By Matt Marr
The race was pushed forward one day due to impending rain, and the previously planned heat races/last chance qualifier was canceled. Denny Hamlin won the pole in qualifying and brought the field to the green to kick off the first race of the NASCAR season.
Joey Logano immediately took the lead from Hamlin and led lap 1.
Hamlin retook the lead on lap 3.
Hamlin struggled getting by some lapped traffic, and Ty Gibbs took advantage to gain the lead on lap 50.
The first caution came out at lap 71 for Todd Gilliland.
Joey Logano assumed the lead on the restart and led at the halfway break on lap 75.
The caution came back out with 10 laps remaining, as Michael McDowell made contact with Ross Chastain. And with that, Gibbs’ over two-second lead vanished.
Gibbs and Logano led the restart but Hamlin managed to take the lead from the third position. A single overtime session was had, but Hamlin held on to win the Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum.
The Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum Top 5:
1. Denny Hamlin
2. Kyle Busch
3. Ryan Blaney
4. Joey Logano
5. Kyle Larson
Notables:
6. Alex Bowman
7. Chase Briscoe
11. Ryan Preece
13. John Hunter Nemechek
18. Ty Gibbs
Comentários