The All-Star

Last weekend was the biggest race of the year: the Sprint All-Star race where one million dollars was the only thing on the line. The night started with the Sprint Shootout where only the top two finishers move through to the All-Star. A.J. Allmendinger was the pole sitter but before the green flag dropped he had a flat left front, thus moving Dale Jr. to the pole. Junior was gone with the drop of the green flag and Jamie McMurray fell into second. At the mandatory caution everyone pitted allowing Allmendinger to catch the field. At the green Junior took off yet again as Allmendinger started his march through the field picking off car after car. As the field took two to go, Allmendinger was hot on the heals of McMurray and made the pass for second, securing a transfer spot exiting turn two. Junior took the win, Allmendinger second, and Bobby Labonte won the fan vote.
The All-Star race was guaranteed to be interesting with the introduction of the new format: each winner of the first four segments would be the first four on pit road for the mandatory pit stop. Kyle Busch had the pole for the All-Star but at the drop of the green it was Jimmie Johnson who rocketed to the front and won the first segment, Johnson immediately started playing strategy after the first round off pit stops and dropped  way back from the field at the green knowing he would be the first onto pit road for the final pit stop, Matt Kenseth took the second segment and fell back to join Jimmie Johnson. The third segment was a fantastic one with a fast Kasey Kahne in second and closing on leader Brad Keselowski, Kahne made a dive bomb off turn four coming to the checkered but was beat by about one inch and Keselowski won the third segment and also followed Johnson's strategy. At the drop of the green flag for segment four it was Junior who had played pit strategy to get the lead but a caution late in the segment allowed for Allmendinger to close again, at the restart Junior was able to slightly pull away and keep the lead to win the four segment, allowing him to be the fourth driver to pit road. As the cars came for the mandatory final pit stop the four segment winners were the first to pit road it was Johnson, Kenseth, Keselowski, and Earnhardt Jr., and what and eventful pit stop they were with no one taking tires or gas they all had to come to a complete stop in there pit boxes before leaving, and they all left how they had entered. At the restart Kenseth bobbled a little and Johnson stretched out in front and never looked back leading the final ten laps and winning the Sprint All-Star race. To celebrate Johnson did one of the most awesome things I have seen in a long time. He picked up team owner Rick Hendrick and placed him on the door of his car and drove him around the front stretch on a parade lap.