Hamlin joins Jamie McMurray, Brad Keselowski, Kevin Harvick, Kasey Kahne, Tony Stewart, Carl Edwards, Matt Kenseth, Joey Logano, Newman, Kurt Busch, Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr. and Dale Earnhardt Jr.in the all-star race.
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Logano didn’t get the hole shot on the final 13-lap shootout, but he would track down the very fast Kyle Larson and make the race-winning pass with just 2 laps to go. But Larson clipped the wall and fell out of contention, ending up in 16th.
Keselowski’s idea spawned this year’s format: Two 50-lap segments, after which the top 9, 10 or 11 drivers will be required to pit for four tires.
The unusual twist in this year’s 13-lap final segment will be a lottery to determine which four cars must stay out of the pits and finish the race on used tires. Created to build on the strategies caused by a mandatory four-tire stop before the end of the race over previous years, this year’s system mandates four-tire stops for a portion of the top ten and nothing for the rest, forcing a split strategy and a jumbled restart immediately afterward. You can also follow along live at NASCAR’s Race Center. Elliott led on the restart with Blaney second, Dillon third, Bayne fourth and then Larson and Ricky Stenhouse Jr., respectively. He had to race his way into the main event earlier Saturday, and earned his spot in the 20-driver field by beating Chase Elliott in a stirring last-lap door-to-door battle to the checkered flag. Each of the last three years, the driver who led the field to the green flag to begin the final segment drove off and led every lap to collect the victory.
Because Kenseth had lapped so many cars by not pitting, eight cars were a lap down at the start of the second segment.
They got off pit road with a strategy that differed from those of most of their competitors.
The starting grid was set based on vehicle owner points after rain forced the cancellation of event practice and qualifying also was scheduled for Friday. They traded the lead back and forth before Harvick finally was able to clear Busch to take over sole possession of the lead by lap 10. Is there going to be a lot of fall-off, a little fall-off?
The caution flag meant the segment ended under yellow and since Kenseth didn’t pit under green, he was penalized a lap by the rules of the race. After that segment, there will be a random drawing to invert the top nine, 10 or 11 cars for a final 13-lap run.
“I’m in the sport and we’re confused, so how does the race fan keep up at times?”
“Lap down cars were pitting with lead lap cars”, Junior said.
Rather than just being a set number of miles and the drivers going around the track as many times as it takes to get to that number, the NASCAR All-Star Race changes it all up. NASCAR also rolled out a new aerodynamic package for the All-Star Race, aimed at decreasing downforce.
2004 victor and active leader with a 6.1 average finish in 15 Sprint All-Star starts.
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Schedule: Thursday, practice (12:30 p.m.), practice (2:30 p.m.), practice (FS1, 4:30 p.m.); Friday, qualifying (FS1, 5:30 p.m.), race, 8:30 p.m., FS1.
