Allmendinger Wins Showdown, Hornish Also In All-Star
Written by John Davison · May 17, 2008
CONCORD, N.C. - A.J. Allmendinger and Sam Hornish Jr won the two transfer slots into tonight’s 2008 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race by placing one-two in the forty-lap Sprint Showdown race. Brian Vickers, David Ragan, A.J. Allmendinger, Robby Gordon and Sam Hornish held the top five slots after the first half of the NASCAR Sprint Showdown Saturday afternoon at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. In the Showdown, the winning driver moves on to the All-Star race later in the evening. The first twenty laps of the race were slowed by a pair of cautions. The first flew when Patrick Carpentier lost in on the exit of a turn: “I was a little bit loose and pushed it too far just trying to pass a couple of guys and keep it tight down on the bottom and just spun it around,” he explained. “It’s my mistake.” A second, also brief caution flew for a contact between Allmendinger and Elliott Sadler but both cars continued.Vickers led all but one of the first 20 laps, with the other going to Allmendinger. Allmendinger has already scored one feature race victory this week: his crew was testing at the VIRginia International Raceway road course earlier and after the test, went to the kart track for an hour’s R&R. In spite of changing karts twice, his best times were within a tenth of a second on all three karts and he stalked the early leaders to make an easy last lap pass for the win over his team mechanics and Elton Sawyer. On the restart after a mandatory caution, Sam Hornish spun his tires, allowing Allmendinger around into the lead. David Ragan held second when Johnny Sauter’s right-front tire blew, sending him careening into the wall for a mid-sector caution. The double-file restart had Allmendinger and Ragan in the transfer spots, with Sam Hornish looking low to make the pass after a handful of laps to get the second transfer spot as Ragan’s right front tire seemed to have lost its grip. Allmendinger held off a charge by Sam Hornish to capture the Showdown, sending both into their first All-Star race. Third place went to David Ragan, followed by Brian Vickers, Kasey Kahne, David Reutimann, David Gilliland, Travis Kvapil, J.J. Yeley and Dave Blaney in the top ten. Only Allmendinger and Vickers led laps, with Allmendinger leading 21 to Vickers’ 19.
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