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Sprint Cup
CUP: NASCAR All-Star Galaxy Grid
Dale Earnhardt’s pass in the grass helped move him to the top of the list...
As a follow-up to the successful “Great American Grid,” SPEED Center and NASCAR Race Hub are joining forces to bring you the NASCAR All-Star Galaxy Grid.
We have selected the top 20 performers in the history of the NASCAR Sprint All Star race, and here is the final list.
ROW 1 — Occupying the outside of the front row is a driver who made a huge impact on the NASCAR stage in a relatively short time. Second-generation star Davey Allison found incredible success in the Robert Yates Racing No. 28, putting up impressive numbers in only seven all-star appearances. In 1991, with crew chief Larry McReynolds, Allison started on the pole and led every lap on the way to the largest margin of victory in NASCAR All Star race history. He followed that up with a win in one of the best remembered and most-replayed finishes in NASCAR history in the first all-star race under the lights. Coming to the checkered flag, contact at the stripe with Kyle Petty sent the No. 28 driver-side first into the frontstretch wall. Instead of going to victory lane, Allison went to the hospital, but remains the only driver to win the all-star race in consecutive years. Those wins, four top fives and five top 10s in only seven attempts combine to earn second place in our lineup for Davey Allison, whose career was tragically cut short by a helicopter crash in the summer of 1993.
And on the pole in SPEED’s NASCAR All-Star Galaxy Grid, the brightest, roughest and toughest star of all, Dale Earnhardt. The Intimidator’s style was a perfect fit for the all-star format, which encouraged drivers to run up front during short segments. It was Dale’s undeniable swagger that forged his path to victory lane in three all-star events and made him a perennial contender. His 1987 battle with Bill Elliott is legendary, with the No. 3 coming out on top amid a save that became a mythical “pass in the grass.” Earnhardt returned to victory lane in the event in 1990 and again in 1993, when he passed Mark Martin in Turn 3 on the final lap after Martin’s huge lead was wiped-out by a late-race caution. With three wins, nine top fives and 12 top-10 finishes in 16 starts, the numbers support our clear-cut choice of Dale Earnhardt as the top performer in NASCAR All Star history.
ROW 2 — No matter what you call the track, there’s no question that Jimmie Johnson has always felt right at home at what used to be known as Lowe’s Motor Speedway. That’s where the five-time Sprint Cup champion found his stride, with impressive performances in most of his 10 all-star appearances. He passed Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jeff Gordon late in the 2003 event to win it in his sophomore season. As an encore, he also won in dramatic fashion in 2006 by moving from third to first in one corner. Those wins, along with six top five finishes and an average finish of 7.0, place him among the all-star elite, at No. 4 on our NASCAR All Star Galaxy Grid.
Jeff Gordon, at No. 3, makes it an all-Hendrick second row. A three-time all-star race winner, Gordon has provided plenty of memorable moments on his way to six top-five and nine top-10 finishes in 18 tries. In 1995, Gordon swept all three segments, capitalizing on a crash involving Dale Earnhardt and Darrell Waltrip in the closing laps as the three battled for the lead. Two years later, Gordon and crew chief Ray Evernham were untouchable in a special Jurassic Park paint scheme. The so-called “T-Rex” car was so dominant that it raised eyebrows in the garage. The car made it through post-race inspection, and while the victory stood, NASCAR told the team to never bring that car to the track again. In 2001, rain fell as the green flag dropped, resulting in a huge first-turn crash. NASCAR allowed teams to race their back-up cars, and Gordon cruised to another victory in a 24 car fresh off the hauler.
ROW 3 — Starting sixth is Bill Elliott, one of NASCAR’s top drivers of the mid-1980’s and early 90’s, whose rise to fame came as the all-star race was in its formative years. The Georgia driver’s only victory in the May classic happened in his home state in 1986, the second-running of the event and the only time it has been held somewhere other than Charlotte Motor Speedway. On Mother’s Day weekend, Elliott out-ran the smallest field in race history, beating 9 other drivers at Atlanta Motor Speedway. However, the desire to run out front, his legendary battles with other drivers, and six top-five and 13 top-10 finishes in 18 starts place Elliott on the outside of row 3.
We’ve reached the Top 5 on our NASCAR All-Star Galaxy Grid. Tony Stewart gets the nod based on his eight top-five finishes in 13 tries, giving him an average finish of 7.0. Smoke’s best performance came in 2009, his first season as an owner-driver. Using the same aggressive style that has become his trademark, Stewart stalked the front-runners, and passed Matt Kenseth for the lead with two laps to go en route to his lone all-star victory. The boss showed his emotion and gladly climbed the fence with his crew.
ROW 4 — No star has shined longer than Mark Martin, who has made a record 22 appearances in NASCAR’s All-Star event. Our eighth-place driver is the first of the two-time winners on our Galaxy Grid. His victory in 1998 was unexpected, as he was running third coming to the white flag. As he passed Bobby Labonte for second, leader Jeff Gordon slowed dramatically, coasting along out of fuel. Martin returned to Sprint All-Star Race Victory Lane in 2005, dominating the final segment by leading 18 of the 20 laps. The Arkansas driver has six top-five and 10 top-10 finishes.
At No. 7, Terry Labonte complements Martin on the most experienced row of our special countdown. His 20 starts are two fewer than Martin’s 22, but he matches him with a pair of victories 11 years apart. The first was in 1988, when Texas Terry prevailed for Goodyear in the first year of a tire war with Hoosier. Tires also helped Labonte to grab the checkered in 1999, as a four-tire stop proved to be the right call for him to out-duel rookie Tony Stewart.
ROW 5 — You know NASCAR’s most popular driver is on our grid. Dale Earnhardt Jr. ranks in the 10th position on the heels of nine top-10 finishes in 12 Sprint All-Star races starts. Like Ryan Newman, Junior won the all-star race in his first try in his rookie season. The year was 2000, and the hometown kid cemented his superstar status by taking his father’s team to victory lane. Dale Earnhardt Inc. was in its heyday, and the post-race celebration remains memorable to this day, with Dale Sr. embracing his son with overflowing pride. Junior Nation underwent a population boom
Matt Kenseth joins Junior on Row 5. How about these numbers — 11 starts, eight top 10s with an average finish of 6.5. Oh yeah, driver 17 won in 2004. He doesn’t say much. He typically does his talking on track. On the way to his All Star win, Kenseth, the reigning Cup series champion, on fresher tires, managed to loosen-up Newman to capture the million dollar prize and secure his place at ninth on our NASCAR All-Star Galaxy Grid.
ROW 6 — Row 6 is anchored by NASCAR Hall of Famer Darrell Waltrip, who had a magical year driving for Junior Johnson in 1985. Not only did D.W. earn his third and final Cup championship that season, he passed Harry Gant to win the inaugural all-star race at Charlotte, claiming a $200,000 payday, which at the time was the largest in NASCAR history. As always, “Jaws” left everyone wondering, as his engine went up in smoke as he crossed the finish line. In his storied career, Waltrip wheeled his way to four top-five and eight top-10 finishes in 16 All-Star races to place 12th in our lineup.
Alongside Waltrip, rolling from the 11th position on our NASCAR All-Star Galaxy Grid, is Geoff Bodine, whose victory in 1994 was one of his four top five-finishes in the event. Competing on Hoosier tires that night, he took home the trophy as both driver and owner of the car, having purchased the No. 7 team after the death of Alan Kulwicki in a plane crash the previous year. Bodine compiled eight top-10 finishes in 15 all-star appearances.
ROW 7 — On the outside of Row 7 is the only non-winning driver to make our list of the top performers in the history of NASCAR’s Sprint All-Star race. Ken Schrader earns his position on the strength of six top-five finishes in only eight starts, giving him the best average finish among all starters in our mythical grid. In a three-year stretch starting in 1989, Schrader posted back-to-back-to-back second-place finishes.
Starting 13th is 2002 winner Ryan Newman, creator of one of the best Cinderella stories in all-star history. As a rookie, he started shotgun on the field after winning the qualifying event. The Rocketman blasted toward the front, and in the end, won a spirited duel with Dale Earnhardt Jr. to get to the finish line first. Newman has appeared in every all-star race since that night, totaling three top five and six top-10 finishes.
ROW 8 — On the outside of Row 8 in the 16th position resides 2010 Sprint All-Star Race winner Kurt Busch. Half of his 10 appearances in the event resulted in top-10 finishes, while his average finish is 11th. There was no brotherly love displayed on that Saturday two years ago as the older of the Busch boys put his little brother Kyle into the wall during a fierce battle for position. Kurt’s winning ride was the familiar Penske Racing “Blue Deuce.”
Alongside Busch and ranked 15th in our countdown is a NASCAR Hall of Fame nominee who wheeled those same Penske colors to many of his 19 career efforts in the All Star race. However, Rusty Wallace’s lone victory in the non-points affair came in 1989 for Blue Max Racing in one of the most controversial finishes in event history. Heading to the white flag, Wallace tangled with Darrell Waltrip, who ended up sideways in the tri-oval grass. Pit crew members from each team exchanged blows in an eruption of post-race emotion that helped shape both the popularity and infamy of both drivers.
ROW 9 — Lining up 18th we find Kevin Harvick, a California driver whose hard-core approach to the Sprint All-Star Race is to let it all hang out — win at all costs. Harvick pretty much has that philosophy every week behind the wheel of the number 29 Chevy for Richard Childress Racing. The driver nicknamed “Happy” captured his only checkered flag at the May Classic at Charlotte in 2007, while amassing 6 top-10 finishes in 11 starts.
Another active driver shares row 9. In the 17th starting position is Carl Edwards. The driver of the No. 99 Roush Fenway Racing Ford is the defending Sprint All-Star Race champion. In six all-star appearances, Edwards has finished inside the top five 3 times with an average finish of ninth. One of NASCAR’s most athletic drivers, this buff backflipper needs to work on his victory celebration after messing up his Ford while sliding through the grass and hitting an infield drain at Charlotte Motor Speedway last year.
ROW 10 — The 20th starter in our NASCAR All Star Galaxy Grid is Kasey Kahne. When you look at his racing resume, it’s not surprising Kahne took the checkers in an all-star night. What is shocking is he won the Sprint All-Star race in 2008 after transferring from The Sprint Showdown by being selected to compete in the main event through a fan vote. As the peoples’ choice, Kasey sent the fans home happy in his only top-five finish in eight all-star appearances.
Sharing Row 10 is another driver who transferred into the feature race. Lining up 19th is Michael Waltrip, owner of one of the greatest upsets in NASCAR All Star history. In 1996, driving for the Wood Brothers, the Owensboro, Ky., driver squeaked into the field by finishing fifth in the non-qualifiers’ event.
In the big show, Mikey methodically worked his way to the front, and was in position to win at the start of the final segment when leaders Dale Earnhardt and Terry Labonte pushed up the track, allowing Waltrip to dive low for a lead he would not surrender. The younger of the Waltrip brothers went on to earn his first trophy at the Sprint Cup level and in Victory Lane said he would use his winnings to build a house for his parents. He has five top-10 finishes in 14 all-star races.
Tom Jensen is the Editor in Chief of SPEED.com, Senior NASCAR Editor at RACER and a contributing Editor for TruckSeries.com. You can follow him online at twitter.com/tomjensen100.
We have selected the top 20 performers in the history of the NASCAR Sprint All Star race, and here is the final list.
ROW 1 — Occupying the outside of the front row is a driver who made a huge impact on the NASCAR stage in a relatively short time. Second-generation star Davey Allison found incredible success in the Robert Yates Racing No. 28, putting up impressive numbers in only seven all-star appearances. In 1991, with crew chief Larry McReynolds, Allison started on the pole and led every lap on the way to the largest margin of victory in NASCAR All Star race history. He followed that up with a win in one of the best remembered and most-replayed finishes in NASCAR history in the first all-star race under the lights. Coming to the checkered flag, contact at the stripe with Kyle Petty sent the No. 28 driver-side first into the frontstretch wall. Instead of going to victory lane, Allison went to the hospital, but remains the only driver to win the all-star race in consecutive years. Those wins, four top fives and five top 10s in only seven attempts combine to earn second place in our lineup for Davey Allison, whose career was tragically cut short by a helicopter crash in the summer of 1993.
And on the pole in SPEED’s NASCAR All-Star Galaxy Grid, the brightest, roughest and toughest star of all, Dale Earnhardt. The Intimidator’s style was a perfect fit for the all-star format, which encouraged drivers to run up front during short segments. It was Dale’s undeniable swagger that forged his path to victory lane in three all-star events and made him a perennial contender. His 1987 battle with Bill Elliott is legendary, with the No. 3 coming out on top amid a save that became a mythical “pass in the grass.” Earnhardt returned to victory lane in the event in 1990 and again in 1993, when he passed Mark Martin in Turn 3 on the final lap after Martin’s huge lead was wiped-out by a late-race caution. With three wins, nine top fives and 12 top-10 finishes in 16 starts, the numbers support our clear-cut choice of Dale Earnhardt as the top performer in NASCAR All Star history.
ROW 2 — No matter what you call the track, there’s no question that Jimmie Johnson has always felt right at home at what used to be known as Lowe’s Motor Speedway. That’s where the five-time Sprint Cup champion found his stride, with impressive performances in most of his 10 all-star appearances. He passed Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jeff Gordon late in the 2003 event to win it in his sophomore season. As an encore, he also won in dramatic fashion in 2006 by moving from third to first in one corner. Those wins, along with six top five finishes and an average finish of 7.0, place him among the all-star elite, at No. 4 on our NASCAR All Star Galaxy Grid.
Jeff Gordon, at No. 3, makes it an all-Hendrick second row. A three-time all-star race winner, Gordon has provided plenty of memorable moments on his way to six top-five and nine top-10 finishes in 18 tries. In 1995, Gordon swept all three segments, capitalizing on a crash involving Dale Earnhardt and Darrell Waltrip in the closing laps as the three battled for the lead. Two years later, Gordon and crew chief Ray Evernham were untouchable in a special Jurassic Park paint scheme. The so-called “T-Rex” car was so dominant that it raised eyebrows in the garage. The car made it through post-race inspection, and while the victory stood, NASCAR told the team to never bring that car to the track again. In 2001, rain fell as the green flag dropped, resulting in a huge first-turn crash. NASCAR allowed teams to race their back-up cars, and Gordon cruised to another victory in a 24 car fresh off the hauler.
ROW 3 — Starting sixth is Bill Elliott, one of NASCAR’s top drivers of the mid-1980’s and early 90’s, whose rise to fame came as the all-star race was in its formative years. The Georgia driver’s only victory in the May classic happened in his home state in 1986, the second-running of the event and the only time it has been held somewhere other than Charlotte Motor Speedway. On Mother’s Day weekend, Elliott out-ran the smallest field in race history, beating 9 other drivers at Atlanta Motor Speedway. However, the desire to run out front, his legendary battles with other drivers, and six top-five and 13 top-10 finishes in 18 starts place Elliott on the outside of row 3.
We’ve reached the Top 5 on our NASCAR All-Star Galaxy Grid. Tony Stewart gets the nod based on his eight top-five finishes in 13 tries, giving him an average finish of 7.0. Smoke’s best performance came in 2009, his first season as an owner-driver. Using the same aggressive style that has become his trademark, Stewart stalked the front-runners, and passed Matt Kenseth for the lead with two laps to go en route to his lone all-star victory. The boss showed his emotion and gladly climbed the fence with his crew.
ROW 4 — No star has shined longer than Mark Martin, who has made a record 22 appearances in NASCAR’s All-Star event. Our eighth-place driver is the first of the two-time winners on our Galaxy Grid. His victory in 1998 was unexpected, as he was running third coming to the white flag. As he passed Bobby Labonte for second, leader Jeff Gordon slowed dramatically, coasting along out of fuel. Martin returned to Sprint All-Star Race Victory Lane in 2005, dominating the final segment by leading 18 of the 20 laps. The Arkansas driver has six top-five and 10 top-10 finishes.
At No. 7, Terry Labonte complements Martin on the most experienced row of our special countdown. His 20 starts are two fewer than Martin’s 22, but he matches him with a pair of victories 11 years apart. The first was in 1988, when Texas Terry prevailed for Goodyear in the first year of a tire war with Hoosier. Tires also helped Labonte to grab the checkered in 1999, as a four-tire stop proved to be the right call for him to out-duel rookie Tony Stewart.
ROW 5 — You know NASCAR’s most popular driver is on our grid. Dale Earnhardt Jr. ranks in the 10th position on the heels of nine top-10 finishes in 12 Sprint All-Star races starts. Like Ryan Newman, Junior won the all-star race in his first try in his rookie season. The year was 2000, and the hometown kid cemented his superstar status by taking his father’s team to victory lane. Dale Earnhardt Inc. was in its heyday, and the post-race celebration remains memorable to this day, with Dale Sr. embracing his son with overflowing pride. Junior Nation underwent a population boom
Matt Kenseth joins Junior on Row 5. How about these numbers — 11 starts, eight top 10s with an average finish of 6.5. Oh yeah, driver 17 won in 2004. He doesn’t say much. He typically does his talking on track. On the way to his All Star win, Kenseth, the reigning Cup series champion, on fresher tires, managed to loosen-up Newman to capture the million dollar prize and secure his place at ninth on our NASCAR All-Star Galaxy Grid.
ROW 6 — Row 6 is anchored by NASCAR Hall of Famer Darrell Waltrip, who had a magical year driving for Junior Johnson in 1985. Not only did D.W. earn his third and final Cup championship that season, he passed Harry Gant to win the inaugural all-star race at Charlotte, claiming a $200,000 payday, which at the time was the largest in NASCAR history. As always, “Jaws” left everyone wondering, as his engine went up in smoke as he crossed the finish line. In his storied career, Waltrip wheeled his way to four top-five and eight top-10 finishes in 16 All-Star races to place 12th in our lineup.
Alongside Waltrip, rolling from the 11th position on our NASCAR All-Star Galaxy Grid, is Geoff Bodine, whose victory in 1994 was one of his four top five-finishes in the event. Competing on Hoosier tires that night, he took home the trophy as both driver and owner of the car, having purchased the No. 7 team after the death of Alan Kulwicki in a plane crash the previous year. Bodine compiled eight top-10 finishes in 15 all-star appearances.
ROW 7 — On the outside of Row 7 is the only non-winning driver to make our list of the top performers in the history of NASCAR’s Sprint All-Star race. Ken Schrader earns his position on the strength of six top-five finishes in only eight starts, giving him the best average finish among all starters in our mythical grid. In a three-year stretch starting in 1989, Schrader posted back-to-back-to-back second-place finishes.
Starting 13th is 2002 winner Ryan Newman, creator of one of the best Cinderella stories in all-star history. As a rookie, he started shotgun on the field after winning the qualifying event. The Rocketman blasted toward the front, and in the end, won a spirited duel with Dale Earnhardt Jr. to get to the finish line first. Newman has appeared in every all-star race since that night, totaling three top five and six top-10 finishes.
ROW 8 — On the outside of Row 8 in the 16th position resides 2010 Sprint All-Star Race winner Kurt Busch. Half of his 10 appearances in the event resulted in top-10 finishes, while his average finish is 11th. There was no brotherly love displayed on that Saturday two years ago as the older of the Busch boys put his little brother Kyle into the wall during a fierce battle for position. Kurt’s winning ride was the familiar Penske Racing “Blue Deuce.”
Alongside Busch and ranked 15th in our countdown is a NASCAR Hall of Fame nominee who wheeled those same Penske colors to many of his 19 career efforts in the All Star race. However, Rusty Wallace’s lone victory in the non-points affair came in 1989 for Blue Max Racing in one of the most controversial finishes in event history. Heading to the white flag, Wallace tangled with Darrell Waltrip, who ended up sideways in the tri-oval grass. Pit crew members from each team exchanged blows in an eruption of post-race emotion that helped shape both the popularity and infamy of both drivers.
ROW 9 — Lining up 18th we find Kevin Harvick, a California driver whose hard-core approach to the Sprint All-Star Race is to let it all hang out — win at all costs. Harvick pretty much has that philosophy every week behind the wheel of the number 29 Chevy for Richard Childress Racing. The driver nicknamed “Happy” captured his only checkered flag at the May Classic at Charlotte in 2007, while amassing 6 top-10 finishes in 11 starts.
Another active driver shares row 9. In the 17th starting position is Carl Edwards. The driver of the No. 99 Roush Fenway Racing Ford is the defending Sprint All-Star Race champion. In six all-star appearances, Edwards has finished inside the top five 3 times with an average finish of ninth. One of NASCAR’s most athletic drivers, this buff backflipper needs to work on his victory celebration after messing up his Ford while sliding through the grass and hitting an infield drain at Charlotte Motor Speedway last year.
ROW 10 — The 20th starter in our NASCAR All Star Galaxy Grid is Kasey Kahne. When you look at his racing resume, it’s not surprising Kahne took the checkers in an all-star night. What is shocking is he won the Sprint All-Star race in 2008 after transferring from The Sprint Showdown by being selected to compete in the main event through a fan vote. As the peoples’ choice, Kasey sent the fans home happy in his only top-five finish in eight all-star appearances.
Sharing Row 10 is another driver who transferred into the feature race. Lining up 19th is Michael Waltrip, owner of one of the greatest upsets in NASCAR All Star history. In 1996, driving for the Wood Brothers, the Owensboro, Ky., driver squeaked into the field by finishing fifth in the non-qualifiers’ event.
In the big show, Mikey methodically worked his way to the front, and was in position to win at the start of the final segment when leaders Dale Earnhardt and Terry Labonte pushed up the track, allowing Waltrip to dive low for a lead he would not surrender. The younger of the Waltrip brothers went on to earn his first trophy at the Sprint Cup level and in Victory Lane said he would use his winnings to build a house for his parents. He has five top-10 finishes in 14 all-star races.
Tom Jensen is the Editor in Chief of SPEED.com, Senior NASCAR Editor at RACER and a contributing Editor for TruckSeries.com. You can follow him online at twitter.com/tomjensen100.
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