Daytona International Speedway announced today a scheduling change for next season that restores a Speedweeks tradition dating back to 1979 with the Advance Auto Parts Clash returning to a Sunday afternoon start, one week before the prestigious DAYTONA 500.
The Advance Auto Parts Clash, the annual non-points event for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, will be held Sunday afternoon. The Clash will be preceded by DAYTONA 500 Qualifying Presented By Kroger.
The Saturday, Feb. 10 lineup will have a doubleheader consisting of Monster Energy NASCAR Cup practice followed by the Lucas Oil 200, the season-opening race for the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards.
The Advance Auto Parts Clash was first held in 1979 and won by Buddy Baker. The event was on a Sunday from 1979-91 (rain forced a Monday start in 1983) and after a one-year switch to Saturday, returned to Sundays from 1993-2002. In 2003 it moved to a Saturday night start.
The Advance Auto Parts Clash and DAYTONA 500 Qualifying Presented By Kroger shared the same day on the schedule from 1979-84. The scheduling change follows the return this season of the race’s original name.
“This year we brought back the name and next year we’re bringing back the rest of the Clash’s tradition,” said Daytona International Speedway President Chip Wile. “Combining the Clash with qualifying is going to give our fans an outstanding afternoon of NASCAR action and will provide the perfect lead-in to the Can-Am Duel qualifying races and the DAYTONA 500.”
This year’s Advance Auto Parts Clash was a 75-lap/187.5-mile race split into two segments, with the competition caution at Lap 25 separating the segments. The field featured 2016 pole winners, former Clash champions and former DAYTONA 500 pole winners who ran full-time last season. In addition, all drivers from the 2016 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup playoffs were eligible. The Clash was won by Joey Logano, the 2015 DAYTONA 500 champion.
Already securing a spot in the exclusive field for the 2018 Advance Auto Parts Clash by winning a pole are Chase Elliott, Kevin Harvick, Brad Keselowski, Logano, Kyle Larson, Matt Kenseth, Ricky Stenhouse and Ryan Blaney.
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