Bobby Labonte, Danica Patrick, Martin Truex Jr. Biggest Movers in Week 7
HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. – May 9, 2013 – David Ragan’s dramatic win at Talladega Superspeedway vaulted him into the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race for just the second time in his career. If the Front Row Motorsports driver earns a trip to Victory Lane at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Saturday, May 18, he’ll pocket at least $1 million. If he wins all five race segments …make it $2 million.
“It’s huge to be in the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, and it especially means a lot to a team like Front Row Motorsports,” said Ragan. “It’s NASCAR’s showcase of the best teams in the sport, and to be included in that is a big deal. (Team owner) Bob Jenkins has been building this team over the last several years and making it better and more competitive every year. Qualifying for the Sprint All-Star Race as a result of a Front Row win just shows that he’s doing things right and all the hard work is paying off.”
The pressure is off for Ragan, but 25 drivers are still vying for one of the four possible remaining spots in the prestigious field. Eligible drivers need to either claim victory at Darlington Raceway this Saturday, May 11, finish first or second in the Sprint Showdown qualifying race, or rely on the Sprint Fan Vote. As with Ragan, if any driver races his or her way in, then he or she is no longer counted in the Sprint Fan Vote.
Labonte, Patrick and Truex Jr., gained the most votes in week seven, each amassing more than 10,000 votes this week alone. The top-10 drivers in the Sprint Fan Vote standings (in alphabetical order) to date are AJ Allmendinger, Jeff Burton, Bill Elliott, Labonte, Jamie McMurray, Juan Pablo Montoya, Patrick, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Truex Jr. and Michael Waltrip.
In addition to accumulating the most votes, a Sprint Fan Vote-eligible driver must also finish the Sprint Showdown qualifying race on the lead lap with a car in “raceable” condition (as determined by NASCAR Competition) to earn a spot in the race field.
Fans can vote an unlimited number of times until 5 p.m. (EDT) on May 18 by downloading the NASCAR Mobile ’13 application or visiting NASCAR.com/SprintFanVote. Votes cast on NASCAR Mobile ’13 will count twice toward a driver’s total. The driver receiving the highest number of votes will earn a spot in the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, which airs live at 7:30 p.m. (EDT) on SPEED. Radio coverage begins at 6:30 p.m. (EDT) on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
Tickets for the entire NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race weekend are on sale now. Packages start at just $99 for all weekend events including scanner rental. To purchase tickets, call 1-800-455-FANS (3267) or visit www.charlottemotorspeedway.com.
Fans are encouraged to follow @MissSprintCup, @CLTMotorSpdwy and @NASCAR on Twitter to engage in the #SprintAllStar Race and #SprintFanVote conversations throughout the voting window.
Drivers eligible for the Sprint Fan Vote:
AJ Allmendinger
Aric Almirola
Dave Blaney
Mike Bliss
Jeff Burton
Landon Cassill
Bill Elliott
David Gilliland
Travis Kvapil
Bobby Labonte
Terry Labonte
Michael McDowell
Jamie McMurray
Casey Mears
Paul Menard
Juan Pablo Montoya
Danica Patrick
David Reutimann
Scott Speed
Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
David Stremme
Martin Truex Jr.
Michael Waltrip
Josh Wise
JJ Yeley
About Sprint Nextel
Sprint Nextel offers a comprehensive range of wireless and wireline communications services bringing the freedom of mobility to consumers, businesses and government users. Sprint Nextel served more than 55 million customers at the end of the first quarter of 2013 and is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies, including the first wireless 4G service from a national carrier in the United States; offering industry-leading mobile data services, leading prepaid brands including Virgin Mobile USA, Boost Mobile, and Assurance Wireless; instant national and international push-to-talk capabilities; and a global Tier 1 Internet backbone. The American Customer Satisfaction Index rated Sprint No. 1 among all national carriers in customer satisfaction and most improved, across all 47 industries, during the last four years. Newsweek ranked Sprint No. 3 in both its 2011 and 2012 Green Rankings, listing it as one of the nation’s greenest companies, the highest of any telecommunications company. You can learn more and visit Sprint at www.sprint.com or www.facebook.com/sprint and www.twitter.com/sprint.
