The NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, set for Saturday, May 19 at Charlotte
Motor Speedway, will consist of four 20-lap segments, concluding with a 10-lap
sprint and a $1 million payout to the race winner. This year’s format will
place a higher premium for drivers who win one of the four segments, however,
as the winners of the first four segments will move to the front of the field
and line up 1-4 prior to the field coming to pit road for the final mandatory
pit stop.
When the drivers come down pit road, crew chiefs will have to
decide on their best pit strategy, as multiple scenarios will unfold. The team
that makes the best call, combined with the optimum performance on pit road, is
likely to be in the driver’s seat for the final 10 laps of competition.
Wherever the drivers are positioned as they come off pit road after that pit
stop is where they will line up to start the final 10-lap segment.
“This new addition to the format is going to provide even
greater incentive for the drivers to go all out to win one of the four
segments,” said Robin Pemberton, NASCAR vice president of competition. “It also
puts even more focus on the pit crews and how they perform during that final
pit stop. The team aspect of the sport will be highlighted more than ever and
it helps set the stage for an exciting race and an exciting evening for the
fans.”
The eligibility standards for the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race
remain the same: race winners from either the 2011 or 2012 season through May
12 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.
Fans can vote by using the NASCAR Sprint Cup Mobile Android™
application on their Sprint phone, or by texting “VOTE” to 229466 on any
wireless carrier (standard text messaging and data rates apply). Voting is also
open at NASCAR.com/AllStar or by visiting the Sprint Experience, located in the
midway at all NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races. Voting will continue until 5 p.m.
EDT on Saturday, May 19. As an added customer benefit, votes submitted from a
Sprint, Boost, Nextel or Virgin Mobile device count double toward an individual
driver’s total.
Individual tickets for the May 19 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race
and Blake Shelton pre-race concert presented by Target are on sale now starting
at just $39. Fans can also purchase an All-Star Four-Pack for just $99. Tickets
can be obtained online at www.charlottemotorspeedway.com or by calling
Charlotte Motor Speedway at 1-800-455-FANS.
The eighth annual NASCAR Sprint Pit Crew Challenge returns to
kick off the all-star week’s competition, Thursday, May 17 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. 11 FedEx Toyota team is the
defending Pit Crew Challenge champion. Tickets for the NASCAR Sprint Pit Crew
Challenge start at $15 and can be purchased online at www.pitcrewchallenge.com
or by calling the Charlotte Bobcats ticket office at 800-745-3000.
Drivers currently
eligible for the 2012 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race (as of March 27) include: Marcos Ambrose, Trevor Bayne, Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch,
Clint Bowyer, Carl Edwards, Jeff Gordon, Denny Hamlin,
Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson, Kasey Kahne, Matt Kenseth, Brad
Keselowski, Mark Martin, Paul Menard, Ryan Newman, David Ragan,
Regan Smith and Tony Stewart.
Going for the million $. Not knowing much about strategy and of course I'm not a crew chief; if I win the first segment, I will use the next 3 as a test session and prepare my car for a 10 lap Shootout. I will go to the garage as many times as I want and then have the privilege to move to the front before that last pit stop. This is awesome for the team that wins the first and maybe the second segment.
ReplyDeleteThank you
Herman.