History collides with the present, as names including Johnson, Gordon and Busch build upon a foundation laid by the likes of Waltrip, Yarborough and Earnhardt.This Saturday night, the most thrilling all-star exhibition in all of sports roars under the lights at the historic Charlotte Motor Speedway, with the 29th running of the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race. There are no points in this one, but one major prize – a $1 million payout to the victor courtesy of Sprint.
In 1985, NASCAR held its inaugural all-star clash, with Darrell Waltrip coming home first among a field of 12. This year, 22 cars will take the green on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET, live on SPEED, Motor Racing Network Radio and SiriusXM Satellite Radio. Nineteen of those drivers have already locked up a spot; three more will earn entry moments before driver introductions.
A primer on the all-star eligibility…
– Drivers who have won NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points races in 2012 and 2013
– Drivers who are past NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race winners in the last 10 years
– Drivers who are past NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champions in the previous 10 years
– The top-two finishers in the Sprint Showdown, the 40-lap race that precedes the NASCAR Sprint
All-Star Race
– The top Sprint Fan Vote driver who finishes the Showdown and whose car is in “raceable” condition as determined by the series director per the 2013 entry blank. Fans may vote for their favorite driver by using the NASCAR Mobile ’13 application or online at www.NASCAR.com/SprintFanVote. Votes cast from the NASCAR Mobile ’13 application count double.
Format changes will greet the world’s best drivers this weekend, all with one central theme: speed.
The need for speed begins Friday night with Coors Light Pole qualifying at 6 p.m. ET on SPEED. Qualifying will consist of three laps and a mandatory four-tire pit stop. Pit road speed, entering and exiting, will not be enforced. The team with the quickest time wins the Coors Light Pole and will lead the field to green on Saturday night.
Like last year, the 2013 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race will consist of five segments – four 20-lap segments and a 10-lap shootout. The winner earns a $1 million pay day from Sprint.
But unlike last year, the running order at the completion of the fourth segment (Lap 80) will be repositioned based on the average finish for the first four segments – putting a premium on strong finishes throughout the entire event. The new lineup will be placed directly behind the caution car prior to the opening of pit road for a mandatory four-tire pit stop, placing a spotlight firmly on the unsung heroes of NASCAR – the pit crews. The order of the cars returning to the track will determine the starting order of the fifth segment. Running order ties will be broken by the finish of the fourth segment. In the fifth and final segment, only green flag laps will count.
This year there is even an added incentive: if a driver wins all five segments, he or she will take home “Bruton’s Big Bonus” – an extra $1 million paid by Charlotte Motor Speedway and Bruton Smith, Chief Executive Officer, Speedway Motorsports, Inc.
All of this action takes place this Saturday evening, the grand finale of a week packed with fan-friendly activities on and off the race track.
See below for a full schedule of events for the upcoming week. All on-track activity will take place at Charlotte Motor Speedway:
Friday, May 17, NASCAR Day – The NASCAR Foundation and NASCAR industry will come together on Friday at Charlotte Motor Speedway (CMS) to celebrate the 10th Annual NASCAR Day. This special day is an unprecedented celebration of drivers, corporate partners, media and fans uniting with The NASCAR Foundation to support a range of charitable causes that are relevant and meaningful to those within the NASCAR family. Fans can get the commemorative NASCAR Day pin and make a donation at www.NASCAR.com/foundation.
Friday, May 17, 6 p.m. ET – NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race Coors Light Pole Qualifying. For tickets, call 1-800-455-FANS or log onto www.charlottemotorspeedway.com. SPEED will televise the event.
Friday, May 17, 8 p.m. ET – NASCAR Camping World Truck Series North Carolina Education Lottery 200. For tickets, go to www.charlottemotorspeedway.com or call 1-800-455-FANS. SPEED, Motor Racing Network Radio and SiriusXM Satellite Radio will broadcast the event.
Saturday, May 18, 7:30 p.m. ET – Sprint Showdown (top-two finishers qualify for the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race). For tickets, go to www.charlottemotorspeedway.comc or call 1-800-455-FANS. SPEED, Motor Racing Network Radio and SiriusXM Satellite Radio will broadcast the event.
One final option remains for those not already locked in after the Sprint Showdown – the Sprint Fan Vote. Fans may vote for their favorite driver by using the NASCAR Mobile ’13 application or online at www.NASCAR.com/SprintFanVote. Votes cast from the NASCAR Mobile ’13 application count double.
Saturday, May 18, 9 p.m. – NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race. For tickets, call 1-800-455-FANS or go to www.charlottemotorspeedway.com. SPEED, Motor Racing Network Radio and SiriusXM Satellite Radio will broadcast the event.
The drivers already locked into the main event are: Marcos Ambrose, Greg Biffle, Clint Bowyer, Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Carl Edwards, Jeff Gordon, Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson, Kasey Kahne, Matt Kenseth, Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano, Mark Martin, Ryan Newman, David Ragan and Tony Stewart.
Keep up to date with all the week’s events by following @NASCAR or @CLTMotorSpdwy on Twitter (Hashtag: #SprintAllStar).