Winning NASCAR's $1 million All-Star Race only point to be made

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Want to see what a disposable racecar looks like? Take a good look at the field that takes the green flag in Saturday night's Sprint All-Star Race.

Every team owner who sends a car into battle won't care if it comes back in one piece as long as their driver brings home the $1 million first prize.

There are no points on the line in the annual mid-May All-Star extravaganza at Charlotte Motor Speedway and only two things matter -- pride and the big payday at the end of the night, not necessarily in that order.

But that doesn't mean the night is all fun and games by any means.

"The All-Star Race is a serious race, perhaps as serious as any race in the season," said Dale Earnhardt Jr., who was victorious in the 2000 edition of the race. "It can be a high-pressure situation, and we put a lot of emphasis into it. A lot of work goes into it, and a lot of cars get tore up. There are a lot of people really upset afterward because it's all about winning. That's the only thing that matters."

No team has been winning of late more than Joe Gibbs Racing, with teammates Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch combining to win five of the past seven points races. Hamlin has come close to bringing home the checkered flag in the All-Star Race before and believes the way his team has been running, Saturday night might be his best chance yet of adding his name to the long and prestigious list of winners.

"This race is a tradition in this sport and the fans have continued to embrace it over the years so it keeps growing and growing," said Hamlin, who kicked off the week's festivities with a win by his team in the Pit Crew Challenge on Wednesday night.

"I think everyone wants to add their name to the list of drivers who have won this because we all grew up watching this race. I know I did and it was a race that I never missed watching so to have the chance to participate has been cool, but to win it would be that much better."

But before the four-segment main event -- open to race winners of the previous season and former champions of the All-Star Race -- takes to the track, a 30-car field will battle for an opportunity to simply transfer into the big show. The top two finishers in the Sprint Showdown preliminary move up to the All-Star Race. With the likes of Jeff Burton, Carl Edwards, Greg Biffle, Clint Bowyer, Juan Pablo Montoya and Bill Elliott in the lineup, the opening act could rival the headliner.

All-Star Race links

Rundown: Eligibility, qualifying | History Hamlin's team wins Pit Crew Challenge Should All-Star Race venue be rotated?

"This is the best field I've ever seen for the Sprint Showdown," said television commentator Larry McReynolds, a two-time All-Star Race-winning crew chief. "Some guys who have always been in the All-Star Race and probably haven't ever run the Showdown now have to race their way in. It's a pretty stacked deck. With that stout of a field in the Showdown, there's no question the winner of the All-Star Race could come from that group."

One driver who won't have to worry about finding his way into the All-Star Race is Casey Mears, who has been tabbed by Team Red Bull to pilot the No. 83 Toyota in place of Brian Vickers, still recovering from blood clots found in his legs and lungs last week. Vickers earned a spot in the race by virtue of his Michigan win last August and NASCAR has allowed the team to keep its spot in the field with Mears as a replacement driver.

"Given the extenuating circumstances we have dealt with this past week regarding Brian's health, we would like to thank NASCAR for their assistance and understanding of this unique situation by allowing us to compete in the All-Star Race," TRM General Manager Jay Frye said in regards to the unique situation.

While there have been reports circulating putting Vickers' return at three months or more, the team hasn't commented on specifics of his recovery and is concentrating on its current plans.

Vickers hasn't made a public appearance or issued a statement of his own but appears to be making progress.

"He seems well," said Jimmie Johnson, a former teammate of Vickers at Hendrick Motorsports. "They're still trying to get to the bottom of everything. His spirits are high and it's been really, really difficult for him to go through this -- to be a young guy and feeling for the most part healthy and informed of this issue.

"They're still trying to get to the bottom of it. I don't think he has a lot of clarity. It's definitely been tough on him."