NASCAR Sprint Showdown 2016 Results: Winner, Standings, Highlights and Reaction

Trevor Bayne, Greg Biffle and Kyle Larson earned berths in Saturday night's NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race by winning segments in the 2016 Sprint Showdown at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Bayne secured his spot with a terrific move after a late restart in the first segment. Chase Elliott, who led the first 19 laps, and Ryan Blaney were engaged in a duel for most of the final lap before the No. 6 car blistered up the middle of the track to grab the lead.

Fox Sports highlighted the last lap of Segment 1:

It certainly didn't take long for the aggressive All-Star mentality to shine through. Taking away the usual potential for losing a massive amount of points with an early wreck during a normal race allows drivers to take more chances, which is what makes this weekend special.

Fox Sports NASCAR provided an example from the first lap:

Here's a look at the top five from the opening segment:

Place	Car No.	Driver
1	6	Trevor Bayne
2	24	Chase Elliott
3	21	Ryan Blaney
4	3	Austin Dillon
5	17	Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

The second 20-lap period wasn't nearly as competitive or entertaining. Biffle grabbed the lead away from Austin Dillon after five laps and was basically on cruise control from that point forward, as his lead eventually increased to more than two seconds.

NASCAR showcased the moment the No. 16 machine took the lead for good:

Here are the top drivers from the second segment:

Place	Car No.	Driver
1	16	Greg Biffle
2	42	Kyle Larson
3	47	AJ Allmendinger
4	24	Chase Elliott
5	43	Aric Almirola

The excitement returned for the final 10-lap sprint, as Elliott put together an awesome display of driving to climb into contention for the last few laps. He was weaving in and out of traffic, showing no signs of any rookie nerves along the way.

It looked like the No. 24 car had enough momentum as drivers went around the final turn to blow past Larson, but the leader held his ground and survived contact to cross the finish line first. It was an impressive showing for both young drivers.

Fox Sports NASCAR spotlighted the thrilling finish:

Here are the final results:

Place	Car No.	Driver
1	42	Kyle Larson
2	24	Chase Elliott
3	21	Ryan Blaney
4	43	Aric Almirola
5	47	AJ Allmendinger

The disappointment of coming up just short was quickly offset for Elliott, though. Steve Reed of the Associated Press noted he was one of two Fan Vote winners, along with Danica Patrick, to gain entry into the All-Star Race despite not racing his way in.

Now the focus shifts to Saturday night's main event. The 20-car field features most of the Sprint Cup Series' biggest names, including Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch and defending All-Star Race champion Denny Hamlin.

Johnson holds the record for most victories in the event, which debuted in 1985, with four. And not only is it one of the most coveted titles of the season, but it also comes with a cool $1 million prize, which should provide all of the motivation a driver could need.  

Post-Race Reaction

Bayne stated Roush Fenway Racing teammate Ricky Stenhouse Jr. provided the push he needed to surge into the lead at the end of the first segment, as relayed by Reed.

"Without that I probably wouldn't have won the race," Bayne said. "It is really nice to have a teammate like that that will choose to work with you when it may not be in his best interest, so I really appreciate."

Rea White of Sporting News noted Biffle credited crew chief Brian Pattie for his triumph:

"

[Pattie] is a very, very smart veteran crew chief in this sport and it was his call. I was skeptical of it, trust me, but I tell you what, what really made the difference was we made a chassis adjustment, two left side tires, the car was really fast the last single lap that we made under green and I was able to pass four cars in one lap. Then we came down and the guys ripped off a great two-tire stop like a lot of other cars did and got us out third.

"

Meanwhile, Larson joked about the difference between his narrow defeat at Dover last week and his close win in the Showdown, per Jeff Gluck of USA Today.

"I guess it's pretty ironic, huh?" Larson said. "Last week, I raced with all the class in the world. Today, definitely don't teach your kids at home to drive like that at the racetrack."