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NASCAR Sprint-Cup Series
ALL-STAR: Time To Light ‘Em Up
Drivers are encouraged to hit obstacles in this year’s Pennzoil Ultra Victory Challenge...
Tom Jensen  |  Posted May 22, 2010   Charlotte, NC
Kevin Harvick won the burnout competition in 2009. (Photo: LAT Photographic)
Before the serious business of racing for $1 million, six of NASCAR’s best drivers will get to have some fun tonight at Charlotte Motor Speedway with the running of the Pennzoil Ultra Victory Challenge burnout contest.

The event will be televised live on SPEED at 6:15 p.m. as part of the pre-race coverage for tonight’s Sprint All-Star Race.

Joining defending event champion Kevin Harvick are fellow NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers Clint Bowyer, Kyle Busch, Joey Logano, Jamie McMurray, Ryan Newman and David Reutimann.

“It’s fun,” said Busch. “There were too many rules in the beginning, but I don’t know what the rules are this year if there are any. I remember watching the first year and whoever was going crazy knocking things over and everything. I was like, ‘Man, he’s having a lot more fun not following the rules that I did following the rules.’ The second year, being last year, I just went out and went crazy and didn’t care. This year, we’ll see if it goes the same way.”

“These guys really get the fans excited,” said Greg Wehr, Pennzoil Marketing Manager. “And I think it’s a great way to celebrate the All-Star race.”

This time around, drivers will compete in stock cars identically prepared by the NASCAR Racing Experience. Similar to 2009, judges will score the drivers' creativity in a 30-second freestyle burnout.

This year, however, drivers can also gain bonus points by knocking down strategically placed obstacles. Drivers will start from Turn 4 and trigger the 30-second Pennzoil Ultra Countdown Clock as they cross the starting line. The driver with the most points, including the creativity score from the judges and any bonus points, will be declared the winner, with $10,000 awarded to his or her charity of choice.

Judges include Carolina Panthers wide receiver Steve Smith; Creed band members Scott Stapp and Mark Tremonti; three-time World Wrestling champion Jeff Hardy of Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, and former NASCAR Sprint Cup driver and current SPEED personality, Jimmy Spencer.

Tom Jensen is the Editor in Chief of SPEEDtv.com, Senior NASCAR Editor at RACER and a contributing Editor for TruckSeries.com. You can follow him online at twitter.com/tomjensen100 and e-mail him at Jensen is the author of “Cheating: The Bad Things Good NASCAR Nextel Cup Racers Do In Pursuit of Speed,” and has appeared on numerous television and radio shows. Jensen is the past President of the National Motorsports Press Association and an NMPA Writer of the Year.

2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series All-Star Week • The Stars Come Out. The Gloves Come Off. • Saturday, May 22nd at 7 pm ET
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