| | Associated Press
|  | | Terry Labonte beat another rookie in last year's Winston -- Tony Stewart. |
CONCORD, N.C. -- A year after making his Winston Cup debut, Dale Earnhardt Jr. returns to Lowe's Motor Speedway as the unofficial favorite in NASCAR's all-star event.
Earnhardt was picked to win Saturday's running of The Winston by track president H.A. "Humpy" Wheeler, who has correctly predicted the winner eight of 12 times.
"I sure hope Humpy is right," Earnhardt said. "I've always loved The Winston -- it's a wild event and it would be unbelievable to win it."
Earnhardt, the only two-time Winston Cup winner this season, will be making his first appearance in the non-points all-star event. Although a rookie on the circuit, he's no stranger to the 1½-mile, high-banked tri-oval or The Winston.
Little E, who made his Winston Cup debut here last year in the Coca-Cola 600, has watched his father become the only three-time winner in the all-star event's 16 runnings.
Earnhardt Jr. returned to the track for a test session last week, and posted the fastest time among the 14 teams participating. Throw in his first career win at Texas Motor Speedway -- with many similarities to Lowe's -- and Wheeler found his favorite.
"Some people may think I'm going way out on a limb and they can hear the chainsaws running," Wheeler said. "But it's a no-holds barred, stand-on-the-gas race that fits perfectly with his mentality and his driving style."
The Winston is a 70-lap race run in three segments culminating in a 10-lap final dash for a $500,000 first prize. The field is set according to criteria for qualifying at least 20 drivers.
Those earning automatic eligibility are drivers and car owners who have won races in the current and preceding years; active drivers who have won a Winston Cup championship; active drivers not otherwise qualified who have won The Winston in the past five years.
Eighteen drivers meet that criteria and will determine their starting spots in time trials Friday.
The qualifying process will begin with a two-tire pit stop rather than the previous four-tire stops the event has required. After a stop, drivers can exit pit road under no speed limit and make three laps around the track. The total elapsed time for the
pit stop and the three laps will be used to set the starting grid.
When that's over, the other Winston Cup drivers will compete for two remaining spots in The Winston's field.
Two 25-lap races will be held Friday night to set starting positions for Saturday's 30-lap Winston Open. The winner of that event moves to the main show.
Other cars finishing on the lead lap of The Winston Open will be eligible to run in the 16-lap No Bull Sprint. That winner also moves on to The Winston.
Sterling Marlin, with six top-10 finishes in The Winston, needs the qualifying races this year to make the field for the 11th time.
"When it comes to The Winston or the Winston Open, there ain't no second place," said Marlin, second three times in The Winston. "We badly want to win The Winston Open, get back into The Winston and win that thing, too."
"There is only one strategy, and that's to run as hard as you can."
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