FlurrySports takes a look at the full format breakdown and rule changes for the 2026 NASCAR All-Star Race at Dover Motor Speedway.
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Dover Motor Speedway has hosted at least one points-paying NASCAR Cup Series race every year since 1969. That run comes to an end this season. With North Wilkesboro Speedway set to host its first points-paying race since 1996, the “Monster Mile” is now slated to host the NASCAR All-Star Race for the first time ever.
If you’ve found yourself lost in the sauce with regard to the format of this exhibition event over the years, trust that you are not alone. For 2026, NASCAR has implemented an overhaul of the format we have grown accustomed to in recent seasons to go along with the new venue. Fans tuning in will probably want to have some semblance of what is going on this weekend, and for that, you have come to the right place.
Let’s take a look at the 2026 NASCAR All-Star Race format, rules and changes to be aware of as the best drivers in stock car racing battle for the $1 million prize.
NASCAR All-Star Race Format Breakdown and Rule Changes
Qualifying Format
Before the green flag waves on Sunday’s race, a much greater emphasis will be placed on qualifying as part of this year’s NASCAR All-Star Race format changes. Saturday’s qualifying session will put the spotlight on both qualifying lap times and pit crew performance.
The first component of qualifying will see the drivers attempt to lay down the fastest lap time possible around Dover’s one-mile long distance. After completing that lap, the second lap of qualifying will feature the pit crew challenge. Drivers will bring their cars to pit road and the crews will perform a four-tire stop with no fueling. Upon receiving services, drivers will then exit pit road and race their way back to the line.
As for how the cars will line up on track to begin the race, qualifying times will encompass the full run from the start of lap one to the checkered flag, pit stop included. Meanwhile, pit stall selections for the race will be based solely on the pit crew challenge with the fastest timed stop being awarded first choice.
One of the major changes this year is that there will be no All-Star Open. Rather, qualifying times will set the starting grid for the entire field. The main takeaway here is that every car will run in the actual NASCAR All-Star Race.
Race Format
This year’s All-Star Race will feature three segments in total. Segments 1 and 2 will both be 75 laps in length and the final segment will be 200 laps. The race will be 350 laps long in its entirety, just 50 laps shy of a typical 400-mile points paying race at Dover.
For Segment 1, the results from qualifying on Saturday will determine the starting grid for the entire field. The results of this first stint will help set the starting lineup for Segment 2. The top 26 finishers from Segment 1 will be inverted to begin the second 75-lap sprint. Outside of the top 26, drivers will simply begin Segment 2 in the order in which they finish Segment 1.
For the final 200-lap main feature, the field will be whittled down to 26 cars. The drivers who are assured of being included are race winners from the 2025 and 2026 seasons and former NASCAR Cup Series champions who are competing full-time this season. Drivers not meeting these criteria have two other ways to get into the field. One will do so via the fan vote and the rest of the spots will be based on the best combined finishing position from Segments 1 and 2.
From there, the field of 26 will battle it out over the remaining 200 laps in hopes of coming away victorious and clinching the $1 million prize in the process.
Who Qualifies for the NASCAR All-Star Race?
Heading into the All-Star Race weekend festivities at Dover, there are already 19 drivers who are guaranteed a spot in the final 200-lap stint. The following is a list of those drivers (ordered by car number), including the criteria each meets:
- Ross Chastain, No. 1, Trackhouse Racing (2025 race winner)
- Austin Cindric, No. 2, Team Penske (2025 race winner)
- Austin Dillon, No. 3, Richard Childress Racing (2025 race winner)
- Kyle Larson, No. 5, Hendrick Motorsports (2025 race winner & former champion)
- Brad Keselowski, No. 6, RFK Racing (former champion)
- Kyle Busch, No. 8, Richard Childress Racing (former champion)
- Chase Elliott, No. 9, Hendrick Motorsports (2026 race winner & former champion)
- Denny Hamlin, No. 11, Joe Gibbs Racing (2026 race winner)
- Ryan Blaney, No. 12, Team Penske (2026 race winner & former champion)
- Chase Briscoe, No. 19, Joe Gibbs Racing (2025 race winner)
- Christopher Bell, No. 20, Joe Gibbs Racing (2025 race winner)
- Josh Berry, No. 21, Wood Brothers Racing (2025 race winner)
- Joey Logano, No. 22, Team Penske (2025 race winner & former champion)
- Bubba Wallace, No. 23, 23XI Racing (2025 race winner)
- William Byron, No. 24, Hendrick Motorsports (2025 race winner)
- Tyler Reddick, No. 45, 23XI Racing (2026 race winner)
- Ty Gibbs, No. 54, Joe Gibbs Racing (2026 race winner)
- Carson Hocevar, No. 77, Spire Motorsports (2026 race winner)
- Shane van Gisbergen, No. 97, Trackhouse Racing (2026 race winner)
With these 19 drivers locked in, the rest of the NASCAR All-Star Race entry list will be competing for seven remaining spots in the main feature. With one driver set to get in based on the fan vote, that means that leaves six spots left to be decided on the track based off of the results in Segments 1 and 2.
2026 NASCAR All-Star Race Fan Vote
As of Monday, the top-five drivers in the fan vote (in order of car number) were Noah Gragson, Chris Buescher, Alex Bowman, Ryan Preece and Connor Zilisch. It’s worth noting that Gragson has won the fan vote each of the last three years.
If you are interested in voting for your favorite driver, you can do so by CLICKING HERE!
Recent NASCAR All-Star Race Winners
This marks the seventh running of the NASCAR All-Star Race since the sport moved it away from its long-time home at Charlotte Motor Speedway to other tracks. The table below lists the recent winners of the event since the rotation of venues began.
| Year | Track | Race Winner |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Bristol Motor Speedway | Chase Elliott |
| 2021 | Texas Motor Speedway | Kyle Larson |
| 2022 | Texas Motor Speedway | Ryan Blaney |
| 2023 | North Wilkesboro Speedway | Kyle Larson |
| 2024 | North Wilkesboro Speedway | Joey Logano |
| 2025 | North Wilkesboro Speedway | Christopher Bell |
| 2026 | Dover Motor Speedway | ??? |
