Darlington is final points race to get into All Star Race

Saturday night's race at Darlington Speedway marks the final points race before the May 19 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race. That means it's the final opportunity for drivers not already locked into the field to do so. In a way. In actuality, after this weekend's race, those not already locked into the all-star field can do so by finishing either first or second in the Sprint Showdown or winning the Sprint Fan Vote. But no driver wants that kind of pressure. The Sprint Showdown is blink-of-an-eye quick (two 20-lap segments), so anything but a fast start likely spells trouble. And with some fan-favorite names on the Sprint Fan Vote ballot (i.e. #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr.), it's not wise to rely on that. So, Darlington it is. Those thoughts swirl in the heads of some huge names, namely Earnhardt, #56-Martin Truex Jr., #20-Joey Logano, #1-Jamie McMurray, #42-Juan Pablo Montoya, #31-Jeff Burton and #22-AJ Allmendinger. All sit in the top 20 of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points standings, and all are currently without an all-star nod. NASCAR