NASCAR All-Star Race 2013: Drivers to Watch in Unique Charlotte Race

The NASCAR All-Star race always offers an exciting change of pace from the weekly points race. The 2013 edition should be no different.

Because the race isn't for points, there's a real winner-takes-all mentality that will make the action all the more intense. Throw in the fact that the biggest names in racing will be vying for a $1 million purse and you know that this is one of the most unique races of the year.

Many of the sports biggest names have already qualified. The Sprint Showdown and a fan vote will allow three more drivers to get in on the action. There's plenty of star power to make this a must-see event for any racing fan.

Here's the current lineup along with the top contenders to watch.

No.	Driver	Make
2	Brad Keselowski	Ford
5	Kasey Kahne	Chevrolet
9	Marcos Ambrose	Ford
11	Denny Hamlin	Toyota
14	Tony Stewart	Chevrolet
15	Clint Bowyer	Toyota
16	Greg Biffle	Ford
18	Kyle Busch	Toyota
20	Matt Kenseth	Toyota
22	Joey Logano	Ford
24	Jeff Gordon	Chevrolet
29	Kevin Harvick	Chevrolet
34	David Ragan	Ford
39	Ryan Newman	Chevrolet
48	Jimmie Johnson	Chevrolet
55	Mark Martin	Toyota
78	Kurt Busch	Chevrolet
88	Dale Earnhardt Jr.	Chevrolet
99	Carl Edwards	Ford

Drivers to Watch

Jimmie Johnson

If you're talking about the All-Star race, no one does it better than Jimmie Johnson. In addition to winning the 2012 edition, he's one of the few racers in history to win the event multiple times.  

Even though the race is just an exhibition, Johnson has made it clear that he's coming to compete, per the USA Today.

"

I don't spend a lot of time looking at stats, but I'm very proud of what I've done and very excited to put my name up there with Jeff and Earnhardt. It's one of the majors for us. When drivers map out the year and set goals, the All-Star Race is one of the top three for everybody

"

Johnson's three wins has him tied for most all time with Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt. If he wins this time around, he'll have the record all to himself.

As one of the best racers in the sport right now, he has to be the odds on favorite.

Kyle Busch

There are some drivers who really benefit from the win-or-go-home nature of the All-Star race. Because ending the night on a crash is just as bad (financially) as finishing in second place, there's more impetus to "go for broke".

Kyle Busch, for one, embraces that challenge, per the Sports Network.

"

It's just no holds barred... Go for everything, go for broke and see what you get. Literally, it's going for broke, because you either come home with a million bucks or you're broke, so it's a great race just for the fans, I think, and for the drivers, because it's a non-points race. You get to go out there and put everything on the line.

"

Busch already holds two wins and six top-10 finishes in 11 starts this season. It wouldn't be surprising if his aggressive style leads to a strong showing in this race.

Jeff Gordon

Gordon may not be having the best season. He has yet to earn a win in 2013. But as Johnson alluded to, he's also tied for the most All-Star victories of all-time.

Despite the lack of wins, he's been on the cusp  a few times. He has two top-five finishes, including a third-place finish in the Bojangles Southern 500 in his last race.

A return to the familiar All-Star format might be just what he needs to get back to the winner's circle.