NASCAR’s strange and surreal 2020 All-Star Race

NASCAR has had its fair proportion of unusual and weird happenings through the years, and the All-Star Race isn’t any exception. Up to now, ‘One Sizzling Evening’ ended with the race winner within the hospital, the primary All-Star Race had the profitable automotive (suspiciously) blow its engine simply because it crossed the end line, and there was additionally that point NASCAR let groups roll out the backup automobiles (mid-race)…after all of them crashed as a consequence of a shock rain bathe.

5 years in the past, NASCAR hosted one other All-Star Race to recollect, however not essentially for the motion on the observe. Your complete world felt unusual to start with, because it was happening in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. On account of this, the occasion was moved from Charlotte Motor Speedway for the primary time in over 30 years, heading to Bristol Motor Speedway in the course of July.

Oh, and did we point out this explicit All-Star race occurred on a Wednesday?

With the pandemic forcing NASCAR to change its schedule on the fly, the sanctioning physique was toying with the idea of mid-week races in 2020. So, on a Wednesday evening at Bristol on primetime tv, they allowed a restricted variety of followers on the half-mile brief observe, reaching about 1/4th of its precise capability. An estimated 22,000+ confirmed up in what turned out to be probably the most attended sporting occasion in the US because the 2020 pandemic started.

One thing is off

Aric Almirola, Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

Picture by: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Photographs

As quickly as automobiles rolled out on observe, these watching observed one thing was visually off with the automobiles. The numbers had been shifted again in direction of the rear wheels with sponsor logos positioned forward of them on the door. NASCAR hoped to provide extra visibility to manufacturers on the automobiles, however aesthetically, these watching had been unimpressed. In truth, most hated it. NASCAR did finally transfer the numbers in 2022, however as a substitute selected to maneuver them ahead on the automotive, which nonetheless wasn’t common, however not less than it does not look fairly as odd.

The automobiles had extra surprises to supply, however that would not change into noticeable till the solar went down.

Within the meantime, the occasion went ahead with the ‘Open’ race, which gave these not but locked into the All-Star Race an opportunity to race their method in. On this occasion, a notable incident overshadowed the result, involving Bubba Wallace and Michael McDowell.

The 2 drivers had been battling for third place when McDowell grew pissed off with Wallace, and appeared to show down abruptly, hooking Wallace into the skin wall and crashing him out of the race. 

Wallace was livid, giving a fiery interview to FOX. “I do not even must see a replay. take a look at this s***. Folks say he is one of many nicest guys within the storage. Cannot look forward to the god-fearing textual content that he is gonna ship me about preaching and praising respect. What a joke he’s.” 

Wallace ended up strolling off with the broken entrance bumper of his No. 43 automotive, dropping it off at McDowell’s hauler in a second that immediately went viral. McDowell and Entrance Row Motorsports later auctioned the bumper off for charity and everybody had been fairly good sports activities about it ultimately.

Select rule

Picture by: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Photographs

Aric Almirola, William Byron, and Matt DiBenedetto ended up racing their method into the primary occasion, whereas Clint Bowyer gained the fan vote, taking the ultimate spot on the grid.

The Open additionally debuted the select rule — a brand new idea for NASCAR, however generally utilized in native races across the nation. Drivers all through the complete discipline had been allowed to decide on which lane they wished to restart in for the very first time, and of all of the issues that had been trialed at this explicit All-Star Race, that is the one rule change that caught.

The select rule stays in use to this very day in all three nationwide divisions.

A literal NASCAR glow-up

The All-Star Race discipline

Picture by: Getty Photographs

Because the automobiles rolled onto the concrete half-mile for the primary occasion, the already strange-looking machines seemed even odder than earlier than. It was nighttime, and underglow lighting was clearly emanating from beneath the rear bumper of each automotive.

The Fords had been blue, the Toyotas pink, and the Chevrolets amber. 

And whereas it seemed a bit whacky, it’s a must to applaud NASCAR for its willingness to attempt new issues within the All-Star Race, even when all of it appears like unusual fever dream just a few years later.

As for the race itself, it was pretty easy. All 20 starters remained working and on the lead lap on the very finish, whereas the sphere struggled to place any actual problem to Chase Elliott. NASCAR’s Most Fashionable Driver claimed victory over Kyle Busch, which the followers actually liked.

Race winner Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports

In truth, one overly enthusiastic (and sure intoxicated) fan determined to position an exclamation level on the surreal day by scaling the catch-fence in response to Elliott’s win. He was promptly eliminated by safety. In the meantime, Elliott grabbed his COVID masks, a Roman gladius sword and proceeded to have a good time in Victory Lane.

And that was the top of the Bristol All-Star Race experiment. The occasion is now hosted by North Wilkesboro, the numbers are nearer to the entrance wheels than the rear wheels, and there are not any LED lights below the automobiles.

The one lasting legacy from this occasion was the select rule, whereas the remainder pale away…and perhaps that is for the very best.