A new format for NASCAR’s Sprint All-Star Race was announced Friday. While the format is new for 2016, In the past few years, the race consisted of four 25-lap segments ending with a 10-lap shootout. But for this year’s event, there will be two 50-lap segments with mandatory green-flag pit stop, with a final 13-lap dash, with a twist.
Prior to the start of the final segment, a random draw will decide whether the top nine, 10 or 11 cars will enter pit road for a mandatory four-tire pit stop. The rest of the field will stay out on older tires and lead the field to green for the final segment. Cars with four new tires will line up behind those with older tires.
The race winner will pocket $1 million. NASCAR officials and Charlotte Motor Speedway officials have reportedly lobbied for a format change after the winner of the last three all-Star Races has led all ten laps of the final segment.
“We worked with NASCAR and talked to several drivers to gather feedback for what they thought would make the very best race for the fans,” Charlotte Motor Speedway President and General Manager Marcus Smith said.
Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.
- NASCAR to debut new short track package at Phoenix - February 28, 2023
- The Wrench Who Stole Racing - December 16, 2022
- Matt DiBenedetto’s excellent run comes to abrupt, violent end - February 17, 2019
