NASCAR Odds, Picks & Predictions For The Busch Light Clash At The Coliseum

Busch Clash
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NASCAR is BACK.

The 2022 NASCAR season gets underway today with the annual Busch Clash (Busch Light Clash this year), the first preseason exhibition race of the NASCAR Cup Series season.

But this year, they’re changing it up BIG TIME.

Not only will drivers be racing in the brand new Next Gen race cars this season, but the Busch Light Clash is moving from the Daytona International Speedway, where it has been held since the race’s inception in 1979, to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

A football stadium? You’re damn right…

A quarter-mile asphalt track will be built inside the stadium, making it the shortest track that NASCAR has competed on in the modern era, only half as long as the bullring at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Forty drivers raced in a single lap qualifier yesterday, which Kyle Busch took the top spot in, and today, those 40 drivers will race in four separate Heat Races (10 drivers in each heat).

The top four drivers from each of those four races will advance into the Main Event, with the remaining drivers split into two 50-lap “Last Chance” qualifying races.

The top three in each Last Chance race will also move on to the Main Event as well (leaving us at 22 drivers), and then one last drivers, the highest finishing drivers of the 2021 season who failed to qualify will be added in as the last driver… so 23 drivers in total will compete in the 150-lap 2022 Busch Light Clash main event at 5pm CT.

So without further ado… let’s get to the odds, picks and predictions:

Busch Light Clash Odds:

As of Sunday morning…

Kyle Busch +550
Chase Elliott +600
Kyle Larson +600
Denny Hamlin +800
Joey Logano +800
Martin Truex Jr. +1000
Ryan Blaney +1200
William Byron +1400
Tyler Reddick +1400
Christopher Bell +1500
Daniel Suarez +1600
Kevin Harvick +1800
Alex Bowman +2000
Justin Haley +2000
Brad Keselowski +2500
Kurt Busch +3000
Chase Briscoe +4000
Aric Almirola +4000
Ryan Preece +5000
AJ Allmendinger +5000
Austin Dillon +5000
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. +6000
Cole Custer +7000
Harrison Burton +7000
Austin Cindric +7000
Ross Chastain +7000
Corey LaJoie +9000
Chris Buescher +9000
Erik Jones +10000
Landon Cassill +10000
Bubba Wallace +10000
Cody Ware +15000
Michael McDowell +20000
Ty Dillon +20000
Todd Gilliland +20000
B.J. McLeod +20000

Predictions:

This track is unlike anything we’ve ever seen before, and between the Heat Races, the qualifying results, the Next Gen cars and more, it seems like it could be anyone’s race to take. A roll of the dice for all involved… but, that’s what makes it fun, right?

I assume once the final 23 drivers are named, the odds will change so you might want to be paying close attention right before the green flag.

As far as predications go, it’s hard to bet against Kyle Larson anytime he’s behind the wheel of a race car. I mean, the guy won 10 races during last year’s Cup Series Championship-winning season finishing Top 10 in 26 of 36 races.

Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Chase Elliott, and Martin Truex Jr. are probably the favorites and in most short-track situations, you’d have them near the top of your list. But this isn’t most short track situations…

I like Ryan Blaney, Joey Logano, Tyler Reddick, and Christopher Bell to make some noise, and then I like the dark horse picks of Daniel Suarez and Cole Custer to surprise some people too.

Picks:

Here’s what we’re going with on this crap shoot of a race:

Winner: Ryan Blaney

Top 3: Tyler Reddick

Top 5: Christopher Bell

LET’S GO.

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