Page 22 - aruba-today-20180519

A22 SPORTS
Saturday 19 May 2018
NASCAR adds quirky plate package to $1 million All-Star race

By JENNA FRYER how to get really good at it
Associated Press or getting out of (racing) so
CONCORD, N.C. (AP) — we'll see what happens."
NASCAR's annual All-Star Saturday night's field will
race is a $1 million winner- have 21 drivers. It is com-
take-all spectacle that has prised of 17 previously
failed for years to live up to qualified drivers, three who
the hype. will transfer in from a quali-
Radical rules changes have fying race, and the win-
been implemented for Sat- ner of a fan vote. The fan
urday night's race — rules vote winner is expected to
that might help NASCAR's be Chase Elliott, the son of
stars stop Kevin Harvick's Bill Elliott, one of the most
winning streak — and it is popular drivers in NASCAR
supposed to dramatically history.
improve the action. All will be chasing Harvick,
"I think it's going to be in- who has a Cup-high five
tense. The draft will be big," victories, including two in
Daytona 500 winner Aus- a row. He's also won the
tin Dillon said. "It's going to event before, in 2007, and
be what the All-Star race was second in 2014 and
is supposed to be — a wild 2015. Harvick is the lead-
mess." er of a rejuvenated Ford
That could very well be the program, which has won
result of this package that seven of 12 Cup races this
includes horsepower-sap- season. Ford drivers have
ping restrictor plates. But combined to lead 59 per-
rain most of the day Friday Crew members for Brad Keselowski push is car before practice for NASCAR Cup Series All Star cent of the laps and have
at Charlotte Motor Speed- auto race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Friday, May 18, 2018 in Concord, N.C. won 17 stages.
way prevented drivers from But Kyle Busch is the Cup
getting much of a feel for and try to create more similar experiment last year uct. Series points leader, even
what kind of race is ahead. passing, NASCAR pulled in the Xfinity Series race at "It's not necessarily what I though he trails Harvick by
"We were all hoping for out the plates that are gen- Indianapolis Motor Speed- signed up for to be a race two victories. He's realistic
more track time to be able erally used only at super- way and the racing was car driver, to bring the about where his Toyota
to filter through the informa- speedways and chose a well received. whole field closer together team stacks up against
tion. Anytime the weather six-inch spoiler. The thought But Charlotte is only and have it dictated by Harvick, and isn't sure an
restricts you from track time is the leader won't be able 1.5-miles and the potential some type of a plate race," anything-goes race will
it hurts," Kurt Busch said. "A to jump out to a large aero- for pack racing created Kyle Busch said. "But if that's make a difference in being
lot of things are going to be dynamic advantage, and many unknowns — and not what we're going to have able to catch Harvick.
juggled this weekend." the cars will run in tighter everyone is certain they going forward, then I guess "We know they're the bet-
To shake things up this year packs. NASCAR tried a are going to like the prod- I either need to think about ter group right now," Busch
said. "I'm not saying that we
feel bad not being the bet-
ter group right now, we just
know that we got to go to
work and get ourselves to
that point and we're not
quite there yet. We'll just
fight hard for a race win if
we can get one and if it's
for a million bucks, we'll go
get it."
The All-Star race will be bro-
ken into stages of 30, 20, 20
and 10 laps. Overtime rules
will be used at the end of
stages so that no stage will
end under caution. Only
green-flag laps will count in
the final 10-lap sprint to the
finish.q

Crew members for Joey Logano push his race car during a rain delay, interrupting practice for Saturday's NASCAR Cup Series All
Star auto race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Friday, May 18, 2018 in Concord, N.C.