NASCAR made a bold move Saturday, moving the Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum race up one day to Saturday night.
The race, originally scheduled to air Sunday night on FS1, will air on the network at 8 p.m. (ET).
According to NASCAR officials, “unprecedented severe weather” forecast for the Los Angeles area on Sunday forced the decision.
Due to the incoming weather, the Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum will run today, Saturday February 3, at 5 pm. Admission will remain free to the public with limited facilities available to fans today. Sunday ticketholders, who purchased through Ticketmaster or NASCAR, will be… pic.twitter.com/pVgEew9PNO
— Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum (@nascarclash) February 3, 2024
FS1 had an open slot to air the race Saturday night, given it already had several race-related events on the schedule with qualifying, heat races and a last-chance qualifier. NASCAR incorporated qualifying into practice and canceled the heat races and qualifier.
Admission is free, as originally scheduled for Saturday events, and according to a NASCAR statement, “Sunday ticket holders, who purchased through Ticketmaster or NASCAR, will be entitled to a refund and will be contacted by NASCAR in the coming days.”
The move will likely impact the race’s TV ratings. Sunday night traditionally brings the highest ratings of the week, with Saturday generally among the lowest.
NASCAR ratings were mixed last season, with NBC reporting total audience delivery of an average of 2.47 million viewers for the races it aired, up slightly from 2022. Fox reported a 5% decline from 2022 in its portion of the NASCAR Cup Series season.
The exhibition race at the LA Memorial Coliseum, however, was down 15% in 2023 from the event’s debut there the previous year, but it still drew 3.65 million viewers.
Fans agreed NASCAR had no choice but to move the event.
https://twitter.com/hereforthespeed/status/1753882608801382820
100% the right move @NASCAR!!! Free admission is an added bonus and may make someone attend for the first time. Pumped for this!
— Keith Richmond (@keithrichmond82) February 3, 2024
About Arthur Weinstein
Arthur spends his free time traveling around the U.S. to sporting events, state and national parks, and in search of great restaurants off the beaten path.