NASCAR has released a new render of the temporary quarter-mile short-track inside the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum that will host the 2022 season-opening Busch Light Clash exhibitionevent. And, I’m ready to enjoy another round of Pixar’s Cars jokes.
On Twitter, Adam Stern of Sports Business Journal posted an ad spot that NASCAR will run in the Los Angeles TV media market. During the ad’s climax, a virtual camera rises above the coliseum’s iconic peristyle to better show the NASCAR Cup Series cars racing around the temporary quarter-mile oval in front of a sold-out crowd. That was when I honestly realized how awe-inspiring this event could look on television.
Stern also tweeted that Patrick Rogers, NASCAR’s Vice President of Marketing Services, confirmed that it will cost the organization a little more than $1 million to build. Not adjusted for inflation, it cost $955,000 to originally construct the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in the early 1920s. Not only has the value of the U.S. dollar changed drastically since then but so has all the amenities expected at a modern sports venue.
The track might be temporary, but $1 million isn’t as steep a price tag as a new permanent facility. The 7/8-mile Iowa Speedway was built in 2006 and cost $92.7 million in 2021 U.S. dollars. Even if NASCAR returns to the Coliseum every year for the next quarter-century, it would still be more affordable than building a new short-track in Southern California. However, there are plans to convert the two-mile Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California into a half-mile short-track.
The Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum will take place on February 6th, 2022. This special edition of the traditional exhibition event will also be the competitive debut of NASCAR’s Next-Gen Cup Series car. A unique way to start a new era.
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