The NASCAR Sprint Showdown and Sprint All-Star Race XXV was the 25th anniversary running of NASCAR's special non-championship race involving winners of the 2008 and 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races through the 2009 Southern 500 presented by GoDaddy.com as well as Sprint All-Star Race XV-XXIV winners, and past Sprint Cup champions from the decade covering 1999 to 2008. The event was run Saturday night, May 16, 2009, at the Lowe's Motor Speedway in the Charlotte, North Carolina suburb of Concord. Both the All-Star Race and the Showdown were broadcast on Speed in the United States while MRN broadcast it on the radio and SiriusXM on satellite radio. Tony Stewart would go on to win the event.
Eligible drivers and teams The following drivers qualified for the race in these categories:
Past Cup champion drivers The following six drivers fit into the past Champions category: Tony Stewart (three-time series champion) Jimmie Johnson (seven-time series champion, and reigning champion) Kurt Busch (2004 series champion) Matt Kenseth (2003 series champion) Jeff Gordon (four-time series champion, most recently 2001) Bobby Labonte (2000 series champion)
Past All-Star Race winning drivers The following five drivers were eligible as a past winner of the event in the last decade: Kasey Kahne (2008 Sprint All-Star Race) Kevin Harvick (Sprint All-Star Race XXIII winner) Mark Martin (Sprint All-Star Race XXI winner) Ryan Newman (Sprint All-Star Race XVIII winner) Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Sprint All-Star Race XVI winner)
2008 and 2009 race winners The following seven drivers were eligible by winning a Sprint Cup points race in 2008 or 2009: Greg Biffle (2008 Sylvania 300) Carl Edwards (2008 Auto Club 500) Kyle Busch (2008 Kobalt Tools 500) Denny Hamlin (2008 Goody's Cool Orange 500) Clint Bowyer (2008 Crown Royal Presents the Dan Lowry 400) Jeff Burton (2008 Food City 500) Brad Keselowski (2009 Aaron's 499)
Qualified in the top two of the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Showdown Sam Hornish Jr. Jamie McMurray
Received the 2009 fan vote Joey Logano
NOTE: Joey Logano was the youngest driver to race the NASCAR All-Star Race in the 25 years of the event.
Entry list Showdown #DriverTeamMake 00 David Reutimann Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 1 Martin Truex Jr. Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 06 David Starr Boys Will Be Boys Racing Dodge 6 David Ragan Roush Fenway Racing Ford 07 Casey Mears Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 7 Robby Gordon Robby Gordon Motorsports Toyota 08 Boris Said Carter Simo Racing Dodge 12 David Stremme Penske Racing Dodge 13 Max Papis (R) Germain Racing Toyota 19 Elliott Sadler Richard Petty Motorsports Dodge 20 Joey Logano (R) Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 21 Bill Elliott Wood Brothers Racing Ford 26 Jamie McMurray Roush Fenway Racing Ford 27 Kirk Shelmerdine Kirk Shelmerdine Racing Toyota 34 Tony Raines Front Row Motorsports Chevrolet 36 Scott Riggs Tommy Baldwin Racing Toyota 37 Mike Wallace Front Row Motorsports Chevrolet 41 J. J. Yeley Mayfield Motorsports Toyota 42 Juan Pablo Montoya Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 43 Reed Sorenson Richard Petty Motorsports Dodge 44 A. J. Allmendinger Richard Petty Motorsports Dodge 46 Carl Long Carl Long Racing Dodge 47 Marcos Ambrose JTG Daugherty Racing Toyota 51 Dexter Bean (R) BlackJack Racing Dodge 55 Michael Waltrip Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 57 Norm Benning Norm Benning Racing Chevrolet 64 Todd Bodine Gunselman Motorsports Toyota 66 Dave Blaney Prism Motorsports Toyota 71 David Gilliland TRG Motorsports Chevrolet 73 Mike Garvey H&S Motorsports Dodge 75 Derrike Cope Cope/Keller Racing Dodge 77 Sam Hornish Jr. Penske Racing Dodge 82 Scott Speed (R) Red Bull Racing Team Toyota 83 Brian Vickers Red Bull Racing Team Toyota 87 Joe Nemechek NEMCO Motorsports Toyota 98 Paul Menard Yates Racing Ford
All-Star Race #DriverTeamMake 2 Kurt Busch Penske Racing Dodge 5 Mark Martin Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 09 Brad Keselowski Phoenix Racing Chevrolet 9 Kasey Kahne Richard Petty Motorsports Dodge 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 14 Tony Stewart Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 16 Greg Biffle Roush Fenway Racing Ford 17 Matt Kenseth Roush Fenway Racing Ford 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 24 Jeff Gordon Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 29 Kevin Harvick Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 31 Jeff Burton Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 33 Clint Bowyer Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 39 Ryan Newman Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 48 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 96 Bobby Labonte Hall of Fame Racing Ford 99 Carl Edwards Roush Fenway Racing Ford
Qualifying The qualifying for the Showdown, which was scheduled for May 15 was cancelled for the first time in history, due to rain. Usually, NASCAR rules state that the cars would start on the rulebook factor (top 35 owners, plus qualifying attempts and past champions), but as this was a non-points race, the cars starting position were based on the qualifying order draw. As a result, Kirk Shelmerdine was on the pole. However, he and outside pole winner Carl Long started from the back as neither had presented their cars on time, so David Stremme and Dave Blaney started the race up front.
For the All-Star Race, the format is different from the regular qualifying that occurs in the weekly events. There are three laps, including a four-tire pit stop following either the first or second lap with penalties for loose lugnuts and violating the pit road speed limit on entry. Jimmie Johnson had the fastest time, and started on the pole. Tony Stewart only took two tires but then backed up and changed the other two tires on his pit stop. He did not receive a penalty since he went back and changed the other two tires, but it did cause him to start 15th.
Showdown Pos.#DriverTeamMake 1 27 Kirk Shelmerdine* Kirk Shelmerdine Racing Toyota 2 46 Carl Long* Carl Long Racing Dodge 3 12 David Stremme Penske Racing Dodge 4 66 Dave Blaney Prism Motorsports Toyota 5 36 Scott Riggs Tommy Baldwin Racing Toyota 6 1 Martin Truex Jr. Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 7 6 David Ragan Roush Fenway Racing Ford 8 77 Sam Hornish Jr. Penske Racing Dodge 9 13 Max Papis (R) Germain Racing Toyota 10 44 A. J. Allmendinger Richard Petty Motorsports Dodge 11 42 Juan Pablo Montoya Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 12 37 Mike Wallace Front Row Motorsports Chevrolet 13 00 David Reutimann Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 14 47 Marcos Ambrose JTG Daugherty Racing Toyota 15 51 Dexter Bean (R) BlackJack Racing Dodge 16 21 Bill Elliott Wood Brothers Racing Ford 17 75 Derrike Cope Cope/Keller Racing Dodge 18 57 Norm Benning Norm Benning Racing Chevrolet 19 20 Joey Logano (R) Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 20 82 Scott Speed (R) Red Bull Racing Team Toyota 21 87 Joe Nemechek NEMCO Motorsports Toyota 22 71 David Gilliland TRG Motorsports Chevrolet 23 07 Casey Mears Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 24 98 Paul Menard Yates Racing Ford 25 73 Mike Garvey H&S Motorsports Dodge 26 64 Todd Bodine Gunselman Motorsports Toyota 27 19 Elliott Sadler Richard Petty Motorsports Dodge 28 55 Michael Waltrip Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 29 06 David Starr Boys Will Be Boys Racing Dodge 30 26 Jamie McMurray Roush Fenway Racing Ford 31 83 Brian Vickers Red Bull Racing Team Toyota 32 7 Robby Gordon Robby Gordon Motorsports Toyota 33 41 J. J. Yeley Mayfield Motorsports Toyota 34 43 Reed Sorenson Richard Petty Motorsports Dodge 35 34 Tony Raines Front Row Motorsports ChevroletWithdrew WD 08 Boris Said Carter Simo Racing Dodge
All-Star Race Pos.#DriverTeamMake 1 48 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 2 2 Kurt Busch Penske Racing Dodge 3 17 Matt Kenseth Roush Fenway Racing Ford 4 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 5 5 Mark Martin Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 6 24 Jeff Gordon Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 7 96 Bobby Labonte Hall of Fame Racing Ford 8 9 Kasey Kahne Richard Petty Motorsports Dodge 9 29 Kevin Harvick Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 10 09 Brad Keselowski Phoenix Racing Chevrolet 11 16 Greg Biffle Roush Fenway Racing Ford 12 39 Ryan Newman Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 13 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 14 99 Carl Edwards Roush Fenway Racing Ford 15 14 Tony Stewart Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 16 31 Jeff Burton Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 17 33 Clint Bowyer Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 18 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 19 77 Sam Hornish Jr.** Penske Racing Dodge 20 26 Jamie McMurray** Roush Fenway Racing Ford 21 20 Joey Logano (R)*** Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
* Had to start at the rear of the field.
** Made the All-Star race via finishing top 2 in the Showdown.
*** Made the All-Star race via fan vote.
Format change For 2009, the race remained 100 laps, but the four segments were altered. The first "quarter" consisted of 50 laps, with a mandatory green flag pit stop at Lap 25. This was followed by two 20-lap segments, then a ten-minute intermission and a final, 10-green flag lap shootout for the cash.
Also, only drivers qualified for the race, unlike previous years, where drivers and teams both qualified for the event by winning a race from the 2008 Daytona 500 until the 2009 Southern 500 presented by GoDaddy.com.
Sam Hornish Jr. and Jamie McMurray finished 1st and 2nd in the Sprint Showdown (a pair of 20-lap races—20 laps in the first, 20 green flag laps in the second). Sprint customers and fan balloting onsite at NASCAR events voted in Joey Logano.
Race results Showdown Pos.#DriverTeamMakeLapsLedStatus 1 77 Sam Hornish Jr. Penske Racing Dodge 40 15 running 2 26 Jamie McMurray Roush Fenway Racing Ford 40 0 running 3 12 David Stremme Penske Racing Dodge 40 25 running 4 00 David Reutimann Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 40 0 running 5 20 Joey Logano (R) Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 40 0 running 6 1 Martin Truex Jr. Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 40 0 running 7 44 A. J. Allmendinger Richard Petty Motorsports Dodge 40 0 running 8 6 David Ragan Roush Fenway Racing Ford 40 0 running 9 7 Robby Gordon Robby Gordon Motorsports Toyota 40 0 running 10 47 Marcos Ambrose JTG Daugherty Racing Toyota 40 0 running 11 66 Dave Blaney Prism Motorsports Toyota 40 0 running 12 42 Juan Pablo Montoya Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 40 0 running 13 07 Casey Mears Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 40 0 running 14 55 Michael Waltrip Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 40 0 running 15 71 David Gilliland TRG Motorsports Chevrolet 40 0 running 16 21 Bill Elliott Wood Brothers Racing Ford 40 0 running 17 98 Paul Menard Yates Racing Ford 40 0 running 18 43 Reed Sorenson Richard Petty Motorsports Dodge 40 0 running 19 82 Scott Speed (R) Red Bull Racing Team Toyota 40 0 running 20 87 Joe Nemechek NEMCO Motorsports Toyota 40 0 running 21 13 Max Papis (R) Germain Racing Toyota 40 0 running 22 41 J. J. Yeley Mayfield Motorsports Toyota 40 0 running 23 51 Dexter Bean (R) BlackJack Racing Dodge 40 0 running 24 34 Tony Raines Front Row Motorsports Chevrolet 40 0 running 25 36 Scott Riggs Tommy Baldwin Racing Toyota 40 0 running 26 37 Mike Wallace Front Row Motorsports Chevrolet 40 0 running 27 64 Todd Bodine Gunselman Motorsports Toyota 40 0 running 28 75 Derrike Cope Cope/Keller Racing Dodge 40 0 running 29 73 Mike Garvey H&S Motorsports Dodge 40 0 running 30 06 David Starr Boys Will Be Boys Racing Dodge 40 0 running 31 57 Norm Benning Norm Benning Racing Chevrolet 39 0 running 32 27 Kirk Shelmerdine Kirk Shelmerdine Racing Toyota 39 0 running 33 19 Elliott Sadler Richard Petty Motorsports Dodge 25 0 crash 34 83 Brian Vickers Red Bull Racing Team Toyota 11 0 crash 35 46 Carl Long Carl Long Racing Dodge 3 0 engine
All-Star Race