Sprint Showdown
 |
|
| Venue |
Charlotte Motor Speedway (1985, 1987–present) Atlanta Motor Speedway (1986) |
|---|---|
| Location |
Concord, North Carolina, United States (1985, 1987–present) Hampton, Georgia, United States (1986) |
| Corporate sponsor | Monster Energy |
| First race | 1985 |
| Distance | 105 miles (169 km) |
| Laps | 70 (Four Segments: 20 Laps, 20 Laps, 20 Laps, 10 Laps) |
| Previous names |
The Winston (1985–1993, 1997–2003) The Winston Select (1994–1996) Nextel All-Star Challenge (2004–2007) Sprint All-Star Challenge (2008–2012) Sprint All-Star Race (2013–2016) |
| Most wins (driver) | Jimmie Johnson (4) |
| Most wins (team) | Hendrick Motorsports (8) |
| Most wins (manufacturer) | Chevrolet (17) |
| Surface | Asphalt |
| Length | 1.5 mi (2.4 km) |
| Turns | 4 |
The Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race, formerly known as The Winston until 2004, the Nextel All-Star Challenge from 2004 to 2007, then the Sprint All-Star Race from 2013 to 2016, is an annual Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series between race winners from the previous season and the beginning of the current season, as well as all past event winners, previous NASCAR Cup Series champions who attempted to run the entire previous season. Two other ways to become eligible to race in the event are winning one of the five Showdown races (a twin 20-lap race for drivers not eligible for the main event), or by winning the fan vote.
The first running of the race was held in 1985 at Charlotte Motor Speedway (formerly Lowe's Motor Speedway) and has been run there every year except in 1986 when it was run at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Michael Waltrip became the first driver to win the All-Star race after transferring in from a qualifying race in 1996. Until 2001, the rule restricted only champions of the past five All Star Challenge events, but in 2005, the rule became the winners in the past ten years of either the NASCAR Cup Series or the All-Star Race. For 2015, the full-time drivers who have won a NASCAR Cup Series or All-Star Race are now exempt, regardless of when they won the race. The Showdown was restricted to the top 50 drivers in either the final standings of the previous year or current standings in the current year. From 2000 to 2002, and again starting in 2015, two qualifying races (the "Showdown" currently) are implemented.
In 2004, Nextel, predecessor to Sprint, added a vote of race spectators, internet users and Sprint cellphone users to add one additional driver not in the field, but in the Showdown, and finishing on the lead lap, to the final starting field. Starting in 2008, the event's name featured the use of the edition of the race in Roman numerals, with the 2008 race's official name the "Sprint All-Star Race XXIV". Also, the fan entry driver was changed, with the new formula coming from those attending races up to that point, Sprint retail locations and double votes from Sprint subscribers. In 2014, the Showdown race was moved to the night preceding the All-Star Race. To replace the event, Charlotte Motor Speedway president, Marcus Smith announced that qualifying for the All-Star Race will take place shortly before the main event.
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