by Kurt Busch, Special to FOXSports.com

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Race: NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race
Series: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series — Non-points race
Date: Saturday, May 17
Track: Lowe's Motor Speedway(1.5-mile oval), Charlotte, N.C.
Race format: Four 25 lap segments
Green flag: Following the conclusion of the NASCAR Sprint Showdown
TV: SPEED — 7 p.m. ET.

Looking back at Darlington

Kurt's scorecard: Started fifth, finished 12th, led one lap; Race winner Kyle Busch

Ordinal out of range

Our No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge ran great last weekend at Darlington Raceway. We actually used a setup derived from things we learned during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series test at Lowe's Motor Speedway earlier in the week — Goodyear had the same right side tire at both the test and the race, while the asphalt at Lowe's is still relatively new just like it was for the Darlington race. It was nice for the team to be able to have the mentality that we were just running the same tire on the same asphalt for four days straight, and I think that type of thinking paid dividends for our team during both qualifying and the Dodge Challenger 500 race itself.

We ended up having some tight conditions during the race because we were a bit conservative to start off, but adjusted some of those problems out of it as the race progressed. Unfortunately, we came up short in the pits. We had a problem with one of our tires, it vibrated so bad that it broke some of the set-screws on the front hub. When they went to put the tire on, the wheel spacer was actually loose so the tire got bolted on crooked — it was actually very imbalanced. So we had to come in and move that wheel spacer back into the correct position, and when we did that we lost all of our track position — falling from fifth to 20th.

That's a tough break, you can't have those types of setbacks for any matter, but especially not at Darlington towards the end of the race because it's very difficult to pass since you are racing the racetrack as well as the rest of the field. Even still, the crew is doing the best job that they possibly can to get you in and out as quickly as they can, but we simply had an unfortunate incident come up. It's tough, you have those in racing, it just seems like we've had ours all at once.

But all in all, our car ran better at Darlington than in week's past. Hopefully some of these ideas we have from the test in Charlotte and the race in Darlington will translate into success at upcoming tracks like Dover, Pocono and Chicagoland.

We are going to stay positive and hope that nothing but good happens from here on out.

Away from the track ... sort of

With the next two Sprint Cup events — the All-Star Challenge and the Coca-Cola 600 — both here in Charlotte, there's a few things going on around the area, like Speed Street in downtown Charlotte.

But for our team in general, we are hard at work testing at Road Atlanta next week in an effort to get ready for the road course race at Sears Point later this summer. On top or Road Atlanta, we have also discussed testing at The Milwaukee Mile before we head up to the New Hampshire race. So in the coming weeks we will be testing at Road Atlanta twice as well as Milwaukee.

Of course, summertime is starting to creep around the corner. It's always exciting to get out on the lake and enjoy some of the festivities. But it just feels like business as usual for our crew

It's a busy time, but there's no rest for the weary.

About this weekend's event

Kurt's scorecard: Six starts in the All-Star Race: 0 Wins, two top fives, 3 top 10s, zero pole positions and $660,097 in winnings.

The All-Star Race is just a fun, exciting and electric atmosphere where everybody is reminded of Saturday night short-track racing — which is how most of us started. With no points at stake this weekend, you are really heavy on the throttle as you are out there going just for the win.

During this event, drivers have to think of every lap like a qualifying lap. Each year, we seem to tweak the race format a little bit, and with this year's four 25 lap segments, I think the race will be won by a pit road decision — do you just get fuel at the end? Go with two tires? Four tires? If you have a fast car, you will have a lot more options in the competition for the big prize at the end of the night. With the final 25 laps being run all under the green flag, perhaps the biggest question will be just how long that final set of Goodyears you have on can last. If you don't stop for tires before the last segment, how many laps do you have on that set? You can take it to the bank that there will be caution flags flying in that last segment.

It will all be about getting your car set up for the final 25-lap showdown. To be honest, it might not be the most exciting racing the fans have seen leading up to that final segment. But when the green flag waves for the final 25 laps, you can fully expect to see all hell break loose.

This weekend, you are going full throttle and looking for speed, so the things that you learn you have to be careful about because you can't simply apply it from this week to next — the Coke 600 is more like a marathon, so your setup has to be good for an entire fuel run during the points race, not just a 25-lap segment.

Of course, I can't talk about this year's race without touching on what happened last year in this event between my brother Kyle and I. Here's my take:

I knew I had a car on the inside going down there into Turn 1. I had cleared Jeff Burton off the tri-oval. That other car just happened to be my little brother and he was on the gas. He was racing hard and inevitably the Busch Brothers had to get together. We did it in an all-star race. A million bucks were up for grabs, and I'm sure that's why he didn't lift and I'm sure that's why I didn't give an inch. We wrecked two good race cars.

If I had the opportunity to do it all over again, I'd be every bit as aggressive as I was then. The big thing that I would do different is once I passed Burton, I'd have my left-side tires all the way down in the grass. That would eliminate the open half-lane or whatever small bit of asphalt there was down there for him to try to make his move on.

Fact is that we'd certainly welcome the opportunity for a Busch Brother face-off there on Saturday night. If that happened, it would mean that we were racing strong enough to be up front. Kyle and his Joe Gibbs Team are at the top of their game right now. The way our season has gone, it would be a welcomed change. If we get that chance, there'll be fireworks on the track long before (LMS President) Humpy Wheeler tells them to light the fuse after the race.

Last Call

There's good years, there's bad years. There's good races, and then there's bad races. You gotta remember the good times when you are going through the tough times.

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Kurt Busch, 2004 NASCAR Sprint Series champion and 17-time race winner, will be offering his thoughts and expertise before each of the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races.

Have any questions or comments for Kurt? E-mail him at kurtbuschatfox@live.com and check back weekly throughout the NASCAR season to see his answers.