A note to fans watching Saturday night’s NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race: Settle back — and hold on.
Come to think of it, same thing goes for the drivers.
The inherent and inevitable drama of the event is getting a shot of adrenaline. Make that 10 shots — in the form of 10 laps, the short-but-sweet segment that will end the 25th running of the all-star race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.
“From a fan standpoint, it really drives the race,” said Mark Martin (No. 5 CARQUEST/Kellogg’s Chevrolet). “A 10-lap shootout is a huge, huge deal. It puts a lot of excitement in it, a sense of urgency. I think it's a good move. Sparks will fly once again at Lowe's Motor Speedway.”
What goes around has come around in this case. The all-star race used to have a 10-lap final segment and it produced some of the most thrilling finishes in the history of the event and NASCAR overall for that matter. That includes Martin’s 1998 all-star victory, when he weaved his way through the pack over the course of the 10-lap final segment, and then got the win when Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet) ran out of gas on the last turn of the last lap.
Borrowing from some time-tested short-track terminology, this amounts to NASCAR’s ultimate “dash for cash.” The all-star champion will win $1,022,975.
Twenty-one drivers will vie for those seven figures which will mean trying to position themselves well for the final segment. This will not be easy. It will be somewhat tricky, which to some stock car purists is the true beauty of the all-star race, 10 all-out closing laps notwithstanding.
Here’s how the 100 laps/150 mile race is broken down:
* First segment — 50 laps
* Second segment — 20 laps
* Third segment — 20 laps
* Final segment — 10 laps
There also are some special pit-stop conditions, and resulting challenges that make the all-star race a true team event. During the first segment, there will a mandatory green flag stop on Lap 25, with teams required to change all four tires. Between the first two segments there will be a yellow flag period allowing for fuel, tire changes and normal chassis adjustments. Between the third and final segments, a 10-minute pit stop will allow for the same work to be done.
And this final note: During the fourth and final segment, only green flag laps count, which means fans in all likelihood are going to get 10 good ones.
