| | |  | | One of the cool things about The Winston -- new paint schemes, like the one Dale Earnhardt will be sporting this weekend. |
CONCORD, N.C. -- For the 16th consecutive year, NASCAR's finest suit up for battle Saturday night to chase the big bucks in The Winston. It's NASCAR's version of an all-star game, played under the lights of Lowe's Motor Speedway.
The non-points paying event started as a race reserved for race winners only, but The Winston has added a few wrinkles over the years. We all know about The Winston Open, a warm up to The Winston where the winner, or "hooligan" makes the main event. A last-chance transfer really for you Saturday night short-track fans.
This year, however, there is another wrench thrown into the mix -- a last chance race for the
last chance race. It's a 16-lap No Bull Sprint race for drivers who finish on the
lead lap of the Winston Open.
I guess these two drivers who transfer are technically winners, but it's getting a bit too much. That said, there are still plenty of things to love about The Winston. And since this race really doesn't count, let's dive into my "Useless, but cool to know, file."
Big Bucks
Since there is no pressure to score Winston Cup points, because there are no points to chase, the focus is on winning. And to the winner goes big bucks. And I mean big big bucks.
Saturday night's winner could make a deposit on Monday morning of over a half-million dollars. Not bad for 70 laps work. And with so much money on the line, drivers seem to hang it out, taking chances that they normally wouldn't take over the 34 points-paying race season.
The Format
While some question the 30-30-10 lap format, I say it's a unique way to mix things up. And it normally sets up a dramatic finish.
The best in my book include the late Davey Allison and Kyle Petty providing the sparks in 1992, and Dale Earnhardt and Darrell Waltrip going at it in '95. But neither I or Michael Waltrip will never forget the '96 Winston -- his only trip to Victory Lane in a Winston Cup car.
The race is broken up into two 30-lap segments, with a final 10-lap shootout to
decide it all. The winners of the first two segments get $50,000 each, while the 10-lap shootout winner nets a cool $500,000.
Qualifying on Friday is also fun to watch. Three laps and a pit stop decide first 18 spots on The Winston grid. Two 25-lap races set the field for The Winston Open. And Saturday starts with a wild Winston Open, which produces the 19th car in The Winston. Finish on the lead lap in The Winston and you're still eligible for the Big Show thanks to that new No Bull Sprint -- a 16-lap affair that produces the 20th car in The Winston.
I may be in the minority, but I like the late additions to the race. Sure, we already know the 18 drivers who've earned spots in The Winston. But if you're favorite isn't among those 18, he still has a shot to be one of those two late additions. He actually has two chances.
Whew!
You Have A Vote
Maybe the coolest thing about The Winston is you have a active part in setting the field. After the first 30-lap segment, the fans actually vote on whether to invert the field or let them start straight up for the second 30 laps.
In the past, before you fans started making drivers honest, some guys had unofficially sandbagged in the first segment to get a good starting spot in the second. I have a better chance at going on "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" -- and winning -- than you fans not choosing to invert the field.
It's kind of like getting pulled over by a cop going 75 in 50 mph zone. You know your going to get a ticket. The fans are going to invert.
That Special Saturday Night Feeling
This race is really a throw back to the local tracks. Sure a Saturday night feature doesn't have total awards posted at $2 million, or a winner taking home a possible 600K. But it is the feeling you get just being here on Saturday night.
There is something special in the air. The cars' paint jobs glisten and sparkle under the lights. And when the field comes off Turn 4 to take the green, a plethra of flash bulbs go off in unison -- as 150,000 fans take pictures of the
start. It sends the drama meter up a peg or two, and the electricity in the
air goes off the meter.
It's a feeling like being at Talladega. You know
something is going to happen, the only answer is when and who will be
involved. | |
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