NASCAR All-Star: Clint Bowyer leads AJ Allmendinger in Showdown
Clint Bowyer and AJ Allmendinger earned their places in NASCAR's All-Star event by finishing first and second in Friday evening's Showdown qualifying race at Charlotte Motor Speedway
All drivers who won Sprint Cup rounds in 2013/14 plus past champions and All-Star victors went straight into Saturday night's main event, leaving the remaining Cup regulars to try to race their way in via the Showdown.
Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota driver Bowyer passed long-time leader Allmendinger's JTG Daugherty Chevrolet just before the end of the first of the two 20-lap segments.
Bowyer was first out among the drivers who changed all four tyres in the mid-event pitstops and made short work of the two-tyre-changers and non-stoppers once racing resumed for part two, with Allmendinger following him through to second.
While those two were soon out of reach, Casey Mears battled past Marcos Ambrose for third. Ambrose had flown back up the order after an early brush with Ricky Stenhouse Jr put him into a wild slide early in the first segment.
Pole-winner Austin Dillon faded to eighth by the end of the event.
A third All-Star spot was decided by a fan vote, with Phil Parsons Racing's underdog Josh Wise getting the nod. Wise, who finished 18th in the Showdown, has galvanised online support to 'crowd-fund' his Cup campaign this year.
Bowyer, Allmendinger and Wise complete a 22-car field for the non-championship All-Star race, which offers a million dollar prize to its winner.
Results - 40 laps: Pos Driver Team/Car Time/Gap 1. Clint Bowyer Waltrip Toyota 30m35.000s 2. AJ Allmendinger JTG Daugherty Chevrolet +2.547s 3. Casey Mears Germain Chevrolet +4.332s 4. Marcos Ambrose Petty Ford +5.287s 5. Aric Almirola Petty Ford +5.489s 6. Kyle Larson Ganassi Chevrolet +5.853s 7. Ricky Stenhouse Jr Roush Fenway Ford +8.768s 8. Austin Dillon Childress Chevrolet +9.960s 9. Paul Menard Childress Chevrolet +10.583s 10. Danica Patrick Stewart-Haas Chevrolet +11.976s 11. David Gilliland Front Row Ford +14.736s 12. Cole Whitt BK Toyota +17.175s 13. Alex Bowman BK Toyota +18.578s 14. Dave Blaney Humphrey Smith Ford +20.719s 15. Michael Annett Baldwin Chevrolet +21.469s 16. Joe Nemechek Robinson Toyota +22.102s 17. Landon Cassill Hillman Chevrolet +23.077s 18. Josh Wise Parsons Ford +23.997s 19. Ryan Truex BK Toyota +25.798s 20. JJ Yeley Xxxtreme Toyota +26.050s 21. Reed Sorenson Baldwin Chevrolet +26.493s 22. Blake Koch FAS Lane Ford +28.897s Retirements: David Stremme Circle Sport Chevrolet 25 laps
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