NASCAR's All-Star Challenge: Race A Work In Progress
 CONCORD, N.C. - Until series sponsor Sprint, NASCAR
and the Lowe's Motor Speedway come up with the perfect balance between
competition and entertainment, stock car's all-star race will continue to
tinker with its format.
Saturday night's Sprint All-Star Challenge will be the 29th time NASCAR has
invited former race and series champions. And with the move to a four-segment
race, it marks at least 15 changes to the format.
Most still don't know what changes were scheduled for this year. For drivers,
no matter how many ways race organizers change the way it picks an all-star
winner, their job never changes. The only real strategy is to drive like a
madman.
"I don't care if they change the format," said Jeff Burton, one of 21
automatic qualifiers into Saturday night's main event at 9 p.m.
"However, the format should produce good racing. When I say good racing, it
needs to be a reasonable-length race so the fans and drivers can see some
exciting racing. Shorter races create more excitement because the longer the
runs, the more the cars get spread out."
The race started in 1985 and it's been a work in progress since. It's been
put into segments. There have been timeouts, inversions and rock concerts
breaking up the action. Drivers have been added to the all-star lineup based
on results of a special qualifying race among non-qualifiers. Others have
been included based on fan votes.
The top two finishers from the Sprint Showdown for non-winners will get into
the all-star race, as will the winner of a fan vote.
Once they're on the track, the race will have four 25-lap segments. If
drivers pit after the first segment, they will lose their track position.
Everyone will stop after the second segment and retain their spots in the
running order. Every car is required to stop to change at least two tires
after the third segment, and the running order will be based on the order
cars leave pit road.
The driver out front after the fourth segment will earn at least $1 million.
"I have no idea what this year's format is," Kyle Busch said. "I don't know
if it changed from last year. It's always different. Something always
changes."
No matter the format, drivers seem to like the all-star race. First, it's
within an hour to most of their homes and race shops. Second, the results
don't count in the Sprint Cup standings. Third, it's a big payday.
"You just go out there and have fun and race hard," last year's winner Kevin
Harvick said. "You hope it puts on a great race for the fans because that is
really what it is all about, it sort of giving back to the fans for their
support."
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