“Insane in the Brain” at the 2023 Clash at the Coliseum

After learning a lot during the inaugural “Clash at the Coliseum” in 2022, Production returned to the historic Los Angeles Coliseum this past weekend for the second edition of the NASCAR pre-season exhibition race. The race, won by Martin Truex Jr., saw 27 drivers take on a purpose-built quarter-mile track that, at times, more resembled traffic on a Los Angeles freeway than a NASCAR race.

With 18 team members deployed to the West Coast, Production was not only responsible for two experiential activations on the NASCAR midway – for DoorDash and Ford Performance -- but also for their “traditional” race day responsibilities inside the track–concert management, driver introductions, audio, lighting, and coordination of a pre-race flyover among them. CSMP was also responsible for installing on-ground LED screens including a DJ booth and entrance backdrop.

But the weekend’s race was far from traditional. Multi-platinum hip-hop recording artists (and Los Angeles-area natives) Cypress Hill took the stage for a pre-race concert, and at “halftime,” rapper Wiz Khalifa performed.

At the conclusion of the race, Truex Jr. was joined by runner-up Austin Dillon and third-place finisher Kyle Busch for a first-of-its-kind (for NASCAR) Olympic-style podium ceremony.

In all, it was a very busy weekend, but as usual, CSMP was able to handle everything and give the Clash at the Coliseum the true “Hollywood” Treatment without getting too “Insane in the Brain.”