All-Star Race Day | It could get a little nuts

Saturday, May. 16, 2009

A little more to chew on while waiting for the all-star festivities to begin in earnest at Lowe's Motor Speedway:

THREE THINGS TO WATCH

1. We know most of the drivers in the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, but three will be wild cards – two coming from the 20-lap Sprint Showdown and the winner of the fan vote. After last season – when Kasey Kahne got in on the fan vote and won the $1 million first prize – it’s clear that the winner might not even be eligible five minutes before the start.

2. With Mark Martin’s success so far this season in the Cup series, combined with his appreciation of Lowe’s Motor Speedway, his two previous all-star wins and fun-loving attitude, there can be little doubt he should be a favorite.

3. LMS has returned to the final 10-lap shootout to determine the winner of the all-star race. With a lot on the line in a little amount of time, it should make for some crazy moments in the race’s final laps.

OBSERVATIONS

Mayfield could clarify it for us

Once again the questions were flying Friday about NASCAR’s drug testing policy and whether NASCAR should release the name of the substance. One question that continues to be overlooked: Why hasn’t Jeremy Mayfield named the substance that produced his positive result?

He has offered an explanation as to what caused a positive result, but not the name of the substance. Why do you suppose that is?

What's to become of automakers' role?

Both Chrysler and General Motors have notified hundreds of dealers they will be severing contracts in the months ahead. How those decisions affect those manufacturers’ participation in NASCAR remains to be seen, but it seems clear tough days lay ahead given the numbers involved.

Don't mark that Kentucky race date yet

Once again NASCAR Chairman Brian France said the sanctioning body hasn’t received any “formal request” by Speedway Motorsports Corp. or any other group to realign any race dates for next season. He also said the window for such moves was “closing fast.”

With each passing day Bruton Smith’s hopes of a Sprint Cup race at Kentucky Speedway next season look bleaker and bleaker.

JUST THE FACTS

What: NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race.

Where: Lowe’s Motor Speedway, Concord, N.C.

Track type: 1.5-mile banked, paved quad-oval.

Race distance: 4 segments of 50, 20, 20 and 10 laps.

When: Approximately 9 p.m.

Weather: Partly cloudy with 40 percent chance of thunderstorms.

TV: Coverage begins at 7 p.m. on Speed.

Radio: Motor Racing Network.

PICKS

JIM UTTER

Lowe’s Motor Speedway’s biggest fan takes home the track’s biggest pay check.

Winner: Mark Martin.

BOB HENRY

If the driver and the rest of the folks affiliated with the No. 48 team can't claim affection for this place that's at least equal to Martin's, it would be a truly sad case of unrequited love. The track has certainly been good to them.

Winner: Jimmie Johnson.

NOTES

Who has best burnout?

Race fans liked the debut last season of the Pennzoil Victory Challenge – a competition to determine which driver did the best victory burnouts – but wanted to see more creativity.

Troy Chapman, marketing team leader for Pennzoil & Quaker State Brands, and Lowe’s Motor Speedway officials took the input and spiced up this year’s competition, which is scheduled for 6:20 p.m. Saturday.

Participating drivers will get 30 seconds to do whatever burnout they want on the frontstretch, so long as they don’t drive into the infield grass. A panel of celebrity judges will determine the winner, who will receive a $10,000 donation to their favorite charity.

“We got a lot of great feedback from last year’s event. It got a lot of attention and it was a lot of fun,” said Chapman. “The fans said, ‘Give us more interactivity. Give us more creativity.’ Last year’s event was a little more structure.

“This year, it’s freestyle. We figure the drivers will come up with some creative things we could never dream up.”

Participating in the challenge are last year’s winner, Greg Biffle; Kyle Busch, Kasey Kahne, Clint Bowyer; Kevin Harvick; Jeff Gordon; and Darrell Waltrip.

Another honor for Poole

On Thursday, Lowe Motor Speedway will dedicate the deadline room in its infield media center in honor of David Poole, the Observer and ThatsRacin.com writer who died April 28.

In addition to his work with the newspaper and its racing site, Poole was an author of numerous books about racing and the sport's personalities. He was a respected authority on stock car racing and his opinions were often sought by others in the media and officials of more than one racing brand.

A frequent guest commentator on TV and radio, Poole also co-anchored a popular XM-Sirius program.

His wife, Katy, is scheduled to be on hand to receive a special donation to one of the writer and broadcaster's favorite charities.

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