The biggest shift in the NASCAR All-Star Race was the axe falling on the All-Star Open and the move from the short-track heat setup at North Wilkesboro to a marathon run at the Monster Mile, Dover Motor Speedway. But now NASCAR and Speedway Motorsports have announced a few more changes, especially regarding the race format.
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First up, the 2026 All-Star Race will span 350 miles split into segments of 75 laps, 75 laps, and 200 laps, with the whole field taking the green at the start. After Stage 1 wraps, a second 75-lap dash will follow, with Stage 2 flipping the whole sequence. The lineup will invert the top 26 from Segment 1, while the rest will line up by their finish.
Then, the final 200-lap run will trim the field to 26 drivers. That group will include 2025 and 2026 Cup race winners, past Cup champions who run full-time, a Fan Vote pick, and the rest filled by drivers with the lowest combined finishes across Segments 1 and 2.
Right now, 17 drivers already have a ticket punched for the 200-lap main segment. It includes Kyle Larson, Denny Hamlin, William Byron, Christopher Bell, Chase Briscoe, Chase Elliott, Tyler Reddick, Kyle Busch, Shane van Gisbergen, Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano, Austin Cindric, Ryan Blaney, Josh Berry, Austin Dillon, Ross Chastain, and Bubba Wallace.
That leaves eight spots up for grabs based on how drivers stack up across the first two segments. The math could shift if new winners join the party before the May 17 exhibition.
The 2026 format will also place significant emphasis on May 16 qualifying. Drivers will take the green and run one lap at speed around the one-mile oval. With the All-Star Open shelved, qualifying will set the grid for Segment 1, a 75-lap sprint within the 350-lap show.
Lap two will bring the Mechanix Wear Pit Crew Challenge. Each crew will pull off a four-tire stop with no fuel, then drivers will dash back to the start/finish line. Qualifying time will run from green to checkered, and the crew with the fastest stop and no flags will claim the challenge, earning first dibs on pit selection for the race.
Most drivers kept their powder dry on the changes, but Denny Hamlin could not resist a jab on Twitter. “Drivers who fail to qualify will also be presented participation metals on the front stretch after the conclusion of stage 2,” he wrote, which mostly read like a wink at how wide the tent now stretches.
