NASCAR Notebook: All-Star Challenge
Barry F. Hess
May 18, 2007
Million Dollar Shootout
After just 11 races the 2007 NASCAR season is shaping up to be one of the most intense and competitive seasons the sport has ever seen.
From the introduction of the Car of Tomorrow, to the incredibly difficult qualifying sessions each week and some of the closest finishes race tracks have ever seen there is no question the next 25 races will be just as critical as their predecessors.
But this weekend is different.
This weekend drivers from the Nextel Cup circuit will race in Charlotte, North Carolina and the Lowe’s Motor Speedway not for points but for the shot at winning the million dollar prize that goes to the winner of the annual All-Star Challenge.
After revamping the rules in the off-season the most competitive All-Star event in all of professional sports will be even more challenging this year.
In addition to the slot awarded to the winner of the qualifying race, the runner up is also eligible to compete in this year’s main event, along with the driver who receives the most fan votes prior to the competition.
The race format has also been changed.
Instead of three segments, including one green flag pit stop, the race will be broken into four segments consisting of 20 laps a piece, with five lap caution periods after the first and third segment.
In the fourth and final segment only green flag laps count.
It’s difficult to pick a winner of a race where all the participants haven’t even been announced yet but when it comes to Lowe’s Motor Speedway and predictions you would be silly not to mention the No. 48 Lowe’s Chevy and Jimmie Johnson.
Johnson has won the All-Star Challenge twice and will look to join Davey Allison as the only other driver to win the event in back-to-back years.
Look for Johnson to propel toward the front and dominate once there.
With several different opportunities for a miscue on pit road with the new format look for Johnson’s team to shine as they normally do and keep him in contention to win the event.
Just as picking Johnson to run well at Lowe’s is the obvious choice of recent years so too is picking any Hendrick Chevy to take the checkers in general this season, of course not counting Casey Mears, now that would just be silly.
Johnson’s teammate and partial car owner, Jeff Gordon, has driven the No. 24 DuPont Chevy to Victory Lane three times at the All-Star Challenge.
Gordon is in the midst of perhaps the greatest season of his illustrious career and fresh off his third win of the year last week in Darlington.
Expect to see the good times continue to roll for Gordon Saturday night as he may very well have the best chance at beating the No. 48 to the start/finish line and taking home the million dollar prize.
Kasey Kahne hasn’t had much to smile about in 2007.
In one of the most disappointing performances thus far Kahne, who led the circuit with six wins last season, is 30th in points with just one top 10 finish to date, a seventh place finish at Daytona.
Look for Kahne, who won the Coca-Cola 600 last season, to run his best race of the season Saturday night, which judging from his numbers thus far shouldn’t be that difficult to do.
With no pressure of points looming over his head this exhibition may be just what the doctor ordered for the entire No. 9 Dodge Dealers Dodge team.
In a year where Chevy has dominated the Nextel Cup Matt Kenseth and his No. 17 DeWalt Ford team have been consistently strong week after week.
Kenseth, who won the event in 2004, will continue to keep Ford up front with another strong performance Saturday night.
With one of best pit crews in all of NASCAR Kenseth’s Killer Bees could not only help him gain positions with the new format but they could actually win him the race.
Prediction: Tony Stewart is usually the most aggressive, intense and sometimes out of control driver on the race track when the green flag flies…and that is when he’s being conservative.
Strip away the points of a normal race and Stewart’s driving takes on a whole new look…decipher for yourselves whether that is a compliment or a knock.
Over the last two seasons Stewart has clearly shown what he can do in a race car without the threat of losing points looming over his head.
After being eliminated from the Chase at Richmond last season Stewart took three checkered flags before winning the annual Bud Shootout to begin 2007.
Look for Stewart to continue the streak with a win Saturday night.
Random Thoughts
The biggest non-safety feature NASCAR said the COT would enhance was parody between the larger teams of the Nextel Cup and the smaller ones….after five races and five wins from Hendrick Motor Sports I think it’s safe to say what we all knew from the beginning…NASCAR was wrong again!
Despite the heavy campaigns of Kenny Wallace and Clint Bowyer I believe the fans will vote in either Carl Edwards or Jamie McMurray Saturday night at the All-Star Challenge.
Junior’s fine, deduction of points and loss of his crew chief for six races is yet another gleaming example as to why the drivers of NASCAR need a union representing them. These kinds of decisions are getting more and more ridiculous and no one is willing to stand up to Bill France and say, I don’t think so!
After just 11 races the 2007 NASCAR season is shaping up to be one of the most intense and competitive seasons the sport has ever seen.
From the introduction of the Car of Tomorrow, to the incredibly difficult qualifying sessions each week and some of the closest finishes race tracks have ever seen there is no question the next 25 races will be just as critical as their predecessors.
But this weekend is different.
This weekend drivers from the Nextel Cup circuit will race in Charlotte, North Carolina and the Lowe’s Motor Speedway not for points but for the shot at winning the million dollar prize that goes to the winner of the annual All-Star Challenge.
After revamping the rules in the off-season the most competitive All-Star event in all of professional sports will be even more challenging this year.
In addition to the slot awarded to the winner of the qualifying race, the runner up is also eligible to compete in this year’s main event, along with the driver who receives the most fan votes prior to the competition.
The race format has also been changed.
Instead of three segments, including one green flag pit stop, the race will be broken into four segments consisting of 20 laps a piece, with five lap caution periods after the first and third segment.
In the fourth and final segment only green flag laps count.
It’s difficult to pick a winner of a race where all the participants haven’t even been announced yet but when it comes to Lowe’s Motor Speedway and predictions you would be silly not to mention the No. 48 Lowe’s Chevy and Jimmie Johnson.
Johnson has won the All-Star Challenge twice and will look to join Davey Allison as the only other driver to win the event in back-to-back years.
Look for Johnson to propel toward the front and dominate once there.
With several different opportunities for a miscue on pit road with the new format look for Johnson’s team to shine as they normally do and keep him in contention to win the event.
Just as picking Johnson to run well at Lowe’s is the obvious choice of recent years so too is picking any Hendrick Chevy to take the checkers in general this season, of course not counting Casey Mears, now that would just be silly.
Johnson’s teammate and partial car owner, Jeff Gordon, has driven the No. 24 DuPont Chevy to Victory Lane three times at the All-Star Challenge.
Gordon is in the midst of perhaps the greatest season of his illustrious career and fresh off his third win of the year last week in Darlington.
Expect to see the good times continue to roll for Gordon Saturday night as he may very well have the best chance at beating the No. 48 to the start/finish line and taking home the million dollar prize.
Kasey Kahne hasn’t had much to smile about in 2007.
In one of the most disappointing performances thus far Kahne, who led the circuit with six wins last season, is 30th in points with just one top 10 finish to date, a seventh place finish at Daytona.
Look for Kahne, who won the Coca-Cola 600 last season, to run his best race of the season Saturday night, which judging from his numbers thus far shouldn’t be that difficult to do.
With no pressure of points looming over his head this exhibition may be just what the doctor ordered for the entire No. 9 Dodge Dealers Dodge team.
In a year where Chevy has dominated the Nextel Cup Matt Kenseth and his No. 17 DeWalt Ford team have been consistently strong week after week.
Kenseth, who won the event in 2004, will continue to keep Ford up front with another strong performance Saturday night.
With one of best pit crews in all of NASCAR Kenseth’s Killer Bees could not only help him gain positions with the new format but they could actually win him the race.
Prediction: Tony Stewart is usually the most aggressive, intense and sometimes out of control driver on the race track when the green flag flies…and that is when he’s being conservative.
Strip away the points of a normal race and Stewart’s driving takes on a whole new look…decipher for yourselves whether that is a compliment or a knock.
Over the last two seasons Stewart has clearly shown what he can do in a race car without the threat of losing points looming over his head.
After being eliminated from the Chase at Richmond last season Stewart took three checkered flags before winning the annual Bud Shootout to begin 2007.
Look for Stewart to continue the streak with a win Saturday night.
Random Thoughts
The biggest non-safety feature NASCAR said the COT would enhance was parody between the larger teams of the Nextel Cup and the smaller ones….after five races and five wins from Hendrick Motor Sports I think it’s safe to say what we all knew from the beginning…NASCAR was wrong again!
Despite the heavy campaigns of Kenny Wallace and Clint Bowyer I believe the fans will vote in either Carl Edwards or Jamie McMurray Saturday night at the All-Star Challenge.
Junior’s fine, deduction of points and loss of his crew chief for six races is yet another gleaming example as to why the drivers of NASCAR need a union representing them. These kinds of decisions are getting more and more ridiculous and no one is willing to stand up to Bill France and say, I don’t think so!
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