Who’s in and how do you win? The Sprint All-Star Race seems to get tweaked a little every year, and this year proves to be no different. The overall format is familiar: four 20-lap segments, a pit stop, then a 10-lap shootout.

Here’s the twist: the individual winners of the initial four segments will move to the front of the field and line up 1-4 prior to the field coming to pit road for the final mandatory pit stop. Crew chiefs will play a vital role in vying for a win as the cars must only stop in their pit box. The choice to take tires is voluntary.

So, who is eligible for this $1 million pay day? The field will be filled with race winners from the 2011 and 2012 seasons and previous All-Star winners the past 10 years. Rounding out the list will be the top two finishers in the Sprint Showdown on Saturday night, and the winner of the Sprint Fan Vote. Fan voting is still open at NASCAR.COM/AllStar, and will end 5 p.m. ET on May 19. Have no fear though, Jimmie Johnson has already locked in his starting spot for the event!

Other events for this star-studded week include:

• Thursday, May 17: Sprint Pit Crew Challenge at Time Warner Cable Arena in uptown Charlotte
• Friday, May 18: Camping World Truck Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway
• Saturday, May 19: Blake Shelton pre-race concert, Sprint Showdown & Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway

Can’t make it to the Queen City for the festivities? Follow @LowesRacing on Twitter and “like” our Facebook page for exclusive content and updates.