Bobby Labonte

Kasey Kahne was not eligible to compete in the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race but the fans spoke and voted him in via an online fan poll. Kahne used that fan support to win the race and the $1 million in prize money. He took no tires on the last round of pit stops and was able to hold off Greg Biffle at the finish line.

The Sprint All-Star Race features race winners from the previous calendar year, any past Sprint Cup champion of the last ten years, any past winner of the Sprint All-Star Race of the last ten years and the driver voted in from the online poll. The race is divided into four 25-lap segments.

Bobby Labonte and the No. 43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge team finished 12th in the all-star event. Labonte was a part of the 24-car field because he was the 2000 Sprint Cup champion. Labonte was fast at the drop of the green flag, but as the race wore on the car continued to develop a “tight” condition. As crew chief Jeff Meendering adjusted the setup to help Labonte turn in the car, the balance of the No. 43 Dodge shifted to a “loose” condition. However, the car was one of the strongest on the track during the latter parts of each segment. This gives Labonte and the No. 43 crew a good idea of what they need for Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600.

“We definitely had a ‘long run’ setup in the car tonight,” said Labonte. “I just couldn’t race very hard at the start of the segments, but at the end we were pretty fast. The good thing is that we know what we need for the Coke 600. That’s one of the pluses of being in the field tonight. Congratulations to Kasey and the No. 9 team. This race is for the fans and it’s cool that the fan vote was able to win.”

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series will remain in Charlotte for Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600. The race will be televised on FOX and will be broadcast on the Performance Racing Network and Sirius channel 128.