Race 2 Win: Sprint Cup Series Race Notes

Sprint Cup Series

NASCAR All-Star Race - Race Notes

NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race Fast Facts

What: 24th Annual NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race
When: Saturday, May 17, 9 p.m. (ET)
Where: Lowe’s Motor Speedway, Concord, N.C.
TV: SPEED, 7 p.m. (ET)
Radio: MRN/Sirius
Track configuration: 1.5-mile oval
2007 winner: Kevin Harvick
Most All-Star victories among active drivers: Jeff Gordon, three (1995, ’97, 2001)

Eligibility

Race winners from the previous and current NASCAR Sprint Cup seasons.

Top-two finishers of the Sprint Showdown, a preliminary event for teams not qualified for the all-star event.

Top Sprint Fan Vote driver, who also finishes on the lead lap of the Sprint Showdown.

Past event champions.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champions from the previous 10 seasons (1998-2007) who are active drivers and have competed in at least one series event during the 2007 or 2008 seasons.

Format

Time trials will be three laps, including a four-tire pit stop. Total elapsed time of the three-lap qualifying run will determine starting positions for the race. The pit road speed limit will be in effect when cars enter pit road but will not be in effect when cars exit.

The 2008 edition of the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race will run a total of 100 laps on the 1.5-mile tri-oval – making it the longest in the event’s 24-year history.

There will be four segments – with each being 25 laps. (The first four-segment race was held in 2007 with four equal segments of 20 laps each.)

All restarts will be double-file and the “Beneficiary” rule will be in effect throughout the race.

Green and yellow-flag laps will count in the first three segments. In the final segment, only green-flag laps will be scored.

Sprint All-Star Race Through the Years

Year Winner Car Comment

2007 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet Daytona 500 winner holds off Jimmie Johnson over final 16 laps.

2006 Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet Recovers from pit-road speeding penalty and survives 'Big One' that claims almost half the field.

2005 Mark Martin Ford Martin passes Elliott Sadler, leads final 19 laps

2004 Matt Kenseth Ford Passed Ryan Newman with three laps to go

2003
Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet Went on next week to win Coca-Cola 600

2002 Ryan Newman Ford 2nd rookie to win all-star event

2001 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet Gordon’s 3rd all win – in a back-up car, no less

2000 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet 1st rookie to win all-star event

1999 Terry Labonte Chevrolet 4th two-time all-star champion

1998 Mark Martin Ford Martin edged Bobby Labonte by 0.424-second

1997 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet Gordon’s 2nd all-star victory

1996 Michael Waltrip Ford 1st “qualifying race” driver to win all-star event

1995 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet Gordon wins as Earnhardt, D. Waltrip have last-lap mishap

1994 Geoffrey Bodine Ford Bodine nipped Sterling Marlin by 0.26-second

1993 Dale Earnhardt Chevrolet 3rd all-star event victory for Earnhardt

1992 Davey Allison Ford Accident just after race finish sent Allison to hospital

1991 Davey Allison Ford Flag-to-flag victory for Allison

1990 Dale Earnhardt Chevrolet Earnhardt 1st two-time all-star champion

1989 Rusty Wallace Pontiac Late-race bump with Darrell Waltrip added to excitement

1988 Terry Labonte Chevrolet Seven leaders in 135-lap/3-segment race

1987 Dale Earnhardt Chevrolet “Pass in the Grass” gives Earnhardt 1st all-star win

1986 Bill Elliott Ford Race in Atlanta, thus a popular win for Georgia’s Elliott

1985 Darrell Waltrip Chevrolet Inaugural all-star event had 12-car field – all 1984 winners

All-Star Win A Championship Preview
Nine times, the winner of the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race has gone on to win the NASCAR sprint Cup Series championship. Dale Earnhardt accomplished that “double” three times, as has Jeff Gordon.

All-Star/Series Title Sweep Driver
1985 Darrell Waltrip 1987 Dale Earnhardt 1989 Rusty Wallace 1990 Dale Earnhardt 1993 Dale Earnhardt 1995 Jeff Gordon 1997 Jeff Gordon 2001 Jeff Gordon 2006 Jimmie Johnson