A look at the NASCAR qualifying results and starting lineup for the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race at Dover Motor Speedway.
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The starting lineup for the 2026 NASCAR All-Star Race at Dover Motor Speedway is set. Saturday’s qualifying session was unlike what fans are accustomed to seeing given that it took the pit crew challenge into account. The pressure and stakes of the format took their toll on several drivers and teams leading to an entertaining round of qualifying.
Dover’s steep banking and concrete surface make it a fast track, but it is very difficult to execute passes and move through the field from the rear. With starting position carrying significant weight at the Monster Mile, what happened on Saturday could go a long way toward determining who walks away with the $1 million prize on Sunday.
The following shares the official starting grid for Sunday’s race, along with Dover Motor Speedway track details and key observations from NASCAR Cup Series practice and qualifying. If you are playing some fantasy today, make sure you check out our DraftKings NASCAR DFS picks for the All-Star Race!
NASCAR Qualifying Results at Dover Motor Speedway
2026 NASCAR All-Star Race Info
Date: Sunday, May 17, 2026
Start Time: 1 p.m. EST
Track: Dover Motor Speedway — Dover, DE
Coverage: FS1
Pole Sitter: Denny Hamlin
Defending Champion: Christopher Bell
NASCAR All-Star Race Breakdown
Distance: 350 miles
Laps: 350
Lap Length: 1 mile
Stages: Three (75 laps, 75 laps, 150 laps)
Surface: Concrete
Turns: 4
Banking: Turns — 24°; Straights — 9°
Official NASCAR All-Star Race Starting Lineup
Qualifying for the 2026 NASCAR All-Star Race was unlike that of a typical points-paying race. In order to secure a strong starting spot, both the drivers and their pit crews had to perform.
To begin, drivers had to lay down the fastest lap time possible. After completing that lap, the second lap of qualifying featured the pit crew challenge, a staple of All-Star weekend. Drivers brought their cars to pit road and the crews had to perform a four-tire stop with no fueling. Upon receiving services, drivers then exited pit road and raced a third lap under green back to line.
The official NASCAR qualifying results represent the total time from the start of lap one to the checkered flag, pit stop included. With a time of 109.298 seconds, Denny Hamlin secured the pole position for the NASCAR All-Star Race.
For Hamlin, this marks the latest victory at Dover. The No. 11 car has gone to victory lane in the standard 400-mile long points races that the Cup Series has contested here each of the last two years. Brad Keselowski will join Hamlin on the front row of Sunday’s starting grid after his best qualifying effort of the season. His total time was just 0.144 seconds slower than Hamlin’s.
The table below shares the complete All-Star Race starting lineup and NASCAR qualifying results for Sunday afternoon’s race.
| Pos. | Driver | No. | Team | Manufac. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Denny Hamlin | 11 | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota |
| 2 | Brad Keselowski | 6 | RFK Racing | Ford |
| 3 | Erik Jones | 43 | Legacy Motor Club | Toyota |
| 4 | Ross Chastain | 1 | Trackhouse Racing | Chevrolet |
| 5 | William Byron | 24 | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 6 | Christopher Bell | 20 | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota |
| 7 | Bubba Wallace | 23 | 23XI Racing | Toyota |
| 8 | Joey Logano | 22 | Team Penske | Ford |
| 9 | Ty Gibbs | 54 | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota |
| 10 | Austin Cindric | 2 | Team Penske | Ford |
| 11 | Kyle Busch | 8 | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet |
| 12 | Alex Bowman | 48 | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 13 | Noah Gragson | 4 | Front Row Motorsports | Ford |
| 14 | Tyler Reddick | 45 | 23XI Racing | Toyota |
| 15 | Ty Dillon | 10 | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet |
| 16 | Chase Briscoe | 19 | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota |
| 17 | Austin Dillon | 3 | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet |
| 18 | Shane van Gisbergen | 97 | Trackhouse Racing | Chevrolet |
| 19 | Josh Berry | 21 | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford |
| 20 | Todd Gilliland | 34 | Front Row Motorsports | Ford |
| 21 | Riley Herbst | 35 | 23XI Racing | Toyota |
| 22 | Cole Custer | 41 | Haas Factory Team | Chevrolet |
| 23 | Cody Ware | 51 | Rick Ware Racing | Chevrolet |
| 24 | Carson Hocevar | 77 | Spire Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 25 | Zane Smith | 38 | Front Row Motorsports | Ford |
| 26 | Ryan Preece | 60 | RFK Racing | Ford |
| 27 | Connor Zilisch | 88 | Trackhouse Racing | Chevrolet |
| 28 | Ryan Blaney | 12 | Team Penske | Ford |
| 29 | Kyle Larson | 5 | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 30 | Michael McDowell | 71 | Spire Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 31 | Chase Elliott | 9 | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 32 | Chris Buescher | 17 | RFK Racing | Ford |
| 33 | Daniel Suarez | 7 | Spire Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 34 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 47 | HYAK Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 35 | John Hunter Nemechek | 42 | Legacy Motor Club | Toyota |
| 36 | AJ Allmendinger | 16 | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet |
NASCAR All-Star Race Practice and Qualifying Notes
- The No. 38 team of Zane Smith and Front Row Motorsports won the pit crew challenge with the fastest clean stop.
- Denny Hamlin actually spun on his warm-up lap and took minor damage but was still able to recover and win the pole position.
- Toyota once again impressed in the NASCAR qualifying results even with the pit crew challenge wrinkle. Along with Hamlin, Erik Jones, Christopher Bell, Bubba Wallace and Ty Gibbs all place in the top ten.
- Only 24 of the 36 entries for the NASCAR All-Star Race completed the qualifying session without an error of some kind.
- Kyle Larson was denied a front-row starting spot due to penalties for being too fast on pit road and not blending back onto the track properly on his out lap.
- Daniel Suarez crashed into the outside wall in Turn 1 when his right front wheel detached following the pit stop.
- Ryan Blaney’s pit crew let him down once again in the NASCAR qualifying results with an error.
- Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s crew never got to take their shot in the pit crew challenge after he lost control coming out of Turn 4 of his opening lap and went spinning down the front stretch.
- Connor Zilisch spun while entering pit road for his stop which led to a speeding penalty.
- Kyle Larson posted the fastest lap in practice at 157.950 mph. Michael McDowell, Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch and Ty Gibbs rounded out the top five in practice lap speed.
- Carson Hocevar had the best practice speed over ten consecutive laps in practice at 156.103 mph.
