Sprint All-Star Race

Who Will Win?

Busch

Kyle Busch: Here's how it's going to go: Rowdy Busch will qualify up front, win Segment 1, spend the next two segments working on his car, start up front in the final dash for the finish and end up in victory lane. Well, that's how I'm predicting it to happen, anyway. The final All-Star segment will be all-out every lap, so why not go with the driver with arguably the most talent in the Cup Series? – Nick Bromberg

Jimmie Johnson: The 48 team is clearly on a mission to prove they're not part of the history books, and there's no reason they won't try to take home another All-Star win just to keep the doubt fresh in everyone else's minds. Jimmie Johnson showed last week at Darlington that he has the ability to start fast and run hard for short distances, and that's exactly what you need in the All-Star Race. – Jay Busbee

Jeff Gordon: Four-time has had no luck in 2012. Just last weekend at Darlington, he ran over debris not once but twice, popping two tires. So it goes to figure that when it doesn't matter, he'll win, right? Then, eight days later in the Coca-Cola 600, things will go back to normal, with Gordon running near the front only to have something go wrong, again. – Jay Hart

All-Star Race format:

Segment 1: 20 laps
• Winner of segment will be positioned first to come down pit road at the end of Segment 4.
• Optional pit stop during break, field set by pit stop/stay out position – caution runs for five laps

Segment 2: 20 laps:
• Winner of segment will be positioned second to come down pit road at the end of Segment 4.
• If a repeat winner, second finisher starts final pit segment second.
• Optional pit stop during break, field set by pit stop/stay out position – caution runs for five laps

Segment3: 20 laps
• Winner of segment will be positioned third to come down pit road at the end of Segment 4.
• If a repeat winner, second finisher starts final pit segment third.
• Optional pit stop during break, field set by pit stop/stay out position – caution runs for five laps

Segment 4: 20 laps
• Winner of segment will be positioned fourth to come down pit road at the end of Segment 4.
• If a repeat winner, second finisher starts final pit segment fourth.
• Mandatory pit stop during break. Top four spots locked down by segment winners will line up on cool-down lap, then enter pit road. • Segment 5 restart order determined by order cars roll off pit road.

Segment 5: 10 laps
• Winner take all.

Top storyline

• Will scores be settled and other scores started? With a cool million on the line, a lot of drivers will take chances they wouldn't otherwise take. And if the cool million is out of the picture and there's no points penalty, well, there's a good chance that drivers might decide to settle a few scores here and there, or perhaps start some new ones. In theory, we ought to see harder racing at Charlotte than we've seen all year. In theory. – Jay Busbee

• Who will game the system? The new format means the driver who wins Segment 1 is guaranteed to lead the field down pit road just prior to the final 10-lap, sprint-to-the-finish segment. Whoever that is, watch what they do as the laps wind down in Segment 4. The smart money says they will pit before the 20-lap segment is over, taking on fresh tires. Then, on the mandatory pit stop following Segment 4, they'll take a splash of fuel and go, coming out first on virtual fresh tires and lead the field to green in Segment 5. – Jay Hart

• Will the new All-Star format promoting segment winners to the front of the field for the final segment result in great racing the entire way through? Last year's All-Star race was a relative snoozer – the most exciting moment might have come when Carl Edwards crashed his car celebrating his win. This is for no points … let's see some great racing! – Nick Bromberg

From The Source

Kyle Busch: "I think qualifying well can always lend itself to racing the All- Star race well because you're running however many laps that segment is – you're running that many qualifying laps in a row. You're just trying to get the most you can out of your car."