NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race
Atlanta Motor Speedway (1986 )
The Winston Select (1994-1996)
Nextel All-Star Challenge (2004-2007)
The NASCAR Sprint All- Star Race ( to 2004 The Winston and later Nextel All-Star Challenge ), however, is a race of the NASCAR Sprint Cup, in which no points for the current season will be awarded the winner a cash prize of about one million U.S. dollar gets. It is held annually at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Charlotte, North Carolina. As part of the event also features the Sprint Showdown, a 40 laps long qualifying race for the All- Star Race, instead.
- 2.1 The Winston / Nextel All-Star Challenge / Sprint All- Star Race
- 2.2 Winston Open / NEXTEL Open / Sprint Showdown
The Event
Eligibility
Qualified are the race winner of the previous and the current season and the last ten event winners. Even former champion of the Sprint Cup are eligible. Two other places that will be awarded to the first and second place of the Sprint Showdown. Another starting place will be awarded in a Fanabstimmung. This can be voted for all the riders who were in the top 50 in the previous year, or tried to qualifying for a race in the current year. This results in a driver's field of about 20 pilots.
Format
The All- Star Race are usually relatively short events with a distance of 70 to 100 rounds, which are divided into several segments. At the end of a segment of a yellow phase is initiated.
In 2010 the race was divided into four segments. The first segment was 50 laps with a mandatory pit stop under green flag on lap 25 Segment two and three were each 20 laps. Between the first three segments each optional pit stops were allowed. At the end of the third segment, the yellow flag was waved again. During a ten-minute break, the teams for the last time then had the opportunity to make changes to the vehicle, before a final ten laps long segment began, were not counted in the laps under yellow flags.
Race strategy
The race is not part of the championship, the high prize money for the victory is the main motivation. Teams therefore often bring their past, may not be quite sophisticated, technical developments to the race, because stability is less in demand. There is nothing to lose, only victory counts. To win, it is imperative to begin the last segment ( ten laps under green) already in a good starting position. Thus, the penultimate segment is of great importance and some teams try before this segment, perform no stop in the pits, but rather to gain a good position in the field. However, this also means 50 rounds or more to go with the same set of tires, which is a significant disadvantage in terms of lap times can occur.
Framework Programme
The annual NASCAR Sprint All- Star Race usually offers an extensive program. The main event is the Pit Crew Challenge at Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte, North Carolina, by which the positions of the boxes of the teams are set for the All- Star Race. To this end, the teams compete in a knockout system against each other. The goal is to as quickly as possible to complete a pit stop and then push the car over a short distance.