Different format for All-Star race

The NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race will have a different format in 2009, Lowe’s Motor Speedway President Marcus Smith confirmed Friday, but he declined to elaborate. Following a news conference to promote the second annual burnout contest and announce that retired wrestler Ric Flair would be the honorary all-star race director, Smith talked in vague terms about how this year’s format will be different. During the news conference, it was just referred to as a 100-lap event. Last year, the event was split into four 25-lap segments. “We are working on some changes that will be forthcoming – some neat things that we’re going to be changing up," Smith said. “They’ll be exciting for the fans." A NASCAR spokesman also declined to comment on potential changes to the non-points event. “We’re talking about some different things that we’ll be able to announce in a few weeks," Smith said. “The all-star race has a tradition of making changes. … We’ve had great conversations and experience with the folks at Sprint, and [television partner] Speed and NASCAR. We’ll be able to talk about that in a couple of weeks." This year’s event will be the 25th running of the all-star event, and it will include a Montgomery Gentry concert. SceneDaily