In honor of All-Star Weekend, some historical and statisticalperspective of the drivers in the 1st The Winston, held in 1985:

Combined 25 Winston Cup Championships

687 wins

2718 top 5s

4109 top 10s

530 poles

And one cooked, winning engine to prevent post-race inspection. Ha.

Those of us at the race all gave each other a knowing, if disappointed grin when DW's motor in Junior Johnson's entry exploded right on schedule at the finish line like a pre-programmed hand grenade!

I was there that day and was pulling for old Harry. He had em covered until DW pulled away. 90% of the people in the stands weren't surprised when that engine blow.

Cheshire Cat grins for everyone! Even Miss Winston was skeptical.

Screen Shot of the grenade

Personally, the "All Star" race never made much sense. Obviously, another attempt at borrowing a stick-and-ball tradition and NASCAR-IZINGit. Don't misunderstand, I'm hardly a stick-and-baller, never having watched a Super Bowl, or a World Series. But in the ball-world, there's many different teams, and there's never a chance that the best of the best could wind up on the same field in the same game, except in anALL-STARgame. The concept makes sense, and has merit.

By contrast, NASCAR pits thesame teams against each other every single race. How is the "all star" race any different that any other race? Sure they juggle the parameters,and the entrance requirements and the pay scale and so on.......but it's just another version of every other NASCAR race..........same players every week. Maybe they need to call it something else.

I know they done this in the past but if you really want the best of the cream to rise to the top the cars have to be identical in preparation. Jr or Bud Moore or Smokey could almost look at a car and change things.

Not naming Names but there are a few here on R/R that have that ability,stop and think that through. But if you tried to use all the knowledge on one car it wouldnt work simply because each has his own way to turn a bolt or twist a distributor,I think that hit close enough on the ones im talking about.

You put the cars out there and let the drivers pick the car---like going to a go kart track and climbing on the next one... Now thats how you find the best of the best!!!

makes sense to me Johnny, all identical cars and draw the day before so they have time to use their own seat and get one practice in.....

Hmm.... Johnny....

I think they called this format IROC and at the end of its run it was almost exclusively NASCAR drivers and the racing was awful.

Wonder how many folks remember that Martin Truex, Jr. won the final IROC race ever run?

Ted Musgrave was in that race, too. Not exactly what you'd promote as All-Star drivers, but Les Richter, Jay Signore and Roger Penske had to make a buck. The worst IROC races I attended were at Darlington and Richmond. Real stinkers.

Here's the finish of the final IROC race ever run... "identical" cars and all:

Fin	St	#	Driver	Sponsor / Owner	Car	Laps	Money	Status	Led
1	8	8	Martin Truex, Jr.	NASCAR	Pontiac	65		running	12
2	11	17	Matt Kenseth	NASCAR	Pontiac	65		running	0
3	12	20	Tony Stewart	NASCAR	Pontiac	65		running	0
4	9	12	Ryan Newman	NASCAR	Pontiac	65		running	12
5	1	1	Ted Musgrave	NASCAR	Pontiac	65		running	1
6	5	6	Mark Martin	NASCAR	Pontiac	65		running	33
7	6	46	Frank Kimmel	ARCA	Pontiac	65		running	0
8	10	16	Max Papis	Grand-Am	Pontiac	65		running	0
9	7	06	Sam Hornish, Jr.	IRL	Pontiac	65		running	0
10	2	11	Steve Kinser	WoO	Pontiac	65		running	0
11	3	10	Wayne Taylor	Grand-Am	Pontiac	65		running	0
12	4	08	Scott Sharp	IRL	Pontiac	65		running	7

Johnny, I think you are on the right "track" but Dave's point is well taken too with IROC, ultimately dying from lack of interest/support/etc. etc. Part of the problem is the erroneous assumption that NASCAR-style racing, on big ovals, defines the ultimate level of the sport. Even in identical cars, to take drivers from other disciplines, and put them against NASCAR's best, in stock cars, and on their home turf, still don't make any sense, proved nothing.........and ultimately collapsed on itself. Does driving a winged outlaw Sprint car at Knoxville, IA not count for anything? Or a dirt late model at Eldora, or even a midget at the Chili Bowl? Do these arms of the sport not represent talent and greatness and "all star" status? Until these other venues and vestiges of our sport can somehow be incorporated into the mix, the NASCAR "All-Star" race is pretty lame and meaningless.

Ahh but now you just opened a new can of worms up Bobby... Riding around these superspeedways was all good for a bit but now here is where they should have redirected the path ..

The same cars as before but on a Bullring track like Bristol or Martinesville,or to stir the dust a little how about Eldora..

Run one race at each of the tracks then have the final casting at the grandaddy of them all---------------------------------------------------------------- Bowman Grey Stadium ..

You are trying to find the best driver correct? After you reach the end of this you will have the best of the best bar none.

Heck I would pay good money to see this ending------------------------------------------- Would you??

I've long advocated the dumping of The Winston and Clash races - or whatever they're called these days. I'll give NASCAR, the teams, TV and the sponsors their due for launching them when they did.

As TV became more viable, the first few years of the Busch Clash were great. A quick, compact TV package that gave viewers a short view of what was to come in the 500. Win a pole, get in the Clash, get more air time for your sponsor, everyone supposedly gets paid more and is happy.

Then in the 1980s as Cup was poised to explode, RJR had great idea with the Winston Million and The Winston. Really was intended to bring even more focus to their brand and again reward teams and their sponsors for WINNING a race. From the first one to last year's event, the TV part of it never really caught on though.

The drivers all act like they still love it. Why? One, they have to vs. risk being fined by NASCAR for detrimental actions. Two, they get to stay home. Three, the money is good.

Many have suggested rotating the event to different tracks. With RJR having been a NC based company, it probably made sense in those early years to have it at CMS. But with KC based Sprint sponsoring the series now, I'm truly surprised they haven't lobbied to have it moved to Kansas Speedway.

Either way, if you move the event to a permanent location or a rotating one, the drivers and teams would really start to chirp about more travel costs and wrecked cars.

Many complain too that the schedule is too long or this track or that one deserve another date. My solution has been to either give the teams a well-deserved break before the summer tour - or make the weekend a points paying, legitimate race event somewhere in the country.

But the idea of an All Star race as others have said is nonsensical.

Johnny, Throw in a road course like Atlanta of VIR and you may have something worth watching.