Somehow I don’t remember the All-Star Race having an open race, so this is coming as a surprise to me. but then again all I remember about recent All-Star Races is how boring they’ve been. 21 drivers compete in the open with the winner of the two stages transferring into the All-Star race. It’s a 50 lap race split into 20-20-10. I’m guessing the winner of the race will transfer in also. I don’t remember seeing four open spots in the lineup after qualifying yesterday. There’s also a fan vote entry. I wonder if fan voting is still open. Pace car heads off.
The really cool thing about the pre-show was that it opened with Jeff Gordon and Darrell Waltrip on the desk with Myers, so I got to listen to the pre-show without the aggravating babble of Michael Waltrip. It didn’t last, and after a while Mikey came on and the volume was switched to mute and it become radio time.
Aric ‘Afterburner’ Almirola and Erik ‘Da Brat’ Jones lead the field to green.
Sounds like NASCAR is testing a new engine package in this race.
Chase Elliott has a great paint-scheme on his 9 car.
The winner of the stages take the car to the garage until the All-Star Race.
Alex Bowman has taken the lead from Afterburner with 8 laps to go.
Alex Bowman wins!!! Great job rookie!
‘Da Brat’ is one of three to stay out on the pit stop.
‘Da Brat’ and William Byron leads the field to green.
Daniel Suarez takes the lead.
Chase Elliott takes the lead with 7 laps to go in the stage.
Suarez retakes the lead with five laps to go.
I see clouds in one of the turns so it seems weather is not completely guaranteed at this point though the sun is shining on the track. Looks like that was turn four.
Menard kissed the wall and all continue under green.
Daniel Suarez wins stage 2!!! Great job!
Bubba Wallace took two tires and is out first and will lead them to the green flag for the 10 lap shoot-out.
Its getting messy out there, lots of folks battling hard. Looks like somebody has a small tire rub – saw a puff of smoke.
TV doesn’t have the laps to go showing. Bubba is leading with Chase on his tail with three laps to go.
Chase takes the lead with two to go.
He and AJ ‘Ding Dong’ Allmendinger are battling hard as they take the white flag.
AJ Allmendinger wins.
Chase Elliott won the fan vote, so he will get to race in the All-Star Race. Hooray! I wanted him in the race.
| Starting Spot | Driver | Team/Car |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Matt Kenseth | Roush Fenway Racing/No. 6 Ford |
| 2 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | Roush Fenway Racing/No. 17 Ford |
| 3 | Clint Bowyer | Stewart-Haas Racing/No. 14 Ford |
| 4 | Kevin Harvick | Stewart-Haas Racing/No. 4 Ford |
| 5 | Martin Truex Jr. | Furniture Row Racing/No. 78 Toyota |
| 6 | Ryan Blaney | Team Penske/No. 12 Ford |
| 7 | Kyle Busch | Joe Gibbs Racing/No. 18 Toyota |
| 8 | Brad Keselowski | Team Penske/No. 2 Ford |
| 9 | Austin Dillon | Richard Childress Racing/No. 3 Chevrolet |
| 10 | Joey Logano | Team Penske/No. 22 Ford |
| 11 | Jimmie Johnson | Hendrick Motorsports/No. 48 Chevrolet |
| 12 | Jamie McMurray | Chip Ganassi Racing/No. 1 Chevrolet |
| 13 | Ryan Newman | Richard Childress Racing/No. 31 Chevrolet |
| 14 | Denny Hamlin | Joe Gibbs Racing/No. 11 Toyota |
| 15 | Kurt Busch | Stewart-Haas Racing/No. 41 Ford |
| 16 | Kyle Larson | Chip Ganassi Racing/No. 42 Chevrolet |
| 17 | Kasey Kahne | Leavine Family Racing/No. 95 Chevrolet |
| 18 | Alex Bowman | Hendrick Motorsports/No. 88 Chevrolet |
| 19 | Daniel Suarez | Joe Gibbs Racing/No. 19 Toyota |
| 20 | AJ Allmendinger | JTG Daugherty Racing/No. 47 Chevrolet |
| 21 | Chase Elliott | Hendrick Motorsports/No. 9 Chevrolet |
Here’s how the drivers became eligible for the All-Star Race:
| Rank | Driver | How qualified |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ryan Blaney | 2017 Pocono-1 win |
| 2 | Clint Bowyer | 2018 Martinsville-1 win |
| 3 | Kurt Busch | 2017 Daytona 500 win |
| 4 | Kyle Busch | 2017 Pocono-2 win |
| 5 | Austin Dillon | 2017 Charlotte-1 win |
| 6 | Denny Hamlin | 2017 New Hampshire-1 win |
| 7 | Kevin Harvick | 2017 Sonoma win |
| 8 | Jimmie Johnson | 2017 Texas-1 win |
| 9 | Kasey Kahne | 2017 Indianapolis win |
| 10 | Matt Kenseth | 2017 Phoenix-2 win |
| 11 | Brad Keselowski | 2017 Atlanta win |
| 12 | Kyle Larson | 2017 Auto Club win |
| 13 | Joey Logano | 2018 Talladega-1 win |
| 14 | Jamie McMurray | Former All-Star Race winner |
| 15 | Ryan Newman | 2017 Phoenix-1 win |
| 16 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 2017 Talladega-1 win |
| 17 | Martin Truex Jr. | 2017 Las Vegas win |
| 18 | Alex Bowman | Open Stage 1 winner |
| 19 | Daniel Suarez | Open Stage 2 winner |
| 20 | AJ Allmendinger | Open Final Stage winner |
| 21 | Chase Elliott | Fan Vote winner |
It looks like chaos in the infield around the drivers. Two bims are switching in front of Rampage Jackson half dressed. Not sure if they’re Monster Energy bims or specifically Rampage’s bims. Tacky.
There’s a girl with a card over her head with the driver’s name on it coming out on stage. Wow. Really. That’s tacky. So those other two must’ve been Monster bims also since they were wearing the same leather bra and leather tights. I guess NASCAR’s days of trying to go upscale/respectable have gone out the window if strippers leading the drivers and crews out are the future.
It’s interesting when they do these to see the drivers who seem to be one of the crew when they come out and the drivers who act like they’re the star and their crew are just their flunkies – like Kyle Larson.
For about 69 laps I was listening to the race, but didn’t hear anything worth turning around to watch – dinner time. Then the action picked up at the end of the second stage.
Harvick will lead them to the green flag for the final 10 lap run to the checkers.
New Daddy – again – ‘Kutey’ Kyle Larson spins out with two laps to go. The race has to end under green. Joey ‘Squinty Douchey’ Logano hit the wall, bounced off and into Larson.
Kevin ‘Happy’ Harvick will lead them to green again.
Harvick wins. Yawn.
NASCAR News:
- NASCAR, IndyCar using new concussion tests.
- NASCAR getting frustrated at teams’ technical inspection failures.
- NASCAR changes race-start tyre rules and pit repair equipment guidelines.
- Cup champion Martin Truex Jr explains veterans’ dominance in NASCAR.
- Truex: NASCAR penalties make fans think everyone’s cheating.
- NASCAR declines to offer comment on reports of potential sale.
- IndyCar driver Conor Daly to make NASCAR debut at Road America.
- Roush outlines Matt Kenseth’s part-season 2018 NASCAR Cup programme.
- Chase Elliott confronts Ricky Stenhouse Jr. after late run-in on track.
- Eight-car wreck wipes out contenders in Monster Energy All-Star Race.
- The Latest: Harvick beats Suarez to win NASCAR All-Star race.
- Kyle Busch rips his pit crew, defends his comments.
- Kyle Busch drove back to 2nd in Truck race via ‘pure talent’.
- Some team owners have growing frustration with NASCAR.
- Johnny Sauter wins NASCAR Truck race at Charlotte.
- Matt Kenseth and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. to start 1-2 in All-Star Race.
- Byron to pilot throwback rainbow ride at Darlington.
- Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina extends with Hendrick, Johnson.
- Legalized betting could drum up interest in NASCAR.
- NASCAR betting could be available in Dover when circuit returns this fall.
- ‘It’s getting old’: Ex-NASCAR driver mocks fans ‘wasting your breath’ whining.
- Blind USC long snapper Jake Olson drives car at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
- Kyle Larson loses 20 points because of bowed-in rear windshield at Kansas.
- For most female racecar drivers, breaking through asphalt ceiling proves elusive.
- Nine drivers selected for 2018 NASCAR Next class.
- Kligerman: Why the essence of Jimmie Johnson is ‘They won’t outwork me’.
- NASCAR-style post-graduation speech takes Internet by storm.