The annual Sprint All-Star Race is on Saturday, May 21st at Charlotte Motor Speedway with FOX Sports 1 broadcasting their pre-race show at 8:30 pm ET and the green flag set to wave around 8:30 pm ET. Radio coverage is on PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90.
Due to inclement weather, both the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and Sprint Showdown events will now take place on Saturday, May 21st at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
The Sprint Showdown will begin at 11 am ET with Chase Elliott leading the field to green with the lineup set by Sprint Cup Series owner points. The green flag for the Camping World Truck Series, North Carolina Education Lottery 200 will drop at 12:30 pm ET with William Byron on the pole after setting field from speeds in Thursday’s practice session. Television coverage for both events is on FOX Sports 1 with radio coverage on PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90.
Friday tickets are good for Saturday’s Sprint Showdown and North Carolina Education Lottery 200; Fans who wish to stay for Saturday night’s Sprint All-Star Race activities can buy those tickets at the ticket office or any ticket gate.
Changes to NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race Format
The 31st NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race will take place on Saturday at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
This season, the event will last 113 laps total. Drivers will run two 50-lap segments with mandatory green-flag pit stops. After the segments, the event will culminate in a 13-lap dash to the $1 million prize.
Prior to the start of the 13-lap dash, a random draw will decide whether the top-nine, ten or 11 cars will enter pit road for a mandatory four-tire pit stop. The rest will stay out on older tires and lead the field to green for the last segment. Cars with four new tires will line up behind those with older tires.
Below are the full details on the format:
- 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 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).
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 field will consist of the following drivers: Brad Keselowski, Carl Edwards, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Denny Hamlin, Jamie McMurray, Jimmie Johnson, Joey Logano, Kasey Kahne, Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr., Matt Kenseth, Ryan Newman, Tony Stewart, Sprint Showdown Segment 1 winner, Sprint Showdown Segment 2 winner, Sprint Showdown Segment 3 winner, Sprint Fan Vote Winner, Sprint Fan Vote Winner #2.
Rookies Ready to Rocket Past Stars
Only two Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidates have ever won the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race – Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2000) and Ryan Newman (2002).
This year, NASCAR Next alumni Chase Elliott and Ryan Blaney will try to make that number three.
Elliott failed to qualify for the All-Star race last season after finishing fifth in the Sprint Showdown. Blaney will make his Showdown debut this year.
Elliott enters the weekend Charlotte festivities coming off a career-best third-place finish at Dover. He leads Blaney by 22 points in the Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings on the strength of four top-fives and eight top-tens. Elliott also sits ninth on the Chase Grid – 63 points ahead of Ryan Newman on the cutoff line.
The No. 24 Chevrolet driver’s eight top-ten finishes in the first 12 races in his Sunoco Rookie season are the most since Jimmie Johnson accomplished the feat in 2002. His four top-five showings through 12 races in his Sunoco Rookie season are the most since Kasey Kahne posted the same total in 2004.
Blaney placed eighth at Dover for his third consecutive top-ten finish. On the season, he claims one top-five and five top-tens. He occupies the 15th spot on the Chase Grid where he sits ten points above Ryan Newman on the cutoff line.
$2-Million Man? Hamlin Readies to Repeat in All-Star Race
Denny Hamlin will attempt to win the Sprint All-Star Race and the $1 million bonus that comes with it for the second straight season on Saturday.
Last year, the No. 11 Toyota driver pitted sixth, but a fast pit stop moved him to the point, for the ten-lap (now 13) dash to the finish. He proceeded to hold off Kevin Harvick for the victory.
Hamlin’s all-star win was the first for Joe Gibbs Racing.
If he visits Victory Lane on Saturday night, Hamlin would join Davey Allison (1991-92) and Jimmie Johnson (2012-13) as the only drivers to win consecutive All-Star races.
All-Star Origins: JGR’s Dominance Began Last May
Since Denny Hamlin won the 2015 Sprint All-Star Race, Joe Gibbs Racing has been the most dominant team in NASCAR, capturing the checkered flag in 19 of the 36 points races (52.7%). Kyle Busch leads the four-driver contingent with eight wins, followed by Matt Kenseth’s five. Carl Edwards has four victories, while Hamlin owns two.
Additionally, JGR has won all the marquee events on the NASCAR schedule since then: Coca-Cola 600 (Edwards), Brickyard 400 (Busch), Bojangles Southern 500 (Edwards), Ford EcoBoost 400 Sprint Cup Series championship race (Busch) and Daytona 500 (Hamlin).
Star Among Stars: Johnson Boasts Four All-Star Victories
Jimmie Johnson’s four wins in the Sprint All-Star Race are the most in the sport’s history. Following him on the all-time list is Dale Earnhardt and Jeff Gordon, who have three all-star wins each. The only other drivers with multiple all-star race wins are Davey Allison, Terry Labonte and Mark Martin.
In 14 career Sprint All-Star Race starts, Johnson also claims eight top-fives and nine top-tens. His 6.5 average finish and 100.1 driver rating rank second among active drivers. His 7.3 average running position in All-Star races is the best among active drivers.
The six-time Sprint Cup Series champion has dominated Charlotte Motor Speedway throughout his career. His seven wins in points-paying races at CMS are a track record.
All-Star Career: Stewart Set for Final All-Star Race
Three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Tony Stewart will compete in his last Sprint All-Star race on Saturday.
He won the event in 2009. Among those eligible for the 2016 contest, Stewart, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jamie McMurray are the only drivers who have won both a Sprint Showdown Qualifier and a Sprint All-Star Race. His eight all-star top-tens tie him with Jimmie Johnson’s total for second-best all-time (Dale Earnhardt boasts nine top-tens).
Competing in his 17th full-time Sprint Cup Series season, Stewart claims 48 career wins, 182 top-fives and 301 top-tens.
Click here for a patriotic infographic detailing Stewart’s career.
Kyle Busch Craves First All-Star Win
Kyle Busch checked a Sprint Cup Series championship and Brickyard 400 off his bucket list in the last calendar year. He’s even won races at three more tracks and has only two more (Charlotte and Pocono) to add to his victory list to own a checkered flag at every active Sprint Cup facility.
His next task is to try to win his first Sprint All-Star Race. Despite having the highest driver rating in all-star races among active competitors (104.3) and the second-best average running position (7.8), Busch has failed to win one in ten career starts.
Three drivers other than Busch who qualify for the Sprint All-Star Race and have never won it include, Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano and Martin Truex Jr.
Assorted NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race Facts
Jeff Gordon is the youngest winner of the Sprint All-Star Race at 23 years, 9 months and 18 days (1995).
Mark Martin is the oldest Sprint All-Star Race winner at 46 years, 4 months and 12 days (2005).
NASCAR Hall of Famer Darrell Waltrip won the inaugural Sprint All-Star race in 1985.
The deepest in the field a Sprint All-Star race winner has started was 27th (Ryan Newman, 2002).
Five drivers have won the Sprint All-Star Race and the Sprint Cup Series championship in the same year: Darrell Waltrip (1985), Dale Earnhardt (1987, 1990, 1993), Rusty Wallace (1989), Jeff Gordon (1995, 1997, 2001) and Jimmie Johnson (2006, 2013).
Singer Grammar, Panther Pro Bowler Olsen Headline All-Star Entertainment
Triple-platinum recording artist Andy Grammer is performing a concert before the start of the Sprint All-Star Race. No stranger to the sport, Grammer sang his hit single ‘Good To Be Alive (Hallelujah)’ at the Sprint Cup Series Awards in Las Vegas in December.
Carolina Panthers Pro Bowl tight end Greg Olsen will serve as the honorary pace car driver for the Sprint All-Star Race. For the past two years, Olsen has participated in fundraising efforts with 13-time Most Popular Driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. to support The Dale Jr. Foundation and The Greg Olsen Foundation’s Heartest Yard campaign.
“Since arriving in Charlotte I have developed a great admiration for NASCAR and their athletes,” Olsen said. “Their concept of teamwork and commitment to excellence is second to none and I have a great deal of respect for the drivers and their teams. I am honored to be included in such an event and am looking forward to driving the pace car to kick off the 2016 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race.”