Busch Light Clash ratings revealed for rain-affected Saturday race

“@FS1 got 1.511 million viewers for Saturday night’s Busch Light Clash, down from the first two editions that were held on Sundays on @FoxTV (2022: 4.283 million viewers | 2023: 3.647 million viewers),” Stern posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.

You have to take those numbers with a grain of salt. Yes, the numbers are down, but at least NASCAR was able to get the race in, moving up the start-time in an unprecedented move. It was better than not having The Clash at all, which could’ve happened if the decision-makers waited any longer.

The future of The Clash at the Coliseum was already in question, but the low ratings might be enough to either move the race back to Daytona, or even a different venue in the future. Time will tell, but the numbers usually never lie — except in this case, where they don’t tell the full story, if you take them at face-value.

Denny Hamlin believes NASCAR has ‘diluted’ Clash, All-Star Race with more entries

Even though Denny Hamlin was the big winner at the Busch Light Clash, he believes that NASCAR has watered down its product. Hamlin has been in the Cup Series full-time since 2006, and has ideas about how the Clash and All-Star Race have changed in recent years. 

On his newest episode of Actions Detrimental, Hamlin detailed the Clash weekend. From the rescheduled race to the actual event itself, the rivalries and drama, and of course, his victory. 

Hamlin won the Clash and had fun doing it. However it feels like NASCAR has gone away from what made the Clash, and even the All-Star Race, compelling. 

“Even over time, they keep – it got diluted, right?” Hamlin said. “We got a fan vote now, we’re going to invite the top two of Y-manufacturer. It just became diluted and over time – like the Clash itself used to be just pole winners. So when you win poles, I remember in 2006 it was a big deal to win a pole knowing that ‘BAM!’ I got my ticket to run the Clash. 

“That’s how I won the Clash in 2006 in my rookie year is that I happened to win the pole at Phoenix (in 2005) in one of my tryout races for Joe Gibbs Racing’s Cup car. Just hit a lap, got on the pole and I knew I was full-time the following season but it was like ‘Oh s**t I’m in the Clash now,’ and ended up winning. 

“Back then I think it was about 16, 18 cars per year made the Clash that was about the number of pole winners that you had. But then teams would gripe, well my sponsor’s not getting shown, and eventually, NASCAR went in a direction of, we’re just going to invite more, it’s more, more, more.”