NASCAR to run L.A. Clash tonight to beat severe weather

NASCAR has made the stunning decision to move up the L.A. Clash doubleheader to Saturday, doing so in the interest of fan safety as life-threatening flooding is forecast to hit the city. Once it arrives, racing will likely be impossible until Wednesday, even with wet-weather available for damp conditions.

NASCAR statement

“Due to the threat of unprecedented severe weather on Sunday, the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Mexico Series race events for the Clash have been moved to Saturday night. Thanks to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and Los Angeles Public Safety for their partnership and support to make the schedule adjustment for tonight’s event to ensure a safe experience for fans, competitors, and staff. We understand weather conditions may worsen as the day progresses, so we encourage fans to make decisions in the best interest of safety. We appreciate our fans, partners, and everyone associated with this event on this unprecedented event.”

Joey Logano, Team Penske, Shell Pennzoil Ford Mustang and Paul Wolfe, Team Penske, Ford Mustang

Photo by: Nigel Kinrade / NKP / Motorsport Images

The L.A. Clash will take place at 8 p.m. ET with coverage on FOX Sports 1. The NASCAR Mexico Series race will immediately follow the L.A. Clash. 

The heat races and LCQ have been cancelled with the starting lineup set to be determined by practice speeds. The fastest 22 drivers will advance into the main event while the 23rd position will be reserved for the highest 2023 points-finisher not yet locked in. Practice will take place at 5:35 p.m. ET.

As for ticketholders, the sanctioning body says that they will be contacted in the coming days "on next steps to accommodate for the unprecedented impact on this event ... pre-paid Sunday parking purchased though ParkWhiz will be fully refunded. Continued schedule and refund updates will be available at nascarclash.com and @nascarclash social media handles."