Dale Jarrett rebounded to finish 11th last year after a spin. Credit: Autostock

Four champions look for first All-Star victory

When it comes to the Nextel All-Star Challenge on Saturday night at Lowe's Motor Speedway, close doesn't count, especially for drivers who have won NASCAR championships but not all-star victories.

There are four drivers who fit that description: Dale Jarrett, Bobby Labonte, Tony Stewart and Kurt Busch.

Dale Jarrett

Last year, Matt Kenseth took his name off the list by winning the All-Star Challenge, but Busch added his with a Nextel Cup championship.

Interestingly, all four have finished second in the all-star race. Jarrett did it twice, as runner-up to Dale Earnhardt Jr. in 2000 and Jeff Gordon in 2001.

"Nobody remembers who finished second in that race except us," Dale Jarrett said. "It's something that I've never been fortunate enough to win.

"We've come close but we just haven't got there yet and it's something I'd like to be able to win because it is all about bragging rights."

Jarrett said surviving until the first sprint is paramount.

"Obviously in order to have a chance at the win, you need to be around for that last segment," he said. "It seems like with the number of crashes we've had the last couple of years that if you could just survive the first two segments then you were going to have a shot at the win by simply still being in the race.

"With the way this format is you do have some opportunity to get your car in position for that final 20-lap segment. You need a car that handles good enough to get to that transfer spot in the first two segments so that you're around at the end but there's opportunity to adjust and get your car so that when the 20-lap dash starts, you're ready to go."

As a rookie, Stewart finished second in 1999 to Terry Labonte after winning the preliminary race to earn a spot in the feature. He also was first in last year's first segment, so he knows what it takes to run up front.

"If your car is driving well, you're running for a million dollars," Stewart said. "But if your car isn't driving well, you're learning from that and applying it to the 600 instead.

Bobby Labonte

"I've always looked at it as however your car is driving in the all-star race is relatively true to how your car is going to drive in the 600. It's a really good test because it's really the only time we have to run at night in race conditions."

Bobby Labonte finished second to Gordon in 1997 and Mark Martin in 1998.

"It'd be a neat deal to get a win in the all-star race," Labonte said. "I've come close a couple times before, but never been able to close the deal out.

Labonte said the key is not to outguess yourself between segments.

"The three-segment deal can be good if you're not running well," he said. "It gives you a chance to makes some changes to your car during the breaks they have.

Kurt Busch

"At the same time though, if you're running decent, you also don't want to over-adjust or over-think it, which is very easy to do. The track goes through a lot of changes, usually, and that is the one thing you have to be prepared for, but you just don't want to over-adjust it."

Busch wound up second to Jimmie Johnson in 2003 after winning the second segment.

"It's easily the most unique race on our schedule," Busch said. "With a million dollars on the line, the pressure and excitement for the 90 laps is intense.

"You have to be unbreakable for the duration of the three segments."