NASCAR announces changes to their All-Star race

More changes coming to the 2014 season, as NASCAR announced some changes to their all-star weekend in May. Here are the changes:

• The Sprint Showdown has moved to the Friday night, the day before the All-Star Race
• Qualifying for the Sprint All-Star Race will be on Saturday, before the Truck race
• The Sprint All-Star Race qualifying will features 4-tire, full speed pit stops
• The Sprint fan vote will be announced on the Friday night after the Showdown
• Drivers who advance from the Showdown and the fan-vote winner will participate in Saturday's qualifying. That means the fan-vote winner no longer needs to start at the back for the All-Star race.

The format for the All-Star race will remain the same with four 20-lap segments, then reset based on average finish of the first 4 segments,  and a final 10-lap segment. Charlotte Motor Speedway also announced that country star Jake Owen will perform during the weekend.

Official presser:

Charlotte Motor Speedway officials have announced changes to the May 16-17 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race schedule that add even more entertainment value to fans attending the opening weekend of 10 blockbuster days of racing at the legendary 1.5-mile-superspeedway.

During the second day of the NASCAR Sprint Media Tour hosted by Charlotte Motor Speedway, officials announced that the Sprint Showdown will be moved to Friday, May 16, preceding the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series’ North Carolina Education Lottery 200. Before the green flag falls on Saturday’s NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, drivers will set the field for the main event with a three-lap qualifying that includes a mandatory four-tire pit stop and no pit road speed limit.

“These changes mean fans get even more bang for their buck here at The Greatest Place to See the Race,” said Marcus Smith, president and general manager of Charlotte Motor Speedway. “In addition to watching the trucks battle on Friday night and rocking with a pre-race concert with Jake Owen on Saturday, fans will be treated to back-to-back nights of Sprint Cup Series action as drivers leave everything on the track with a $1 million payday on the line.”

The schedule change means that fans can watch both NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series drivers battle on Friday night, May 16. It is the only date on the NASCAR schedule where both truck and Sprint Cup drivers will compete in non-qualifying contests on the same night at the same venue.

Drivers already eligible to race in the 2014 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race include: Jimmie Johnson, Carl Edwards, Matt Kenseth, Kasey Kahne, Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, David Ragan, Tony Stewart, Greg Biffle, Martin Truex Jr., Brian Vickers, Ryan Newman, Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski, Jamie McMurray, Jeff Gordon, Denny Hamlin and Kurt Busch.

Eligible drivers who win a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race prior to the Sprint All-Star Race will be added to the field as well as the top two finishers in Friday night’s Sprint Showdown and the Sprint Fan Vote winner.

Once the field is set, drivers and teams will turn their attention to the most highly-anticipated qualifying run of the season, a timed run of three laps including a mandatory four-tire pit stop with no pit road speed limit. With the new schedule, the Sprint Showdown winner and second place finisher as well as the Sprint Fan Vote winner will make qualifying runs.