NASCAR Cup Series

Jamie McMurray and Juan Pablo Montoya have two opportunities to advance into the NASCAR Sprint All-Star race Saturday night. They can race their way into the race by finishing first or second in the NASCAR Sprint Showdown or win the Sprint fan vote.

With the help of a fast pit stop by his 3M Pit Bulls, Biffle started last year’s All-Star race in fourth place. Unfortunately a mechanical issue ended his night early, resulting in a 22nd-place finish.

No. 15 5-hour ENERGY Toyota driver Clint Bowyer never imagined he would get the opportunity to race under the lights at Charlotte Motor Speedway for the chance to win $2 million in the Sprint All-Star Race. Bowyer, who won three races in 2012 to qualify for the non-points race, makes his fifth start in the high-stakes race Saturday night.

The driver of the No. 17 Best Buy Ford will try to race his way in to his first Sprint All-Star race. If he doesn’t race his way in then he will rely on the fan vote to get in to the All-Star race.

Jackson L. Dodson II, a crew member in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and Frank W. Earnhardt, a crew member in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, have been indefinitely suspended from NASCAR for violating the sanctioning body’s substance abuse policy.

Last weekend Harvick and the No. 29 Budweiser team finished fifth at Darlington Raceway and advanced two spots to 10th in the 2013 driver point standings.

David Gilliland has never raced in NASCAR's Sprint All-Star Race, but he feels like his chances of earning a spot in that line-up this weekend are better than ever. The driver of the No. 38 Long John Silver's Ford feels more confident about his team's capabilities than ever before as they prepare for Saturday night's Sprint Showdown, the precursor to the All-Star event.

Marcos Ambrose earned a spot in this weekend's Sprint All-Star Race with his dramatic win at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International last season. The road course ace wheeled passed Sprint Cup Champion Brad Keselowski in the final turns to capture his second consecutive win at the New York road course.

Aric Almirola will compete in Saturday's Sprint Showdown looking for a win to gain a spot in the headline Sprint All-Star Race. To qualify for the All-Star Race, the No. 43 Smithfield Ford team will have to finish first or second in the Sprint Showdown 40-lap qualifier race. The race will have two 20-lap segments and an optional pit stop between them.

No. 55 Aaron’s Dream Machine driver Mark Martin claimed his first NASCAR All Star race victory in 1998 and scored another in 2005. As the Michael Waltrip Racing driver prepares for his 24th All-Star Race -the most of any driver- he figures Saturday night will be a good time to hoist another trophy in victory lane at Charlotte Motor Speedway.