NASCAR
New Rules Package in All-Star Race Leads to Million Dollar Victory for Kevin Harvick
In an effort to improve the racing product on intermediate racetracks, NASCAR announced that a radically new rules package would be used for this year’s All-Star Race. After a race that saw the pack of cars brought together, Kevin Harvick won his 2nd All-Star race in an Overtime finish.
New Rules Package Explained
In contrast to the current low downforce package used at most racetracks, this new rules package had many changes. First of all, the spoiler was 6 inches tall, with 8 inch ‘bunny ears’ on each end. This was done in an effort to increase drag on the cars. Next, restrictor plates were installed in the engines, to limit speed. Carbon fiber ducts were also placed in the nose, which pushed air out to the sides of the car, in front of the wheels. The thought process with these ducts was to increase the car’s wake, and promote drafting. Lastly, the splitter was redesigned to the larger 2014 model.
This package was very similar to what the Xfinity cars raced last year at Indianapolis. That race saw a large increase in passing, and a much smaller margin of victory than in years past. NASCAR was hoping for similar results at Charlotte, as they wanted more passing and a closer battle for the win.
All-Star Open
Prior to the All-Star Race was the Monster Energy Open, a ‘last chance race’ for 4 drivers to make their way into the main event. The format for this event was simple, 2 stages of 20 laps each, followed by a 10 lap shootout. Each stage winner and the fan vote winner would move onto the All-Star Race later that night.
The 3 stages were won by Alex Bowman, Daniel Suarez, and AJ Allmendinger. After the race concluded, Chase Elliott was announced as the fan vote winner.
All-Star Race Format
The format for this year’s All-Star race was similar to prior races. There would be 4 stages, with lengths of 30, 20, 20, and 10 laps. Each stage only counted green flag laps, and they could not finish under caution. No pit stop was mandatory for the All-Star Race, but many stops were expected for fuel and fresh tires.
Rain Causes Race Day Combined Practice Session
Due to heavy rain in Charlotte on Friday, there was no practice for the All-Star Race or for the Open. As a result, nobody had any experience with the new rules package. To compensate for this, NASCAR allowed a 1-hour combined All-Star Race and Open race practice session. During this hour, teams took to the track for their first laps with this new rules package. Pack racing was present in this session, but handling was a big factor as well.
On holding practice in the morning prior to a night race, Charlotte Motor Speedway General Manager Marcus Smith said “It was exciting for me, but not a lot of people were here because we announced it so late. But I like cars on the track anytime, it was good for me, I certainly enjoyed it.”
Even with running an hour of practice, the 21 drivers still went into the All-Star Race with more questions than answers. Nobody knew how this new rules package would race on the high-banked 1.5 mile Charlotte Motor Speedway. As a result, drivers were forced to adjust to an entirely new style of racing over the 80 lap distance.
Race Recap
Qualifying for the All-Star Race saw Roush Fenway Racing sweep the front row, with Matt Kenseth and Ricky Stenhoue Jr. On lap 2, Kurt Busch spun by himself, bringing out a brief caution flag. While the Roush Fords did start up front, it was Kevin Harvick who dominated the opening 30-lap stage by leading 25 laps.
After pit stops, the Toyotas of Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch were up front for Stage 2. Busch blasted away from Truex on lap 32 and would stay out front for the remainder of Stage 2.
Stage 3 was much of the same at first, with the 78 out front at the beginning. Brad Keselowski would also lead briefly during this stage. Lap 57 saw a caution when contact from Alex Bowman sent Kasey Kahne into the front stretch wall. Bowman would bring out another caution by spinning on lap 70.
Lap 76 saw the major wreck of the night, as Martin Truex Jr. barely clipped Ricky Stenhouse Jr., who was below him while entering turn 3. Since they were 4-wide at this time, the contact collected Clint Bowyer, both Busch brothers, Brad Keselowski, and the Roush cars. This wreck was similar to a Daytona or Talladega-style wreck, as the pack racing brought on by the new rules package led to this carnage.
Due to the 3 cautions, Stage 3 was extended in length to end on lap 83, with an Overtime finish. The lap 82 restart saw Kyle Larson out front, but Harvick and Daniel Suarez got by him to finish Stage 3 in a photo finish.
Last Stage Leads to Increased Aggression
With 10 laps remaining before a million dollar payout, any semblance of patience was gone from the leaders. Lap 91 saw Kyle Larson run Joey Logano up into the wall while battling for the 4th position. Logano would bounce off the wall, and spin Larson into the infield grass, bringing out a caution with 2 laps to go. This would set up an Overtime finish for the 1 million dollar prize.
On the last restart, Kevin Harvick was on the high side, with Daniel Suarez to his inside. Behind each of the leaders were Logano and Denny Hamlin. The restart was a shoving match through turns 1 and 2, similar to superspeedway racing. Hamlin became detached from Suarez’s bumper, and drifted high, almost making contact with Harvick. This disruption in the lower lane’s momentum allowed Logano’s major push to clear Harvick by Suarez. Harvick would hold the lead through the last lap to win the All-Star Race.
Mixed Reviews on the New Rules Package
By looking solely at the margin of victory, one would believe the new rules package for the All-Star Race was a success. Kyle Busch won the 2017 All-Star Race by 1.2 seconds, while 9 drivers were within that same time this year. However, this new rules package still has some adjustments that need to be made.
In my opinion, this new rules package was a step in the right direction, but it was not perfect. While racing in the pack was much closer, it was still very difficult to catch and pass the leader. This was proven by Harvick leading 36 laps, including the last 11 circuits.
NASCAR deserves credit for attempting something vastly new in this year’s All-Star Race. While the year’s most dominant driver did win, there were several improvements in the on-track racing product. If someone made a mistake while racing in the top 5, they were able to rebound relatively quickly.
