The NASCAR All-Star Race weekend is more than just anothe race weekend. It is a mult-day event which incorporates several all-star events into one fantastic fun-filled weekend for both NASCAR’s fans and it’s stars.
The weekend begins with the NASCAR Pit Crew Challenge, an event which pits the All-Star Weekend Sprint Cup pit crews in competition against each other.
The Pit Crew Challenge is directly linked to the All-Star Race, as the finishing order in the Pit Crew Challenge decides the selection order of pit stalls for the All-Star Race.
This year’s Challenge, held yesterday, saw Jeff Burton’s Catapillar Crew take top honors (see related story below).
Then comes the NASCAR All-Star Showdown in which wo drivers qualify for the All-Star Race by finishing first and second, respectively. This event was formerly known as the NASCAR Open.
Then comes the main event, the NASCAR All-Star Race. This race pits a select number of NASCAR’s best in a four segment race.
Segment 1 is a 50 lap segment with a mandatory green-flag pit stop on Lap 25 at which time teams must pit and take four tires. Following the end of Segment 1, the caution flag ise displayed for an optional pit stop.
Segment 2 follows with 20 laps of green flag racing with the caution flag displayed at the end of the segment for an optional pit stop.
Segment 3 consists of 20 laps with a 10-minute break at the end of the segment. During the break, teams may make normal adjustments to their cars. The finishing order after the third segment determines the final starting positions for the fourth and final segment.
Segment 4 is literally a 10-lap shootout to the finish with only green-flag laps counting.
The race is made up of a select group of particpant drivers which includes:
• Race-winning drivers and car owners from the previous and current Cup Series seasons;
• Cup Series champions from the past 10 years who are active drivers and have competed in at least one series event during the previous or current season;
• Past winners of the All-Star Race;
• The two drivers who qualify for the premier event by finishing first and second, respectively, in the Showdown;
• One driver who joins the All-Star Race field by winning the Fan Vote.
The fan vote proved to be more important last year than ever in the All-Star Race when the fans voted Kasey Kahne into the All-Star event. Kahne went on to make NASCAR history by winning the All-Star race as the first ever fan-voted participant to win the race.
This year’s race field already boasts a tremendoes line-up with past All-Star Champions Dale Earnhardt Jr., Ryan Newman, Kevin Harvick, Michael Waltrip, Bill Eliiot and Kahne. Also in the field are two-time All-Star winners Jimmie Johnson, Mark Martin and Terry Labonte. Jeff Gordon, the current 2009 Sprint Cup Series Points Leader and the only Three-time winner of the All-Star race is also in the field.
The winner of the NASCAR All-Star race recieves a prize of $ 1 million dollars which insures the competition to be tough. and heated.
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