This is All-Star Weekend for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Charlotte Motor Speedway and there are no points to be earned, only ONE MILLION DOLLARS to be won!
The Sprint All-Star Race is an ever-changing event that is all about putting on a show for the fans and a big paycheck for the winner.
To begin with, drivers that have won a Sprint Cup race in the previous year’s NASCAR season or in the current one automatically get to participate in the race. An automatic entry into the race is also granted to previous winners of the All-Star Race as well as any past NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion.
For the 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup All-Star race the 15 drivers that fall into those categories to get the automatic entry for the race are: Brad Keselowski, Carl Edwards, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Denny Hamlin, Jamie McMurray, Jimmie Johnson, Joey Logano, Kasey Kahne, Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr., Matt Kenseth, Ryan Newman and Tony Stewart.
The Sprint Showdown Friday night (5/20) will add another three drivers to the field of All-Star Race drivers. That race will consist of a 50 laps divided into three segments of 20 laps, 20 laps and 10 laps. The order for the first segment of the race will be set by practice speeds. The winner of the segment will advance to the All-Star Race and will sit out the remaining two segments of the showdown.
The second segment will be set the re-start order based on the order the cars leave pit road after making a pit stop and taking a minimum of two new tires during that service stop. As in the first segment, the winner of this segment will advance to Saturday night’s main event and will not participate in the final segment of the showdown.
Once again the remaining teams will be required to make a minimum two-tire pit stop for the final segment and the re-start order will also be set by the order the cars leave pit road. The winner of this short 10-lap sprint segment will also earn a spot in the All-Star Race.
Following the completion of Sprint Showdown there will be 18 drivers that are included in the 2016 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race. I pointed out previously that there has to be a minimum of 20 cars for the race.
This is where the fans get to decide what addition two drivers will participate in the All-Star Race through the Sprint Fan Vote. Danica Patrick has won this the last two years and is the only driver to have won the Sprint Fan Vote in back-to-back years. Since an additional two drivers are needed to reach the minimum of 20 cars, the top two drivers in the fan voting who are not already in the race will gain entry.
Now let’s look at the main event, the 2016 Sprint All-Star Race. The race will consist of a total of 113 laps divided into three segments of 50 laps, 50 laps and a 13 lap dash for the cash!
The starting order for the first 50 lap segment will be set by qualifying times. The qualifying will consist of a three lap run that includes a pit stop. The first segment of the race will require a mandatory green flag pit stop including a change of at least two tires.
During the break between the first two segments, teams will again be required to make a pit stop for at least two tires. The order the cars leave pit road will set the order for the re-start.
Once again during the second 50 lap segment the teams will be required to make a green flag pit stop for at least two tires and this time that stop must take place prior to lap 85.
This is where things will get a lot more interesting. The break before the final 13 lap sprint to the finish will see a random draw determine of the top nine, 10 or 11 cars will be required to make a mandatory four-tire pit stop. The cars that are not required to make this stop will be banned from making any stop. The cars that do not pit will move to the front of the field for the re-start on old tires with the cars making the stop lining up behind them on new tires.
Which active Sprint Cup drivers have performed the best in the Sprint All-Star Race? Let’s take a look.
Top 10 All-Star Driver Ratings
Kyle Busch – 104.3
Jimmie Johnson – 100.1
Kurt Busch – 87.6
Matt Kenseth – 87.4
Kevin Harvick – 84.9
Kasey Kahne – 83.5
Carl Edwards – 80.7
Joey Logano – 78.6
Dale Earnhardt Jr. – 77.2
Denny Hamlin – 74.2
{Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2015 NASCAR All-Star races (11 total).}
Jimmie Johnson leads the active drivers and the series with the most NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race wins having claimed the checkered flag four times.
There are 10 other active drivers who have won the race a single time, Those drivers are Carl Edwards, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jamie McMurray, Kasey Kahne, Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch, Matt Kenseth, Ryan Newman, Tony Stewart and last year’s race winner Denny Hamlin.
Will these new rules for the 2016 Sprint Cup All-Star Race create an exciting and unpredictable NASCAR race for the fans to watch? It definitely has that possibility. I guess we will all see Saturday night, May 21st when the race for One Million Dollars begins with qualifying at 6 pm central time (7 pm eastern time) followed by the Sprint All-Star Race at 8 pm central time (9 pm eastern time) from Charlotte Motor Speedway.
By: Buck Stevens
