With nearly one-third of the 2008 NASCAR season in the books, it is time for the Sprint Cup Series competitors to take a weekend off and kick-back with an old-school Saturday night shootout under the lights at Lowe's Motor Speedway (LMS). Entering its 24th year the NASCAR Sprint All-Star race, a non-championship points event, has transformed from a single event to a week-long celebration featuring several fan-friendly happenings for NASCAR supporters in the Charlotte area.
Series sponsor, Sprint, plays host to several events outside of the actual race including the NASCAR Sprint Pit Crew Challenge held on Thursday, May 15th at the Time Warner Cable Arena in downtown Charlotte. Twenty-four of NASCAR's top pit crews will battle for the overall team and individual position titles by completing a pit stop, just as they would on race day, in addition to a 40-yard "push" of a 3,200 pound stock car to the finish line.
Tickets start at $15 and can be purchased online at www.pitcrewchallenge.com or by calling the Charlotte Bobcats ticket office at (800) 495-2295. For fans outside the Charlotte area, the Pit Crew Challenge will be at 9 p.m. that evening on SPEED.
Continuing the week is the celebration of the fifth annual NASCAR Day, to be observed this year on Friday, May 16th. NASCAR Day has become one of the most important and fastest-growing traditions in the NASCAR Family. Since the first celebration in 2004, NASCAR Day has raised almost $5 Million for the charitable initiatives so close to the hearts of the NASCAR Family.
In exchange for a $5 donation, participants will receive a commemorative NASCAR Day lapel pin. Crew Chiefs who have signed up their organization receive a NASCAR Day participation kit that contains all the information needed to successfully celebrate NASCAR Day. The kit includes NASCAR Day pins, a Crew Chief Manual, a collection envelope, a donation envelope and NASCAR Day posters for placement around the office, school or high traffic area. More information can be found at www.nascar.com/foundation
The real fireworks begin with the on-track action at LMS starting with the Craftsman Series Truck Series race on Friday night. UPS driver David Reutimann will make a guest appearance in the broadcast booth during the race which will air live on SPEED at 7:30 p.m. The following night the Sprint Cup Series drivers take to the track in two installments beginning with the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Showdown.
Drivers not qualified for the Sprint All-Star Race will battle it out in the Showdown for a chance to run in Saturday's main event. The top-two finishers in the Showdown will transfer to the All-Star Race as well as one driver voted in by the fans. The All-Star Race will be even more action packed this year as each of the segments have been increased by five laps for a total of 100 laps of competition to decide the winner of a $1 Million prize.
SPEED is scheduled to broadcast live television coverage of the Sprint All-Star Showdown and the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race beginning at 7 p.m. ET. The green flag is scheduled to fall at 7:30 p.m. ET
NASCAR Sprint Pit Crew Challenge at Time Warner Cable Arena
- Team Record: #12 Penske Racing Pit Crew (23.35 seconds, Quarterfinals)
- 2007 Winner: #12 Penske Racing Pit Crew
- Total Purse: $262,650
NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race at Lowe's Motor Speedway
- 2007 Pole Sitter: Matt Kenseth (133.442 mph, 121.401 seconds)
- 2007 Winner: Kevin Harvick (89.091 mph, 1 hour, 20 minutes, 49 seconds)
- Total Purse: $4,000,000 (approximate)
