Column: Fans want the Big Payback

CONCORD - You know what most of the fans want to see at Lowe's Motor Speedway on Saturday night, right?

They want to see the Sprint All-Star Race decided in a wall-to-wall, sheet-metal-to-sheet-metal, no-holds-barred battle between Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kyle Busch. Recent results - Busch has finished first, second and first in the past three races, collecting that runner-up money at Earnhardt's expense - lead perfectly to this resolution. As a drama, the plot is completely predictable.

This, however, is a stock-car race, albeit a wacky one. The race will be brought to a stop at regular intervals, without even the façade of debris. The four 25-lap bursts - not that there won't be mayhem that isn't regularly scheduled programming - will keep the action thrilling and treacherous.

It's not a case of "something might happen." The question is, "When will something happen?"

Does this race have to be won by the aggressive driver? Well, no. Kyle Busch has, in the past, been notably unable to reach the checkered flag with a recognizable car around him. Terry Labonte and Mark Martin, both clean and smart, have won it twice apiece. The sport's best example of calculated aggressiveness, Jeff Gordon, has won the race three times, and it's no secret why.

This race ought to be made for Tony Stewart, who's never won it.

Stewart, Gordon, Martin and others will have considerable support in the grandstands, but even the partisans of other drivers harbor some deep desire to see a Kyle-Junior tussle. They may be in denial about it and pay lip service to that respectable desire for "a good, safe race," but if Earnhardt and Busch's cars bump their way around the final lap, glory-bound for that million-dollar checkered flag, a smile may find its way onto the faces of even fans who claim to prefer neither.

It's been a while since Dale Earnhardt, Bill Elliott and Geoff Bodine took the gloves off and Earnhardt made the "really, really impressive, but not actually a" Pass in the Grass. It's been a while since Rusty Wallace wrecked Darrell Waltrip, prompting D.W. to say he hoped Rusty "chokes on that $200,000."

The fact that Waltrip got excited about $200,000 proves that it's been a while.

This is also where Davey Allison and Kyle Petty crashed at the finish, sending Allison to the hospital instead of victory lane. It's where Ernie Irvan drove into the grass for no apparent reason, since the race wasn't, at the time, on the line.

Act like you prefer the "good, safe race" route if you want, but if you're in the Lowe's Motor Speedway grandstands, you're going to be surrounded by thousands of people dreaming for a finish that is really bad, man.

You can reach Monte Dutton at mdutton@gastongazette.com.