All-Star race shake-up gets mixed reviews after rout
CONCORD, N.C. — Something had to be done to NASCAR’s annual All-Star race, which had stopped being special years ago. A bunch of drivers circled around Charlotte Motor Speedway in cars too difficult to pass for the lead, so whoever had the clean air raced to an easy $1 million prize.
It was terrible racing and everybody knew it.
So give NASCARandCharlotte president Marcus Smith credit for trying a radically different rules package in a grasp toward adding something to the snooze-fest. They went with restrictor plates, the choking gadgets designed to limit horsepower, which are really only used at Daytona and Talladega. But pack racing on a boring 1.5-mile oval is at minimum something different, so there was no reason for NASCAR not to give it a try.
The results were mixed, and partly because Kevin Harvick won for the third consecutive race, and sixth time this season. Five of those wins are Monster Energy Cup Series points victories.
The final 10 laps, which are supposed to be a rough and tumble chase for the $1 million, were instead a Harvick rout and Charlotte Motor Speedway Sunday, 6 p.m. TV: Chs. 45, 5 that can dilute the results.
The reality is that the risk taken in trying a new package, and Harvick withstanding, the results it produced were at least something different.
“Kudosto NASCARfor trying something, right?” Joey Logano said. “We as competitors come into this racetrack and say, ‘The heck with it, we’ll go for anything.’ At least NASCAR has the same attitude. It’s the race that you have nothing to lose. Theylooked at it that way.”
NASCAR felt the same way and touted the 38 green-flag passes for the lead. Granted, Harvick led the final 11 laps and there was no dramatic sprint for the monetary prize, but there were zero green-flag passes for the lead last year.
“We’re not high-fiving,” said Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR’s head of competition. “I think you judge it by the fans. I think you look down the last 10 laps, everybody is standing up. You saw drivers out there competing. You saw three lead changes in one lap at the end of the third stage.”