While most of us were busy celebrating St. Patrick’s Day, NASCAR held a press conference at Charlotte Motor Speedway to officially announce a tweak to the All-Star Race format – sure to create even more competitive and exciting racing.

Points are thrown out of the mix for a one million dollar grand prize pay-out to the driver who beats all of the top competitors to the finish. The event will continue to consist of 4 segments, however the new rule will put more emphasis on the timeliness of the pit crews and could shake up the running order right before the final segment begins.

The 2010 All-Star Race format:

Segment 1 – 50 laps with a mandatory four-tire pit stop on lap 25
Segment 2 – 20 laps followed by an optional pit stop
Segment 3 – 20 laps followed by a 10-minute break
Segment 4 – a 10-lap sprint to the finish

The new format change will come into play at the beginning of Segment 4. After one lap behind the pace car, drivers will be required to make a four-tire pit stop. The order in which they exit pit road will determine where they’ll start for the final segment.

Drivers are eligible to compete in the All-Star if they’ve:

- won a race during the 2009 or thus far in the 2010 season
- won a past all-star event
- won a Sprint Cup Series championship (over the previous 10 years)

The drivers who don’t meet the criteria will have a chance to make their way in by finishing first or second in the Sprint Showdown prior to the All-Star Race or by winning the Sprint Fan Vote.

The drivers that are eligible for the 2010 All-Star Race include: Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson, Kasey Kahne, Matt Kenseth, Brad Keselowski, Bobby Labonte, Joey Logano, Mark Martin, Jamie McMurray, Ryan Newman, David Reutimann, Tony Stewart and Brian Vickers.

The 26th NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race will be held on Saturday, May 22nd at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Creed will perform during the pre-race concert.

Tickets are available by calling (800) 455-FANS or online at charlottemotorspeedway.com