Dale Earnhardt Jr. led all 40 laps of the Sprint Showdown, claiming his first win in a Sprint Cup race of any kind since 2008, but A.J. Allmendinger stole the show.
After being forced to hit pit road to replace a flat left-front tire as the rest of the field was taking the green flag, Allmendinger barely stayed on the lead lap in the first 20-lap segment. He was one of several drivers to hit pit road at the caution flag for four tires, then blasted his way through the field to chase down Jamie McMurray, who himself had made a valiant effort to climb from the rear of the field at the start of the race to run second.
On the penultimate lap, Allmendinger's Dodge slipped underneath McMurray in turns one and two. The pair made slight contact exiting the corner, and Allmendinger grabbed the position in turns three and four. McMurray brushed the wall off four, effectively giving the second transfer spot to the Penske Racing driver.
One transfer spot remains, with the results of the Sprint Fan Vote to be determined. Earnhardt Jr's victory opens up the vote for another driver to claim the vote and take the final starting spot in tonight's All-Star Race.