Kurt Busch, Brad Keselowski and Alex Bowman failed to advance to the main event in the Clash at the Coliseum as chaos erupted in the heat and qualifier races Sunday, producing some surprising results.
The final 50-lap qualifier on the temporary 0.25-mile oval took more than 30 minutes to complete and was interrupted by seven caution periods and a red flag.
Ty Dillon took the checkered flag but was later penalized by NASCAR for jumping the final restart (after already serving a black flag penalty during the race for jumping another restart).
UPDATE: @tydillon is penalized for jumping the final restart.
The No. 42 will not advance to tonight’s main event.
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) February 6, 2022
That awarded the last three transfer spots to Ryan Preece, Bubba Wallace and rookie Harrison Burton despite the fact that each were involved in yellow flags during the final race to set the 23-car main event of the Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum. The short track lived up to its billing for action in marking the first time the preseason NASCAR Cup Series exhibition was held outside the 2.5-mile oval at Daytona International Speedway in its 43-year history.
Busch and Bowman both were eliminated in earlier wrecks, and Keselowski’s No. 6 Ford ran outside the top three throughout after starting ninth and finishing fifth. Xfinity Series champion Austin Cindric also was knocked out of the main event with a fifth.
Busch, who was making his debut in the No. 45 Toyota for 23XI Racing, was eliminated while leading on a Lap 47 restart. After taking the green, he was hit by his teammate Wallace, who had been hit in the rear by Burton. While trying to climb back up to third, Busch was squeezed into the outside wall by Wallace, who was battling for a spot with Preece.
“I just got put in a bad spot on one of the restarts,” Busch told Fox Sports. “When you are not managing the race and holding the white line, it puts you in a vulnerable spot. We needed to transfer. We needed to start off the year strong, and we did not. I’m just disappointed we’re not in the A main. We’re racing hard in the Coliseum. This is what it is all about. NASCAR did a great job putting this all together.”
The day ends way earlier than Kurt Busch and the 45 team had hoped.#HotPass | https://t.co/U4a0xtLVoj pic.twitter.com/bHFAxRXW1A
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) February 6, 2022
It also was a disappointing debut with a new team for Keselowski, whose new RFK Racing teammate, Chris Buescher, also failed to make the main event.
Advancing to the main event was no sure thing for some other big names, too. Denny Hamlin locked in by winning the first Last Chance Qualifier, advancing along with Kevin Harvick and AJ Allmendinger.
“There’s going to be a lot of laps and a lot of attrition, so we’ll see what happens” in the main event, Hamlin told Fox Sports.
Short track racing. pic.twitter.com/Sr8Rak0mTx
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) February 6, 2022
It was smooth sailing at the front of the 25-lap preliminary races as pole-sitters Kyle Busch, Tyler Reddick, Justin Haley and Joey Logano won their respective heats.
Others who advanced to the main event with top-four finishes in the heats — Heat 1: Daniel Suarez, Ricky Stenhouse Jr.; Ryan Blaney. Heat 2: Chase Briscoe, Austin Dillon, Cole Custer. Heat 3: William Byron, Christopher Bell, Chase Elliott. Heat 4: Kyle Larson, Michael McDowell, Erik Jones.
While he didn’t finish well enough to advance in his heat, Martin Truex Jr. made the main event via a provisional. The 2017 Cup Series champion elected to skip the Last Chance Qualifier rather than try to improve his last-place starting spot.
“The crew chief voted for saving the car and starting 23rd (because) we’d start fifth in the LCQ and don’t know we’re good enough to drive up to the top two,” Truex told Fox Sports. “As we go, the desperation gets higher, and guys will do what they have to do. Been a rough day and a half so far. We’re not where we need to be. We’ll keep working on it.”
After starting fifth in Heat 1, Hamlin was in a transfer spot for much of the first heat before getting moved by Stenhouse for third and then Blaney for fourth. That moved Hamlin’s No. 11 Toyota into the 25-lap last chance qualifier.
“You kind of got to put the bumper to him,” Blaney told Fox Sports. “Me and Ricky and Denny had a great race going. Luckily we’re locked in and hopefully, the fans enjoyed it, and that’s just a little preview of what’s to come as we see more and more racing today.”
For the first time since cars hit the track Saturday, the caution flag flew twice during the fourth heat and again during the first Last Chance Qualifier as Aric Almirola was eliminated in a crash after getting bumped in the right rear by Todd Gilliland.
“That was a bigger hit than I expected as slow as we’re going here,” Almirola told Fox Sports. “We had a decent start and we were moving forward, and (Gilliland) just destroyed us. (He) just drove in there a mile and tore us up.”
Among others who failed to advance: Ross Chastain, Cody Ware, Todd Gilliland, Chris Buescher, Corey LaJoie, Landon Cassill and B.J. McLeod.
HEAT 1: Click here for results
HEAT 2: Click here for results
HEAT 3: Click here for results
HEAT 4: Click here for results
LAST CHANCE QUALIFIER 1: Click here for results
LAST CHANCE QUALIFIER 2: Click here for results
