Actress Angie Harmon to Serve as Honorary Pace Car Driver for NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race
NOTES FROM THE NASCAR NATION: THE INSIDE LINE FROM LAS VEGAS
The annual NASCAR Sprint All Star race, this Saturday night at the Charlotte Motor Speedway, is virtually guaranteed to be filled with the excitement of hard racing and possible surprises both on and off the track.
One would think that predicting possible winners for an event of this nature would be almost impossible. However, the expert number crunchers and trend observers from the “Las Vegas Insider”, (LVI), have once again risen to the occasion and has presented an All Star ratings survey that appears to be rock solid.
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[/media-credit]JIMMIE JOHNSON AT 7 TO 2 ODDS. It’s no surprise that Double J is on the top of the LVI’s list this week. His personal stats at the Charlotte Motor Speedway are simply awesome. In nine starts in the Sprint All Star Race Johnson has two wins, 2003 and 2006, along with an average finish ratio, (AFR), of 6.7. His stats during the Sprint Cup points events at Charlotte are equally amazing and includes six wins, ten top five finishes, 14 top tens along with an extremely healthy AFR of 9.8.
CARL EDWARDS AT 4 TO 1. This driver has ascended to the top of the NASCAR Sprint Cup championship standings based on highly consistent performance levels including an early season win at Las Vegas. One would believe that this level of consistency would make him a strong consideration for winning the one million dollars from Saturday’s All Star Race. Before you place some money on this driver you may want to consider his Sprint Cup stats at Charlotte. He’s still looking for his first win there, but he does have four top fives and seven top tens. However his Charlotte AFR is a little on the high side at 17.6.
KYLE BUSCH AT 5 TO 1. Already a two time winner this season, here’s a driver that has a strong record of creating new records at nearly every track he races on. His 96 career wins, in NASCAR’s three national touring series, supports that. Surprisingly enough the Charlotte Motor Speedway has not been one of his better performance tracks. He’s still looking for his first win there. He has accumulated five top fives, eight top tens but the Charlotte AFR is a rather high 16.6. Despite that number, he’s still one of the best drivers in the Sprint Cup and always a threat to win a race and always a rock solid wager consideration.
JEFF GORDON AND KEVIN HARVICK AT 8 TO 1. Jeff Gordon is always going to be a solid wager consideration when the Sprint Cup Series races at Charlotte and the LVI 8 to 1 odds could turn out to be lucrative. Gordon is a three time winner of the Sprint All Star Race. He shares the prestige, with the legendary Dale Earnhardt Sr, as being the only three time winners in this race’s 26 year history. His regular Sprint Cup stats at Charlotte are also strong with five wins, 16 top fives, 20 top tens and a 15.6 AFR.
Kevin Harvick is a two time race winner this year and appears to be in position to become a solid contender for the 2011 Chase For The Championship. He understands what it takes to win the difficult Sprint All Star Race and performed that feat back in 2007. If you’re into long shot wagers then Harvick might be worthy of that consideration. But be aware that his regular Sprint Cup numbers at Charlotte indicates that this is not one of his better tracks. He’s still looking for his first win there. He only has one top five finish, four top tens and his AFR is 20.0.
DENNY HAMLIN, MATT KENSETH AND TONY STEWART AT 10 TO 1. After a somewhat sluggish start to the 2011 season, Hamlin’s team seems to be finally headed in the right direction although the process is probably not as fast as he would like. If numbers still mean a lot, and they often do, then the All Star Race at Charlotte may not be the right time to put your money on this team. Hamlin is still seeking his first win there, he only has one top five finish and a 17.2 AFR.
On the opposite extreme is Matt Kenseth who, at 10 to 1, is well worth your wager consideration. The combination of this driver and his crew chief, Jimmy Fennig, has already led to two wins this year. Kenseth’s stats in the All Star Race are outstanding. He won this race in 2004 and has a 6.6 AFR in ten starts. The regular season numbers at Charlotte are also very healthy and includes a win, six top fives and a 15.0 AFR. Again, if you’re looking for a long shot driver this might be the go to guy.
Sadly, the same cannot be said for Tony Stewart. Every major sports team hits a slump every now and then and that seems to be the situation with the flag ship team from Stewart-Haas Racing. When we start hearing radio transmissions from the driver that claims he’s “embarrassed” by the team’s performance or, in the case of last weekend, “I have no @#%&* confidence in our team right now” this is not a time to call “The Las Vegas Insider” and spend some money on this team. On the extreme opposite end of this situation is the fact that Stewart has some good Charlotte numbers. He’s a former All Star Race winner, in 2009, and his regular season numbers show a win, six top fives and a 13.7 AFR. Maybe this is the place and the race where Stewart can turn his recent fortunes around. I just not sure you want to bet any money on it.
DALE EARNHARDT JR AND KURT BUSCH AT 12 TO 1. Yes, we’re all aware that Dale Earnhardt Jr is fourth in the Sprint Cup points and the team, under the leadership of new crew chief Steve Letarte, seems to be stronger than ever. But if you’re planning to call the “LVI” to bet on this driver be advised you will have to wait to the extreme last minute Saturday evening to determine if Earnhardt is going to make the line up for the Sprint All Star Race. There’s a little snag with the race criteria here. The race rules say that any driver who won a race in 2010 or 2011 is automatically in the line up. We already know that doesn’t apply to this driver. Previous winners of the All Star Race from the past ten years are also automatically in. Earnhardt is a previous race winner but that happened 11 years ago.
So why is Earnhardt on the “Las Vegas Insider’s” list at 12 to 1? That’s easy. The “LVI”, just like the rest of us, is nearly positive that Earnhardt will make the All Star Race line via the fan vote provisional. It’s a very safe bet that his fan club, aka the Junior Nation, has been very busy punching the buttons on their Sprint applications to insure their favorite guy has enough votes to make this race. While his cool, calm and collected crew chief will likely once again work his magic to get his team another strong finish, I wouldn’t expect the amount of Letarte magic that will be needed for this team to cash that one million dollar check.
Then there’s Kurt Busch, the defending All Star Race champion. Here’s a guy who understands the go or blow racing style required to win this race. But the problem here is the highly visible state of unhappiness this driver has been displaying of late. At one level there is the importance of a race team keeping the lines of communication open. Then there’s the Kurt Busch approach to communication that comes with tirades that are often abusive. We’ve hearing it in his media interviews and we’re really hearing it from his in car radio comments that are often just plain brutal. If this team is going to achieve the measure of success everyone believes they’re capable of then this driver has to chill out a little and take it down a notch. Busch has the talent and experience to win the All Star Race, but I wouldn’t bet any money on it this year.
GREG BIFFLE AT 14 TO 1. Slowly but surely Biffle’s Roush Fenway Racing team is making progress in the points standings and has now worked their way up to 12th in the rankings. He’s still looking for his first win of the season and, for that matter, his first ever win at Charlotte. The one positive factor is the horsepower and performance that comes with the Roush Yates Engines. While the possibilities for this team to win the All Star Race is there, the regular season Charlotte numbers aren’t. You may want to think twice about a long shot bet on this team.
CLINT BOWYER AT 16 TO 1. After a sluggish start to the season, this team has worked their way to eighth in the championship standings. Bowyer is looking terrific on the track these days and would be worthy of your long shot consideration. The only gray area here is the uncontrollable bad luck that sometimes places this driver in middle of someone else’s temper tantrum. Yes, I’m referring to Harvick vs Busch at Darlington.
JAMIE MC MURRAY AND JUAN PABLO MONTOYA AT 18 TO 1. Considered to be a Chase contender by many during the off season, Mc Murray seems to be in a points hole and is languishing in 22nd. The All Star Race Saturday could turn out to be the venue to turn things in the right direction. His regular season Charlotte numbers are actually good and includes two wins, five top fives, eight top tens and a 15.7 AFR.
On the other hand his Earnhardt Ganassi Racing team mate, Juan Pablo Montoya, has Charlotte racing numbers that are disappointing including a 27.6 AFR. However, the All Star Race features a format that is perfectly suited for his style of driving and he could make things interesting Saturday night. The win potential for both of these drivers are there, but I don’t know if I would be spending any money on it.
MARK MARTIN AND RYAN NEWMAN AT 22 TO 1. Look at this excellent long shot possibility the “LVI” has presented you this week. Mark Martin at 22 to 1 is worthy of serious consideration. First off, he’s a two time winner of the Sprint All Star Race and has a series 21 starts in this event. That means he has the vast experience needed to handle himself in this unique no holds barred race. His regular season Sprint Cup stats at Charlotte are also quite good and includes four wins, 18 top fives, 23 top tens and a 15.7 AFR. The new relationship with crew chief Lance McGrew seems to be gelling. This team looked very strong last weekend at the Dover race. Don’t get distracted by the age issue here. “The Old Man” of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series is actually in better physical shape that young drivers half his age and his mental focus is sharper than ever. If you’re into long shot bets, this is your guy.
Ryan Newman has a special place in his heart for the Sprint All Star Race. He won the event, in 2002, during his rookie season which clearly proved that he belonged in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. While his personal career stats at Charlotte could use a little work, he’s a hard charger who has proven in the past he can run hard, and even hit harder, when it’s necessary. That’s a major plus for an event like the All Star Race.
Now for the weekly disclaimer. NASCAR wants us to remind you that they consider these posted numbers as a means for both entertainment and information. They neither encourage or condone the placing of wagers on their races.
But if you’re going to do it anyway, and many of you will, then dial up “The Las Vegas Insider’s” official website to get the latest, updated, information.
Having said that let the buyer beware. This is the Sprint All Star Race that comes with the traditional no holds barred, anything goes, format. There will be no impact on the the championship standings following this race. That means the drivers are free to race hard for the prestige and the million dollars that comes with winning this event. Anything can happen and often does during the course of this race.
NOTES FROM THE NASCAR NATION: THERE ARE A MILLION PLUS REASONS TO WATCH THE ALL STAR RACE
It’s that time of the year again: the annual break in the traditional NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule for the Sprint All Star weekend at the Charlotte Motor Speedway.
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[/media-credit]For decades the other major American sports has observed this time honored tradition of creating a special day comprised of their best athletes who passed certain eligibility criteria for the right to play in this game. In 1985 NASCAR decided it was time for them to create their very own All Star exhibition. 26 races later it has turned into one of the most exciting, no holes barred, free for all ever seen by sports fans on national television.
There are at least one million reasons to watch the NASCAR Sprint All Star Race this Saturday night. That would be the one million dollar paycheck the winner is going to receive at the end of the evening. When it comes to that level of racing purse, there will be no consideration for team mates. There will not be a second’s worth of angst over shoving a friend and colleague out of the way. The truth be known, these competitors would use the bump and run on their grandparents to earn the prestige of winning this event and the money that comes with it.
You also have to consider the fact that the All Star Race has no impact on the driver’s championship points standings. That means they will be free to race as hard as they want to with virtually no consequences to deal with after the race is over. It’s very possible that this race is going to push NASCAR’s “Have At It Boys” policy over the top.
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THE ELIGIBILITY BREAKDOWN
The 2011 NASCAR Sprint All Star Race will have a field of 22 cars Saturday night. There were six different levels of criteria to make this race:
1. Any driver who won a race during the 2010 season or any event so far in 2011 is automatically in the race.
2. Any NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion from the past ten years will receive a past champion’s provisional.
3. Any driver who has won the Sprint All Star Race over the past ten years.
4. The winner of Saturday night’s preliminary race known as the Sprint Showdown.
5. The driver who finishes second in the Sprint Showdown.
6. The winner of the annual fan vote competition.
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THE ALL STAR FORMAT BREAKDOWN
The NASCAR Sprint All Star Race will be run in four different segments totaling 100 laps. The initial starting line up will be based on qualifying to be held on Friday, 6 pm eastern time. Even the qualifying format is unique for this race. The drivers will turn three laps around the Charlotte Motor Speedway. However, somewhere in the midst of those three laps, they must come down pit road to complete a four tire pit stop.
SEGMENT ONE: 50 laps with a mandatory green flag, four tire, pit stop on lap 25. At the conclusion of the segment the yellow flag will be presented and teams will have an option of coming back to pit road if needed.
SEGMENT TWO: 20 laps. Again, a yellow flag will also conclude this segment and teams will be presented the option of coming to pit road.
SEGMENT THREE: 20 laps. At the conclusion of this segment there will be a ten minute break to allow teams to make standard adjustments to their cars. The finishing order of this segment will determine the starting line up for the fourth, and final, segment.
SEGMENT FOUR. The ten lap shootout. At the start of this segment the teams will turn one lap behind the pace car and will then come down pit road for a mandatory, four tire, pit stop. The pit road exit order will determine the line up for this final segment. Segment four will be ten green flag laps, yellow flag laps will not be counted.
This is the “go time” point of the race where drivers will be laying all of their cards on the table to show what they have and what they’re willing to do in order to win this race.
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THE SPRINT SHOWDOWN FORMAT BREAKDOWN
This event is open to NASCAR Sprint teams who did not meet the official criteria for a guaranteed starting berth in the All Star Race. This race is NASCAR’s ultimate B main, or last chance, race. It’s 20 laps with only the top two finishers earning a transfer spot to the All Star Race. This event alone has turned out some exciting racing over the years.
In last year’s event, driver Martin Truex Jr, #56 Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota, and Greg Biffle, #16 Roush Fenway Racing Ford, earned the two coveted transfer spots.
To be eligible for this race a driver must be ranked withing the top 50 of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship points standings. Additionally a driver must have competed in a Sprint Cup event during the 2010 season or attempted to qualify for last February’s Daytona 500.
This year 43 teams were eligible to compete in the Sprint Showdown with 28 teams signing entry blanks for Saturday night’s race. That entry list features some impressive names, very capable of winning this race, including: Brad Keselowski, David Ragan, Marcus Ambrose, Joey Logano, Paul Menard, Jeff Burton, A J Allmendinger, Bobby Labonte, Martin Truex Jr, Brian Vickers and Dale Earnhardt Jr.
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THE FAN VOTE BREAKDOWN
The final starting berth, for Saturday night’s Sprint All Star Race, will be based on fan voting and driver popularity. The voting process began back on March 23d with a record setting 1.5 million voters plus already participating.
The top ten drivers in the voting process are: A J Allmendinger, Marcus Ambrose, Jeff Burton, Dale Earnhardt Jr, Brad Keselowski, Bobby Labonte, Joey Logano, Paul Menard, David Ragan and Brian Vickers.
Before you start reading too much into that, you have to be aware that NASCAR and Sprint released the top ten in alphabetical order based on driver last name. They are protecting the identity of the fan favorite until after the Sprint Showdown race.
However, there’s another reason for the secrecy: the voting period isn’t over yet. Votes will be taken all the way to Saturday evening, 5 pm eastern time. Fans can continue to vote by using their Sprint Mobile application, “NASCAR Dot Com” or voting at the Sprint Experience display center located in the Charlotte Motor Speedway’s midway area. For Sprint customers, every wireless vote submitted from a Sprint, Nextel, Boost Mobile or Virgin Mobile device counts double in the driver vote totals.
The fact that the fan favorite will be announced prior to the start of the All Star Race creates a special driver criteria. Those eligible for the fan vote will still have to race in the 20 lap Sprint Showdown, they must finish the race on the lead lap and must still have a raceable car to transfer into the All Star event.
How viable is this fan vote? Ask driver Kasey Kahne. In 2008, Kahne made the Sprint All Star Race line up based on fan vote and went on to win the race and the million dollars.
By the way, does anyone else think the fan phenomenon known as the Junior Nation will rise to the occasion and work their cell phones to insure that their favorite guy, Dale Earnhardt Jr, gets to race in the All Star event? Yeah, so do I.
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THE STORY BREAKDOWN
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With that level of prestige and cash on the line Saturday there will be, of course, story lines connected to the Sprint All Star Race. The main story line will be: can we expect to see “Have It Boys” stretched to the breaking point during and especially after the race? That’s highly likely and expect to see it develop during that final ten lap shoot out.
However, something very unique to “Have At It Boys” developed on Tuesday via a statement from Marcus Smith, President of the Charlotte Motor Speedway. With the next race on the Sprint Cup schedule, the Coca Cola 600, also being at the Charlotte Motor Speedway, it’s definitely in Smith’s best interest to see some “Have At It Boys” match ups this weekend especially after the race. Any form of driver temper tantrums will certainly sell tickets for the Coke 600.
In a press release, that would make P T Barnum smile, Smith announced that if any driver received a fine from NASCAR for exceeding the limits, whatever they are, of the “Have At It Boys” policy then the Speedway will pay those fines. This is almost tantamount to the “get out of jail free” card from the Monopoly game. It’s also brilliant marketing.
Smith has also created a special advertising campaign regarding the current feud between drivers Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch that was launched in the aftermath of the Darlington race. The speedway is promoting a poster that displays a picture of their two cars making contact with the caption: “it gets settled in the race for $1 million.”
However, the general consensus seems to be don’t look for Harvick and Busch to get too close to each other Saturday night. Both drivers are currently serving a four race probation period. However the argument against that states that the probation only applies to the next four points paying Sprint Cup Races. Again, the All Star Race is a non points event. Despite the fact that there has been no real visible effort between these drivers to shake hands and declare a truce, one has to wonder if their thoughts are now returning to making the Chase.
The other general feeling is Marcus Smith won’t be leaving his speedway disappointed Saturday night. This race is just too famous for bruised egos and wadded up race cars. Someone’s going to get mad Saturday night and someone’s going to try to get even. It’s the nature of the beast.
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It will also be very interesting to observe the decisions made by the crew chiefs during Saturday night’s race. This is an opportunity for them to experiment with exotic race set ups and subsequent adjustments. If they discover a winning formula then it could turn out to be a gold mine when they return the following weekend for the running of the Coca Cola 600.
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Over the past several weeks we’ve seen a lot of miscues from teams during pit stops that has proved to be costly in terms of track position. It will be imperative that the pit stops run smoothly Saturday night for a driver to put himself in position to win that million dollars. The most common of these miscues has been pit road speeding and that’s an important area drivers will have to focus on when coming in for service. The pit road speed at the Charlotte Motor Speedway is 45 MPH.
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The fans of Jimmie Johnson may experience a brief moment of confusion prior to the All Star Race. That’s because Johnson’s Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet will have the #5 on it instead of the traditional #48. It also means that Mark Martin, Johnson’s team mate, will temporarily change his number from 5 to 25 Saturday night.
The change is in conjunction with a special promotion by Johnson’s long time primary sponsor, Lowe’s Home Improvement stores, who are offering five percent discounts on purchases at their stores when using their Lowe’s credit cards.
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THE RACE BREAKDOWN
The Sprint All Star Race, as well as the Sprint Showdown, are 100 laps/150 miles and 20 laps/30 miles respectively. around the Charlotte Motor Speedway’s 1.5 mile quad oval complete with its steep 24 degrees of banking in the turns.
There has been 26 Sprint All Star Races in the past. The first was held in 1985, at the Atlanta Motor Speedway, and was won by Bill Elliot. From that point the race was relocated to its present home at Charlotte.
Those 26 races have sent 18 different winners to victory lane. This highly competitive event has seen seven winners in the last seven races.
The win list is led by Dale Earnhardt Sr and Jeff Gordon who are the only three time winners of the event. Hendrick Motorsports leads the team win category at six based on three wins from Jeff Gordon, two from Jimmie Johnson and one from Terry Labonte.
84 different drivers have competed in at least one All Star Race over the 26 years. Mark Martin leads that list with 21 appearances. The race entry has ranged from ten, in 1986, to 27 back in 2002.
The Sprint All Star Race appears to possibly be somewhat of an omen. Five previous race winners have gone on to win the NASCAR Sprint Cup championship that same year. That prestigious list includes Darrell Waltrip-1985, Dale Earnhardt Sr-1987-1990-1993, Rusty Wallace-1989, Jeff Gordon-1995-1997-2001 and Jimmie Johnson-2006.
The Weather appears to be basically good for the weekend. The National Weather Service forecast for the Charlotte area calls for sunny skies Friday and Saturday with daytime highs ranging from 81 to 85 degrees. However, the All Star Race is a night time event and Saturday night’s forecast calls for cloudy conditions with an over night low of 51 degrees. That could present an interesting challenge for crew chiefs.
The Sprint All Star Race will be presented live by the SPEED Channel beginning at 7 pm eastern time.
IndyCar: Red Hot Indianapolis 500 Rookie Pippa Mann
Pippa Mann may not be a household name as of yet. However, this British IZOD Indycar Series racer will be the latest woman to attempt qualifying for the prestigious Indianapolis 500 centennial race.
This year’s rookie hopes to compete with fellow female drivers Danica Patrick, Simona de Silvestro and Ana Beatriz on the starting grid. If Mann makes the grid, she will make history as the first British woman to race in the Indy 500.
Mann has teamed up with Conquest Racing as driver of the #36 car for this year’s Indy 500. She completed the Rookie Orientation Program at Indianapolis Motor Speedway by turning consistent laps at four speed phases: 200-205 mph (five laps) and 10 laps each at 205-210 mph, 210-215 and 215 or more, driving a total of 35 laps on the 2.5 mile oval, with a fastest average speed of 219.116 mph.
Weather has limited track time for drivers so far this week. This has allowed Mann to make it out on the track for two of the five practice days. Mann is hoping to make the most of the two practice days left before Pole Day.
Mann is the first and only woman to win a pole at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the 2010 Freedom 100 race. During her successful 2010 Firestone Indy Light Series season, Mann secured three poles, a win and finished fifth among the series drivers.
@BimbolenaSports
