All-Star notes

Here's your invite to the All-Star festivities:

There’ll fun, fun, fun before the NASCAR All-Star Race next week.
The Pennzoil Victory Challenge will pit drivers against each other to see who can provide the fans with the smokin’-best burnout.

In the contest are DW, Happy Harvick, The Biff, Rowdy Busch, “Budman” Khane, Clint Bowyer and Jeff Gordon. They have 30 seconds of freestyle demonstration.

Judges for the event are Ric Flair (WOOO!), the Mountain State’s own Randy Moss, Jimmy Spencer and Eddie Montgomery and Troy Gentry (Montgomery Gentry).

NASCAR drivers are well known for their causes off-track and All-Star week is a great time for the fans to get involved.

The Martin Truex Jr. Foundation, Second Harvest Food Band and the Ryan Newman Foundation will be collecting canned goods, non-perishable food items and pet food.

The drivers’ foundations will be set up across from the entrance to Lowe’s Motor Speedway to receive items. Fans taking part will be eligible to register for the ultimate fan basket with merchandise from the two drivers.

There are guided shop tours available from several companies, including Lowe’s Motor Speedway, departing the Z-Max Dragway at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. beginning Wednesday, going to Ganassi, JR Motorsports, Roush-Fenway and Hendrick.

It’s been lots of fun hearing Nature Boy Ric Flair be the spokesman for the All-Star Race, bringing his own style of excitement to the promotion. A Charlotte resident, Flair said on NASCAR Live last week you can’t live in Charlotte without being a racefan.

The race is being promoted like a prize fight, going so far as to give drivers nicknames just like wrestling. Dale “Wahoo” Junior, Kasey “Night Train” Khane, Kurt “Vegas Violator” Busch, Clint “The Destroyer” Boyer.

We can feel fairly safe in saying the depictions of most drivers their heads on someone else’s body. Except maybe Tony Stewart. That one’s plausible, a little doughy with strong arms. Possible. Judge for yourself.