“Hey now, you’re an All Star. Get your game on. Go play. Hey now, you’re a Rock Star. Get the show on. Get paid.” The members of the rock band Smashmouth didn’t have the Sprint All-Star Race in mind when they wrote the lyrics to their song “All Star,” but it certainly fits for Jimmie Johnson as he and the rest of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series circuit pull into Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway for Saturday’s non-points-paying event, the Sprint All-Star Race.
While Johnson is most certainly an all-star, having won the race three times – May 2012, 2006 and 2003 – a victory Saturday night may put him on the road to rock star status. He would surpass Dale Earnhardt and Jeff Gordon for most wins in the event.
Drama is always at a premium during a race where the competitors have a million reasons to go to victory lane. And Johnson has had his share of all-star theatrics. His battle with Kevin Harvick in 2007 resulted in a runner-up finish but included a last-lap attempt to get around the leader that produced final-turn excitement.
With his No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet painted a patriotic red, white and blue, and appropriately ringed in stars, there’s sure to be some more excitement this weekend in a race “where all that glitters is gold.” And where “only shooting stars break the mold.” Johnson will certainly have some gold in his pocket should he go on and break the mold by becoming the most successful driver in All-Star history.
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