Photo Credit: Mike Holtsclaw/OnPitRoad.com
A new format for the NASCAR All-Star race that will take place later this month at Charlotte Motor Speedway was announced.
The new format was formed with input from NASCAR, Charlotte Motor Speedway and drivers on what they felt should be incorporated to make it more intriguing for the fans. One of the drivers to be asked to participate was Team Penske’s Brad Keselowski.
“Someone reached out to me and asked me from Charlotte Motor Speedway what we could do to make the race the best possible, and I put a little bit of thought into it,” he said. “I know another group of drivers did as well and we all kind of pitched in some ideas.
“I don’t know, I don’t think that I was all the ideas, but maybe the one that seems to catch everyone’s attention. I just wanted to see the race something that I would watch if I was a fan, and something that I would want to be proud of if I was the driver that won it.”
The first All-Star race was back in 1985 and the format has changed many time over the years. After 31 years, the new format should bring back some of the nostalgic racing along with a contemporary flair.
“I think what you’re going to see in the All-Star Race is going be the modern day format of excellence for that type of race because a lot of things have changed,” he said. “I think we’ve seen aerodynamics come in the sport and really make it so much more difficult to pass than ever before, and the format is meant to combat that challenge.”
The last segment will be a 13 lap shootout that will start after a random draw to decide whether the top nine, 10 or 11 car will enter pit road to take a mandatory four-tire pit stop. The rest of the field will stay out on older tires and lead then to them to the green to start the final segment. This will make those cars that had to make the stop fight their way from the back to front win those short amount of laps.
“You’re going to win the race one of two way, most likely and one of those two ways is you’re either gonna drive through the field in 13 laps, which is my belief is earning it,” he said. “Whenever you have to pass 12 to 13 cars over the course o 13 laps that’s a lot of passing, and I think that’s going to require perfection from a driver making all the right moves and understanding every little idiosyncrasy of the race track and his competitors, and vice versa.
“If a guy that’s 11th or 12th, or whatever that number ends up being, gets the lead and runs away with it, he’s gonna have to drive his butt of because he’s gonna have such a natural disadvantage with the scenarios that play out I think it’s gonna be extremely difficult for him.
“Either way, no matter who wins, you’re gonna have to fight hard, whereas I think when we looked at the last few years’ scenario it was pretty simply- win the restart into turn one and you win the race.”
The All-Star race winner is awarded $1 million prize, but it not a points race. It also does not earn the winning a driver a berth into the Chase for the Sprint Cup – another circumstance that was asked if that ought to be a consideration.
“I don’t think it’s out of line,” he said. “I hadn’t really thought about it, but it seems fair to me. It seems like if you can win an All-Star Race it seems pretty fair.”
The All-Star race will be run on Saturday May 21st as a lead in to the Coca-Cola 600 on Memorial day weekend.
