The 25th running of the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race will feature a 10-lap shootout as its final segment, reviving memories of some of the event’s most spectacular finishes.
The 2009 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 final starting positions for the fourth and final segment.
Segment 4: 10-lap shootout with only green-flag laps counting.
Some of the all-star event’s most exciting finishes have come using the 10-lap shootout format, including:
1987 – Dale Earnhardt’s infamous “pass in the grass” is one of the most memorable incidents in NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race history.
1989 – Rusty Wallace spins out Darrell Waltrip approaching the white-flag lap to win the race.
1992 – In the first all-star night race Kyle Petty and Davey Allison battle side by side on the final lap, as the two crash into one another while crossing the start-finish line with Allison taking the checkered flag.
1998 – Mark Martin works his way through the pack over the final 10 laps and gets the victory when Jeff Gordon runs out of fuel entering the final turn.
2000 – Rookie Dale Earnhardt Jr. joins his father as the only father-son combination to win the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race.
“This is great for the fans,” said Robin Pemberton, NASCAR vice president of competition. “Some of the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race’s most spectacular finishes have come using the 10-lap shootout as the final segment, and what better way to celebrate the 25th running of this great event than incorporate that element back into the format. I can tell you from personal experience, I was Kyle’s (Petty) crew chief in 1992 when he and Davey Allison battled all the way down to the wire and that has to go down as one of the most exciting all-star race finishes ever. The 10-lap shootout there at the end was something else from a competition standpoint. That was quite a night; one I’ll never forget.”
Mark Martin, a two-time NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race winner, is looking forward to competing in his 20th all-star event this year, which would tie him with Terry Labonte for the most all-star race starts.
“The NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race is always wild and that’s what’s so exciting about it,” said Martin, whose 1998 all-star victory came using the 10-lap shootout format. “This race is all about winning. There are no points on the line and second doesn’t really mean anything. It’s all about pride and celebrating with your team. I’ve been fortunate to win the all-star race twice in my career and would love to make it three times, especially driving for Rick Hendrick.”
The eligibility standards for the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race remain the same: race winners from either the 2008 or 2009 season through May 9 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. Kasey Kahne can thank the fans for giving him the opportunity to win the 2008 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, as he made it into the field after being voted in by the fans.
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