NASCAR lineup for Clash at the Coliseum: Starting order, pole for 2023 exhibition race in L.A.

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NASCAR lineup for Clash at the Coliseum: Starting order, pole for 2023 exhibition race in L.A. image

NASCAR is back after a three-month break, as drivers and teams gear up for the 2023 season with the Clash at the Coliseum Sunday in Los Angeles. 

The annual exhibition race, now in its second year in California after decades at Daytona, serves to whet the appetite of race fans ahead of the traditional season opener in two weeks. 

The Clash features a unique format with multiple heats leading up to the main event Sunday night. Here's how they'll line up as Joey Logano looks to defend his crown from 2022. 

MORE: Watch the Clash at the Coliseum live on fuboTV (free trial)

Here's what you need to know about qualifying for the NASCAR Clash at the Coliseum on Sunday, including the starting lineups for the heats and the main race.

Clash at the Coliseum 2023: Format, lineups for heat races

The Busch Clash main race is scheduled for 150 laps, with a caution scheduled after Lap 75. Only green-flag laps will count. Twenty-seven drivers will compete in the race following Sunday's heats. Thirty-six drivers, representing all the charter teams in the NASCAR Cup Series, were on the entry list.

Here's how the drivers will line up for each of the four heat races, which will help to set the starting order for the main race: 

Heat 1

Car No.DriverTeam
31Justin HaleyKaulig Racing
10Aric AlmirolaStewart-Haas Racing
48Alex BowmanHendrick Motorsports
21Harrison BurtonWood Brothers Racing
22Joey LoganoTeam Penske
42Noah GragsonLegacy Motor Club
34Michael McDowellFront Row Motorsports
17Chris BuescherRFK Racing
77Ty DillonSpire Motorsports

Heat 2

Car No.DriverTeam
8Kyle BuschRichard Childress Racing
3Austin DillonRichard Childress Racing
5Kyle LarsonHendrick Motorsports
4Kevin HarvickStewart-Haas Racing
47Ricky Stenhouse Jr.JTG Daugherty Racing
19Martin Truex Jr.Joe Gibbs Racing
2Austin CindricTeam Penske
9Chase ElliottHendrick Motorsports
78B.J. McLeodLive Fast Motorsports

Heat 3

Car No.DriverTeam
20Christopher BellJoe Gibbs Racing
11Denny HamlinJoe Gibbs Racing
99Daniel SuarezTrackhouse Racing
14Chase BriscoeStewart-Haas Racing
45Tyler Reddick23XI Racing
6Brad KeselowskiRFK Racing
38Todd GillilandFront Row Motorsports
15J.J. YeleyRick Ware Racing
12Ryan BlaneyTeam Penske

Heat 4

Car No.DriverTeam
24William ByronHendrick Motorsports
16AJ AllmendingerKaulig Racing
1Ross ChastainTrackhouse Racing
23Bubba Wallace23XI Racing
43Erik JonesLegacy Motor Club
41Ryan PreeceStewart-Haas Racing
7Corey LaJoieSpire Motorsports
51Cody WareRick Ware Racing
54Ty GibbsJoe Gibbs Racing

Clash at the Coliseum 2023 lineup, starting order 

The starting lineup for Sunday night's main event will be mostly determined by the results in the qualifying heats.

The winners of Heats 1, 2, 3 and 4 will earn the first four spots in the lineup, the runners-up in each heat will earn the next four slots, and so on down to fifth place in each heat, for 20 spots. After that will come Last Chance Qualifier (LCQ) races to set the next six spots. The 27th spot will go to the non-qualifying driver who had the most points in 2022 season.

PositionCriterion
1Aric Almirola
2Martin Truex Jr.
3Denny Hamlin
4William Byron
5Alex Bowman
6Kyle Busch
7Chase Briscoe
8Bubba Wallace
9Justin Haley
10Austin Dillon
11Tyler Reddick
12Ross Chastain
13Noah Gragson
14Kyle Larson
15Ryan Blaney
16Ryan Preece
17Joey Logano
18Kevin Harvick
19Daniel Suarez
20Erik Jones
21Michael McDowell
22Chase Elliott
23Christopher Bll
24Ty Gibbs
25Todd Gilliland
26A.J. Allmendinger
27Austin Cindric

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