NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race Revamps Format, 13-Lap Final Segment to Determine $1 Million Winner

Ron Lemasters | JR Motorsports | 5/6/2016

All-Star Race Charlotte Dale Jr. News

The new format for the annual NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway was announced today. It includes two 50-lap segments topped by a 13-lap, all-green-flag trophy dash.

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (May 6, 2016) – The annual NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, which earns a cool $1 million prize for the winner, will see two 50-lap segments topped by a 13-lap, all-green-flag trophy dash for the big money, it was announced today.

The two 50-lap segments will feature mandatory green-flag pit stops designed to shuffle the pack, and prior to the start of the final segment, there will be a random draw to determine whether the top nine, 10 or 11 cars will come down pit road for a mandatory four-tire pit stop. The cars who are not required to come down pit road will stay out on older tires and lead the charge to the huge payday.

“We worked with NASCAR and talked to several drivers to gather feedback for what they thought would make the very best race for the fans,” Charlotte Motor Speedway President and General Manager Marcus Smith said. “The drivers don’t all agree on the perfect strategy, which means some drivers will be fighting on race-worn tires to stay up front at the end, while others will be charging through the field on new tires after the final pit stop. At the end of the final shootout, one driver will have a million reasons why ‘13’ is a lucky number.”

One of those drivers was Brad Keselowski, who ran down the rationale for the format.

“The NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race has always been a special race for our sport and I believe this year’s format may offer up the best race to date,” he said. “I hope to be the one with a million-dollar check at the end. The last segment is sure to demand the ultimate performance. Winning the last segment will require the driver to masterfully navigate traffic and hunt down the leader, or hold off the best drivers with an ill-handling car on old tires with everything on the line.”

Dale Earnhardt Jr. gave more insight into the decision on his Twitter account, @DaleJr.

“The Allstar format is all @keselowski idea,” he quipped, and when Keselowski responded with an explanation, Earnhardt Jr. laid down the law. “Don’t get defensive. It might be great. But either way it was your idea!"

 

Live coverage of the preliminary Sprint Showdown begins Friday, May 20 at 7 p.m. EDT on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio will also carry the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race on Saturday, May 21 beginning at 7 p.m. EDT.

NASCAR SPRINT ALL-STAR RACE FORMAT (MAY 21):

Segment 1 (50 laps): Field set determined by qualifying, mandatory green-flag pit stop for a minimum of two tires;

Break 1 (3-5 minutes): Mandatory pit stop with a minimum two-tire change before Segment 2;

Segment 2 (50 laps): Field set determined by pit-road exit, one mandatory green-flag pit stop for a minimum of two tires before lap 85;

Break 2 (3-5 minutes): Random draw to decide whether the top nine, 10 or 11 cars must enter pit road for a mandatory four-tire pit stop, pit road closed for all other cars, pit-road exit determines Segment 3 starting order, cars leaving pit road line up behind cars that did not pit;

Segment 3 (13 laps): Only green-flag laps count (NASCAR Overtime procedures apply).

SPRINT SHOWDOWN FORMAT (MAY 20):

Segment 1 (20 laps): Field set by practice speed, winner advances to NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race and does not continue in Showdown;

Segment 2 (20 laps): Field set by pit-road order after mandatory minimum two-tire pit stop, winner advances to NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race and does not continue in Showdown;

Segment 3 (10 laps): Field set by pit-road order after mandatory minimum two--tire pit stop, winner advances to NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race (NASCAR Overtime rules apply).

ELIGIBILITY: Drivers who have won a race in the current or preceding year, past NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race winners, past NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champions, Sprint Showdown Segment 1, 2 and last-chance qualifier winners and the Sprint Fan Vote winner are eligible to compete. The final order of the Sprint Fan Vote will fill any remaining spots until the field reaches the minimum of 20 cars. Sprint Fan Vote balloting ends prior to the Sprint Showdown on May 20.