The 2021 Busch Clash was a

NASCAR Cup Series The NASCAR Cup Series is the top racing series of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR). The series began in 1949 as the Strictly Stock Division, and from 1950 to 1970 it was known as the Grand National Division. In 1971, ...

race Race, RACE or "The Race" may refer to: * Race (biology), an informal taxonomic classification within a species, generally within a sub-species * Race (human categorization), classification of humans into groups based on physical traits, and/or s ...

that was held on February 9, 2021 at

Daytona International Speedway Daytona International Speedway is a race track in Daytona Beach, Florida, United States. Since opening in 1959, it has been the home of the Daytona 500, the most prestigious race in NASCAR as well as its season opening event. In addition to NA ...

Daytona Beach, Florida Daytona Beach, or simply Daytona, is a coastal Resort town, resort-city in east-central Florida. Located on the eastern edge of Volusia County, Florida, Volusia County near the East Coast of the United States, Atlantic coastline, its population ...

. Contested over 35 laps, it was the first exhibition race of the

2021 NASCAR Cup Series The 2021 NASCAR Cup Series was the 73rd season for NASCAR professional stock car racing in the United States and the 50th season for the modern era Cup Series. The season started at Daytona International Speedway with the Busch Clash, wher ...

season.

Format and eligibility

The race is 35 laps in length, and is divided into two segments, with the first 15 laps and the second 20 laps. Fifteen laps is one fewer than the length of the first stage and three fewer than the second stage of the ensuing Daytona 400 km two weeks later on the same circuit. Criteria for qualification the 2021 clash will be different as the race is open to drivers who won the Daytona 500, won a previous Busch Clash, or won a pole for a Daytona 500, all of these criteria require the driver to compete full time in the 2020 Cup Series season. The race is also open to the five 2020 Cup Series pole winners, 2020 Cup Series

playoff The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eithe ...

drivers, 2020 Cup series race winners, and 2020 Cup Series stage winners, all drivers under those criteria do not need to compete full time in the 2020 Cup Series season to the eligible for the race. NASCAR has said the changed criteria for the clash was in response to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

which has led to most races in the 2020 Cup Series season to held without qualifying.

Entry list

Starting lineup

The lineup was determined by random draw, with

Ryan Blaney Ryan Michael Blaney (born December 31, 1993) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 12 Ford Mustang for Team Penske. He is the son of former NASCAR driver Dave Blaney ...

drawing the top spot.

Race

Under a clear night sky, the race began at 7:15 p.m., with Ryan Blaney on pole. The caution soon fell for dirt and debris compiling at the bus stop chicane. The competition caution came out on lap 15, with all 21 cars pitting for fuel and tires. Martin Truex Jr., who was leading when the competition caution came out, missed the last chicane and was sent to the rear of the field. By lap 28, he had retaken the lead, with a caution coming out shortly after for Cole Custer’s car catching fire after an engine issue. After the restart, Truex spun in a similar fashion to Kevin Harvick earlier in the race, bringing out the caution once more. The race restarted with Chase Elliott staying out and holding the lead. Tyler Reddick and Chris Buescher collided, sending the latter into Alex Bowman’s No. 48 car, however the race remained green. With a couple laps to go, Blaney caught up to and passed Elliott. Entering the frontstretch chicane on the final lap, Elliott dove inside Blaney, but they collided. Blaney spun while third-place Kyle Busch passed a slowed Elliott win the race, despite not having led any laps beforehand.

Race results

Media

FS1 Fox Sports 1 (FS1) is an American pay television television channel, channel owned by the Fox Sports (United States), Fox Sports Media Group, a unit of Fox Corporation. FS1 replaced the motorsports network Speed (TV network), Speed on August 1 ...

covered the race on the television side;

Mike Joy Michael Joy (born November 25, 1949) is an American TV sports announcer and who currently serves as the lap-by-lap voice of Fox Sports' coverage of NASCAR. His color analyst is Clint Bowyer. Counting 2022, Joy has been part of the live broadcast ...

Jeff Gordon Jeffery Michael Gordon (born August 4, 1971) is an American former professional stock car racing driver, who is the Vice Chairman for Hendrick Motorsports. He raced full-time from 1993 to 2015, driving the No. 24 Chevrolet for Hendrick M ...

and

Clint Bowyer Clinton Edward Bowyer (born May 30, 1979) is an American former professional stock car racing driver and commentator for ''NASCAR on Fox''. He competed in the NASCAR Cup Series from 2005 to 2020, driving for Richard Childress Racing for eight yea ...

handled the call in the booth for the race;

Jamie Little Jamie Little (born April 9, 1978) is an American pit reporter for NASCAR coverage on Fox. Little is a former pit reporter for ESPN/ABC coverage of the Indy Racing League, although she returned to her pit reporting duty for the 2007 and 2008 In ...

and Regan Smith handled pit road for the television side.

Larry McReynolds Lawrence Joseph McReynolds III (born January 10, 1959) is a current NASCAR crew chief and current racing analyst on Fox Sports as well as a columnist on Foxsports.com. In the past, he has served as an advisor to Petty Enterprises, and as a mi ...

provided insight from the Fox Sports studio in Charlotte.

Television

Radio

References

{{2021 NASCAR Cup

Busch Clash The Busch Light Clash is an annual pre-season NASCAR Cup Series exhibition event held in February before the season-opening Daytona 500. The event was held each year at Daytona International Speedway since the race's inception in 1979 until 2022, ...

NASCAR races at Daytona International Speedway