Bowyer, Biffle, and Patrick advance into All-Star Race

Greg Biffle and Clint Bowyer were segment winners in the Sprint Showdown, the last-chance for drivers to get themselves into Saturday's Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Patrick claimed the final All-Star Race berth through virtue of the Sprint Fan Vote, which she has won once before. She finished ninth in the Showdown.

Biffle won the first of the two 20-lap segments to advance to his 12th-straight All-Star Race, leading every lap after passing pole-sitter Paul Menard on the opening lap. Bowyer worked his way up into second, but was unable to run down the Roush-Fenway driver.

"I'm really excited," Biffle said of the advancement. "We've worked really hard and we had good track position. We qualified well. It seems like we're getting our cars a little bit better."

With his spot inside the All-Star Race secured, Biffle was removed from the event, leaving Bowyer as the favorite to take control in the second segment. However, he restarted fifth for the after four cars in front of him took two tires.

"He (crew chief Brian Pattie) said take four tires, and I said, 'Yea, okay,'" Bowyer said after the race.

Martin Truex Jr., David Ragan, Kyle Larson and Justin Allgaier were the four gamblers and they certainly put on a show.

Three-way fight for the lead

The only caution of the race, aside from the competition yellow between segments, came on lap 22 when JJ Yeley went for a spin through the infield. When the race resumed, Truex and Larson battled hard for the top spot before Bowyer made the race up front a three-wide fight and muscled his way by. He led the remainder of the race, unchallenged.

"Our 5hour Energy Toyota was good, especiallly on the long run," Bowyer said.

Menard placed second, Truex third, Sam Hornish Jr. fourth, and Chase Elliott fifth.

At the conclusion of the Showdown, Patrick was revealed as the first-ever repeat winner of the Sprint Fan Vote, having also taken the honor in 2013. The 2015 vote was the closest since the implementation of the Sprint Fan Vote.

"I'm so lucky. I have so many great fans," Patrick said. "The fans came through, and they really always do for me."