3 things you need to know about Saturday's NASCAR Sprint Cup All-Star Race
Saturday night is the NASCAR Sprint Cup All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, an annual classic where drivers will compete for a $1 million prize.
Jamie McMurray is the reigning All-Star race champion and will attempt to join three other two-time All-Star winners in Davey Allison (1991-1992), Terry Labonte (1988, 1999) and Mark Martin (1998, 2005). Two drivers have won the race three times: Jeff Gordon (1995, 1997, 2001) and Dale Earnhardt (1987, 1990, 1993). However, Jimmie Johnson tops the Sprint All-Star wins list with four (2003, 2006, 2012, 2013).
Here are three things you need to know before the race:
All-Star Race Format
The race will be run in four 25-lap segments followed by a final 10-lap segment to crown the $1 million winner. A mandatory four-tire pit stop will follow the first four segments.
The driver's average finish during the first four segments will determine the order on pit road before the 10-lap shootout. The order of the cars leaving pit road will determine the starting order of the final segment.
Sprint Showdown
On Friday night, drivers that haven't qualified for the All-Star Race will compete under the lights in the Sprint Showdown for one final chance to qualify. The Showdown will feature two, 20-lap segments and the winners of each segment will qualify for the All-Star Race.
Driver Eligibility
To be eligible to participate Saturday, drivers must pass a checklist of qualifications. Each driver has to have won a NASCAR Sprint Cup race in 2014 or 2015, have previously won an All-Star race or have won a Sprint Cup Series Championship.
Here are the 17 drivers locked into Saturday night's race so far:
| Driver | Eligibility |
|---|---|
| AJ Allmendinger | Win at Watkins Glen (2014) |
| Aric Almirola | Win at Daytona-2 (2014) |
| Kurt Busch | Win at Martinsville-1 (2014) |
| Kyle Busch | Win at Auto Club (2014) |
| Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Win at Daytona-1 (2014) |
| Carl Edwards | Win at Bristol-1 (2014) |
| Jeff Gordon | Win at Kansas-1 (2014) |
| Denny Hamlin | Win at Talladega-1 (2014) |
| Kevin Harvick | Win at Phoenix-1 (2014) |
| Jimmie Johnson | Win at Charlotte-1 (2014) |
| Kasey Kahne | Win at Atlanta (2014) |
| Matt Kenseth | Win in NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race (2004) |
| Brad Keselowski | Win at Las Vegas (2014) |
| Joey Logano | Win at Texas-2 (2014) |
| Jamie McMurray | Win in NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race (2014) |
| Ryan Newman | Win in NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race (2002) |
| Tony Stewart | Win in NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race (2009) |
Fans will choose the final driver to make the field. The winner of the Sprint Fan Vote will be announced in victory lane following the Sprint Showdown. The 32 drivers eligible for the Sprint Fan Vote must have attempted to qualify for the 2015 Daytona 500 and must run in the Sprint Showdown.