Carl Edwards wins the All Star Race: #99-Carl Edwards won the Sprint All-Star race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, winning over $1 million. It is Edward’s 1st All-Star race win and Roush Fenway Racing’s 5th win. #18-Busch finished second followed by #00-Reutimann, #14-Stewart, #16-Biffle, #17-Kenseth, #11-Hamlin, #6-Ragan (who won the Sprint Showdown), #29-Harvick, and #39-Newman. Biffle won the first segment of the race, but Edwards won the final 3. The final 10 lap segment went green the whole way. There were 5 cautions for 6 laps and 8 lead changes among 4 leaders. The announced attendance was 130,000.
See race results, awards and notes on my All-Star / Sprint Showdown Results page.(5-21-2011)

Race Fast Facts – NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race:
Carl Edwards won The NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, his first victory in six starts in the annual non-points event.
Edwards’ previous best finish in The NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race was fourth in 2006.
Edwards led 29 laps in the victory, the second time he has led the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race. He led 12 laps in a 10th-place finish in 2008.
Kyle Busch finished second, his best finish in The NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race. It is his second top-10 finish in six starts. His previous best finish was seventh in 2009.
David Reutimann finished third in his second NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race start. He finished 19th last year, in his first start.(NASCAR Statistics)(5-21-2011)

Edwards wins segment 3: #99-Carl Edwards won segment 3 of the Sprint All Star race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, winning $125,000. The rest of the top 10: #18-Busch, #16-Biffle, #14-Stewart, #11-Hamlin, #24-Gordon, #17-Kenseth, #5-Johnson, #00-Reutimann, and #39-Newman. #78-Regan Smith brought out the caution on lap 75, when he slid into the wall off turn 2 following contact from #17-Kenseth. The results:
1) #99-Carl Edwards
2) #18-Kyle Busch
3) #16-Greg Biffle
4) #14-Tony Stewart
5) #11-Denny Hamlin
6) #24-Jeff Gordon
7) #17-Matt Kenseth

8) #5-Jimmie Johnson

9) #00-David Reutimann

10) #39-Ryan Newman

11) #33-Clint Bowyer

12) #22-Kurt Busch

13) #6-David Ragan

14) #29-Kevin Harvick

15) #25-Mark Martin
16) #1-Jamie McMurray

17) #42-Juan Pablo Montoya

18) #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr.

19) #78-Regan Smith

20) #2-Brad Keselowski
21) #4-Kasey Kahne – Accident
(5-21-2011)

Carl Edwards wins segment 2: #99-Carl Edwards won segment 2 of the Sprint All Star race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, winning $25,000. #5-Johnson finished second ahead of #18-Busch, #17-Kenseth, #24-Gordon, #16-Biffle, #14-Stewart, #11-Hamlin, #22-Busch, and #00-Reutimann. The caution came out on lap 59 when #4-Kahne appeared to cut a tire and hit the wall. The results:
1) #99-Carl Edwards
2) #5-Jimmie Johnson
3) #18-Kyle Busch
4) #17-Matt Kenseth
5) #24-Jeff Gordon
6) #16-Greg Biffle
7) #14-Tony Stewart
8) #11-Denny Hamlin
9) #22-Kurt Busch
10) #00-David Reutimann

11) #39-Ryan Newman
12) #6-David Ragan
13) #1-Jamie McMurray
14) #78-Regan Smith
15) #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr.
16) #25-Mark Martin
17) #29-Kevin Harvick
18) #33-Clint Bowyer
19) #42-Juan Pablo Montoya
20) #2-Brad Keselowski
21) #4-Kasey Kahne – Accident
(5-21-2011)

Greg Biffle wins segment 1: #16-Greg Biffle won segment 1 of the Sprint All Star race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, winning $25,000. #99-Edwards was second followed by #18-Busch, #4-Kahne, #14-Stewart, #5-Johnson, #17-Kenseth, #33-Bowyer, #24-Gordon, and #25-Martin. #22-Busch had to serve a penalty for having a crew member over the wall too early on his pit stop and finished the segment 1 lap down but got the lucky dog. #2-Keselowski lost the brakes in his car and finished several laps behind the leaders. The results:
1) #16-Greg Biffle
2) #99-Carl Edwards
3) #18-Kyle Busch
4) #4-Kasey Kahne
5) #14-Tony Stewart
6) #5-Jimmie Johnson
7) #17-Matt Kenseth
8) #33-Clint Bowyer
9) #24-Jeff Gordon
10) #25-Mark Martin
11) #00-David Reutimann
12) #42-Juan Pablo Montoya

13) #11-Denny Hamlin
14) #1-Jamie McMurray
15) #39-Ryan Newman
16) #6-David Ragan
17) #29-Kevin Harvick
18) #78-Regan Smith
19) #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr.
20) #22-Kurt Busch -1 Lap

21) #2-Brad Keselowski
(5-21-2011)

Ragan wins Sprint Showdown: #6-David Ragan won the Sprint Showdown at Charlotte Motor Speedway. He transfers to the Sprint All Star Challenge, along with #2-Brad Keselowski who finished second. #88-Dale Earnhardt, Jr., who finished 6th, won the Sprint Fan Vote. #9-Marcos Ambrose finished 3rd followed by #43-AJ Allmendinger, and #20-Joey Logono. The results:
1) #6-David Ragan – transfers to the Sprint All Star Challenge

2) #2-Brad Keselowski – transfers to the Sprint All Star Challenge

3) #9-Marcos Ambrose

4) #43-A.J. Allmendinger

5) #20-Joey Logano
6) #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. – fan vote winner

7) #34-David Gilliland

8) #47-Bobby Labonte

9) #31-Jeff Burton

10) #83-Brian Vickers

11) #27-Paul Menard
12) #13-Casey Mears

13) #56-Martin Truex Jr.

14) #81-J.J. Yeley

15) #60-Mike Skinner

16) #38-Travis Kvapil

17) #66-Todd Bodine

18) #50-TJ Bell

19) #87-Joe Nemechek

20) #92-Brian Keselowski

21) #37-Tony Raines
22) #95-Starr – Ignition
23) #30-Stremme – Accident
24) #71-Andy Lally
25) #32-Boris Said – Accident
26) #09-Landon Cassill – Accident
27) #64-Derrike Cope – Accident
(5-21-2011)

Race Fast Facts – NASCAR Sprint Showdown:
David Ragan won The Sprint Showdown, his first victory in the non-points race.
Ragan’s previous best finish in The Sprint Showdown was third in 2008.
Ragan has finished in the top 10 in all four of his Sprint Showdown starts. This is his first NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race start.
Brad Keselowski finished second in The Sprint Showdown, his first start in the non-points event.
Keselowski earns a spot in his third NASCAR Sprint-All Star Race. He previously ran in 2009 and 2010. He finished 17th in 2009 and seventh in 2010.(NASCAR Statistics)(5-21-2011)

Sprint Showdown – Segment 1: #6-David Ragan finished first in Sprint Showdown Segment 1. On lap 3, #09-Cassill cut a tire and was hit by #64-Cope. Under caution Ragan, Menard, Allmendinger, Truex, Jr., Brad Keselowski and Ambrose stayed out. All others pitted. The segment 1 results:
1) #6-David Ragan
2) #27-Paul Menard
3) #43-A.J. Allmendinger
4) #56-Martin Truex Jr.
5) #22-Brad Keselowski
6) #9-Marcos Ambrose
7) #20-Joey Logano
8) #31-Jeff Burton
9) #47-Bobby Labonte
10) #83-Brian Vickers
11) #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr.
12) #34-David Gilliland
13) #13-Casey Mears
14) #60-Mike Skinner
15) #95-David Starr
16) #81-J.J. Yeley
17) #30-David Stremme
18) #66-Todd Bodine
19) #38-Travis Kvapil
20) #87-Joe Nemechek
21) #50-TJ Bell
22) #37-Tony Raines
23) #92-Brian Keselowski
24) #71-Andy Lally
25) #32-Boris Said – Accident
26) #09-Landon Cassill – Accident
27) #64-Derrike Cope – Accident
(5-21-2011)

Grand Marshal’s for the All-Star Race: Two lucky Sprint customers will deliver the most famous words in auto racing at the Sprint Showdown and NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race tonight at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Katie Snead from Richmond, Va. will serve as the Grand Marshal for the Sprint Showdown and Aaron Thomas from Calhoun, Ga. will be in the role for the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race. Snead and Thomas participated in a contest to deliver their best “Gentlemen, start your engines” to a panel of celebrity judges.
Judges for the contest included NASCAR personalities Jeff Gluck (SBNation.com), Marty Smith (ESPN) and Miss Sprint Cup Paige Duke.(Sprint)(5-23-2011)

Race Coverage of the Sprint Showdown & Spreint All-Star race at Charlotte Motor Speedway is scheduled for Saturday, May 21, 2011.
Television (TV): SPEED at 7:00 pm/et; pre-race show at 4:00 pm/et; green flag approx 7:15pm/et
Radio: Motor Racing Network (MRN) and Sirius XM Satellite NASCAR Radio 90
Scheduled Race Re-Airs:
SPEED, Saturday, May 21 at 11:30pm/et
SPEED, Wednesday, May 25 at 12:00pm/et

Pit Stall Selections: The selections of pit stalls for the Sprint Showdown and the Sprint All-Star Challenge races at Charlotte Motor Speedway have been made. The Sprint Showdown pits were selected by qualifying results, so #6-Ragan got to chose first and like most pole sitters, took the 1st pit stall available. Outside pole sitter, #43-Allmendinger took the 7th stall.
For the Sprint All-Star Challenge, the selections were made by the results from the Pennzoil Pit Crew Challenge held Thursday night and won by the #11-Hamlin team. #11-Hamlin took the first stall available, pit stall 2.
To see where the drivers/teams pit stall is, see the pit selection charts on the All-Star Pit Stall Selection charts.(5-20-2011)

Kyle Busch wins All-Star pole: #18-Kyle Busch won the pole for the Sprint All-Star Challenge race at Charlotte Motor Speedway with a time of 119.191 seconds which covered three laps and a 4-tire pit stop. #33-Bowyer starts 2nd followed by #16-Biffle, #99-Edwards, #25-Martin, #14-Stewart, #4-Kahne, #42-Montoya, #1-McMurray and #39-Newman. #5-Johnson will start 11th, followed by #24-Gordon, #17-Kenseth, #29-Harvick, #11-Hamlin, #22-Busch, #78-Smith and #00-Reutimann [the only driver who looks like was penalized, 25 seconds]. See the starting lineup, qualifying speeds and notes on my All-Star Race Starting Lineup/Qualifying Results page.(5-20-2011)

Ragan wins Sprint Shootout pole: #6-Ragan won the pole for the Sprint Showdown race at Charlotte Motor Speedway with a speed of 191.680mph. #43-Allmendinger starts 2nd followed by #27-Menard, #2-Keselowski, #31-Burton, #9-Ambrose, #56-Truex Jr., #34-Gilliland, #20-Logano and #83-Vickers. #88-Earnhardt Jr. was 13th.
See the starting lineup, qualifying speeds and notes on my Sprint Showdown Qualifying Results page.(5-20-2011)

Coverage of Qualifying for the Sprint Showdown and the Sprint All-Star Race Sprint Cup Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway is scheduled for Friday, May 20, 2011 at 5:00pm/et. Showdown qualifying is first, 2 lap qualifying run. After the Showdown qualifying, Sprint All-Star Challenge qualifying will run, 3 laps with a pitstop included.
Television (TV): SPEED, 5:00pm/et
Radio: Motor Racing Network (MRN) and Sirius XM Satellite NASCAR Radio 90, via nascar.com only

Qualifying Re-Air: none scheduled

Happy Hour practice for the Sprint All-Star Challenge at Charlotte Motor Speedway is over, the top 5, slowest and notes:
#18-Busch 188.403
#99-Edwards 187.084
#33-Bowyer 187.026
#4-Kahne 186.825
#16-Biffle 186.780
slowest: #17-Kenseth 183.113 & #1-McMurray 183.811
See practice speeds, average speeds, best 10 lap average, laps run on the All-Star Practice Speeds page.(5-20-2011)

Sprint Showdown: practice at Charlotte Motor Speedway is over, the top five, slowest, notes:
#6-Ragan 188.403
#31-Burton 187.780
#27-Menard 187.526
#43-Allmendinger 186.967
#9-Ambrose 186.754
#88-Earnhardt Jr. was 11th fastest
slowest: #92-Keselowski 177.410 & #64-Cope 178.506
Notes: #20-Logano lost an engine in practice.
The #46 team withdrew and driver J.J. Yeley will be in the #81 and Scott Rigs is not running the race, no idea why.
See practice speeds, average speeds, best 10 lap average, laps run on the All-Star Practice Speeds page.(5-20-2011)

Track / Sponsor Websites:
Jayski’s Charlotte Track News, Links & Stats page
Charlotte Motor Speedway
Speedway Motorsports
Facebook – Charlotte Motor Speedway
Twitter – CLTMotorSpdwy

Sprint Showdown Race Festivities/Officials:
Grand Marshal: Sprint customer Katie Snead
Command to start engines: Katie Snead
Invocation: John Cox, president & CEO, Cabarrus Regional Partnership
God Bless America: Army Ground Forces Band Brass Brigade
Military Flyover: 4 AT-6 Texan’s,AeroShell Aerobatic Team

All Star Race Race Festivities/Officials:
Grand Marshal: Sprint Customer Aaron Thomas
Command to start engines: Sprint Customer Aaron Thomas
Honorary Starter/Wave Green Flag: Paget L. Alves, president of the Business Markets Group for Sprint
Invocation: car owner and NFL Hall of Fame Coach Joe Gibbs
National Anthem: Army Ground Forces Band Brass Brigade
Military Flyover: none

In the Charlotte, NC for the races? some cool places to check out that Jayski has been to an enjoyed since moving to the Charlotte area in January 2004:
Memory Lane Museum on Hwy 150 W in Mooresville, NC,
North Carolina Auto Racing Hall of Fame Lakeside Park, Mooresville
And a must is the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, checked it out in July and it is really cool
SOME EATs: Lancaster’s Bar-B=Que is a large place with a lot of NASCAR stuff all over the walls, also I enjoyed: Jeffrey’s. In Huntersville check out Mickey & Mooches for great steaks and the huge chocolate cake
TEAM SHOPS: and to check out some team shops, see my Team Address page, on that page there are a few links for Race Shop Tours [click here].
Or drive up I-85 and head to [Richard] Childress Vineyards.
in Concord, check out the racing stuff at Quaker Steak and Lube for some great wings and food
and check out the Sam Bass Gallery, right near Charlotte Motor Speedway.
(this is not an ad and not looking for suggestions, just some things to helps folks in town)
ALSO: see my Racing Charities page and Driver Appearances page for driver appearances and more thing going on in the area.

The 2011 Cabarrus County Destination Guide: The new Cabarrus County Destination Guide is hot off the presses just in time for this month’s NASCAR races at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The 2011 Destination Guide includes feature stories, vivid images and the latest information on lodging, dining and activities, including the county’s unequaled concentration of motorsports attractions. The Cabarrus County Destination Guide is a must-have resource for NASCAR fans containing race shop listings and attraction maps, as well as a detailed map of Charlotte Motor Speedway.
“The Cabarrus County Destination Guide is indispensible for fans in town for this month’s races,” said Donna Carpenter, president and chief executive officer of the Cabarrus County Convention and Visitors Bureau. “This year, we added a page for fans to collect driver autographs, making a wonderful keepsake of a race weekend in Cabarrus County.” This comprehensive guide to Cabarrus County provides valuable information for visitors and local residents alike.
“Visitors love the guide but so do our local residents,” continued Carpenter. “Residents find the guide informative and helpful when they have friends or family to entertain and for finding new activities during a weekend at home.”
For added convenience, browse the new digital version at cabarrus.lunarcow.com and print pages from home.
For more information, go to visitcabarrus.com or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/visitcabarrus for the latest news and updates.(5-14-2011)

Chassis selections for All-Star Race: see the list of many teams and what chassis were selected by the team to run at Charlotte Motor Speedway for the Sprint Showdown / All Star Race:
#1-Jamie McMurray: Crew Chief Kevin Manion and the Bass Pro team have elected to bring a brand new Chassis #1104 to Charlotte for the All-Star Race.
#2-Brad Keselowski: The #2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger team will use chassis PRS-748 during Saturday night’s Sprint All-Star Showdown at Charlotte Motor Speedway. This is a new chassis to the #2 fleet.
#6-David Ragan: Primary is RK-744 Last ran California –finished 22nd. The backup is RK-695 Last ran Phoenix in 2010 as the #99 – finished first.
#9-Marcos Ambrose: The #9 RPM team has prepared chassis No. 743 for this weekend’s event at Charlotte Motor Speedway. This DEWALT Ford has been run previously this season at Auto Club Speedway.
#17-Matt Kenseth: Primary: RK-766 is a brand new chassis, Kenseth will pilot the #17 Crown Royal Ford Fusion.
#18-Kyle Busch: Chassis No. 280 will make its fourth career start during Saturday night’s Sprint All-Star race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. In its maiden start, at Michigan last August, Busch qualified No. 280 in 18th and ran within the top-10 before a scrape with the wall relegated him to an 18th-place finish. In its most recent start at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif., last October, Busch started 16th but finished a disappointing 35th as a blown engine ended his day on lap 155 of the 200-lap race. In its most recent start at Phoenix, Busch started fourth and finished a solid second.
#27-Paul Menard will pilot chassis No. 326 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. This #27 Moen/Menards Chevy was a brand new addition to the RCR fleet for the 2011 season and was last seen in competition at Bristol where Menard brought home a fifth-place result after starting from the fourth position. This Impala most recently made laps during the Goodyear tire test at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in May.
#29-Kevin Harvick: will race chassis No. 346 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. This is a brand new #29 Budweiser/Realtree Chevy that will be put through its first taste of competition this weekend.
#31-Jeff Burton will race chassis No. 344 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. Built brand new for the 2011 season, this #31 racer competed at Las Vegas in March where handling issues relegated Burton to a 21st-place finish before rebounding nicely at Texas one month later when the 21-time Sprint Cup Series race winner posted his best finish of season thus far of 11th.
#33-Clint Bowyer: will pilot chassis No. 333 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. This #33 BB&T; Chevy saw action earlier this season when Bowyer scored a top-10 finish (seventh) at Auto Club Speedway.
#39-Ryan Newman The NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race will be the first start for Chassis No. 39-508 in the 2011 season. In five starts during the past two seasons, this chassis has one top-10 and has finished outside of the top-15 just once. The chassis made three starts in 2009 – Atlanta, Kansas and Texas – and two starts during the 2010 season – both at Pocono. Newman’s only top-10 finish in the car came in the fall race at Atlanta in 2009. Newman started 23rd in that race, battled through handling issues and moved from 20th to ninth place in the closing laps to score a top-10 finish. The car finished 22nd at Kansas and 12th at Texas in its other two starts that season. Before taking the track again in 2010, the car was made lighter and the bodywork was rebuilt. The chassis raced at both Pocono races in 2010 with finishes of 14th and 12th, respectively. During the offseason, the car was updated with a new front clip and a new body for this year. The car has served as a backup twice this season – Auto Club Speedway in March, and at Texas in April – but this will mark the first laps for chassis 39-508 in 2011.
#42-Juan Pablo Montoya: Team Target have elected to bring chassis No. 1103. This chassis was run earlier this year at Fontana where Montoya won the pole and finished 10th.
#43-A.J. Allmendinger: The #43 RPM team has prepared chassis No. 742 for this weekend’s event at Charlotte Motor Speedway. This Best Buy Ford has been run previously this season at Auto Clubg Speedway.
#5(48)-Jimmie Johnson: will drive a special #5 Lowe’s Chevrolet in this Saturday’s All-Star Race to promote 5% off every day or special financing on purchases over $299 on Lowe’s Home Improvement’s consumer credit card purchases. Johnson drove primary chassis No. 592 across the finish line third at Bristol Motor Speedway in March. Backup chassis No. 623 was driven to a 16th-place finish at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March.
#99-Carl Edwards: The #99 Aflac crew will be unloading chassis RK-726 for this weekend’s event. Edwards raced this Ford Fusion at Martinsville in April of this year where he finished 18th. Edwards will carry a special “Now Hiring” Aflac paint scheme Saturday night. Aflac is hiring for various positions in all 50 states to keep up with an ever-changing landscape within the industry to maintain the excellent service that has positioned them as the world leader in guaranteed renewable insurance.
(from team PR’s/sites if reported)(5-20-2011)

Vegas Insider
NASCAR Race and other odds
All-Star Race Preview by Micah Roberts
NASCAR Top-Five Finish Prediction

World Sports Exchange:
Sprint Showdown
Sprint All-Star Race

Bodog:
Sprint All-Star Race and Showdown Odds

SPEED’s NASCAR Sprint All-Star Coverage:
SPEED marks its fifth consecutive year as the exclusive television home of the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race with 70 hours of programming beginning Thursday, May 19, and concluding Saturday, May 21, with the 7:00pm/et live telecast of the race and subsequent post-race analysis on NASCAR Victory Lane. Less than 48 hours after the checkered flag waves over Charlotte Motor Speedway, the network shifts gears and heads to the NASCAR Hall of Fame for the annual Induction Ceremony Monday, May 23 at 8:00pm/et.
New for SPEED’s 2011 coverage of the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race are upgraded production elements that include a touch screen and enhanced graphics interface inside the Hollywood Hotel, as well as increased radio communication with drivers during the event. Also added to the mix this year is the SPEED Social Tracker, a social media dashboard comprised of at least 20 SPEED on-air personalities answering fans’ questions in real time and posting analysis via Twitter and SPEED’s Facebook page during the All-Star Race and in the preceding weeks. Several on-air personalities will be seated on a specially-equipped pit box that enables them to be fully interactive during the All-Star Race. All social media interaction will live on the SPEED Social Tracker, located at www.SPEED.com/Allstar or SPEED’s Facebook page, facebook.com/speed under the “SPEED Social Tracker” tab.
Fans also can enter for the chance to win $10,000 on the SPEED Facebook page, with special codes offered during SPEED coverage of the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race for more chances to win.
The network is live from Charlotte Motor Speedway all day Friday, May 20, including the popular live-audience program Trackside at 11″00pm/et with Steve Byrnes, Darrell Waltrip and Jeff Hammond welcoming guests Juan Pablo Montoya and Jamie McMurray. SPEED’s more than 13 consecutive hours of at-track coverage on Friday concludes with its 8:00pm/et live telecast of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race, in which former Formula One champion Kimi Raikkonen is scheduled to make his NASCAR debut. Rick Allen, Phil Parsons and Michael Waltrip call the race with pit road reporting from Ray Dunlap and Hermie Sadler.
As part of the traditional “24 Hours of All-Star,” Adam Alexander is up first on Saturday, May 21, at 9:30am/et with SPEED Center live from the SPEED Studios with reporter Danielle Trotta. The NASCAR RaceDay Built by The Home Depot gang takes to the SPEED Stage at 4:00pm/et Saturday for a special three-hour edition with hosts John Roberts, Kyle Petty, Larry McReynolds, a special co-host and reporters Hermie Sadler, Wendy Venturini and Rutledge Wood offering their thoughts and answering fan questions on Twitter throughout the broadcast. A special feature with Dale Earnhardt, Jr. will air during NASCAR RaceDay, as well as the fan-favorite Pennzoil Victory Challenge with NASCAR drivers Trevor Bayne, Clint Bowyer, Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Kasey Kahne, Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano showcasing their best celebratory burnouts and donuts.
The RaceDay gang hands off to Voda, Jeff Hammond and McReynolds, co-hosts of the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, when live race coverage begins at 7:00pm/et. Calling the action for SPEED are Mike Joy, Darrell Waltrip and Michael Waltrip, with pit road reporting by Dick Berggren, Matt Yocum and Steve Byrnes. NASCAR Victory Lane’s post-race analysis with Roberts, Petty and McReynolds is scheduled for 11:00 pm/et.
Before the cars ever hit the track, SPEED kicks off All-Star Week by shining a spotlight on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series pit crews Thursday at 8:00pm/et with coverage of the NASCAR Sprint Pit Crew Challenge from Time Warner Arena in Charlotte, N.C. Steve Byrnes hosts alongside former crew chiefs Larry McReynolds and Jeff Hammond with Bob Dillner reporting from the arena floor. To set the stage for All-Star Week on SPEED, NASCAR Race Hub focuses on all things All-Star the week of May 16 (Mondays-Thursdays at 7:00pm/et).
Inside the Headsets, a 30-minute, all-access show chronicling the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race from the morning through the night’s final post-race interview, airs Sunday, May 22 at 8:30pm/et. With less than 18 hours to turn the program around, this NASCAR Media Group-produced Emmy-winning show utilizes more than 20 additional cameras to capture the race with images and access not seen in SPEED’s telecast.
SPEED switches gears less than 48 hours after the All-Star Race and heads to uptown Charlotte for the NASCAR Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Monday, May 23 at 8:00pm/et. Mike Joy hosts Induction Ceremony coverage with backstage hosting assistance from Krista Voda. NASCAR Race Hub sets the stage for the Induction Ceremony with live interviews and pre-event ceremonies from the Hall of Fame at 7:00pm/et.
NASCAR Sprint All-Star Week/Hall of Fame programming on SPEED (all times Eastern and subject to change):
Thursday, May 19
NASCAR Race Hub, 7 p.m.
NASCAR Sprint Pit Crew Challenge, 8 p.m.
Friday, May 20
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series practice, 9:30 a.m.
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series All-Star final practice, Noon
NASCAR Live!, 3 p.m.
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series qualifying, 4 p.m.
NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race qualifying, 5 p.m.
NCWTS Setup with Krista Voda, 7:30 p.m.
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race from Charlotte, 8 p.m.
SPEED Center, 10:30 p.m.
Trackside, 11 p.m.
Saturday, May 21
SPEED Center, 9:30 a.m.
NASCAR Performance, 10:30 a.m.
SPEED Center, 3 p.m.
NASCAR RaceDay Built by The Home Depot, 4 p.m.
NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, 7 p.m.
NASCAR Victory Lane, 11 p.m.
Sunday, May 22
SPEED Center, 7 p.m.
NASCAR Victory Lane, 8 p.m.
Inside the Headsets, 8:30 p.m.
Wind Tunnel with Dave Despain, 9 p.m.
Monday, May 23
NASCAR Hall of Fame Biography: Lee Petty, 2 p.m.
NASCAR Hall of Fame Biography: Bud Moore, 3 p.m.
NASCAR Hall of Fame Biography: Ned Jarrett, 4 p.m.
NASCAR Hall of Fame Biography: David Pearson, 5 p.m.
NASCAR Hall of Fame Biography: Bobby Allison, 6 p.m.
NASCAR Race Hub, 7 p.m.
NASCAR Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, 8 p.m.
(SPEED)(5-15-2011)

Post-Race All-Star Concert by Julie Roberts: The ultimate NASCAR party won’t stop when the checkered flag flies on May 21 as Charlotte Motor Speedway will treat fans to a post-race concert on the frontstretch grass following the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race. Country music star Julie Roberts will perform a 30-minute concert for fans where she will debut her new song “NASCAR Party.” Charlotte Motor Speedway will also debut the music video for “NASCAR Party” on the world’s largest high definition television. After the race is complete and the track is secure, fans will be instructed to enter the concert area through the wheel fence and at Gate 8. Fans will get the opportunity to walk down from the grandstands onto the speedway’s frontstretch and join the celebration. Tickets for all May races at Charlotte Motor Speedway can be purchased online at www.charlottemotorspeedway.com or by calling the speedway ticket office at 1-800-455-FANS (3267). Frontstretch tickets with the best views of the world’s largest HD television start at just $49 for the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race on May 21. Fans can also purchase two frontstretch tickets for just $99 to the Coca-Cola 600 on May 29.(CMS)(5-21-2011)

NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race Pre-Race Festivities: During the pre-race show for the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race on May 21, fans at Charlotte Motor Speedway will participate in a world record and watch country music star Brad Paisley’s premiere of his newest music video on the world’s largest high-definition TV, just moments after it debuts. Paisley will be at the speedway for the first public screening of the video for his newest single, “Old Alabama.” The video features NASCAR legends Darrell Waltrip, Jeff Gordon and Rick Hendrick and iconic super group Alabama.
The pre-race festivities will also feature a concert by Capitol Records recording artist Dierks Bentley and the unveiling of the largest
HDTV in the world. Plus fans will “Light Up the Night” with Energizer and set the world record for shining the most flashlights in a sporting arena. Gates will open at 2:00 p.m. An approximate timeline of pre-race events follows:
3:15 p.m. – 4:25 p.m.
Country music star Dierks Bentley performs a 70-minute pre-race concert in the infield between Turns 1 and 2. The Dierks Bentley All-Star Concert presented by Budweiser is free to all fans with a ticket to the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race.
6:20 p.m. – 6:45 p.m.
Some of the biggest names in NASCAR compete in the Pennzoil Ultra Victory Challenge, a tire-smoking competition to find which NASCAR star has the best burnout in the sport. Fans will have a more integral role in this year’s competition, as they will be able to text their votes for a winner after the judges have announced the three finalists.
6:45 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
The world’s largest high-definition television will be unveiled to the public for the first time under the lights. The 200-foot-wide, 80-foot-tall HDTV, created by Panasonic, will see its first race action. In addition, the drivers racing in the Sprint Showdown will be
introduced on the frontstretch stage. Along with the drivers, the 2011 NASCAR Hall of Fame induction class will be recognized and a group of Wounded Warriors will be honored.
7:30 p.m. – 8:15 p.m. (approx.)
Drivers not eligible for the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race compete in the ultimate last chance qualifier. The Sprint Showdown will be run in two 20-lap segments to determine which drivers get to transfer to the main event later in the night. The winner of the race, the runner-up and one driver voted in by the Sprint Fan Vote will then have a chance to race for the $1 million prize.
8:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. (approx.)
The 2011 Academy of Country Music Male Vocalist of the Year, Brad Paisley, kicks-off the most interactive driver introductions of the
season as the premiere of his video “Old Alabama” takes place just prior to the running of the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race. Paisley will make a special appearance in the infield to present the video, which was shot just down the road from Charlotte Motor Speedway, at the Hendrick Motorsports complex.
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series car owner and NFL Hall of Fame Coach Joe Gibbs will offer the pre-race invocation. The AeroShell Aerobatic Team will provide the flyover in four T-6 aircraft.
Fans have the opportunity to celebrate stage-side as not only the drivers, but the pit crews, are introduced as well during the high-energy driver introductions for the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race. Energizer and Charlotte Motor Speedway will team up to “Light Up the Night” by distributing more than 66,000 of Energizer 3 LED headlights and handheld flashlights to fans in attendance and will set a second world record of the night for having the most flashlights lit simultaneously.
Just after 9:00 p.m., the green flag drops on the no-holds-barred shootout for a $1 million payday, the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race. The 100-lap slugfest is broken into four segments and the winner walks away with the cash. There are no points on the line, only bragging rights.
Fans can purchase a Coca-Cola Four Pack of tickets to the 27th running of the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, which includes four tickets, four Coca-Cola soft drinks and four hot dogs for just $29.75 per person by calling 1-800-455-FANS (3267) or by going online to
www.charlottemotorspeedway.com.(CMS)(5-21-2011)

Actress Angie Harmon to Serve as Honorary Pace Car Driver: Emmy-Award nominated actress and NASCAR fan Angie Harmon will serve as the honorary pace car driver for the 27th running of the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race on May 21 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. In addition to leading the field of NASCAR stars in the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, Harmon will take part in various activities around the speedway, including attending the drivers meeting, prior to the main event.(CMS)(5-21-2011)

Army Ground Forces Band Brass Brigade to perform at All-Star race: Sprint announced The Army Ground Forces Band Brass Brigade will perform as part of the pre-race ceremonies at the 2011 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race on Saturday, May 21, at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The Brass Brigade, a unique 11-piece progressive group, will deliver its rendition of “God Bless America” prior to the start of the Sprint Showdown and present the national anthem moments before the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race. The 11 members are part of a larger band made up of 64 soldiers who have passed highly selective auditions and are among the finest musicians in the United States Army Band Program. Headquartered at Fort McPherson in Atlanta, Ga., the ensemble is the musical ambassador of the American Combat Soldier to the American people, instilling pride in our troops and promoting a spirit of patriotism and support for our nation’s military through the performance of music at the local, regional and national levels.(Sprint)(5-21-2011)

Sprint Fan Vote Nears 2 Million Votes; Top 5 Drivers Named: With just over 24 hours remaining in the voting, Sprint announced the top five drivers in the Sprint Fan Vote, which allows fans to decide which eligible driver will compete in Saturday’s NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race. Fans have helped set a voting record this season, with more than 1.9 million votes cast since March 23. Voting remains open until 5:00pm/et Saturday, May 21. The top five drivers in alphabetical order are: #43-A.J. Allmendinger, #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr., #47-Bobby Labonte, #20-Joey Logano and #83-Brian Vickers.
Fans can cast votes for their favorite eligible drivers by using the NASCAR Sprint Cup Mobile application, visiting NASCAR.com or at the Sprint Experience, located in the midway at every NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event. As an incentive for Sprint customers, every wireless vote submitted from a Sprint, Nextel, Boost Mobile or Virgin Mobile device counts double in the driver standings.
To be eligible for the Sprint Fan Vote, drivers must be approved by NASCAR for NASCAR Sprint Cup Series competition and have met all other eligibility requirements. Those requirements include finishing in the Top 50 of the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship point standings; competing in a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship Event during the 2010 season; or attempting to qualify for the 2011 Daytona 500. The driver who accumulates the most votes and finishes the Sprint Showdown qualifying race on the lead lap with a car in raceable condition (as determined by NASCAR competition) will earn a spot in the prestigious NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race field. In addition to voting, fans can also use the NASCAR Sprint Cup Mobile application to view the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race in its entirety on Sprint devices. To download the new NASCAR Sprint Cup Mobile, which is free with any data plan, Sprint customers should text “NASCAR” to 7777. Votes may also be cast on Sprint devices by texting “VOTE” to 7777 (standard text messaging and data rates apply). Charlotte Motor Speedway is offering NASCAR fans a limited-time “Buy One, Get One Free” ticket offer for the 2011 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race. To take advantage of this promotion, follow the link ticketmaster.com.
UPDATE SPEED just reported during Sprint Showdown practice that the driver who wins the Sprint Fan Vote does NOT have to finish on the lead lap must the car must be in raceable condition (as determined by NASCAR competition).(5-20-2011)

No racing for Bayne this weekend: Roush Fenway and the Wood Brothers have decided to withhold Trevor Bayne from NASCAR competition this weekend, including Sunday’s Nationwide Series race at Iowa Speedway and Saturday night’s Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. “Although we would like for Trevor to be on the track this weekend, we want to make sure that he is fully back to prime condition before he goes out to compete with the best drivers in the world,” said Roush Fenway president Steve Newmark. “He has been undergoing tests and out of his routine for almost a month now. With that disruption in his schedule, he has not been able to take part in our daily training activities and he’s going to need a little more time to get acclimated to the strenuous demands of a NASCAR racing schedule,” added Newmark. “Obviously we would love to have him back out on the track, but we are not prepared to do that until we are sure that he’s 100 percent. His symptoms have improved tremendously, but we’re still not all the way back to where we want to be.”
“We knew all along that there was not a timetable for his return,” said Eddie Wood, co-owner of Wood Brothers Racing. “We knew it would be a process and we continue to work towards his return. Trevor really wants to be back, and we remain hopeful that we’ll have him competing again soon.” Neither the Roush Fenway #16 Nationwide Series entry, nor the Wood Brothers #21 Sprint Cup entry, will participate in the NASCAR races this weekend. The Wood Brothers, however, do intend to participate in the Pit Crew Challenge this evening.(Roush Fenway Racing)(5-19-2011)

Energizer’s “Light Up The Night” at NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race: Energizer and Charlotte Motor Speedway are asking for help from fans as they attempt to “Light Up The Night” and set a world record May 21 during pre-race festivities for the
NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race. With assistance from fans in attendance, Energizer and Charlotte Motor Speedway will attempt to set the world record for shining the most flashlights simultaneously. Energizer is providing 66,000 Energizer 3 LED Headlights and 14,000 handheld flashlights to fans as they enter the gates. Fans will be asked to “flash their brights,” between the Sprint Showdown and the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race. Representatives from Guinness World Records will be on hand to record and judge the event.
Energizer’s partnership with Charlotte Motor Speedway is an outgrowth of its relationship with Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix
Sabates. Energizer has created special paint schemes in the past as part of the Target program with the race team. The “Light Up The Night” event highlights the 16th year Energizer and Earnhardt Ganassi Racing have worked together.
“I can’t wait for this ‘Light Up the Night’ promotion,” said Juan Pablo Montoya, driver of the No. 42 Energizer Chevrolet. “I think it is going to be so cool to see 80,000 people all flashing their brights. I am also looking forward to being behind the wheel of the #42 Energizer Chevrolet that night in the race. They have been such a great partner in the Target program and I know we are going to have a lot of fun at the All-Star race.” In preparation for hurricane season, Energizer will donate $30,000 worth of flashlights and batteries to a Charlotte-area disaster response group to help them prepare in advance of severe weather.
Tickets for the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race start at only $24.75 when bought with a four pack, or buy two tickets on the frontstretch for just $99. Call the ticket office at 1-800-455-FANS (3267) or visit charlottemotorspeedway.com.(CMS)(5-17-2011)

Sprint Offers Fans Free Race Tickets for Recycling: Race fans can do their part to help the environment and in return attend one of the most exciting races of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. Sprint announced a special program that will reward fans’ social responsibility with complimentary tickets to this year’s NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race. A limited number of fans who recycle an old cellular phone or smartphone at either NASCAR Rev’d Up, Wednesday, May 18, or the Sprint Pit Crew Challenge presented by Craftsman, Thursday, May 19, in Charlotte, N.C., will each receive a pair of tickets to attend the May 21 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The offer is good for the first 50 people at NASCAR Rev’d Up and the first 100 people at the Sprint Pit Crew Challenge presented by Craftsman who recycle a device at the Sprint display located on-site at both events. Sprint will accept devices from any manufacturer and carrier.
The Sprint display will be located outside the NASCAR Hall of Fame from 4:00 pm to 8:00pm/et on May 18 and in the main concourse of Time Warner Cable Arena from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm/et on May 19. All proceeds from the recycling program benefit Victory Junction, which provides life-changing camping experiences for children with chronic medical conditions or serious illnesses.
Recycling just one wireless phone helps support the conservation of resources, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, and helps prevent air and water pollution. Since 2001, Sprint has recycled more than 24 million phones, which equates to 2,600 metric tons of material. Sprint’s environmental responsibility has been recognized by Newsweek magazine, which ranked the company #6 in its 2010 Green Rankings, listing it as one of the nation’s greenest companies.(Sprint)(5-16-2011)

Sprint Fan Vote Surpasses 1.5 Million Total Votes: Sprint announced a record in the Sprint Fan Vote, which allows fans to decide which eligible driver will compete in the upcoming NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race. Since voting began on March 23, more than 1 million votes have been submitted using the NASCAR Sprint Cup Mobile application on compatible Sprint devices, which has helped push the total number of votes cast to more than 1.5 million. This shatters the previous record of 1.5 million votes set last year. Voting continues until 5:00 pm/et on Saturday, May 21. With his win at Darlington Raceway, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Regan Smith joins 2011 Daytona 500 winner Trevor Bayne as the only other driver to qualify this season for this year’s NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race. This will mark the first time Smith will compete in the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race.
The top 10 drivers in the Sprint Fan Vote standings remain unchanged since last week. In alphabetical order, they are: A.J. Allmendinger, Marcos Ambrose, Jeff Burton, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Brad Keselowski, Bobby Labonte, Joey Logano, Paul Menard, David Ragan and Brian Vickers.
Fans can cast votes for their favorite eligible drivers by using the NASCAR Sprint Cup Mobile application, visiting NASCAR.com or at the Sprint Experience, located in the midway at every NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event. As an incentive for Sprint customers, every wireless vote submitted from a Sprint, Nextel, Boost Mobile or Virgin Mobile device counts double in the driver standings. The driver who accumulates the most votes and finishes the Sprint Showdown qualifying race on the lead lap with a car in raceable condition (as determined by NASCAR competition) will earn a spot in the prestigious NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race field.
Drivers eligible for the 2011 Sprint Fan Vote: A.J. Allmendinger, Aric Almirola, Marcos Ambrose, Dave Blaney, Mike Bliss, Todd Bodine, Jeff Burton, Patrick Carpentier, Landon Cassill, Kevin Conway, Derrike Cope, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Bill Elliott, David Gilliland, Robby Gordon, Sam Hornish Jr., Brad Keselowski, Brian Keselowski, Travis Kvapil, Bobby Labonte, Terry Labonte, Andy Lally, Joey Logano, Michael McDowell, Casey Mears, Paul Menard, Joe Nemechek, Max Papis, David Ragan, Tony Raines, Robert Richardson, Elliott Sadler, Reed Sorenson, Scott Speed, David Stremme, Martin Truex Jr., Brian Vickers, Steve Wallace, Michael Waltrip and J.J. Yeley.(Sprint)(5-13-2011)

#78 Team Qualifies for Sprint Pit Crew Challenge: By virtue of the #78 Furniture Row Racing Chevy’s NASCAR Sprint Cup SeriesTM win Saturday, May 7 at Darlington Raceway, the pit crew is now qualified for the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Pit Crew Challenge presented by Craftsman. The competition is the only indoor event sanctioned by NASCAR featuring head-to-head competition between the top-24 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series pit crews. The finishing order of the NASCAR Sprint Pit Crew Challenge presented by Craftsman will determine the order of pit selection for The Sprint Showdown or NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race.
The following teams are currently eligible: #00 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota, #1 Bass Pro Shops Chevy, #4 Red Bull Racing Toyota, #5 GoDaddy.com Chevy, #11 FedEx Toyota, #14 Office Depot Chevy, #16 3M Ford, #17 Crown Royal Ford, #18 M&M;’s Toyota, #21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford, #22 Shell-Pennzoil Dodge, #24 Drive to End Hunger Chevy, #29 Budweiser Chevy, #33 Cheerios/Hamburger Helper Chevy, #39 US Army Chevy, #42 Target Chevy, #48 Lowe’s Chevy, #78 Furniture Row Racing Chevy, and #99 Aflac Ford. Tickets are available for purchase online at www.pitcrewchallenge.com or by calling 800-745-3000.(Sprint)(5-10-2011)

Sprint Fan Vote Closes in on One Million Votes at Halfway Mark: Sprint announced Thursday that voting continues at a record pace in the 2011 Sprint Fan Vote, which allows fans to place a driver into the field of the 2011 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race. In the four weeks since voting began on March 23, NASCAR fans have cast more than 900,000 votes for their favorite Sprint Fan Vote eligible drivers. If voting continues at this pace, the final vote total will eclipse the 1.5 million mark set during last year’s Sprint Fan Vote window. The top 10 drivers in the Sprint Fan Vote standings (in alphabetical order) are A.J. Allmendinger, Marcos Ambrose, Jeff Burton, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Brad Keselowski, Bobby Labonte, Joey Logano, Paul Menard, Martin Truex Jr. and Brian Vickers. Although David Ragan and Michael Waltrip are just outside the top 10, a strong voting effort this week by fans of either driver could boost them into the list of top vote recipients. Voting continues until 5:00pm/et on Saturday, May 21.
Fans can cast votes for their favorite eligible drivers by using the NASCAR Sprint Cup Mobile application, visiting NASCAR.com or at the Sprint Experience, located in the midway at every NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event. As an incentive for Sprint customers, every wireless vote submitted from a Sprint, Nextel, Boost Mobile or Virgin Mobile device counts double in the driver standings.
To be eligible for the Sprint All-Star Fan Vote, drivers must be approved by NASCAR for NASCAR Sprint Cup Series competition and have met all other eligibility requirements. Those requirements include finishing in the Top 50 of the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship point standings; competing in a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship Event during the 2010 season; or attempting to qualify for the 2011 Daytona 500.
The driver who accumulates the most votes and finishes the Sprint Showdown qualifying race on the lead lap with a car in raceable condition (as determined by NASCAR competition) will earn a spot in the prestigious NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race field.
In addition to voting, fans can also use the NASCAR Sprint Cup Mobile application to view the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race in its entirety on Sprint devices.
To download the new NASCAR Sprint Cup Mobile, which is free with any data plan, Sprint customers should text “NASCAR” to 7777. Votes may also be cast on Sprint devices by texting “VOTE” to 7777 (standard text messaging and data rates apply).
Drivers eligible for the 2011 Sprint Fan Vote:
A.J. Allmendinger, Aric Almirola, Marcos Ambrose, Dave Blaney, Mike Bliss, Todd Bodine, Jeff Burton, Patrick Carpentier, Landon Cassill, Kevin Conway, Derrike Cope, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Bill Elliott, David Gilliland, Robby Gordon, Sam Hornish Jr., Brad Keselowski, Brian Keselowski, Travis Kvapil, Bobby Labonte, Terry Labonte, Andy Lally, Joey Logano, Michael McDowell, Casey Mears, Paul Menard, Joe Nemechek, Max Papis, David Ragan, Tony Raines, Robert Richardson, Elliott Sadler, Regan Smith, Reed Sorenson, Scott Speed, David Stremme, Martin Truex Jr., Brian Vickers, Steve Wallace, Michael Waltrip and J.J. Yeley.(Sprint)(4-22-2011)

No changes in All-Star Race: Charlotte Motor Speedway president Marcus Smith announced that there will be no changes to the format for this year’s Sprint All-Star Race, which is scheduled for May 21. That’s a departure from past All-Star races, which typically have some sort of new field inversion or segment change each year. “The big change is that there’s not going to be a change,” Smith said. The race will include 100 laps run in four segments, the first of which will feature 50 laps with a mandatory green-flag pit stop at Lap 25. The second and third segments are 20 laps each, followed by a 10-minute break and a final segment of 10 laps, with only green-flag laps counting.
The field for the 27th All-Star Race will consist of race winners from the previous or current years, in addition to winners of the All-Star Race and the Sprint Cup championship from the past 10 years. Two drivers will race their way into the field through the Sprint Showdown, which precedes the main event, and one driver will qualify through votes from race fans. #88-Dale Earnhardt, who last won the All-Star Race in 2000, is no longer exempt into the field, but he’s all but assured of winning the fan vote, should he remain winless between now and May 21.(Sporting News)(3-9-2011)

2011 All-Star race shaping up: The lineup for the 2011 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race has added several names during the past five weeks. #00-David Reutimann, #16-Greg Biffle and #42-Juan Pablo Montoya have all claimed starting spots in next year’s NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race with their wins at Chicago, Pocono and Watkins Glen International. There are more than 20 races remaining to qualify for the 2011 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race. A number of high-profile drivers are not locked in, including #31-Jeff Burton, #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. and #99-Carl Edwards. The 2011 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race will be held in May at Charlotte Motor Speedway (NASCAR)(8-20-2010)

Lineup set for the Pennzoil Ultra Victory Challenge [burnouts]: Pennzoil announced the lineup of drivers who will compete in this year’s Pennzoil Ultra Victory Challenge, set to take place at 6:00 pm/et on May 21 at Charlotte Motor Speedway as part of the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race pre-event festivities.
The Pennzoil Ultra Victory Challenge is NASCAR’s version of a “slam dunk contest,” with the sport’s top talent showing off their post-win celebration abilities in classic NASCAR tire-smoking burnouts. In addition to being a fan favorite of the weekend’s activities, the Pennzoil Ultra Victory Challenge has become a star-studded event with celebrity judges and some of the biggest names in NASCAR competing for a $10,000 donation to their favorite charity. Seven drivers will take to the track in this year’s Victory Challenge, in identical stock cars prepared by the Richard Petty Driving Experience. A panel of judges will score the drivers’ creativity during a 30-second freestyle burnout in order to select the top three, who will then be judged by the fans watching from the stands and on SPEED to pick the winner.
Along with Shell-Pennzoil driver #22-Kurt Busch, this year’s line-up will see 2010 Pennzoil Ultra Victory Challenge winner #20-Joey Logano back to defend his title. #33-Clint Bowyer, #2-Brad Keselowski, #18-Kyle Bush, #4-Kasey Kahne and 2011 Daytona 500 champion #21-Trevor Bayne will also be competing for their respective charities.
A new format this year allows for increased involvement from the fans in the stands and at home. A text-to-vote opportunity will begin after the judges have selected the top three burnouts. Fans at home watching on SPEED and in the stands can vote by texting in specific codes after seeing replays of the top three. Footage of the top three burnouts will be replayed on Charlotte Motor Speedway’s World’s Largest HD Video Board, along with their matching text number. The driver with the most votes at the end will be declared the winner, with $10,000 awarded to the driver’s charity of choice. The Pennzoil Ultra Victory Challenge will be televised live on May 21 at 6:00 pm/et during SPEED’s pre-race coverage prior to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Showdown and NASCAR Sprint Cup All-Star Race.
Tickets start at only $39 for the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race on May 21 at Charlotte Motor Speedway and can be purchased by calling the speedway ticket office at 1-800-455-FANS (3267) or online at charlottemotorspeedway.com. An admission ticket to the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race includes the Pennzoil Ultra Victory Challenge, Sprint Showdown and Dierks Bentley pre-race concert in the speedway infield.(Pennzoil/Shell)(5-18-2011)