NASCAR, it seems, is willing to experiment more than ever now. This is to attract the younger generation to stock car racing. Alongside the many new initiatives, such as street racing and international races, the sanctioning body could hold a true All-Star Race in which vehicles from the three national series race against each other.
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Ben Kennedy, NASCAR’s executive vice president, was asked about the possibility of a combined All-Star race in a press conference recently. “I think anything is on the table,” he replied.
At present, NASCAR conducts an All-Star race for the Cup Series racers. “For now, we’re focused on the Cup Series. Having our biggest names and our biggest stars compete in All-Star weekend, we feel like it’s been important,” added Kennedy.
For the last few years, the All-Star Race was held at North Wilkesboro Speedway. In 2026, North Wilkesboro will become the venue of a points-paying race, and Dover will host the All-Star Race. And the Xfinity and Truck Series will put on companion events to go along with the All-Star Race at Dover.
In the future, there is a possibility that the races could all be merged into one. “As it relates to other drivers coming and competing in those series, we haven’t necessarily gotten to that bridge yet, but I would never put anything out of consideration,” said Kennedy.
“If you think about where we were five or six years ago, related to the schedule versus now, running on a military base and downtown Chicago and taking races internationally, nothing is off the table,” he reiterated.
Well, NASCAR has seen a host of additions recently. And so, it cannot be ruled out that the three national series compete with each other directly at least for one weekend on the calendar.
The top drivers from each series could be picked based on strict eligibility criteria. To keep it fair, NASCAR would have to choose a track where all the vehicles have an equal amount of track time.
Seeing all the top stars from each series race against each other is a mouthwatering prospect for fans. This could also provide some David-Goliath storylines.
Possibly, the promotion could also use a special car for such an event. Something that falls between the Next Gen, the Xfinity Series car, and the trucks. This would make it a true driver vs driver showdown.