The 2016 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race (XXXII) was a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stock car exhibition race held on May 21, 2016 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina. Contested over 113 laps, it was the second exhibition race of the 2016 Sprint Cup Series season.
This marks the first all-star race without Jeff Gordon since 1993.
Report
Background
The All-Star Race was open to race winners from last season through the 2016 AAA 400 Drive for Autism at Dover International Speedway and all previous All-Star race winners and Sprint Cup champions who had attempted to qualify for every race in 2016 were eligible to compete in the All-Star Race.
Entry list Sprint Showdown The entry list for the Sprint Showdown was released on Monday, May 16 at 12:29 p.m. Eastern time. Twenty-five drivers were entered for the race.
Driver Team Manufacturer3Austin DillonRichard Childress RacingChevrolet6Trevor BayneRoush Fenway RacingFord7Regan SmithTommy Baldwin RacingChevrolet10Danica PatrickStewart–Haas RacingChevrolet13Casey MearsGermain RacingChevrolet15Clint BowyerHScott MotorsportsChevrolet16Greg BiffleRoush Fenway RacingFord17Ricky Stenhouse Jr.Roush Fenway RacingFord21Ryan Blaney (R)Wood Brothers RacingFord23David RaganBK RacingToyota24Chase Elliott (R)Hendrick MotorsportsChevrolet27Paul MenardRichard Childress RacingChevrolet30Josh WiseThe Motorsports GroupChevrolet32Jeffrey Earnhardt (R)Go FAS RacingFord34Chris Buescher (R)Front Row MotorsportsFord38Landon CassillFront Row MotorsportsFord42Kyle LarsonChip Ganassi RacingChevrolet43Aric AlmirolaRichard Petty MotorsportsFord44Brian Scott (R)Richard Petty MotorsportsFord46Michael AnnettHScott MotorsportsChevrolet47A. J. AllmendingerJTG Daugherty RacingChevrolet55Reed SorensonPremium MotorsportsChevrolet83Matt DiBenedettoBK RacingToyota95Michael McDowellCircle Sport – Leavine Family RacingChevrolet98Cole WhittPremium MotorsportsChevrolet Official initial Sprint Showdown entry list Key Meaning (R) Rookie
Sprint All-Star Race The entry list for the All-Star Race was released that same day at 11:34 a.m. Fifteen cars were automatically entered for the race. Five other cars transferred from the Sprint Showdown to determine the final grid for the Sprint All-Star Race. Kyle Busch's car was renumbered to No. 75 to celebrate the said anniversary of sponsor Mars Corporation's M&M's brand candy.
Driver Team Manufacturer1Jamie McMurrayChip Ganassi RacingChevrolet2Brad KeselowskiTeam PenskeFord4Kevin HarvickStewart–Haas RacingChevrolet5Kasey KahneHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet11Denny HamlinJoe Gibbs RacingToyota14Tony StewartStewart–Haas RacingChevrolet19Carl EdwardsJoe Gibbs RacingToyota20Matt KensethJoe Gibbs RacingToyota22Joey LoganoTeam PenskeFord31Ryan NewmanRichard Childress RacingChevrolet41Kurt BuschStewart–Haas RacingChevrolet48Jimmie JohnsonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet75Kyle BuschJoe Gibbs RacingToyota78Martin Truex Jr.Furniture Row RacingToyota88Dale Earnhardt Jr.Hendrick MotorsportsChevrolet Official Sprint All-Star Race entry list
Practice
Sprint Showdown practice Sprint Showdown practice was originally scheduled to be held on Friday, May 20. However, the practice session was canceled because of wet track conditions caused by constant rain showers.
All-Star Race practice
Pos Driver Team Manufacturer Time 1 2 Brad Keselowski Team Penske Ford 28.121 192.027 2 19 Carl Edwards Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 28.121 192.027 3 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 28.139 191.904 Sprint All-Star Final practice results
Sprint Showdown Segment One Chase Elliott led the field to the green flag at 11:32 a.m. The first caution of the race flew on lap 16 for a single-car spin on the frontstretch. Exiting turn 4, Michael McDowell got loose and spun through the grass.
The race restarted on lap 20. Coming to the line, Trevor Bayne edged out Elliott to win the first segment. Brian Scott was tagged for a lug nut violation and Cole Whitt was tagged for his crew being over the wall too soon. Both restarted the race from the tail-end of the field.
Segment Two The race restarted on lap 21. Austin Dillon passed Elliott going into turn 1 to take the lead on lap 22. Greg Biffle passed Dillon going into turn 3 to take the lead with 24 laps to go and drove onto win the segment.
Segment Three The race restarted with 10 laps to go. Kyle Larson battled Elliott to the line to win the segment. Elliott was voted into the All-Star Race by fan vote. Because of a quick caused by an eligible driver not being entered, second place in fan vote Danica Patrick was also voted into the All-Star Race.
Sprint Showdown results
Pos Grid Driver Team Manufacturer 1742Kyle LarsonChip Ganassi RacingChevrolet501016Greg BiffleRoush Fenway RacingFord4056Trevor BayneRoush Fenway RacingFord202124Chase Elliott (R)Hendrick MotorsportsChevrolet503321Ryan Blaney (R)Wood Brothers RacingFord5041143Aric AlmirolaRichard Petty MotorsportsFord505447A. J. AllmendingerJTG Daugherty RacingChevrolet5061338Landon CassillFront Row MotorsportsFord5071215Clint BowyerHScott MotorsportsChevrolet5081413Casey MearsGermain RacingChevrolet509910Danica PatrickStewart–Haas RacingChevrolet5010617Ricky Stenhouse Jr.Roush Fenway RacingFord50111544Brian Scott (R)Richard Petty MotorsportsFord501223Austin DillonRichard Childress RacingChevrolet5013827Paul MenardRichard Childress RacingChevrolet50141723David RaganBK RacingToyota50151883Matt DiBenedettoBK RacingToyota50161695Michael McDowellCircle Sport – Leavine Family RacingChevrolet50172034Chris Buescher (R)Front Row MotorsportsFord50182146Michael AnnettHScott MotorsportsChevrolet5019197Regan SmithTommy Baldwin RacingChevrolet50202530Josh WiseThe Motorsports GroupChevrolet50212298Cole WhittPremium MotorsportsChevrolet50222332Jeffrey Earnhardt (R)Go FAS RacingFord50232455Reed SorensonPremium MotorsportsChevrolet49 Winner of the second segment. Winner of the first segment.Sprint Showdown race results
All-Star Race starting lineup Pos Driver Team Manufacturer 14Kevin HarvickStewart–Haas RacingChevrolet 275Kyle BuschJoe Gibbs RacingToyota 341Kurt BuschStewart–Haas RacingChevrolet 419Carl EdwardsJoe Gibbs RacingToyota 548Jimmie JohnsonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet 62Brad KeselowskiTeam PenskeFord 724Chase Elliott (R)Hendrick MotorsportsChevrolet 822Joey LoganoTeam PenskeFord 978Martin Truex Jr.Furniture Row RacingToyota 1088Dale Earnhardt Jr.Hendrick MotorsportsChevrolet 1120Matt KensethJoe Gibbs RacingToyota 1211Denny HamlinJoe Gibbs RacingToyota 131Jamie McMurrayChip Ganassi RacingChevrolet 1431Ryan NewmanRichard Childress RacingChevrolet 156Trevor BayneRoush Fenway RacingFord 165Kasey KahneHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet 1714Tony StewartStewart–Haas RacingChevrolet 1842Kyle LarsonChip Ganassi RacingChevrolet 1910Danica PatrickStewart–Haas RacingChevrolet 2016Greg BiffleRoush Fenway RacingFordSprint All-Star Race starting lineup
All-Star Race Segment 1
Under North Carolina night skies, Kevin Harvick led the field to the green flag at 10:11 p.m. Kyle Busch led the first lap, but he and Harvick raced side-by-side for the lead for a number of laps before Harvick took it on lap 6. Harvick made his mandatory stop of the race on lap 27 and surrendered the lead to Busch. Logano passed Busch to take the lead on lap 34. He pitted with five laps to go in the first segment as Jamie McMurray spinning brought out the first caution of the race. Matt Kenseth hadn't pitted under green as the rules require, so he was held a lap under caution as the segment ended. Brad Keselowski exited pit road with the race lead.
Segment 2 The race restarted on lap 51. Weepers in turn 2 brought out the second caution of the race on lap 57.
The race restarted on lap 62 and a multi-car wreck on the frontstretch brought out the third caution of the race. Exiting turn 4, Kenseth got turned up the track, collected Tony Stewart and slammed the wall. Stewart's car turned down the track and collected Kasey Kahne. Stewart said afterwards that he was "as baffled as anybody. I don’t know how we were scored a lap down after they stopped the 20 car, and they pit everyone together. Lap down and lead lap and lap down. It’s the most screwed up All-Star race I’ve ever been a part of. I’m glad this is the last one.” He would go on to finish last.
The race restarted on lap 72.
13 laps to go The race restarted with 13 laps to go. Logano dove underneath Kyle Larson going into turn 1 and Larson ended up in the wall with three laps to go. Larson said afterwards that he "was able to clear them and I thought I would pull away pretty easily because I was really good on short runs. Joey and their team must have done a really good job at making the right adjustments. We made the car a little bit better, but I guess we really didn't take a big enough swing to tighten up." Logano drove on to score the victory.
Post-race Driver comments Logano said after the race that his race was "awesome. I thought it went great. What a great car. It says a lot about our race team to unload today with a completely new package, have 10 minutes of practice and unload and say, ‘The car is pretty good. I don’t have much to say. We really made only one change on our car. That was about the only amount of time we had in practice was to make one change. It was the same for everybody, but, overall, I felt like our car was competitive.”
All-Star Race results
Pos Grid Driver Team Manufacturer 1822Joey LoganoTeam PenskeFord113 262Brad KeselowskiTeam PenskeFord113 31088Dale Earnhardt Jr.Hendrick MotorsportsChevrolet113 4419Carl EdwardsJoe Gibbs RacingToyota113 5341Kurt BuschStewart–Haas RacingChevrolet113 6724Chase ElliottHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet113 7156Trevor BayneRoush Fenway RacingFord113 82016Greg BiffleRoush Fenway RacingFord113 91211Denny HamlinJoe Gibbs RacingToyota113 10275Kyle BuschJoe Gibbs RacingToyota113 1114Kevin HarvickStewart–Haas RacingChevrolet113 12548Jimmie JohnsonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet113 131431Ryan NewmanRichard Childress RacingChevrolet113 14978Martin Truex Jr.Furniture Row RacingToyota113 151910Danica PatrickStewart–Haas RacingChevrolet113 161842Kyle LarsonChip Ganassi RacingChevrolet111 17131Jamie McMurrayChip Ganassi RacingChevrolet110 181120Matt KensethJoe Gibbs RacingToyota71 19165Kasey KahneHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet71 201714Tony StewartStewart–Haas RacingChevrolet70 All-Star Race results
Media
Television Fox Sports was the television broadcaster of the race in the United States. Lap-by-lap announcer, Mike Joy, was accompanied on the broadcast by retired NASCAR drivers, Jeff Gordon and Darrell Waltrip. Jamie Little, Vince Welch, and Matt Yocum reported from pit lane.
Fox Sports 1 TelevisionBooth announcersPit reporters Lap-by-lap: Mike JoyColor-commentator: Jeff GordonColor commentator: Darrell Waltrip Jamie LittleVince WelchMatt Yocum
Radio Motor Racing Network (MRN) continued their longstanding relationship with the track to broadcast the race on radio. The lead announcers for the race's broadcast were Joe Moore, Jeff Striegle and Rusty Wallace. The network also implemented two announcers on each side of the track: Dave Moody in turns 1 and 2 and Kyle Rickey in turns 3 and 4. Alex Hayden, Winston Kelly and Steve Post were the network's pit lane reporters. The network's broadcast was also simulcasted on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio.
MRN RadioBooth announcersTurn announcersPit reporters Lead announcer: Joe MooreAnnouncer: Jeff StriegleAnnouncer: Rusty Wallace Turns 1 & 2: Dave MoodyTurns 3 & 4: Kyle Rickey Alex HaydenWinston KellySteve Post
References