The NASCAR Cup Series now shifts from Kansas Speedway back to the southeastern United States for Saturday night’s annual All-Star Race, a non-points special event to kick off a two-week run at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Joey Logano is the defending winner and will bid to become just the third driver in the thirty three-year history of the race to win in back-to-back years. Davey Allison was victorious in 1991 and 1992. Seven-time Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson doubled up in 2012 and 2013.
If you’re looking for pre-race favorites on the mile-and-a-half oval, consider the trio of Johnson, Brad Keselowski and Kansas winner Martin Truex Junior. Dating back to last season, they’ve combined to win ten of the last twelve races run on intermediate-sized ovals.
Nascar has added a 4th “stage” to the upcoming “Coca-Cola 600” which will break the sport’s longest event into equal segments of one hundred laps each, with the sanctioning body saying the change will add another layer of strategy and create additional excitement for fans. Hear coverage on WBUT on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend following the Indy 500.
Kentucky Derby winner “Always Dreaming” is the early 4-5 favorite to win the 142nd annual Preakness Stakes Saturday in Baltimore, the second race in the Triple Crown. “Always Dreaming” will come out of the number four post. “Classic Empire” will start next to “Always Dreaming” in the number five position and is the second choice at 3-1. 10 horses are in the field.