Hot News NASCAR Cup Series

NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race Adds Exciting New Wrinkle

Autoracing1

The 26th running of the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race will once again feature a 10-lap shootout as its final segment and will add a new wrinkle that should make the competition even more exciting for the fans. The NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, set for Saturday, May 22 at Charlotte Motor Speedway (SPEED, 7pm), will consist of four segments, concluding with a 10-lap sprint and a $1 million pay-out to the race winner. There's an added twist this year before the green flag drops for the final segment: once the field takes a lap behind the pace car, all cars must enter pit road for a four-tire stop. The order in which the cars exit off pit road is how they will line up for the final 10 laps, placing an even greater premium on the efficiency of the pit crews.

The 2010 format is as follows:

  • Segment 1: 50 laps with a mandatory green-flag pit stop on Lap 25 at which time teams must pit and take on four tires. Following the end of Segment 1, the caution flag will be displayed for an optional pit stop.
  • Segment 2: 20 laps with the caution flag displayed at the end of Segment 2 for an optional pit stop.
  • Segment 3: 20 laps with a 10-minute break at the end of Segment 3. Teams may make normal adjustments to their cars during this break. The finishing order after the third segment determines the field's lineup for the pace lap prior to the start of the fourth segment.
  • Segment 4: Once the field takes a lap behind the pace car, all cars must enter pit road for a four-tire stop. The order in which the cars exit pit road is how they will line up for the 10-lap shootout with only green-flag laps counting.

The eligibility standards for the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race remain the same:
race winners from either the 2009 or 2010 season through May 16 or any past champions of the all-star event or NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (over the previous 10 years) are eligible for the race. In addition, the top-two finishers in the Sprint Showdown, a 40-lap preliminary race scheduled for 7:30 p.m. and the winner of the Sprint Fan Vote, all advance into the all-star race lineup. Joey Logano won the Sprint Fan Vote last year.
Individual tickets for the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race and CREED pre-race concert start at just $39, and four-pack prices with four tickets, four hot dogs and four soft drinks start at just $35 per person. Tickets can be obtained by calling the Charlotte Motor Speedway ticket office at (800) 455-FANS or online at www.charlottemotorspeedway.com

The sixth annual NASCAR Sprint Pit Crew Challenge presented by Craftsman returns to kick off the all-star week's competition, Wednesday, May 19 at 7 p.m. at the Time Warner Cable Arena. The event's finishing order determines pit selection for the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race. The No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet team is the defending Pit Crew Challenge champion. Tickets for the NASCAR Sprint Pit Crew Challenge presented by Craftsman start at $15 and can be purchased online at www.pitcrewchallenge.com or by calling the Charlotte Bobcats ticket office at (800) 495-2295.