Jeff Gordon has had a fairly snake-bit run so far in the 2012 Sprint Cup Series, with one unfortunate turn of events or malfunction after another to begin the year. Still, he will be competing in the 2012 Sprint NASCAR All-Star Race in Charlotte on Saturday and will hope that he can walk away with the bragging rights and the check for $1 million that goes to the race winner. While Gordon will not receive points in the race, a victory would be a great confidence boost and a way to start turning things around. Gordon will be No. 8 in the starting lineup on Saturday.
The other native Bay Area driver, A.J. Allmendinger, is not yet guaranteed a spot in the All-Star Race proper. The All-Star Race has a preliminary race and Allmendinger holds the pole position. The Sprint Showdown is a 40-lap race to determine two of the last three entrants into the main event.
The Showdown begins at approximately 4:30 p.m. PT and the All-Star Race green flag will be at 6:12 p.m. PT. The race will air on the SPEED Network and you can listen on the Performance Racing Network's Web site. You can also check PRN's site for a list of affiliate stations in your area.
Here's the starting lineup for the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race:
- Kyle Busch
- Ryan Newman
- Denny Hamlin
- Greg Biffle
- Kevin Harvick
- Jimmie Johnson
- Paul Menard
- Jeff Gordon
- Tony Stewart
- Regan Smith
- Trevor Bayne
- Clint Bowyer
- Carl Edwards
- David Ragan
- Matt Kenseth
- Mark Martin
- Kurt Busch
- Marcos Ambrose
- Brad Keselowski
- Kasey Kahne
- Sprint Showdown winner
- Sprint Showdown runner-up
- Sprint Fan Vote winner
And here is the starting lineup for the Sprint Showdown:
- AJ Allmendinger
- Martin Truex Jr.
- Dale Earnhardt Jr.
- Jeff Burton
- Aric Almirola
- Landon Cassill
- Juan Pablo Montoya
- Bobby Labonte
- Travis Kvapil
- David Stremme
- Casey Mears
- David Reutimann
- Joey Logano
- Stephen Leicht
- Scott Speed
- David Gilliland
- Mike Bliss
- JJ Yeley
- Jamie McMurray
- Joe Nemechek
- Josh Wise
- Tony Raines
For all news and information regarding the 2012 Sprint Cup Series, please visit NASCAR Ranting & Raving or check out SB Nation's dedicated NASCAR hub.
