2021 Busch Clash Preview

Date: February 9th, 7:00PM (EST) | Location: Daytona International Speedway Road Course By: Jay Horne of NASCARWagers.com, NASCAR Handicapping

NASCAR fans and bettors are just one week away from the start of 2021 Speedweeks at Daytona. Unlike previous years, Speedweeks will be slightly different in 2021 with a different scheduling format due to safety regulations. Perhaps the biggest change will occur next Tuesday for the opening event of Speedweeks when NASCAR’s Cup Series’ partakes in the 43rd running of the annual Busch Clash. Instead of high-intensity superspeedway racing like we will see in the Daytona 500, this year’s Busch Clash will be held under the lights on the 3.61 mile Daytona International Speedway Road Course. As we prepare for the first unofficial event of the season, I thought it would be ideal to breakdown everything to expect in the 2021 Busch Clash at Daytona as we ramp up preparations for all of Speedweeks’ events.

The Busch Clash is an invitation-only non-points race that is notoriously known for kicking off Speedweeks at Daytona. In previous years, eligibility requirements were largely determined by drivers that had won Busch Pole Awards in the prior season combined with automatic bids by former series’ champions. Due to COVID-19, NASCAR eliminated qualifying for the majority of its events in 2020 which will be the new norm as we move forward into the 2021 campaign. As a result, the eligibility requirements for this year’s Busch Clash has been expanded to the following criteria:

2021 Busch Clash Eligibility

• Past Busch Clash Winners who competed full-time in 2020
• DAYTONA 500 Champions who competed full-time in 2020
• Former DAYTONA 500 Busch Pole Winners who competed full-time in 2020
• 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Playoff drivers
• 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Race winners
• 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Stage winners

Though 24 drivers meet the eligibility requirements for this year’s Busch Clash, only 21 drivers are expected to compete due to the fact Clint Bowyer, Jimmie Johnson, and Matt Kenseth have officially retired. A few weeks ago, I highlighted many of the major changes involving Cup Series’ teams and drivers for the 2021 season which can be found here: 2021 Cup Series Drivers and Team Changes. All of those offseason changes will be in effect for the Busch Clash. The only notable callout that will be different includes Ty Dillon who plans to run the Busch Clash for 23XI Racing. Bubba Wallace is the full-time driver for 23XI Racing this season which is a new team formed by Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin. Wallace did not qualify for the Busch Clash meaning his debut with 23XI Racing will be put on hold until the Daytona 500. Ty Dillon lost his former full-time seat with Germain Racing due to the company’s shutdown which provides the opportunity for Dillon to jump into the #23 car for 23XI Racing that is powered by Joe Gibbs Racing equipment. The remaining list of entries planning to participate in the 2021 Busch Clash can be found below.

2021 Busch Clash Entry List

2021 Busch Clash Format

The format for this year’s Busch Clash will be pretty straightforward. The race will consist of 35 laps total (125 miles) and will be split into two stages. The first stage will conclude on lap 15 which will open up the opportunity for pit stops and perhaps strategy for the final 20 lap run to the checkered flag.

Handicapping Notes: To this point, odds have not been released for the Busch Clash and honestly I typically avoid this event all together from a betting standpoint. The biggest purpose this race should have for handicappers is preparing for the 2nd race of the season, on February 21st, at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course. Since the majority of the top competitors will be racing, this event should give us a pretty good idea of what to expect in the 2nd race of the season. Obviously, Chase Elliott is the undeniable favorite following his inaugural win on the Daytona RC in 2020 combined with the fact he has won 4 straight road course races in the Cup Series. Behind Elliott, Martin Truex is the 2nd best road course talent following a 3rd place finish in last year’s Go Bowling 235. Also, do not overlook dark horses like Ryan Blaney and Alex Bowman who have proven success on the Charlotte ROVAL which is very similar in layout. For match-up purposes if offered, Kyle Busch is fadeworthy with finishes of 30th or worse in 3 starts on the ROVAL and last year’s 37th place finish on the Daytona RC. Meanwhile, William Byron is a sneaky H2H/fantasy option with solid finishes on both layouts.