2019 NASCAR All-Star Race Format and Preview
Monster Energy Cup Series All-Star Race
Saturday, May 18th, 2019 8:00PM (EST)
NASCARWagers.com, NASCAR Handicapping Service
NASCAR returns home to Charlotte this upcoming weekend to set the stage for two of the most exciting weekends of racing starting with this Saturday’s All-Star Race and followed by the Coca Cola 600 on Memorial Day weekend. As the anticipation builds towards two of the most exciting races on the schedule, I wanted to take a moment to breakdown the 2019 NASCAR All-Star race including the format and the debut of technical elements that will be used for the future Gen-7 car that is planned to be released into competition in 2021. Therefore let’s dive into our discussion surrounding this weekend’s 2019 All-Star Race and breakdown what we should expect to see at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
2019 All-Star Race Format
Nearly every year the All-Star Race provides some type of twist to the prior format. However, this year’s format will be nearly identical to the 2018 format with 4 different stages. The only difference is the final stage has been increased from 10 to 15 laps. Therefore, the stage breakdowns will have a 30/20/20/15 split or falling on laps 30, 50, 70, and concluding on lap 85. It is also important to note that only green flag laps will count towards the final segment which will hopefully provide the type of intense racing action desired in the final run towards the All-Star Race’s million dollar prize for the winner!
*Current list of drivers locked into the 2019 All-Star Race
| No. | Driver | Make | Organization |
|---|
| 1 | Kurt Busch | Chevrolet | Chip Ganassi Racing |
| 2 | Brad Keselowski | Ford | Team Penske |
| 3 | Austin Dillon | Chevrolet | Richard Childress Racing |
| 4 | Kevin Harvick | Ford | Stewart-Haas Racing |
| 6 | Ryan Newman | Ford | Rousch-Fenway Racing |
| 9 | Chase Elliott | Chevrolet | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 10 | Aric Almirola | Ford | Stewart-Haas Racing |
| 11 | Denny Hamlin | Toyota | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 12 | Ryan Blaney | Ford | Team Penske |
| 14 | Clint Bowyer | Ford | Stewart-Haas Racing |
| 18 | Kyle Busch | Toyota | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 19 | Martin Truex Jr. | Toyota | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 20 | Erik Jones | Toyota | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 22 | Joey Logano | Ford | Team Penske |
| 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Chevrolet | Hendrick Motorsports |
Monster Energy Cup Series Open
Before the actual All-Star Race drops the green flag Saturday night, there will be an intense battle in the Monster Energy Cup Series Open for drivers to race their way into the All-Star Race. Historically, the Open has been a prestigious way for drivers to race their way into the All-Star Race that did not meet the eligibility criteria. The current 15 drivers that are locked into the All-Star Race had to meet at least one condition of the following eligibility criteria: a victory in 2018-2019, a prior victory in the All-Star Race, or be a former Monster Energy Cup Series Champion.
Obviously the list of drivers locked into the All-Star Race is relatively small from what we have seen in recent years and there are a lot of popular names that will have to earn their ticket into the All-Star Race including the likes of Kyle Larson, Daniel Suarez, Ricky Stenhouse Jr, Alex Bowman, and others. In order to earn that ticket into the All-Star Race, drivers will need to win 1 of 3 stages in the Monster Energy Cup Series Open. The Open is scheduled to start at roughly 6:00PM (EST) on Saturday with 3 stages on laps 20, 40, and 50. The winner of each stage will move on to race in the 2019 All-Star Race with one final spot being awarded by fan vote to compile the 19 car field in Saturday night’s main event.
2019 All-Star Race Tech Changes
When cars hit the track on Friday, NASCAR will give spectators a glimpse into the future of the sport with tech changes that are expected to be incorporated into the Generation-7 car planned for 2021. NASCAR has often used the All-Star Race as an experimental event for rules package changes. If you remember, the 2018 All-Star Race provided an exciting race that eventually led to the 2019 rules package that included heightened downforce and tapered spacers. The changes for this year’s All-Star Race will include a single piece carbon fiber splitter and radiator ducts that exit through the hood (instead of the engine). Overall, the changes do not appear to be significant but they are designed to reduce front drag to allow more consistent performance in traffic.
One of the constant gripes about the current rules package is the difficulty to pull off passes especially towards the front of the field. Ironically, it is the same criticism that fans provided prior to the 2019 rules changes yet we continue to see racing where the premium is “clean air.” The harsh reality is that we live in an era where “clean air” will always provide the optimum aero advantage. I don’t expect that sentiment to change even with the upcoming tech changes in the All-Star Race. As fans, we can only hope that these changes make cars handle more consistently so they are not “trapped” in dirty air when pulling up on slower cars. As always, time will only tell if NASCAR’s tech experimentation is moving in the right direction.
2019 All-Star Race Preview
So what does all of this mean for Saturday night’s All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway? Well for starters, I don’t never release official All-Star Race betting predictions. This race has proved time and time again to provoke the insanity of non-points events. With a million dollar prize on the line and a format geared towards short run restarts, it does not provide any type of handicapping edge towards bettors.
However, I do feel like this year’s All-Star Race is poised to provide a potential “surprise” winner. In recent weeks, we have seen favorites like Kevin Harvick, Martin Truex, and Kyle Busch (formerly known as the Big 3) have mediocre type performances on the 1.5 mile tracks. Meanwhile the Chevrolet teams are legitimately gaining momentum. Chase Elliott and Alex Bowman have contended for victories in back to back weeks. Jimmie Johnson was also really strong at Kansas this past weekend. Even when you look at the entire rundown of Chevrolet teams at Kansas, drivers like Austin Dillon, Tyler Reddick, and Chris Buescher were all in promising positions late in the race.
Prior to Kansas, I was skeptical if we would see Team Chevrolet’s momentum carry over from the Monster Mile. However, the Chevrolet teams confirmed that their performance gains are legitimate and the gap has officially narrowed. With those things in mind, it opens the door for some potential surprises on Saturday night even if some of those “Chevrolet” drivers have to race their way into the All-Star Race from the Open. As it currently stands, I don’t think anyone has the “advantage” ahead of Saturday’s main event. Despite some mediocre outings from a performance standpoint, I would list Kyle Busch as the most threatening favorite for the All-Star Race based on his ability to get the best out of his car combined with his restart talent.
Still, Busch has only a slight edge in what will likely be a wide open race where track position will likely remain ideal and teams will try to execute the perfect pit strategy with every segment break. This is ultimately not a race designed to provide good results for bettors. If you still plan on betting the All-Star Race, I would at least wait to see how on-track activities unfold on Friday before placing any wagers. The good news is that we will get some betting action in on Friday when the Gander Outdoors Truck Series takes center stage for the running of the NC Education Lottery 200. For Saturday, I will be watching as a fan in hopes for an exciting race!
