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SPORTS Tuesday 7 February 2023
Sloppy race clouds NASCAR’s return to L.A. Coliseum

By JENNA FRYER points race? It’s like a one-
AP Auto Racing Writer off deal,” he said, noting
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Bub- that at Daytona the ever-
ba Wallace said his back changing eligibility rules
and neck hurt following made a boring race “all
the bumping and bang- weird.”
ing of NASCAR’s first event “Now this is really cool. It’s
of the new year, an exhibi- got its own identity, fun
tion that Kyle Larson called race, all the way out here
“very violent for the major- in a cool venue that’s got
ity of the race.” a lot of history,” Truex said
Austin Dillon was shocked of the Coliseum. “I think it’s
at the aggressiveness kind of got a good vibe
shown Sunday night at the to it now. Let’s not maybe
Los Angeles Memorial Coli- screw that up.”
seum, especially early in But a secondary theme
the race, when he found his emerged at the Coliseum,
head going “bang, bang, as most drivers believed
back and forth, every cor- that an offseason fix NAS-
ner” in a sloppy, caution- CAR made to the rear
filled game of bumper bumper of its Next Gen car
cars.”There was nothing was not such a fix after all.
but just hammer each oth- The rear of the new car was
er and hope to come out NASCAR Cup Series driver Martin Truex Jr. life his trophy after winning the Busch Light Clash NASCAR designed to withstand hard
the other side,” said Dillon, exhibition auto race at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Sunday, Feb. 5, 2023, in Los Angeles. hits, but the durability and
Associated Press
who added that he told rigidness of the rear clip
new teammate Kyle Busch that included a packed which seemed plausible when asked if the race left the driver absorbing far
that the steering wheel was USC student section. just a day earlier. Auto Club should count in the future. more energy than normal
knocked out of his hands It was going to be impos- Speedway in nearby Fon- The Clash was run at Dayto- in routine crashes.
on a particularly hard hit to sible to duplicate the suc- tana is set to be renovated na International Speedway It led to at least two concus-
the back of his Chevrolet. cess this year — even with following its Cup race later from its 1979 inception un- sions, and Kurt Busch was
“You’re taking some pretty a Wiz Khalifa halftime set this month, and its track til last year, when NASCAR forced to retire because
good blows out there and — but it wasn’t supposed president said the facility moved it to the Coliseum of a July crash in qualify-
trying to stay calm.” to be so messy. The inau- wouldn’t be ready to host because, frankly, a special ing. He said last week that
NASCAR brought its pre- gural event had just five racing in 2024. race wasn’t so special any- he was in nine crashes in
season Busch Light Clash cautions; Sunday night was The absence of Auto Club more at Daytona. 2022 in which the force of
back to the Coliseum for a marred by 25 cautions and next year puts pressure on The Coliseum idea was impact alarmed Busch and
second consecutive year a long stretch after the sev- NASCAR to remain in the fresh and new, and it en- he’s still not 100% healthy.
to race on a temporary en-minute Wiz Khalifa set in Southern California market, ergized the industry for the Kyle Busch said Wallace’s
quarter-mile track inside which the drivers struggled and “a race that counts” start of an important season rear bumper was visibly
the iconic venue. The show to complete two consecu- at the Coliseum could have in which NASCAR launched damaged, “so he might
was a smashing success a tive laps under green. filled the void. But the driv- a new car. The Clash at the have been one of the ones
year ago — NASCAR used The racing was so amateur ers blasted that idea. Coliseum is what it is, Truex that got hit the hardest.”
heat races, last-chance that it probably killed any Martin Truex Jr., who went said, and if it’s messy and He also agreed with Larson
qualifiers, a prerace con- chance of turning a third winless last season and sloppy, so be it. and Dillon, who said the
cert and a halftime show — trip to the Coliseum into nearly retired, won Sunday “Why would you want to violence inside the car “still
to dazzle a new audience a points-awarding race, night and gave a flat “No,” screw it up and make it a doesn’t feel good.” q

Brady will not move into Fox announcing

booth until 2024

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Tom a 10-year deal with Fox last people down,” Brady said.
Brady will not go immedi- May to become the net- “I want to be great at what
ately from the playing field work’s top analyst when he I do, and that always takes
to the broadcast booth. decided to quit playing for some time and strategizing
Brady told Colin Cowherd good. and learning and grow-
during Monday’s episode Brady said that he didn’t ing and evolving. I have
of “The Herd” on FS1 and want to immediately rush so many people to rely on
Fox Sports Radio that he into announcing and that that could support me in
will not start his broadcast- he wanted to catch up on that growth too.” NFL quarterback Tom Brady, a cast member and producer of
ing career with Fox until the some other parts of his life. Brady is expected to even- “80 for Brady,” looks down the carpet at the premiere of the
2024 season. “I think one thing about tually join Kevin Burkhardt film, Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2023, at the Regency Village Theatre in
The seven-time Super Bowl my career whether it was on Fox’s top team. Los Angeles. Associated Press
champion — who retired when I was drafted by the Burkhardt and Greg Ol-
last week after a 23-year Patriots or signing agree- sen will call their first Super Fox, which is carrying its season. Brady is still not
career with the New Eng- ments with the Bucs, I want- Bowl on Sunday when the 10th Super Bowl on Sunday, expected to be a part of
land Patriots and Tampa ed to be fully committed Kansas City Chiefs face the also has Super Bowl 59 in Fox’s pregame coverage
Bay Buccaneers — signed and I never wanted to let Philadelphia Eagles. New Orleans after the 2024 on Sunday.q