LOS ANGELES — Days after a difficult and largely ignored start to its 2024 season, NASCAR is ready to plow into its regular season in its traditional fashion, holding its biggest event first instead of last. The Daytona 500 is set to start the 36-race Cup Series on Feb. 18, two weeks after the unofficial beginning on a quarter-mile track inside the Coliseum.
The Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum is now in the rearview mirror, thankfully for NASCAR. With the brightest of intentions and a full marketing strategy aimed at Latinos, NASCAR, on a few hours notice, moved the Sunday race to Saturday night after California’s unprecedented weather event made the likelihood of running the race as scheduled impossible. Admission was free, but the crowd was barely visible.
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