One of the world's historic sports venues will welcome race fans this weekend when NASCAR brings its Clash exhibition race to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
A quarter-mile asphalt oval inside the storied Exposition Park home to Super Bowls, the USC Trojans, two Summer Olympics and famous speeches will be the stage for the pre-season, non-points race. The event has been held at motor racing shrine Daytona International Speedway since it began in 1979.
Here's what to know about the Clash's shift to the West Coast and what the bullring of a racetrack will look like.
Photos: See the Transformation of the Clash at the Coliseum NASCAR Track
Get Southern California news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC LA newsletters.
How was a track built inside the Coliseum?
The Clash will be on a quarter-mile asphalt oval track built around the Coliseum's football field.
The race series used iRacing computer. simulations to determine the track's profile, including how much banking there will be in the turns.
The video below shows the iRacing demo of the Coliseum track.
Construction began on New Year's Day. The infield gras was removed before a track was paved. Walls and safety fencing was then placed around the track.
It is the shortest track layout for the Cup Series in the modern era. Bristol Motor Speedway, at 0.533 miles, and Martinsville Speedway, at 0.526 miles, are the shortest layouts on the schedule.
The series raced on quarter-mile Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, from 1958-1971 and the almost comically tiny .2-mile Islip (N.Y.) Speedway from 1964-68, 71.
What is the Clash?
The Clash is an exhibition race that doesn't impact driver points standings
Local
Get Los Angeles's latest local news on crime, entertainment, weather, schools, COVID, cost of living and more. Here's your go-to source for today's LA news.
The field for the Clash at the Coliseum is open to 40 racers. Each driver is vying for one of 23 spots in Sunday's man race. As of Monday, 36 drivers from 16 teams are scheduled to compete.
Talks with Coliseum officials began two years ago and started after NASCAR executives went to the Coliseum's website, found their contact page and reached out to stadium executives.
The Clash will be the first time the series competes at the Coliseum, which has been the site of supercross and speedway motorcycle and off-road truck races along with rallycross events, including the X Games.
The race also marks the first time NASCAR's Next Gen car will race in competition.
When is the Clash?
The Clash is scheduled for Feb. 6. Practice and qualifying heats are scheduled for Saturday before the main event Sunday at 3 p.m. California time.
