Well… there was definitely some clashing to get into the Busch Light Clash.
In a matter of approximately 14 seconds, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. went from in the transfer position to make the main event, to being shoved to the outside of the track and relegated to the LCQ.
The final lap started with a bump from Kevin Harvick to Chase Elliott, who was on the inside of Ricky Stenhouse Jr, allowing the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series champion to be momentarily into the main event.
Of course, being on a quarter-mile track, the full-contact racing wasn’t over, with Stenhouse charging into the final corner, and knocking himself and Elliott up the track. That move, allowed Harvick to sneak underneath Elliott, for a photo finish for the final spot.
Harvick would ultimately be awarded fifth place and a transfer into the 150-lap main event by 0.016 seconds, with Chase Elliott being tossed to the LCQ, along with Ricky Stenhouse Jr, Austin Cindric, and BJ McLeod.
HEAT 2 WINNER: @MartinTruex_Jr
The No. 19 looks real fast as he will start 2nd in the #BuschLightClash@KyleBusch, @austindillon3, @KyleLarsonRacin and @KevinHarvick transfer into the main event.@chaseelliott will have to race his way in with a last chance qualifier!#NASCAR pic.twitter.com/buroGnnt0V
— NASCAR on TSN (@NASCARonTSN) February 5, 2023
The pair of Last Chance Qualifiers will take place after the completion of the four heat races. The top three from each of those events will be placed into the main event, along with the driver highest in driver points, not already locked in.
