Busch Light Clash: Plenty of big names miss main event, including Keselowski, Kurt Busch, Bowman
It's been a long time since qualifying has meant something in the NASCAR Cup Series. That changed on Sunday for the Busch Light Clash at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The format for the first-of-its-kind exhibition event wasn’t what we typically see, and it without question added drama and excitement to the show.
On Saturday night, all 36 drivers made two-lap qualifying runs to set the field for four 25-lap heat races on Sunday afternoon. The top-four finishers from each heat race advanced to the main event, with the remaining 20 drivers being split between a pair of last chance qualifying races.
The top-three finishers from each of the two 50-lap LCQs advanced to the main event. The 23rd and final spot in the field for the feature was reserved for the top finisher from the 2021 championship standings that did not transfer from the heat races and LCQS.
When all was said and done, 13 drivers missed the main event. And it wasn’t just the names you would expect. One quarter of the 2021 NASCAR Cup playoff field was eliminated after the LCQs, with Brad Keselowski, Kurt Busch, Alex Bowman and Aric Almirola all missing the 150-lap feature.
If it wasn’t for the provisional, Martin Truex Jr. very well could have missed the field as well.
Keselowski, in his first race behind the wheel of the No. 6 RFK Ford, qualified 30th and wasn’t a factor in either his heat race or the last chance qualifier. It was a disappointing performance for the 2012 NASCAR Cup Series champion in his first start as a co-owner.
Kurt Busch, driver of the #45 Monster Energy Toyota, sits on the grid after an on-track incident in the last chance qualifying race for the NASCAR Cup Series Busch Light Clash at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
Kurt Busch, in his first foray in the No. 45 Monster Energy Toyota, looked strong in his LCQ until contact from new 23XI teammate Bubba Wallace dropped him down the running order. Shortly after, Busch was three-wide with Wallace and Austin Cindric, and contact from Ty Dillon into Cindric sent Busch into the wall and ended his day.
“Just got put in a bad spot on one of the restarts,” Busch told FOX Sports. “When you are not managing the race and holding the white line, it puts you in a vulnerable spot. We needed to transfer. We needed to start off the year strong, and we did not. I’m just disappointed to not be in the A-main.
“We’re racing in the Coliseum. This is what it is all about. NASCAR did a great job putting this all together. We’re supposed to be in the A-Main, and we’re not.”
Bowman was expected to be in the main event as well. But also like Busch, he was involved in the chaos of the second LCQ. The driver of the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet was the only driver from the Hendrick Motorsports camp that was loading up the hauler early.
Bubba Wallace, driver of the #23 DoorDash Toyota, Harrison Burton, driver of the #21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford, and Austin Cindric, driver of the #2 eCascadia Ford, are involved in an incident during the last chance qualifying race prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Busch Light Clash at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum . (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
“I feel like we were one of the best cars,” Bowman told FOX Sports. “We were definitely better than Bubba (Wallace, who transferred to the main event from Bowman’s LCQ). He was running a real aggressive line and kind of taking my exit away and (I) finally got underneath him and passed him and he shipped me back in the next corner. It’s short track racing.”
Bowman added that a plethora of cautions marred the second last chance qualifier race.
“What has ensued in the last 15 minutes, I don’t know what you call that,” Bowman said. “Hopefully everybody at home is excited. I see a lot of fans excited, which is what matters and why we are here. We tore up a race car. Hate it for Ally to not be in the show later. Hope the fans are having fun, that’s all I have to say.”
Almirola was sent for a spin by Cup Series rookie Todd Gilliland in the early laps of his LCQ. An obviously upset Almirola gestured towards Gilliland after exiting his car, and remained displeased after being checked and released from the medical center.
“I just got wrecked,” Almirola told Motor Racing Network. “I got by a couple cars and was moving forward, and the 38 (Gilliland) just drove in there and just absolutely destroyed us.”
As for if he has words for or will need to talk to Gilliland?
“Nope.”
Austin Cindric, Ross Chastain, Corey Lajoie, Chris Buescher, Landon Cassill, Ty Dillon, Todd Gilliland, B.J. McLeod and Cody Ware also missed the finale.