The 2005 Nextel All-Star Challenge was the second exhibition stock car race of the 2005 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series season and the 21st iteration of the event. The race was held on Saturday, May 21, 2005, in Concord, North Carolina at Lowe's Motor Speedway, a 1.5 miles (2.4 km) permanent quad-oval. The race took the scheduled 90 laps to complete. At race's end, Mark Martin of Roush Racing would hold off the field in the final segment to win the million dollar prize and his second Nextel All-Star Challenge win.
Background
Lowe's Motor Speedway is a motorsports complex located in Concord, North Carolina, United States 13 miles from Charlotte, North Carolina. The complex features a 1.5 miles (2.4 km) quad oval track that hosts NASCAR racing including the prestigious Coca-Cola 600 on Memorial Day weekend and the NEXTEL All-Star Challenge, as well as the UAW-GM Quality 500. The speedway was built in 1959 by Bruton Smith and is considered the home track for NASCAR with many race teams located in the Charlotte area. The track is owned and operated by Speedway Motorsports Inc. (SMI) with Marcus G. Smith (son of Bruton Smith) as track president.
Format and eligibility The 90 laps of the Nextel All-Star Challenge was divided into three segments. Caution laps between segment breaks were not counted. The first segment was 40 laps long. Mandatory 10-minute pit stops/breaks were implemented in between both segment breaks. During the first 10-minute break, a random ping pong ball (each ball would have one NASCAR on Fox announcer or pit reporter on it) picked by Chris Myers would lead Myers to open a giant, promotional Nextel flip phone of the corresponding announcer. Each phone had a number that would decide how many cars would be inverted to start Segment 2, a 30-lap segment. After the second 10-minute break, drivers would race in a 20-lap shootout to decide the winner of the Nextel All-Star Challenge.
Drivers who had won in the previous season and the first 11 eleven races of the current season were automatically eligible to qualify for the Nextel All-Star Challenge. In addition, previous champions and former Nextel All-Star Challenge winners within the last 10 years (1995-2004) were also automatically eligible.
Teams who were not automatically eligible to qualify, but still wanted to have a chance at entering the Nextel All-Star Challenge were made to race in a qualifying race called the Nextel Open, a 30-lap shootout event where the winner of the event would qualify to race in the Nextel All-Star Challenge. Teams who were in the Top 50 in the 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series owner's points standings were allowed to race in the Nextel Open. In addition, a televote was made open to the public where the driver who got the most votes from the public would also qualify to move on to the Nextel All-Star Challenge.
Entry list
Nextel Open #DriverTeamMake0Mike BlissHaas CNC RacingChevrolet1Martin Truex Jr.Dale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet4Mike WallaceMorgan–McClure MotorsportsChevrolet5Kyle BuschHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet7Robby GordonRobby Gordon MotorsportsChevrolet07Dave BlaneyRichard Childress RacingChevrolet10Scott RiggsMBV MotorsportsChevrolet11Jason LefflerJoe Gibbs RacingChevrolet21Ricky RuddWood Brothers RacingFord22Scott WimmerBill Davis RacingDodge25Brian VickersHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet27Kirk ShelmerdineKirk Shelmerdine RacingFord31Jeff BurtonRichard Childress RacingChevrolet32Bobby Hamilton Jr.PPI MotorsportsChevrolet36Boris SaidMB Sutton MotorsportsChevrolet37Kevin LepageR&J RacingDodge40Sterling MarlinChip Ganassi Racing with Felix SabatesDodge41Casey MearsChip Ganassi Racing with Felix SabatesDodge42Jamie McMurrayChip Ganassi Racing with Felix SabatesDodge43Jeff GreenPetty EnterprisesDodge45Kyle PettyPetty EnterprisesDodge49Ken SchraderBAM RacingDodge50Jimmy SpencerArnold MotorsportsDodge60Derrike CopeS. W. A. T. RacingChevrolet66Hermie SadlerPeak Fitness RacingFord77Travis KvapilPenske RacingDodge89Morgan ShepherdShepherd Racing VenturesDodge92Eric McClureFront Row MotorsportsChevrolet
Nextel All-Star Challenge #DriverTeamMake01Joe NemechekMB2 MotorsportsChevrolet2Rusty WallacePenske RacingDodge6Mark MartinRoush RacingFord8Dale Earnhardt Jr.Dale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet9Kasey KahneEvernham MotorsportsDodge12Ryan NewmanPenske RacingDodge15Michael WaltripDale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet16Greg BiffleRoush RacingFord17Matt KensethRoush RacingFord18Bobby LabonteJoe Gibbs RacingChevrolet19Jeremy MayfieldEvernham MotorsportsDodge20Tony StewartJoe Gibbs RacingChevrolet24Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet29Kevin HarvickRichard Childress RacingChevrolet38Elliott SadlerRobert Yates RacingFord44Terry LabonteHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet48Jimmie JohnsonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet88Dale JarrettRobert Yates RacingFord97Kurt BuschRoush RacingFord99Carl EdwardsRoush RacingFord
Practice
Nextel Open practice While there were two scheduled Nextel Open practices, the first practice was delayed by rain, leading to the cancellation of the second session.
The only 45-minute practice session was held on Friday, May 20 at 1:15 PM EST. Kyle Busch of Hendrick Motorsports would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 28.637 and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed15Kyle BuschHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet28.637188.567225Brian VickersHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet28.783187.61131Martin Truex Jr.Dale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet28.920186.722Full Nextel Open practice results
Nextel All-Star Challenge practice The only 45-minute practice session was held on Friday, May 20 at 2:15 PM EST. Ryan Newman of Penske Racing would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 28.863 and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed112Ryan NewmanPenske RacingDodge28.863187.091219Jeremy MayfieldEvernham MotorsportsDodge28.890186.91632Rusty WallacePenske RacingDodge28.911186.780Full Nextel All-Star practice results
Qualifying
Nextel Open Qualifying for the Nextel Open was held on Friday, May 20, at 6:05 PM EST. Each driver would have two laps to set a fastest time; the fastest of the two would count as their official qualifying lap.
Mike Bliss of Haas CNC Racing would win the pole, setting a time of 28.540 and an average speed of .
In qualifying, two drivers would fail to make a lap due to a crash: Scott Riggs would spin on the backstretch and hit the wall, and Jason Leffler would slam the Turn 3 wall after getting loose entering the corner. Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed10Mike BlissHaas CNC RacingChevrolet28.540189.20825Kyle BuschHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet28.617188.699341Casey MearsChip Ganassi Racing with Felix SabatesDodge28.639188.554477Travis KvapilPenske RacingDodge28.663188.396525Brian VickersHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet28.797187.520649Ken SchraderBAM RacingDodge28.833187.285737Kevin LepageR&J RacingDodge28.856187.13681Martin Truex Jr.Dale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet28.870187.045921Ricky RuddWood Brothers RacingFord28.882186.9681050Jimmy SpencerArnold MotorsportsDodge28.882186.9681132Bobby Hamilton Jr.PPI MotorsportsChevrolet28.891186.909127Robby GordonRobby Gordon MotorsportsChevrolet28.932186.6451340Sterling MarlinChip Ganassi Racing with Felix SabatesDodge28.942186.5801443Jeff GreenPetty EnterprisesDodge29.018186.0911522Scott WimmerBill Davis RacingDodge29.109185.5101631Jeff BurtonRichard Childress RacingChevrolet29.208184.8811742Jamie McMurrayChip Ganassi Racing with Felix SabatesDodge29.218184.8181845Kyle PettyPetty EnterprisesDodge29.247184.6341907Dave BlaneyRichard Childress RacingChevrolet29.405183.6422066Hermie SadlerPeak Fitness RacingFord29.429183.4922160Derrike CopeS. W. A. T. RacingChevrolet29.545182.7722236Boris SaidMB Sutton MotorsportsChevrolet29.556182.7042392Eric McClureFront Row MotorsportsChevrolet29.645182.156244Mike WallaceMorgan–McClure MotorsportsChevrolet29.759181.4582527Kirk ShelmerdineKirk Shelmerdine RacingFord30.080179.5212689Morgan ShepherdShepherd Racing VenturesDodge30.239178.5772710Scott RiggsMBV MotorsportsChevrolet——2811Jason LefflerJoe Gibbs RacingChevrolet——Official starting lineup
Nextel All-Star Challenge Qualifying for the Nextel All-Star Challenge was held on Friday, May 20, at 7:10 PM EST. Each driver would run 3 laps each, with each driver having to do a mandatory pit stop within those three laps.
Ryan Newman of Penske Racing would win the pole with a time of 2:02.443 and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed112Ryan NewmanPenske RacingDodge2:02.44344.10226Mark MartinRoush RacingFord2:03.19243.83432Rusty WallacePenske RacingDodge2:03.22743.822438Elliott SadlerRobert Yates RacingFord2:03.41443.75559Kasey KahneEvernham MotorsportsDodge2:04.19743.479648Jimmie JohnsonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet2:04.62543.330799Carl EdwardsRoush RacingFord2:04.88743.239897Kurt BuschRoush RacingFord2:05.17143.141901Joe NemechekMB2 MotorsportsChevrolet2:05.27143.1061017Matt KensethRoush RacingFord2:05.89642.8931116Greg BiffleRoush RacingFord2:06.72542.6121218Bobby LabonteJoe Gibbs RacingChevrolet2:07.11642.4811344Terry LabonteHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet2:08.39942.0561424Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet2:08.67341.9671519Jeremy MayfieldEvernham MotorsportsDodge2:09.69141.6371615Michael WaltripDale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet2:14.62640.1111720Tony StewartJoe Gibbs RacingChevrolet2:17.81939.1821829Kevin HarvickRichard Childress RacingChevrolet2:24.22137.4431988Dale JarrettRobert Yates RacingFord2:25.57137.095208Dale Earnhardt Jr.Dale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet2:26.02236.9812125Brian Vickers*Hendrick MotorsportsChevrolet——221Martin Truex Jr.**Dale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet——Official starting lineup *Won the Nextel Open to qualify.
**Won the fan vote to qualify.
NASCAR Pit Crew Challenge The inaugural NASCAR Pit Crew Challenge was announced during the week of the race. Kasey Kahne's team, owned by Evernham Motorsports would win the challenge.
Format and eligibility To be eligible to compete, a team either had to win a race in 2004 or 2005, win a previous Nextel All-Star Challenge race, or have won the championship within the last 10 years. The Nextel Open and Fan Vote winners from the 2004 Nextel All-Star Challenge were automatically eligible to enter. While 20 teams were scheduled to compete, Terry Labonte would withdraw, leaving three spots to be allocated by owner's points.
24 teams would compete in a tournament-style bracket with four rounds.
Round 1 Round 1 would consist of the 24 teams racing against the clock, two teams at a time, in an individual skills/team competition. The teams with the fastest eight overall team times would move on to Round 2.
There were 4 skills that each team had to individually accomplish with their respective members, along with one team exercise at the end:
Front Tire Changer and Front Tire Carrier: The front tire changer and carriers will start from outside the pit box, attacking the right side of the car first, then moving onto the left. The second tire will be pre-positioned by the carrier at the pit wall. Competitors will use their own air guns, and a five second time penalty will be administered for any lugs not properly installed. Tire changer must hit split timer button on exit of pit box.
Rear Tire Changer and Rear Tire Carrier: The rear tire changer and carriers will start from outside the pit box, attacking the right side of the car first, then moving onto the left. The second tire will be pre-positioned by the carrier at the pit wall. Competitors will use their own air guns, and a five second time penalty will be administered for any lugs not properly installed. Tire changer must hit split timer button on exit of pit box.