The All-Star Race. I don’t know about you, but it seems that pretty much every race, game, or round called the All-Star isn’t usually that good. Just saying. But, this year’s All-Star Race will feature a brand new format, one which may prove interesting.

The race will begin with a fifty lap segment. During this segment all drivers must pit once for at least two tires, and yes, it must be a green flag pit stop. After fifty laps, a caution will be thrown, and drivers will be required to come to pit road for another stop which requires them to change at least two tires. Oh, and FYI, there is no speed limit on pit road under green! If you ask me that’s just downright dangerous. Feel bad for the crew members. They need a raise for this race. “Excuse me, Mr. Gibbs? Due to the increased risk of damage to my life and limb, I demand a 50% increase in pay…” You get the idea.

The second segment is also fifty laps. Like the first, it requires drivers to pit at least once under green for at least two tires. Once again, no speed limit. But there is another thing. The pit stop must take place before lap 85.

Why? Because when the caution is waved on lap 100, something random is going to happen. The first 9, 10, or 11 drivers will be required to pit for 4 tires. The number of drivers required (9, 10, or 11), will be determined by a random drawing. They will line up on the restart behind the drivers who were behind the top 9, 10, or 11. The drivers who weren’t told to come to pit road aren’t allowed on pit road.

Then will come the final segment: a 13 lap dash. The winner of the segment gets the 1 million dollars. That is one complicated format. But it should prove interesting. As for who I think will win: I am clueless. I don’t know if anyone restarting 10th, 11th, or 12th could pass that many drivers in just 13 laps. And who will be running 10th, 11th, or 12th when the caution waves? I have no idea. If the winner is destined to be one of the drivers who pits, I would pick Kyle Busch to win. He is amazing on restarts. If the winner is the man left out front after running mid pack, I would probably pick Jamie McMurray. He is good at Charlotte, and a win from him here doesn’t seem unlikely. (He won the 2013 All-Star Race)

As of now, 15 drivers are locked in the All-Star Race. Joey Logano, Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch, Kurt Busch, Kevin Harvick, Brad Keslowski, Denny Hamlin, Matt Kenseth, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Carl Edwards, and Martin Truex Jr. are all in the race because they won a race last year. Tony Stewart is both former Cup Champion and a past All-Star Race winner, and both those achievements give him a spot in the race. Jamie McMurray, Kasey Kahne, and Ryan Newman are all in the race because they are past winners in this race. This only fifteen drivers. The minimum number of drivers in the All-Star race is twenty.

The missing five will be determined in two ways. Three will earn their spots in the race through the Sprint Showdown. This is a short race with two twenty lap segments and a ten lap segment. A mandatory pit stop for at least two tires is required between each segment. If you win a segment, you are in the All-Star Race and you sit out the remaining segments. That’s three spots determined.

The other two will be determined by the Sprint Fan Vote. Fans can vote in two drivers. As of now, Danica Patrick, Chase Elliot, Matt DiBenedetto, Ryan Blaney, and Kyle Larson are the top-five drivers in the fan vote. Only two will win a spot from the vote though.

I think Patrick and DiBenedetto will be the drivers to proceed because of the vote, and I think Larson and Elliot will race their way into the field. I would love to see Blaney make the field as well, but I think he’ll have his hands full racing Austin Dillon for the spot. Austin has an edge in experience, which will I think will help him.

This is my All-Star Race preview. I’m sorry I can’t better predict the outcome, but the format is so random that it is virtually impossible to predict a winner accurately. Still, I know who I hope wins. (Tony Stewart) 🙂