It is almost time for NASCAR’s All-Star Race, which starts on May 17, 2026. This time, the series is traveling to Dover Motor Speedway for the first time and will introduce a new format at the ‘Monster Mile.' The event will span over three days. The main event will kick off on Sunday (1 p.m. ET, FS1, HBO Max, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). 

NASCAR All-Star Race format

The organization introduced new changes for the 2026 event. Prior to the qualifying taking place, the drivers will drive around the track, followed by the Mechanix Wear Pit Crew Challenge. During this, the pit crews will conduct a four-wheel challenge and won't refuel the car.

The fastest pit crew to complete the same will gain the advantage of pit selection order for the All-Star Race. 

One of the biggest changes is the elimination of the All-Star open race. Instead, the weekend will now revolve around the qualifying segment. The qualifying will help in determining the full field for the first 75-lap segment. For the second segment, a 75-lap sprint, which will be in the reverse grid order from the first segment of the race.

During the final 200-lap segment, the grid will narrow down to 26 drivers. The drivers who will be eligible for the race are the winners from the 2025 and 2026 NASCAR Cup Series seasons, former Cup Series champions competing full-time, and the winner of the Fan Vote.

The rest will line up based on the qualifying from segments 1 and 2, respectively. The lineup features NASCAR's rising stars, Carson Hocevar and Ty Gibbs. Ryan Blaney is looking for his second All-Star win.

Fan Vote Decides 

The fan vote has been one of the most popular traditions for the All-Star Race, and the tradition continues. The votes give one of the drivers who has performed poorly for the final segment of the race a chance to participate in the event.

The voting opened up on April 13 and will close on Sunday, May 17, at 9 am ET. The fans can vote for their favorite drivers up to five times per day using their email addresses.

NASCAR put out the list of the top five vote-getters. Here are the names in alphabetical order. 

• Alex Bowman
• Chris Buescher
• Noah Gragson
• Ryan Preece
• Connor Zilisch

During the last three years, Noah Gragson has dominated the fan vote segment. 

One Million Dollar prize

As an exhibition event, the All-Star Race carries no championship points, unlike a standard NASCAR Cup Series race. Instead, the main reward is 1 million dollars and bragging rights.

The prize amount has not increased since 2003. Drivers have acknowledged that while the amount is still appealing, inflation has significantly lowered its real-world value over time.

Share your thoughts on the format of the NASCAR All-Star Race 2026.

Read more at RFK Racing Digest.

Written by

Chionia Libania Colaco

Edited by

Soheli Tarafdar