Allmendinger's Showdown win makes him an All-Star

CONCORD, N.C. -- Open-wheel stars A.J. Allmendinger and Sam Hornish Jr. raced their way into Saturday night's NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race at Lowe's Motor Speedway by finishing 1-2 in the Sprint Showdown, which preceded the main event.

Sprint Showdown

Results

Pos.	Driver	Make
1.	A.J. Allmendinger	Toyota
2.	Sam Hornish Jr.	Dodge
3.	David Ragan	Ford
4.	Brian Vickers	Toyota
5.	Kasey Kahne	Dodge
6.	David Reutimann	Toyota
7.	David Gilliland	Ford
8.	Travis Kvapil	Ford
9.	J.J. Yeley	Toyota
10.	Dave Blaney	Toyota

• Results | All-Star Coverage

Allmendinger led every lap of the second segment of the 40-lap event. Hornish gained the second transfer position when he passed David Ragan through Turn 2 on Lap 33 and held the runner-up position for the rest of the race.

"I felt like I won the Daytona 500," said Allmendinger, who was replaced temporarily in his Red Bull Toyota by veteran Mike Skinner early in the season after failing to make the first three races. "Nobody understands what this means to me after what we've been through.

"I've got to thank Sam Hornish. He was faster than me at the end, but he raced me clean, knowing we were both in."

Brian Vickers took the lead from pole-sitter Elliott Sadler on Lap 1, powering to the outside of the No. 19 Dodge through Turn 2. Vickers remained in front for the entire opening 20-lap segment, which was interrupted twice by cautions. The first was Patrick Carpentier's solo spin on Lap 3. The second was for Sadler's crash into the Turn 2 wall on Lap 7, after Vickers' teammate, Allmendinger, slid up the track and sent Sadler's Dodge spinning.

Fearing he had a tire leaking air, Vickers brought his No. 83 Toyota to the pits during the competition caution that separated the two 20-lap segments. Eight cars stayed on the track during the break, including the No. 84 of Allmendinger, which passed Ragan's No. 6 Ford for the lead on the opening lap of the second segment.

Though he failed to race his way into the All-Star event, Kasey Kahne was the final driver added to the field on a vote by fans (read more).

Notes: Greg Biffle won the inaugural Pennzoil Platinum Victory Challenge burnout contest before the Showdown (read more). Asked to grade his performance, Biffle said, "Kind of a D- taking off, but I would say after that a strong B, I guess, maybe a B+. It definitely wasn't an A burnout, but it wasn't bad." The driver earned a $10,000 contribution to the Greg Biffle Foundation, which includes support of animal shelters among its charitable activities.