NASCAR Clash at the Coliseum 2024: How to watch, race format, entry list and more

Editor's note: The Clash at the Coliseum in L.A. was moved ahead from Sunday, Feb. 4, to Saturday, Feb. 3, due to incoming inclement weather. The information below has been updated since its original publication.

NASCAR is back -- sort of.

The 2024 season will kick off in Los Angeles this weekend for the annual Busch Light Clash. For the third straight year, the preseason exhibition race will be held on a makeshift track at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

While the season-opening Daytona 500 is still more than two weeks away, this is a chance for drivers to get back into a rhythm at a unique and star-studded event.

Here's everything you need to know ahead of the race weekend:

What is the Clash at the Coliseum?

The Clash is a yearly preseason event where drivers race for money and bragging rights. There aren't any implications for the championship, but that has never deterred drivers from going all out to win.

Traditionally, the Clash was held at Daytona International Speedway. The first Clash took place in 1979 and the event stayed at Daytona through 2021. In 2022, NASCAR moved the race to Hollywood in a first-of-its-kind plan to build a racetrack inside of an Olympic stadium. The temporary course is 0.25-miles in length and has now been rebuilt for three consecutive years before being torn down shortly after the race.

When is the NASCAR Clash at the Coliseum 2024?

The 2024 Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum is now set for Saturday, Feb. 3, at 8 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1.

The heat races and last chance qualifying races were canceled due to the incoming inclement weather. The lineups will instead be determined by the fastest practices. Here's the full schedule for the NASCAR Cup Series' trip to Los Angeles and how to watch each event:

Saturday, Feb. 3

• Practice: 6:10 p.m. ET, FS1 and FOXSports.com
• Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum: 8 p.m. ET, FS1and FOXSports.com

What is the format for the Clash at the Coliseum in 2024?

The 36 drivers will be split into three groups for nine practice sessions (three for each group) on Saturday. In the third and final session for each group, each driver's fastest lap time will determine the starting lineup for the Saturday night heat races.

There will be four heat races on Saturday night. The fastest driver in practice starts first in the first heat race, the second-fastest starts first in the second heat race and so on (fifth-fastest starts second in the first heat race, sixth-fastest starts second in the second heat race, etc.). Each heat race will be 25 green-flag laps, with the top five finishers in each heat race automatically advancing to Sunday's main event.

The 16 drivers who do not advance out of the heat races will compete in the last chance qualifier (LCQ) on Sunday. The LCQ will be a 75-lap race where only the top two finishers advance to the main event. That brings the total number of drivers for the Clash to 22, with the 23rd and final spot being given to the driver who finished the highest in the 2023 points standings that is not already locked in.

The Clash will be a 150-lap race divided into two 75-lap stages, with only green-flag laps counting. The starting lineup will be set by the results of the heat races and LCQ.

Who is racing in the Clash at the Coliseum 2024? Here's the entry list

There are 36 drivers set to compete in the Clash -- and it'll be the first chance for fans to see some drivers with new teams, different paint schemes and fresh sponsors for the 2024 season. Rookies Josh Berry, Zane Smith and Carson Hocevar will make their debuts with new teams, while returning drivers Justin Haley and Noah Gragson, among others, have changed organizations.

Here's the full entry list:

• No. 1, Ross Chastain, Trackhouse Racing
• No. 2, Austin Cindric, Team Penske
• No. 3, Austin Dillon, Richard Childress Racing
• No. 4, Josh Berry, Stewart-Haas Racing
• No. 5, Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports
• No. 6, Brad Keselowski, RFK Racing
• No. 7, Corey LaJoie, Spire Motorsports
• No. 8, Kyle Busch, Richard Childress Racing
• No. 9, Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports
• No. 10, Noah Gragson, Stewart-Haas Racing
• No. 11, Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing
• No. 12, Ryan Blaney, Team Penske
• No. 14, Chase Briscoe, Stewart-Haas Racing
• No. 15, Kaz Grala, Rick Ware Racing
• No. 16, Josh Williams, Kaulig Racing
• No. 17, Chris Buescher, RFK Racing
• No. 19, Martin Truex Jr., Joe Gibbs Racing
• No. 20, Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing
• No. 21, Harrison Burton, Wood Brothers Racing
• No. 22, Joey Logano, Team Penske
• No. 23, Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing
• No. 24, William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports
• No. 31, Daniel Hemric, Kaulig Racing
• No. 34, Michael McDowell, Front Row Motorsports
• No. 38, Todd Gilliland, Front Row Motorsports
• No. 41, Ryan Preece, Stewart-Haas Racing
• No. 42, John Hunter Nemechek, Legacy Motor Club
• No. 43, Erik Jones, Legacy Motor Club
• No. 45, Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing
• No. 47, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., JTG Daugherty Racing
• No. 48, Alex Bowman, Hendrick Motorsports
• No. 51, Justin Haley, Rick Ware Racing
• No. 54, Ty Gibbs, Joe Gibbs Racing
• No. 71, Zane Smith, Spire Motorsports
• No. 77, Carson Hocevar, Spire Motorsports
• No. 99, Daniel Suarez, Trackhouse Racing

Favorites, drivers to watch for the Clash at the Coliseum

The first two races at the Coliseum were won by former Cup champions: Joey Logano (2022) and Martin Truex Jr. (2023). Both veterans of the sport, Logano and Truex parlayed their success in L.A. into a season-long run. Logano won the 2022 season-long championship, the second of his career, and Truex won the 2023 regular-season title. Expect Logano and Truex to again compete for the win in 2024.

Beyond Logano and Truex, the most consistent drivers at the Coliseum through two years have been a pair of teammates: Kyle Busch and Austin Dillon of Richard Childress Racing. Busch finished second in 2022 and third in 2023, while Dillon was third in 2022 and second in 2023.

Kyle Larson is the only other driver who two top-five finishes, coming in fifth both years. And while Tyler Reddick doesn't quite have the finishing results of the aforementioned drivers (21st in 2022, 6th in 2023), he has led more laps than any driver besides Busch at the Coliseum (51).

What celebrities are attending the Clash at the Coliseum in 2024?

The Clash is always a star-studded event with it being so close to Hollywood. Last year was packed with star power -- rapper Wiz Khalifa, actor Rob Lowe, actor Joel McHale, NFL player Alvin Kamara, Heisman winner Caleb Williams, singer Gwen Stefani and actor Danny Trejo, among others.

While there isn't yet a full list of celebrities attending the event in 2024, a similar batch of stars is expected. Confirmed guests include world championship boxer Canelo Álvarez (who will serve as the grand marshal), musician Machine Gun Kelly (who will perform at halftime of the Clash) and musician Nita Strauss (who will perform the national anthem).

Los Angeles weather for Clash at the Coliseum

The weather forced organizers to move up the race. There's an expected high of 61 degrees with party cloudy skies and a 24% chance of rain on Saturday.

Expected rain on Sunday made the race outlook tenuous on that day.

While they aren't able to race in the rain, the cars do have wet-weather tires and defoggers to be able to drive on a damp track surface. So, as long as rain isn't falling, the race should be able to go on for Saturday.