5 with best shot at making race
Five candidates with best shot at making race
We look at the most likely drivers to fill the three remaining spots.
There are 17 drivers who have secured spots for Saturday’s NASCAR Sprint All- Star Race.
We’ll know the other three by tonight.
A pair of transfer spots are available for drivers who win the two 20-lap segments of today’s Sprint Showdown at Charlotte Motor Speedway. It’s a lastchance race for those who aren’t locked into the big show.
And at the conclusion of the Showdown, there will be one more spot available: the winner of a fan vote.
So who are the most likely drivers to fill the final three spots? Here’s a ranking of their chances:
1. Martin Truex Jr.
Truex is having an All-Star season, and it would be a shame if he wasn’t able to participate in the main event. Second in the standings, Truex has 10 top-10 finishes in 11 races this season. He’s the best of the drivers not currently locked into the All- Star event, and he’s likely to win one of the two segments today.
2. Danica Patrick
Patrick could win one of the two Showdown segments, but she should have the Sprint Fan Vote to fall back on if she doesn’t.
Josh Wise won the fan vote last year, which stunned those who underestimated the power of the Dogecoin community on Reddit. But the rules changed slightly this year: Only U.S. votes counted, only one vote per e-mail address per day was allowed and votes shared via Facebook or Twitter counted double. Those tweaks would seem to favor Patrick’s fan base, not Wise’s.
3. Kyle Larson
Larson is a favorite to race his way into the All- Star Race because he’s comfortable on 1.5- mile tracks and has the equipment to get it done.
At Kansas Speedway, last week’s 1.5-mile event, Larson was third among non-qualified drivers. He finished sixth in last fall’s Charlotte race, which showed he can perform on this track.
4. Chase Elliott
Elliott an All- Star? But hasn’t he run only two career Sprint Cup Series races?
That’s true. But the defending Xfinity Series champion will run a fifth Hendrick Motorsports car in the Sprint Showdown, which should automatically make him one of the top picks to advance.
All of the other Hendrick/ Stewart-Haas Racing cars are in the All-Star Race except for Patrick’s, which means the Showdown mostly should be a battle of second-tier equipment (Hendrick-powered Chevrolets dominate on intermediate tracks such as Charlotte). Elliott could take advantage of that situation and make the All-Star Race before he’s even a full-time Cup driver.
5. Josh Wise
In the explanation for Patrick, we listed why it will be more difficult for Wise to win the fan vote. But there’s still a chance. Patrick could race her way in and leave the fan vote to someone else — and Wise probably would be next in line.
Also, the Reddit community is still vibrant and dedicated. Though there might not have been as much buzz about Wise’s All- Star hopes this year, it wouldn’t be a shock to see him win back-to-back fan votes.
JEFF GLUCK PREVIEWS THE ALL-STAR RACE See story lines and drivers to watch at nascar.usatoday.com.