Track Smack: Earning ROI

1. It's been 16 years since the All-Star Race went under the lights at Charlotte, a move that made the event a hit. Has it lost any of its luster since then?

David Caraviello: I will admit, much of me is surprised the event became this big. This, after all, is the same group of "all-stars" that competes against one another every other week. But people seem to love it, and that short-track action on the big track does play well under the lights.

Mark Aumann: I think the actual race is still exciting. From a neutral observer's standpoint, though, I'm not sure the pre-race pomp and circumstance is worthy.

Raygan Swan: What Mark, you don't have 3 Doors Down on your iPod? I think it still has loads of appeal. Anytime you see guys racing for a cool million is going to exciting.

David Caraviello: Mark, I will agree wholeheartedly with that one. The wrestling-like introductions and mosh pit have really gotten old. It's like David Stern recently told NBA teams about their intros: Tone it down.

Mark Aumann: I'd like to see it run more as a "heat race elimination" format, so that only the best cars make it to the actual "all-star race." I think there are way too many cars in the final event (read more).

David Caraviello: Agreed again. I liked the old "survivor" format that Ryan Newman won several years ago.

Mark Aumann: And I don't really see the point of adding anybody who is breathing and has a car to the Showdown. What's all-star worthy about that?

Raygan Swan: Same reason I don't agree with the fan vote (vote here). This is a race for winners.

David Caraviello: They got rid of the inversion, now they need to get rid of the fan vote as well. You have all these drivers with their little advertising campaigns to get in. Please.

Mark Aumann: It's gimmicky, but at the same time, the race itself has had great drama. So I can live with it. It's a welcome change from points racing each week.

Raygan Swan: Yeah, drama as in the Busch brother wrecking each other (watch video). But this year has some nostalgia with Dale Jarrett running his last race.

David Caraviello: Humpy is on to something with how relatively short this race is. Several points races could take note that folks like this dash-for-cash stuff. Of course, they stretch it out to three hours anyway. And as Mark alluded earlier, the race has given the sport some fantastic moments. Perhaps the last really great one was Jeff Gordon winning in a backup car after they restarted the event due to rain. When was that, 2002? Boy, that left the anti-24 crowd howling.

All-Star Race

SPEED will again broadcast the Sprint Showdown and All-Star Race. Tune in at 7 p.m. ET on May 17 to watch rivals race for $1 million -- and the fireworks!

• All-Star coverage

Mark Aumann: It's certainly innovative, and perhaps other tracks should take a serious look at how they present their product. I'd like to see some variety to the schedule, rather than just a series of 500-mile races. Funny how this race matches people's attention span almost perfectly.

Raygan Swan: An inverted field?

David Caraviello: Raygan, no inverted fields please. Anywhere. But be a little more selective as to who gets in. Again, I can't shake the point that this really isn't an "all-star" race. Maybe we need more heat races and a smaller main field. Of course, that would mean tweaking the format again, but they do that every year anyway.

Mark Aumann: Yeah, I agree with David. There's still room to improve this. And I know sponsors want TV time, but at the expense of a watered-down product?

David Caraviello: Really, what separates this from the Shootout at Daytona? The $1 million at the end? (read more)

Raygan Swan: Wins are a lot harder to come by than poles.

Mark Aumann: But the fields are almost exactly the same.

David Caraviello: Thus the quandary. To make it more selective, a true "all-star" event, you need fewer cars, But fewer cars don't make for a better race.

Mark Aumann: Yeah, it's all about having a unique identity, and I think the All-Star Race can achieve that. But right now it's the same product in a different package.

David Caraviello: Of course, it's done pretty well to this point. Humpy and Co. are evidently doing something right. (Continued)