Larson lands Coors Light Pole for Monster Energy All-Star Race

Posted on May 19, 2017May 20, 2017 by Zack Albert

CONCORD, N.C. — Kyle Larson stormed to the Coors Light Pole Award on Friday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway, taming the unique qualifying format to earn the No. 1 starting spot for Saturday’s Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race (8 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Larson hurried the Chip Ganassi Racing No. 42 Chevrolet to a speed of 143.839 mph in the three-lap format, which requires teams to make a four-tire pit stop during their run. Despite a slight slip by his rear tire changer, Larson’s team avoided the pitfalls that snagged the other four competitors who advanced to the final round of qualifying.

Kyle Busch was second-fastest in the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 18 Toyota with a speed of 143.826 mph, just one-hundredth slower than Larson’s time. Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson and Kurt Busch completed the top five.

Larson led 18 laps in last year’s All-Star event, relinquishing the top spot to eventual winner Joey Logano with two laps remaining. With a prime No. 1 starting position this year, Larson said he hoped to capitalize by winning one of three opening segments to lock his name into the final 10-lap, 10-car dash.

“Starting up front is a big deal,” Larson said. “If we can get out there and win that first stage I know we’re going to be in the top 10, and then build on our average finish. I’m very excited for (Saturday). And I’m definitely excited about getting the pole because I wasn’t expecting to qualify this good. To get the pole is pretty neat.”

The one-of-a-kind qualifying procedures — which abandon the pit-road speed limit for one night only — tripped up a handful of drivers. In the final round, Johnson overshot his pit stall and incurred a five-second penalty when his crew went over the wall too soon. Kurt Busch’s crew left two lug nuts loose, causing race officials to dock him five seconds for each.

In the first session, Kasey Kahne, Jamie McMurray, Joey Logano and Matt Kenseth overshot their pit stalls trying to hustle in for service, costing them precious time as their teams backed their cars into position. Logano’s drastic overshoot kept Larson’s place on the bubble; the series points leader was the last of the five drivers who advanced to the final knockout round.

The crews for Martin Truex Jr. and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. each left one lug nut unsecured, incurring five-second penalties that kept them from advancing to the final qualifying round. Truex will start 14th with Stenhouse 16th on Saturday night.

WATCH: Ryan Newman saves car in qualifying

Ryan Newman recovered from a long, smoky sideways slide through Turns 3 and 4 just before his pit entry. He avoided contact, but his Richard Childress Racing No. 31 Chevrolet was the second slowest of the 16 drivers in the opening round.

“Hoping next year maybe they’ll award style points,” Newman told FOX Sports after making his stellar save. He’ll start 15th in Saturday night’s invitational.

Four more drivers will be added Saturday to round out the 20-car field for Saturday night’s main event. Three drivers will transfer as segment winners from the 50-lap Monster Energy Open preliminary race. One more will be added as the winner of fan voting.

Posted on May 19, 2017May 19, 2017 by Staff Report

“Carpool Karaoke” has nothing on Kyle Busch, who stars in “Riding with Kyle Busch,” a series of videos shot from the dash cam of the champion driver of the No. 18 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing. See Kyle as the interviewer instead of the interviewee as he chats with his wife, Samantha; country music star Jake Owen; pro football player Greg Olsen and teammate Daniel Suarez as they ride in different models of Toyota vehicles — and of course, snack on some M&M’s.

Spoiler alert: Kyle does share his Caramel M&M’s with Samantha, but they can’t agree on what color the bag is. Watch each of the episodes below:

Jake Owen: The country music superstar and admitted beach bum tells Kyle Busch about his perfect day at the beach while riding in an Expedition Overland Toyota 4Runner.

Greg Olsen: The Carolina Panthers tight end tells Kyle Busch a funny autograph-seeker story while driving in the Toyota SEMA Edition TRD Land Cruiser.

Samantha Busch: She gives husband Kyle Busch an honest critique of how good — or bad — his driving is on family vacations while riding in a Toyota Sienna Extreme.

Daniel Suarez: Kyle Busch’s teammate teaches him a Spanish phrase or two while they ride in a SEMA Edition Camry.

Posted on May 19, 2017May 19, 2017 by Nascar

At a Glance

What: Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race; Monster Energy Open
Where: Charlotte Motor Speedway, 1.5-mile tri-oval in Concord, North Carolina
Green flag: Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race — 8:16.30 p.m. ET; Monster Energy Open — 6:15 p.m. ET
TV/Radio: FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Forecast: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 2 p.m. Mostly sunny, high near 87. Calm wind becoming southeast around 5 mph in the afternoon.
National Anthem: Calysta Bevier, 2016 “America’s Got Talent” semifinalist
Honorary Pace Car Driver: Ricky Carmichael, 15-time national motocross and supercross champion
Honorary Starter: JB Mauney, two-time PBR champion
Grand Marshal: Victor Espinoza, Triple Crown winning jockey
Race distance: Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race 70 laps; Monster Energy Open 50 laps
Pit road speed: 45 mph
Caution car speed: 55 mph
Stage lengths: Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race — 20 laps, 20 laps, 20 laps, 10 laps (Stage winners in first three stages advance to final stage); Monster Energy Open — 20 laps, 20 laps, 10 laps (Stage winners in Open advance to All-Star Race)

Posted on May 19, 2017May 19, 2017 by Staff Report

RELATED: Full practice results

Chip Ganassi Racing driver and Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series points leader Kyle Larson was quickest in the only practice session for Saturday night’s Monster Energy All-Star Race. Larson vaulted to the top of the leaderboard with a fast lap of 189.274 mph at Charlotte Motor Speedway after putting on his softer set of “option” Goodyear tires.

Stewart-Haas Racing’s Kevin Harvick was second at 189.095 mph, followed by Team Penske’s Brad Keselowski (188.976 mph), Joe Gibbs Racing’s Kyle Busch (188.594 mph) and Furniture Row Racing’s Martin Truex Jr. (188.232 mph). Sixteen cars, all of which have already qualified for the All-Star Race, logged laps in practice.

Teams could use both the “prime” tires and the “option” tires during practice. Remember, each team will get one set of “option” tires — with green lettering — to use at any point during the race. The option tires have more grip and speed, but fall-off quicker … and if you take them before the final segment, you must start from the rear.

RELATED: All-Star FAQs

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. was the first driver to give the option tires a go, and he immediately jumped from 10th on the leaderboard to third. The lead changed hands several times throughout the 70-minute session as drivers opted to use their prime tires.

It sets the stage for an All-Star Race that will have an emphasis on strategy and racing action.

The session tacked on an extra 15 minutes so teams could practice for the ever-popular no-speed-limit, four-tire pit stop in advance of Friday evening’s qualifying. The top five quickest teams in the first round of qualifying (6:05 p.m. ET, FS1) will advance to the ensuing final round, which follows immediately.

Denny Hamlin brought out the caution during this period when he hit the outside wall hard coming out of Turn 3. His No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing team immediately called for the backup car.

Next up is practice for the Monster Energy Open — the event that precedes the Monster Energy All-Star Race, comprised of drivers who have not qualified for the All-Star event — from 3-4:25 p.m. ET (FS1). The Camping World Truck Series qualifies at 4:45 p.m. ET (FS1), followed by All-Star Race qualifying and then the Truck Series race at 8:30 p.m. ET (FS1).

The Monster Energy All-Star Race is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET on Saturday (FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Posted on May 19, 2017May 19, 2017 by Staff Report

See the pit stall assignments for the Monster Open (Sat., May 20, 6 p.m. ET, FS1)

Posted on May 19, 2017June 6, 2017 by

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — In what is believed to be an unprecedented move in national sports broadcasting, FOX Sports announced today that its live broadcast of the June 10 NASCAR XFINITY Series race from Pocono Raceway (1 p.m. ET on FOX) will be called entirely by active Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers. The race broadcast is thought to be the first time a nationally televised live sporting event has featured an on-air team comprised strictly of athletes actively competing in that sport.

Kevin Harvick, the 2014 NASCAR premier series and two-time NASCAR XFINITY Series champion, serves as the play-by-play announcer for FOX Sports at Pocono alongside analysts Joey Logano (2015 Daytona 500 champion and a part of four NASCAR XFINITY Series owners championships) and Clint Bowyer (2008 NASCAR XFINITY Series champion).

Ryan Blaney, (2014 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Most Popular Driver), Erik Jones (2015 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion) and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (two-time NASCAR XFINITY Series champion) cover pit road, while Danica Patrick (2013 Daytona 500 pole champion and first female to lead a NASCAR race under green) and Denny Hamlin (2016 Daytona 500 champion) host FOX race coverage from the Hollywood Hotel mobile studio.

“This is something FOX Sports has talked about doing for a long time,” said John Entz, FOX Sports President & Executive Producer, Production. “Several of these competitors already have joined us in the NASCAR XFINITY Series booth and done a heck of a job, and we see a lot of promise in the newcomers. Regardless of their TV experience, we have one goal for all — go out and have a blast. As long as no one sets fire to the FOX Sports booth or pulls the plug that knocks us off the air, the drivers have free rein.“

Harvick, Bowyer, Hamlin, Logano and Patrick have served as driver analysts for FOX Sports’ coverage of the NASCAR XFINITY Series at some point since the network began rotating prominent Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers in the booth beginning with the 2015 season. Additionally, Blaney and Stenhouse have contributed as driver analysts on FS1’s NASCAR RACE HUB, the sport’s most-watched daily NASCAR news and information program. Pocono marks Jones’ debut as part of a national race broadcast.

Still slated to offer analysis in the FOX Sports NASCAR XFINITY Series booth in 2017, alongside regular FOX Sports broadcasters Adam Alexander and Michael Waltrip, are Bowyer at Charlotte on May 27 (1 p.m. ET on FS1) and Logano at Dover on June 3 (1 p.m. ET on FS1).

“Pocono definitely is going to be different, but I am looking forward to the challenge and the fun it’s going to be for everyone,” said Pam Milller, NASCAR XFINITY Series race producer for FOX Sports. “For the most part, this group has broadcasting experience, so the goal will be to keep the telecast moving between all the personalities and making sure every driver’s unique views and personal experiences come through on the air. We want the viewer to feel like they are sitting with a group of friends having a racing conversation. These friends just happen to compete on the track each week.”

Chase Elliott and Jamie McMurray made their FOX NASCAR booth debuts earlier this season, in addition to two appearances by Brad Keselowski. Logano helped call the Richmond race, while Harvick offered analysis at Daytona, Phoenix, Bristol and Talladega, as well as the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series stop at Martinsville. Harvick also is scheduled as an analyst for the upcoming Truck Series races at Eldora Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway.

In appreciation of the drivers’ participation, FOX Sports will make a donation to each driver’s individual foundation or charity of choice.

Posted on May 19, 2017May 19, 2017 by Zack Albert

CONCORD, N.C. — Richard Petty Motorsports indicated Friday morning that it does not have definitive long-term plans for replacing driver Aric Almirola as he recovers from a broken back. For now, the team’s fill-in driver doesn’t either.

The team named veteran Regan Smith as interim driver for this weekend’s events for the Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race. But Almirola said Friday he’s expected to miss 8-12 weeks for a full recovery from the injuries he suffered in a crash last weekend at Kansas Speedway, creating a longer-term vacancy in the historic No. 43 Ford.

RPM executive Brian Moffitt said his initial concerns were with Almirola and his family, but that he eventually met with their driver, team owner Richard Petty and crew chief Drew Blickensderfer to produce a list of potential fill-in candidates. The group settled on Smith, but only for the non-points All-Star exhibition.

“We’re still working through that with our partners,” Moffitt said, “so as soon as we know for the future, we’ll be letting you guys know that. But right now, we’re thrilled that Regan’s in the car for this weekend.”

Smith was at the track Friday, meeting with reporters outside the Richard Petty Motorsports hauler in a crisp, white firesuit with the logo of team sponsor Smithfield Foods. Like Moffitt, Smith was mum about further opportunities with the No. 43 operation.

“I’m focused on this weekend right now and we’re going to do the best we can for their partners and for their team this weekend and see how things progress going forward,” Smith said, “but I’m gonna focus on this weekend and do a good job for them this weekend.”

Smith, who competes full-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, is a veteran of 211 starts in NASCAR’s premier division. The 33-year-old driver’s lone big-league victory came in the 2011 Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway.

Smith last competed full-time in the series in 2016, but has gained a reputation in recent years as a go-to substitute. His duties have included short stints in place of Tony Stewart, Kurt Busch, Kyle Larson and Dale Earnhardt Jr., oftentimes being called on to stand in with short notice.

This go-around, Smith had a much longer lead time in getting acclimated with the No. 43 bunch, but driving an unfamiliar car has become a familiar situation for him.

“I’ve learned I’ve got a hell of a polo shirt collection at this point,” Smith said with a smile about his growing supply of team apparel. “I don’t know if there are any crew members in the garage that have been with more teams than I have. I guess the first time you do it, and I mentioned earlier, that they’re all different and all unique in their own way.”

Posted on May 19, 2017May 19, 2017 by Holly Cain

Speaking for the first time since a frightening accident at Kansas Speedway last weekend, Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver Aric Almirola revealed he waited a day, while still resting in his hospital bed, to watch video footage of his wreck — a wreck he says will sideline him for at least two months.

Almirola’s No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports Ford smacked the already wrecked cars of Joey Logano and Danica Patrick with 68 laps remaining in the Go Bowling 400, bringing out a red flag. Emergency crews carefully cut Almirola out of his car, and the 33-year-old driver was airlifted to a nearby hospital for evaluation.

Almirola said he expects to miss 8-12 weeks of Monster Energy Series competition while recovering from a fracture of his T5 vertebrae suffered in the accident.

Regan Smith was tabbed to drive the iconic No. 43 Smithfield Foods Ford for Almirola this weekend.

In good spirits, his body still sore, Almirola spoke with NASCAR.com before a press conference Friday morning at Charlotte Motor Speedway, site of Saturday night’s Monster Energy All-Star Race.

Although Almirola recalls details of the accident, watching replays of the crash in the days since have both amazed the veteran and made him thankful for the safety of his car.

“I wanted to see it, but I didn’t want to see it that night,” Almirola said. “I watched the replay so I could see it for myself and I wanted to see it so I had a better understanding. Everything happened so fast in the moment, so I was pretty sure how it went down, but not exact of all the details. When you go back and watch the replay it kind of clarified all things. The thing I was most amazed with was how high my car got off the ground.”

Almirola said he thinks he ran over water and oil left from the wrecked Logano and Patrick cars in Turn 2 of the 1.5-mile track, and that essentially diminished any hope of steering away and avoiding the pile-up. NASCAR currently is conducting a thorough review of the entire incident, including a sit-down dialogue with Almirola for his perspective. The car was immediately taken to the Research & Development Center in Concord, North Carolina.

“It didn’t slow down, it didn’t turn, it didn’t do anything,” Almirola said. “I just slid right into the wreck. There was nothing I could do. It was the most helpless feeling because I saw the wreck. I braced because I knew it was coming and as soon as I made impact with Joey’s car it felt like someone put a knife in my back.

“And when I went up in the air and came back down it felt like someone took that knife and just twisted it in my back. And I got a really bad burning sensation in my back.”

Almirola immediately knew he was injured.

“That’s why I dropped the window net so fast and took the steering wheel off,” he said. “When I threw it forward, I was in a lot of pain with my back already and that made it worse extending my hands out in front of me. I looked around and saw I wasn’t on fire that the burning sensation in my back was an enormous amount of pain.

“So I just sat there and waited for the medical team to help get me out. I knew I wasn’t going to be able to get out on my own power. I was in way too much pain. I think they did a good job of getting me out of there the best way they could and made sure they stabilized my spine and didn’t do any further damage.”

Nearly a week out from the accident, Almirola says he still is in some pain, although it is much more manageable. Because of the location of the injury — essentially between his shoulder blades — it hurts often in doing the most ordinary of things.

For the time being, doctors said he can’t pick up anything weighing more than five pounds, which is especially troubling for a father of a 3-year old and 4-year-old who are accustomed to spontaneous rides on dad’s hip.

Almirola said because his injury doesn’t require bandages or a cast or something easily associated with injury, it’s hard for his children to understand he’s been hurt.

However, the 2014 Daytona Coke Zero 400 winner says he is grateful for the opportunity to recover and return to work considering the impact he experienced.

“I’ve been racing since I was 8 years old and I crashed plenty of times in a go-kart,” Almirola said. “I’ve crashed plenty of times in a late model coming up and racing in Florida. I’ve been in wrecks in the (Camping World) Truck Series, the XFINITY Series and the Cup series … and that one Saturday was by far the most violent.”

RELATED: Drivers wish Almirola well

Doctors told Almirola that his high level of fitness training should be a huge benefit in recovering from this serious back injury. A former baseball standout in high school, Almirola always has been one of NASCAR’s most fit competitors.

“The doctor told me the very first day he saw me, ‘obviously you’re in good shape. You take good care of your body and you’re in good health, you’re lean. Your body should do a fantastic job of healing itself.’

“That’s still no guarantee, though. He said I had a 90 percent chance of healing really quickly with no need for surgery. But 90 percent also means I have a 1 in 10 chance I won’t heal properly and I could need surgery.”

“Really, I’m just supposed to give it a break. I’m doing everything I can do.”

Almirola said he is so grateful to everyone who has reached out to him in the days following the accident and spends hours responding to the kind text messages and phone calls from all those expressing their care.

“I’ve been very moved and touched by the amount of people who have reached out and come by to visit and expressed their concerns and cares,” Almirola said. “The doctors and neurosurgeon in Charlotte have written me a prescription to go and sit in a chair at the beach. They want me to lay low the next couple weeks.

“I told my wife Janice I wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize my long-term health. I’ve got a beautiful family and I want to be able to run around outside and throw the baseball with Alex and I want to go to father-daughter dances with Abby and I’m not going to do anything to jeopardize that.”

Posted on May 19, 2017May 22, 2017 by Official NASCAR Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — The 2017 NASCAR Diversity Internship Program (NDIP) welcomed 26 of the brightest students from across the country seeking to learn about the motorsports industry during the Monster Energy All-Star Race weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina.

This year, 14 former NDIP interns currently working in the industry full-time will help mentor the students throughout the 10-week, paid internship. Mentors include Brandon Thompson, senior director of NASCAR touring series; Lauren Houston, manager of NASCAR Multicultural Development; Pedro Mojica, Richard Petty Motorsports engineer; and Jusan Hamilton, manager of NASCAR racing operations and event management. Hamilton made history earlier this year by becoming the first African-American to serve as a race director for a NASCAR national series event.

“For nearly 20 years, the NASCAR Diversity internship program has provided talented students with hands-on experience in the motorsports industry,” said Jim Cassidy, NASCAR senior vice president of racing operations. “The program has also helped NASCAR identify future leaders in the industry and continues to serve as an important part of our efforts to promote diversity and inclusion in the workplace.”

In its 18th year, NDIP has introduced hundreds of students from diverse backgrounds to professional opportunities in NASCAR. The program has also served as a pipeline for identifying and hiring top talent across the motorsports industry. In addition to NASCAR, 2017 interns will be working at NASCAR partner companies including Rev Racing, Roush Fenway Racing, Pocono Raceway, Toyota, and the International Speedway Corporation.

The 2017 NDIP class began its NASCAR experience with an orientation session at the NASCAR Research and Development Center in Concord. The group visited the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte and the NASCAR Production Studio, as well as the race shop for Rev Racing, which fields cars for the NASCAR Drive for Diversity program.

The class also put its own racing skills to the test at Victory Lane Karting. In addition, the interns met with key stakeholders in the NASCAR industry including Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series crew members, drivers, and NASCAR executives.

For many, attending the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race, Monster Energy Open and Monster Energy All-Star Race from Charlotte Motor Speedway this weekend will be their first live NASCAR experience.

Throughout the internship, the students will contribute to the industry and gain experience working in marketing, engineering, public relations, licensing, diversity and public affairs. They will also learn from leading NASCAR executives in weekly lunch-and-learn sessions and networking events with professionals across the industry.

The NASCAR Diversity Internship program offers diverse students an opportunity to work in one of the largest professional sports industries in the United States. Each year, the internships are available to college sophomores, juniors, seniors and graduate students across the country. To be eligible, students must be in good standing with their school and community and have a minimum 3.0 GPA.

The 2017 NDIP class includes the following students from colleges and universities across the nation:

Name	Department/Organization	University
Alex Alvarado	NASCAR Public Affairs	University of Central Florida
Alton Peques	NASCAR Marketing, Media Research	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Ashleigh Young	NASCAR Creative Design	University of Southern Mississippi
Bria Dixon	NASCAR Weekly and Touring	Virginia Tech
Cabrell Cooper	NASCAR Productions Engineering	Delaware State University
Cambric Moye	Toyota, Logistics	University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Carter Allen	NASCAR Brand Platforms Marketing	Arizona State University
Catherine Rivera-Chardon	Pocono Raceway	Penn State University
Dejah Gilliam	NASCAR Integrated Marketing Communications	Syracuse University
Federico Morales	NASCAR Finance	Georgia State University
Glen Charlton	NASCAR Digital	University of Maryland
Greg Carty	Roush Fenway Racing	Old Dominion University
Jorge Jones	NASCAR Integrated Marketing Communications	University of the Incarnate Word
Kenneth Lee	The NASCAR Foundation	Tuskegee University
Kevin Lee	Toyota, Information Systems	University of Texas Dallas
Kim Brian Fadul	NASCAR Digital Media	North Carolina State University
Lillian Hermina	NASCAR Industry Services	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Monica Matias	ISC Public Affairs	University of Central Florida
Natalia Mendoza	NASCAR Green Innovation	Wake Forest University
Precious Makuyana	ISC Legal	Florida A&M University
Ronald Alexander	ISC Partnership Marketing	Winston-Salem State University
Sandra Prieto	NASCAR Member Services	University of Miami
Sarah Torres	ISC Finance	Penn State University
Shawn Meachem	Rev Racing	Johnson C. Smith University
Tylar Williams	NASCAR Human Resources	Texas A&M College Station
Zane Smith	Toyota Engineering	Southern Methodist University

Posted on May 19, 2017June 17, 2017 by Zack Albert

NASCAR steps outside of its 36-event schedule of points-paying races just twice a year — once for the season-opening Clash at Daytona and again for its mid-May invitational, the Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race. Scan back through the recent record books and one name jumps out as the current defending winner of both — Joey Logano.

Theorizing about a common denominator takes a leap of faith, that Logano particularly thrives under the no-points, no-pressure structure, that his Team Penske No. 22 team collectively loosens its top button for a free-wheeling “casual Friday” approach to events that don’t count toward the season-long championship.

Sure, no points are at stake. But according to Logano, the business is very much as usual.

“Honestly for our team, we don’t race any different,” Logano said Thursday after a visit to the NASCAR Hall of Fame, helping support a local charity through his foundation. “We’re just an aggressive race team and we don’t really think a whole bunch about points. We’d like to sometimes, especially with the stage racing now, but we race aggressive all the time. If there’s a trophy there, we’re going to win it whether there’s points or not.

“It just happens to be that we were able to win the Clash and then the All-Star Race last year, so I think that might just be a little bit of a coincidence because we don’t really do anything different or race more aggressively or anything like that to win those races.”

Logano returns as the reigning champ of Saturday’s Monster Energy All-Star Race (8 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM) at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Getting the upper hand in a fierce late-race battle with Kyle Larson last year helped deliver his first All-Star victory in nine tries.

“When you hear the All-Star Race — or ‘All-Star’ in any sport — it’s a special thing to be involved in,” Logano said. “And you can imagine that winning and that feeling and what it was like, it’s definitely one of those wins that you want to check off on your bucket list and to be able to say you’ve won the All-Star Race. And that was a cool thing to be able to do.

“It was an eventful race, just like every All-Star Race. There’s so many crazy things that can happen and will happen this week.”

Based on the wild-card wrinkles added to the invitational’s format, Logano’s prediction of All-Star oddities carries some high probability. Among the new facets for this year’s procedures are an elimination that whittles the field to 10 cars for the final 10-lap segment and the availability of one set of softer “option” tires for each team.

The green-lettered option tires offer premium grip with the trade-off of rapid wear. And then there’s the question of when teams opt to use them, since there’s a rear-of-the-field mandate if option tires are mounted for use in the final segment. “It’s going to throw a loop into it for sure,” Logano said.

With format hurdles comes strategy, and Logano will have crew chief Todd Gordon back atop his pit box from a two-race suspension to crunch through potential race scenarios. While Logano indicated some pre-race planning was involved in attacking the intricacies of the All-Star format, there’s also an element of leaving that duty in Gordon’s able hands.

“It’s a little bit of both. Todd’s a lot smarter than me, and I realize that and I’m happy for that,” Logano said with a smile. “It’s a good thing. But we’re able to talk a little bit back and forth and saying, ‘hey, do you think you can pass this many cars in this many laps if you’re this much faster. Is there room to pass these cars and is our car going to be good enough to be able to do this or this.’ All that strategy will change after practice, after qualifying and you kind of get a feel for where you’re at with things.

“Once you get a hold of that stuff, then you might have a little bit closer to the strategy you’re going to race in your mind once you start the race, and then we’ll just kind of go for it from there. If we feel like we need to change, that’s up to them. I’ll let them figure that out. I don’t tell them how to call a race or how to set up a car, and he doesn’t tell me how to drive. So we just kind of figure it out together.”

With some math and special one-off procedures involved, Logano may need some in-race refreshers along the way. Format tweaks are as annual as the event itself. Revolving stage distances, pit-road options, eliminations and average-finish calculations have been part of the fun in years past.

Asked about potentially crafting a dream All-Star format, the 26-year-old driver demurred. No points, no pressure might still be in effect, but when it comes to playing rule-maker for a day, Logano adds a no, thank you.

“Honestly, I don’t care. As long as I know what the rules are, it’s the same for everybody,” Logano says. “It doesn’t make a difference. As soon as they’re written down and that’s what they are, those are the rules you play by and may the best team win. It’s pretty simple.”