Sprint Showdown

The format of Saturday's Sprint All-Star Race alone -- a 100-lap race with a 10-lap dash to the finish -- all but guarantees the sort of intensity we've come to expect from the non-points race for a $1 million top prize.
With one of the most potent fields in its history, the Sprint Showdown, the qualifying race that precedes the All-Star Race and sends two drivers on to the main event, could be every bit as interesting.

Topping the list of Showdown competitors is Dale Earnhardt Jr., who is not guaranteed a spot in the All-Star Race under current eligibility rules. Earnhardt won the All-Star Race in 2000 but is beyond the 10-year window for past race winners.



Likewise, 2000 Cup Series champion Bobby Labonte has aged out of eligibility for a race that guarantees a berth to Cup champions from the past 10 years. Perennial Chase contender Jeff Burton must fight his way into the main event through the Showdown; in addition to the All-Star Race winners and Cup champions of the past decade, the event is open to Cup race winners from the previous and current years, and Burton, like Earnhardt, hasn't won a race since 2008.

After the Showdown, the final spot in the All-Star Race field goes to the driver not otherwise eligible who wins the Sprint Fan Vote.

The list of Showdown drivers also includes A.J. Allmendinger, a front-row starter last Sunday at Dover; Marcos Ambrose, who finished third in the Dover race; Joey Logano, 2009 rookie of the year; and Brian Vickers, who won a race and qualified for the Chase in 2009 before being sidelined by medical issues last year.

Add to that group David Ragan, Brad Keselowski, Martin Truex Jr. and Paul Menard, any of whom could be in the mix for the win.

Accordingly, the Showdown for the two transfer spots to the main event could be just as competitive as the All-Star Race itself.
NASCAR.COM