NASCAR All-Star Race: Format unveiled for 2026
NASCAR and Speedway Motorsports announced the format for the 2026 NASCAR All-Star Race, set for Sunday, May 17 at Dover Motor Speedway.
Speedway Motorsports/NASCAR
The main event will be 350 laps, split up into three segments – 75 laps, 75 laps and 200 laps. A competition break will take place at or around 75 laps into the final segment, which would be at or around lap 225 of 350 in the overall race.
Drivers eligible for the final segment include:
- Winners in either 2025 or 2026
- Former NASCAR All-Star Race winners who compete full-time
- Former NASCAR Cup Series champions who compete full-time
- William Byron, Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell, Denny Hamlin, Chase Elliott, Tyler Reddick, Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano, Austin Cindric, Ryan Blaney, Josh Berry, Austin Dillon, Chase Briscoe, Ross Chastain, Shane Van Gisbergen, Bubba Wallace, Kyle Busch (17 drivers so far; More can lock in if they win between now and the race)
The remaining positions will be filled based on the combined results from the first two segments until the field reaches 25 drivers. The 26th spot will go to the NASCAR All-Star Race Fan Vote winner.
With the format the way it is, there will be no Open race – a first for the event since its inaugural edition in 1985. However, the Mechanix Wear Pit Crew Challenge will return and take place during qualifying Saturday.
During qualifying, drivers take the green flag, run one full lap at speed and, on the second lap, do a four-tire stop with no fuel. Once the stop is done, the cars will exit pit road and race back to the checkered flag.
Qualifying time will be the total elapsed time from green flag to checkered flag. The fastest team will earn the pole for Segment 1 of Sunday’s All-Star Race. It’ll also set the lineup for that segment.
Segment 2 will feature the top 26 finishers of Segment 1 inverted at the start. Then, the rest of the field will line up based on their Segment 1 finishing positions.
The pit crew with the fastest stop – and no penalties – will win the Pit Crew Challenge. Pit Crew Challenge results will determine pit selection order.
The NASCAR All-Star Race will air live on FS1, MRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, with coverage beginning at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday, May 17.
Dover will also host a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race that Friday, May 15, and a NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series that Saturday, May 16.
Dover is the sixth track to host the NASCAR All-Star Race since the race’s inception in 1985:
- Charlotte Motor Speedway: 1985, 1987-2019
- Atlanta Motor Speedway: 1986
- Bristol Motor Speedway: 2020
- Texas Motor Speedway 2021-2022
- North Wilkesboro Speedway 2023-2025
- Dover Motor Speedway: 2026-
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Jonathan Fjeld View All
Jonathan Fjeld is the co-owner of the The Racing Experts, LLC. He has been with TRE since 2010.
A Twin Valley, MN, native, Fjeld became a motorsports fan at just three years old (first race was the 2002 Pennsylvania 500). He worked as a contributor and writer for TRE from 2010-18. Since then, he has stepped up and covered 24 NASCAR race weekends and taken on a larger role with TRE. He became the co-owner and managing editor in 2023 and has guided the site to massive growth in that time.
Fjeld has covered a wide array of stories and moments over the years, including Kevin Harvick's final Cup Series season, the first NASCAR national series disqualification in over 50 years, Shane van Gisbergen's stunning win in Chicago and the first Cup Series race at Road America in 66 years – as well as up-and-coming drivers' stories and stories from inside the sport, like the tech it takes for Hendrick Motorsports to remain a top-tier team.
Currently, he resides in Albuquerque, N.M., where he works for KOB 4, an NBC station. He works as a digital producer and does on-air reports. He loves spending time with friends and family, playing and listening to music, exploring new places, being outdoors, reading books and writing among other activities. You can email him at fjeldjonathan@gmail.com