What happens to NASCAR Clash at the Coliseum if it rains? All possibilities explored

NASCAR will make its third appearance at the L.A. Coliseum, as the famous arena is set to host the 46th edition of the Busch Light Clash. However, the threat of heavy rain on race day looms over the event this weekend.

The Clash at the Coliseum is scheduled on February 3-4, with the Qualifying and the heat races for the Cup Series taking place on Saturday (February 3). Sunday will host the NASCAR Mexico Series and the much-anticipated Clash, with 23 drivers competing over 150 laps.

The Qualifying sessions on Saturday are expected to be unaffected by weather. However, Sunday's events remain under serious threat as National Weather Service Los Angeles predicts 'life-threatening and damage flooding' from Sunday till Monday.

If the rain intensity doesn't reduce, Cup Series drivers cannot race. Fox Sports reporter Bob Pockrass reports that despite having wet tires in availability, the next-gen cars don't have wipers, lights, and rain flaps to race in wet conditions. On a positive note, he suggests that racing under damp conditions is possible.

"And I have gotten questions with forecasts all over the place for Sunday. They will have rain tires and defoggers but no wipers, lights, rain flaps. So wouldn’t race in the rain or if so wet there would be spray. But could race in the damp (and would think track dries quick)," he said.

NASCAR is yet to announce any changes in Sunday's schedule, with many factors influencing how many days the series stays in Los Angeles. Pockrass notes that the event could be rescheduled for public safety concerns due to heavy rain/flooding.

The cost of extending its stay at the Coliseum and the preparation time for the Daytona 500 weekend will influence how long NASCAR waits in Los Angeles.

If the Busch Light Clash is affected by rain midway through the race on Sunday, then officials will red-flag the race, and the event might be resumed later or rescheduled on a later date if the weather conditions permit.

According to the NASCAR rule book, the winner of the event will be announced if the race has reached its halfway mark, or stage two.

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NASCAR Clash at the Coliseum: Full weekend schedule

Here is the provisional weekend schedule for the Clash at the Coliseum. (All times are in EST)

Saturday, February 3

• 1:15 – 2 p.m. — Mexico Series practice one
• 2:45 – 3:30 p.m. — Mexico Series practice two
• 4:30 – 5:20 p.m. — Mexico Series qualifying
• 6:10 – 8 p.m. — Cup practice and qualifying
• 8:30 p.m. — Cup Series heat race one (25 laps)
• 8:45 p.m. — Cup Series heat race two (25 laps)
• 9 p.m. — Cup Series heat race three (25 laps)
• 9:15 p.m. — Cup Series heat race four (25 laps)

Sunday, February 4

• 4:30 p.m. — Mexico Series race (150 laps)
• 6:40 p.m. — Cup Series last chance qualifying race (75 laps)
• 8 p.m. — Busch Light Clash (150 laps)

Catch the Clash at the Coliseum live on Fox, Motor Racing Network, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.