Four segments, 24 drivers and a $1 million paycheck

[The General]

It consists of four 25-lap segments for a 100-lap race, the longest in event history. It's on a Saturday night. And it's got a preliminary race that can qualify two cars to the main event, in addition to a driver that will be voted in by the fans.

NASCAR fans know it as the Sprint All-Star Race this year, although the event has changed names four times and faces its ninth different format in 24 years. But at first glance, it comes off as any old Saturday night heat at any old Saturday night local short track.

Winner's payout: A million dollars.

That's the obvious difference between local racing and the pomp and flare that come with the Sprint All-Star Race.

This year, 21 drivers have earned starting positions in the race due to winning an event in the last year, being a Sprint Cup champion or winning the All-Star Race within the last 10 years. Two more drivers will make it in by finishing first and second in the Sprint Showdown, a prelude to the main event. And yet another driver will be voted in by the fans.

The Format


• Four segments, each consisting of 25 laps
• All restarts will be double-file
• Free-pass rule will be in effect for all segments
• Green and yellow-flag laps will count in the first three segments
• Only green-flag laps will count in the fourth segment

The Players

07Clint Bowyer is racing in his first All-Star Race thanks to his qualifying victory at New Hampshire in September 2007. Richard Childress Racing has four All-Star victories.

1Martin Truex Jr. is in his third All-Star Race after winning the preliminary race last year, transferring, and then finishing 10th in the 21-car field. He was also voted into the race in 2005. He qualified this year by winning at Dover in June 2007.

2Kurt Busch finished fourth in 2002 and second in 2003, but since then his All-Star Race results have been 20th, seventh, 20th and 19th. He is in from his Pocono victory in August 2007.

5Casey Mears is in his second All-Star Race. Last year he qualified because his car won a race the previous season. This year he qualified for his Charlotte win last May.

8Mark Martin will make his 19th consecutive appearance in the All-Star Race this season, tying Rusty Wallace for the most. Martin has won the event two times (1998, 2005).

11Denny Hamlin finished fourth in the preliminary event in 2006, then was 17th in his first All-Star Race last year. He qualified for this year's event by winning at New Hampshire in July 2007.

12Ryan Newman is one of two drivers to win the All-Star Race as a rookie (2002), and he is also one of two drivers to win the All-Star Race after transferring from one of the preliminary races.

16Greg Biffle's best finish in his four All-Star Races is 13th in 2006. Roush Fenway Racing has three All-Star victories. Biffle qualified by winning at Kansas in 2007.

17Matt Kenseth won the 2004 All-Star Race by passing Ryan Newman late, leading just five laps and winning $1,044,000. He qualified by winning at California in 2007.

18Kyle Busch has finished 16th and 20th in his two All-Star races. He qualified for this year's event by winning at Bristol in 2007, the first race in the new body style.

20Tony Stewart has never won an All-Star Race, but he has four top-five finishes. He was runner-up to Terry Labonte in 1999 after transferring into the All-Star Race by winning the preliminary event. He qualified for this year's event by winning the 2007 Chicagoland race.

24Jeff Gordon has three All-Star victories, tied with Dale Earnhardt for the most. Gordon won the event in 1995, 1997 and 2001.

26Jamie McMurray is in his second All-Star race, his first coming in 2006 after taking over the car that was qualified the previous season by Kurt Busch. This year, McMurray qualified for the event by winning at Daytona in July 2007.

29Kevin Harvick's lone victory since his 2007 Daytona 500 win was in last year's All-Star Race (non-points, of course) when he beat Jimmie Johnson. The 2006 version saw Harvick finish second to Johnson.

31Jeff Burton won the 2003 preliminary race, but he has never won the All-Star Race. Last year he finished fourth. He qualified for the race by winning at Texas in April 2007.

42Juan Montoya is competing in his first All-Star Race, ironic considering he has won the Indianapolis 500, 10 CART races, has seven victories in Formula One and won championships in CART and Formula 3000.

43Bobby Labonte's average finish his 13 All-Star Races is 10.0, the exact same as his brother Terry Labonte's average. Bobby Labonte has never won the All-Star Race nor the preliminary event.

44Dale Jarrett has made 668 Cup Series starts, and while he is officially retired, he will unofficially make one more start in Saturday's All-Star Race. He has never won the event.

48Jimmie Johnson's average finish in six All-Star Races is 5.17, the best among drivers who have more than one start in the event. He won in 2003 and 2006.

88Dale Earnhardt Jr. qualified for the All-Star Race from his victory in the 2000 event; he and Ryan Newman are the only rookies to win the exhibition. He led just two laps in the 70-lap event.

99Carl Edwards has finished 15th and fourth in his two All-Star Races. He missed last year's event, finishing third in the preliminary. He qualified this season with his victory at Michigan in June 2007.The Facts

2Times a driver has transferred from the preliminary event into the All-Star Race and won it. In 1996, Michael Waltrip finished fifth in the preliminary event (the top five transferred) and then won the All-Star Race. Ryan Newman won the second of two preliminary events in 2002 and eventually won the All-Star Race.

2Drivers qualified for the All-Star Race due to being past winners of the event: Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2000) and Mark Martin (1998, 2005).
2Drivers qualified for the All-Star Race due to being past Cup Series champions: Dale Jarrett (1999) and Bobby Labonte (2000).
3Drivers who will transfer from the Sprint Showdown: top two finishers plus one driver voted in by the fans (must finish on the lead lap).

3Years that each segment of the All-Star Race was won by the same driver: 1990 (Dale Earnhardt), 1991 (Davey Allison) and 1995 (Jeff Gordon).

5Times that Sterling Marlin has transferred from the preliminary race into the All-Star Race, more than any other driver. He has won the preliminary race four times. He is not racing this year.

6Drivers who have won multiple All-Star Races: Dale Earnhardt (1987, 1990, 1993), Jeff Gordon (1995, 1997, 2001), Davey Allison (1991, 1992), Terry Labonte (1988, 1999), Mark Martin (1998, 2005) and Jimmie Johnson (2003, 2006).

17Drivers qualified for Saturday's All-Star Race who are race winners from either 2007 or 2008.

23 years, 9 months, 18 daysAge of Jeff Gordon when he won the 1995 All-Star Race to become the youngest winner of the event.
$1,012,975Winner's purse for the All-Star Race.


NASCAR.COM - By the Numbers: All-Star - May 15, 2008