This weekend marks a new ERA in stock car racing. Not only will we get our first glimpse of the new NEXT GEN (Gen-7) race car, but when NASCAR kick-off it's 2022 season this weekend with the BUSCH Clash, they will not be in Daytona, like they have been since 1979. They are in Southern California at the legendary Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Yes, the same coliseum that has hosted the Olympics, a World Series and two Super Bowls. The same coliseum that will host the 2028 Summer Olympics. The same coliseum that USC Trojans STILL use for NCAA College football games.
So, how did NASCAR pull this off? Sure, they have hosted Monster Trucks and Motor cross events before, but those did not require asphalt on top of a football field that will be back in use in September!
New Valley Construction of Phoenix, Ariz., was tapped for the job. They put protective layers of plastic and plywood over the field before laying a six-inch base of dirt on top.
According to Fox News Autos, it took 500 truckloads of dirt, brought in through a very tight tunnel that is normally used for foot traffic and small vehicles.
Another 70 semis had to deliver 1,560 tons of a special blend of high-performance asphalt that requires special equipment to pave. The asphalt is four inches thick.
The quarter-mile track will be used for just one weekend, then torn up to return the facility to its original condition. The asphalt and dirt will all be reused for other projects.