Racing News Daily » Entries tagged with "Sprint All-Star Race"
Even with the new big screen, All-Star Race a real bore
By Matt Crossman Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service CONCORD, N.C.—On the eve of NASCAR’s All-Star Race, an event promoters hailed as a knockdown, drag-out, mad-dash, swashbuckling, eye-popping, knee-knocking, white-knuckling race for pride, glory and a million smackeroos, Dale Earnhardt Jr. had a suggestion: Spice it up! Even more! “Make it a little bit more a stick of dynamite than a whole long row of 180s,” he said. If only NASCAR had listened. Saturday night’s race was a long row of duds. Not to get carried away, but the race was so boring that Kyle Busch—the man everyone expected to be the TNT in the dynamite—apologized to reporters for the lack of drama. He was mostly kidding, but he was also right. “From my vantage point, it was a tame race today,” Busch said. … Read entire article »
Filed under: Sprint Cup
Edwards drives away to win All-Star Race, $1 million
By Reid Spencer Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service CONCORD, N.C.—Carl Edwards’ No. 99 crew didn’t win Thursday’s Sprint Pit Crew Challenge—it waited until it really counted. Flawless work during mandatory four-tire pit stops before the final 10-lap shootout in Saturday night’s Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway got Edwards off pit road first, ahead of Kyle Busch. That proved decisive in Edwards’ first All-Star win as he became the eighth different winner of the event in the past eight years. Edwards, who finished 0.443 seconds ahead of runner-up Busch, collected $1.2 million for the victory. David Reutimann ran third, followed by Tony Stewart and Greg Biffle. Matt Kenseth, Denny Hamlin, David Ragan, Kevin Harvick and Ryan Newman completed the top 10. About the only thing that went wrong was Edwards’ slide through the frontstretch … Read entire article »
Filed under: Sprint Cup
Kyle Busch edges Bowyer for All-Star Race pole
By Reid Spencer Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service CONCORD, N.C.—Kyle Busch, the last of 18 drivers to make a qualifying attempt, edged Clint Bowyer for the pole for Saturday night’s Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Now comes the important business of winning the race—something Busch hasn’t been close to doing in five attempts. Under the unique All-Star Race qualifying format that features three laps and a pit stop, Busch completed the process in 1 minute, 59.191 seconds (135.916 mph) to Bowyer’s 135.377 mph. Greg Biffle was a close third at 134.740 mph. Carl Edwards (134.236 mph) will start fourth, followed by Mark Martin (133.670 mph), who is driving the No. 25 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet this weekend, as Jimmie Johnson (who qualified 11th) gets behind the wheel of the No. 5 (to promote a … Read entire article »
Filed under: Sprint Cup
Prestige of All-Star Race heightens competitors’ drive to win it
By Matt Crossman Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service CONCORD, N.C.—There’s an old saying in NASCAR: Win or bring home the steering wheel (and nothing else) trying. More than any other event, that applies to Saturday’s Sprint All-Star Race. With the race comes an expectation, a hope, a yearning, that someone will dump someone for the win, for the pride, for the glory, for the checkers, and above all, for the million bucks. The thought is that after weeks of racing conservatively for fear of falling in the ever-important points race, drivers will race like maniacs, unshackled by the burden of a miscue destroying their Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup chances. It’s a source of endless prerace chatter as drivers contemplate their strategies for the 10-lap shootout at the end of the 100-lap … Read entire article »
Filed under: Sprint Cup
NASCAR Notebook: Earnhardt determined to win Showdown
By Reid Spencer and Matt Crossman Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service CONCORD, N.C.—Dale Earnhardt Jr. is promising an all-out assault on Saturday’s Sprint Showdown. Earnhardt couldn’t be blamed for taking a conservative approach to the qualifying race, which will transfer the top two finishers into the main event that follows, the Sprint All-Star Race. Realistically, all he has to do is have a car in raceable condition to take advantage of the fan vote, which fills the last position in the All-Star Race. “The opportunity for us to win the fan vote is definitely in the back of my mind, but I don’t think it will affect me at all in how I drive the race,” Earnhardt told Sporting News on Friday at Charlotte Motor Speedway. “If … Read entire article »
Filed under: Sprint Cup
Matt Kenseth Friday All-Star Race Media Visit
Matt Kenseth is coming off his second win of the season after taking the checkered flag in last week’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Dover. Kenseth spoke about the weekend ahead before Friday’s practice for the Sprint All-Star Race. AFTER LAST WEEK’S WIN DO YOU FEEL YOU HAVE SOME SECURITY NOW AS FAR AS MAKING THE CHASE? “I guess there’s maybe a little more security, but it’s still really early and there’s a lot of racing to do. I don’t think two wins is going to guarantee a spot in the chase, so certainly there’s a lot of racing to do. We want to work our way up in the points a little farther. For three weeks in between Texas and Dover we didn’t have very good results, so we … Read entire article »
Filed under: Sprint Cup
Jeff Gordon Friday All-Star Race Media Visit
JEFF GORDON met with media and discussed strategy for the 600, recent safety issues, the All-Star race, Race Control, and more. Full Transcript: WHERE DO YOUR ALL-STAR RACE WINS RANK IN YOUR MIND WITH ALL OF YOUR WINS? “They are definitely big. The way I look at big races is if you are fortunate enough to win one, the only way to truly appreciate it is to see where it came in your career. If it came early in your career and then you’ve had time to go and run in that race and see how challenging it is and learn the history about it and struggle at trying to win it again, then you appreciate it a lot. HOW DO YOU LIKE … Read entire article »
Filed under: Sprint Cup
Clint Bowyer Friday All-Star Race Media Visit
CLINT BOWYEr met with media and discussed the upcoming Kansas race and also the All-Star. Full Transcript: HOW EXCITED ARE YOU ABOUT RACING IN KANSAS IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS? “I just went back there and did a media day, just kind of pumping up the upcoming race. The soccer field is just about done. I’m waiting for the casino. I know that’s going to be a big hit when they get that done. But I’m just looking forward to going back there. I’m really excited about the way our cars are running on these 1.5-mile tracks. The car was good here in practice and we’ve got a brand new bullet in store for Kansas, so I’m looking forward to it.” WHAT’S THE … Read entire article »
Filed under: Sprint Cup
Jimmie Johnson Friday All-Star Race Media Visit
JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 5 LOWE’S 5% EVERY DAY CHEVROLET, met with media and discussed racing in the All-Star this weekend and the million-dollar prize, planking, the importance on how the race car unloads off the truck, and more. Full Transcript: TALK ABOUT COMING TO CHARLOTTE THIS WEEKEND “I’m excited to come back and have some fun with the No. 5 car and the program that Lowe’s is putting on and the 5% rebate. So it’s different. At the All-Star race we can always count on something different and I commend Lowe’s for doing something outside of the ordinary here. Hopefully I’ll walk to the right car and climb in the right car. I’m excited for it. This race is a lot of … Read entire article »
Filed under: Sprint Cup
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