2014 All-Star Race Preview

Random Stats on the NASCAR All-Star Race

By Richard Tix

Well I said this week I wouldn't have many articles. Then I released a Power Rankings Review Article. Ok, still under my normal amount of NASCAR coverage. The same day I also released this weeks, This Week in NASCAR: 5/12. Then I released a Danica Partick Driver Spotlight. Up to three articles, didn't I say this was a bye week on the blog? Wait, I released 2014 All-Star Week as well this week? Man, I can not just sit back and relax! 

So, here we are...A week where I wasn't going to have many articles and I'm already long gone, I may as well write up a fast preview to this weekends ASR. All this article is going to contain is some random stats and links for more All-Star Weekend information, so enjoy!

Random Facts:

• This will be the 30th All-Star Race. First race was held on 1985.
• In 1986 the race was held at Atlanta Motor Speedway and is the only All-Star Race not held at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
• Bill Elliott won the 1986 race at Atlanta.
• Jimmie Johnson has the most All-Star Race wins (2006, 2006, 2012, 2013).
• In 29 races there have been 19 different winners.
• Jimmie Johnson (2012 and 2013) and Davie Allison (1991 and 1992) have both won back to back.
• Jeff Gordon is the youngest to win the ASR at 23 years, 9 months, 18 days (1995).
• Of current drivers, Terry Labonte and Jeff Gordon have run the most races, 20 times.
• Of current drivers, Dale Earnhardt Jr has the most top 10's with 11 in 14 tries. Matt Kenseth has the second most with 10 in 13 tries.
• Of current drivers Jimmie Johnson and Tony Stewart have the most top 5's with 8. 
• Of current drivers 12 drivers have a ASR win. This includes Michael Waltrip and Terry Labonte. 
• Mark Martin is the oldest driver to win the ASR at 46 years, 4 months, and 12 days (2005).
• Terry Labonte won the first Pole in 1985.
• Of current drivers Jimmie Johnson had led the most laps at the ASR (218). Kyle Busch has led the second most 201 in only 8 career tries.
• 16 drivers have won the Pole for the ASR. Bill Elliott has won a career high 5 Poles.
• Of current drivers Kyle Busch has the most career Poles with 3. 
• The All-Star Race has been won from the Pole 4 times, most recently 2010 by Kurt Busch.
• The furthest back a winner has started was 27th in 2002 (Ryan Newman).
• Of current drivers Jeff Gordon has logged the most All-Star Race laps (1,624).
• 9 current drivers gave an average finish of 10 and under. Joey Logano leads with an average finish of 4.3 in 3 career starts. 

So hopefully now you are ready for All Star Weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The schedule above should get you by if you are looking for when to catch the action on TV. I will be in Iowa this weekend for the Nationwide race, but I will hopefully be down there in time to catch everything at Charlotte.  I am really pulling for Josh Wise to get in on the fan vote because I think that would be an awesome story and a huge win for him and Dogecoin. The fact that we are even talking about the possibility of him beating out Danica is an accomplishment of its own. 

Normally I hold off on my race winner predictions until after cars hit the track, but this week I will go out on a limb and state it right here on NASCAR Behind the Wall. I am going to take Joey Logano to win the All-Star Race in his 4th try. He has a great track record here in only 3 All Star races and he is off to his best season in his young career.

Jimmie Johnson is the safe bet this weekend to run well and win. He can extend his career leading 4 ASR wins to 5 this year and make it 3 straight. I also will go out on a limb and think Tony Stewart could finally have a bounce back race in a race that gives him no points. In his 15 All-Star starts he has some awesome stats to back that idea up, but 2014 has been a shaky start (which is nothing new to Smoke). Maybe he will start his "Summer run" at Charlotte? 

If you need more, check out those links above. 2014 All Star Week has a lot of great links for all the ASR info you need. It also has some past video's of some cool ASR moment's. ThisSportz also has early fantasy advice for Charlotte next week so check that out. Also, if you are in the mood to watch some old NASCAR races, check out Avery Hage's new blog! He is making finding old race footage easy by giving fans easy year by year links to YouTube videos on NASCAR Video Archive. I have also added a link to his blog and ThisSportz on the left NASCAR Sites/Blogs.