle between Joey Logano and Kyle Busch.
Kennedy Also Addressed the Chicago Street Race
GettyBubba Wallace takes the No. 23 Toyota to the streets of Chicago.
The Clash at the Coliseum is not the only unique event that Kennedy addressed during his time on “The Dale Jr. Download.” He also spoke about the upcoming street race on the streets of Chicago.
This event has sparked numerous conversations from both supporters and critics alike. Many have wondered why NASCAR opted to put two of its series on the streets of Chicago instead of heading back to Road America or Chicagoland Speedway.
As Kennedy explained, the main reason is the market. He listed Los Angeles as the biggest market for NASCAR and New York as the second-biggest. Third on his list was Chicago. There are numerous existing and potential fans in the Windy City area, so it only made sense for NASCAR to pursue a race in the heart of the city.