SONOMA, CA - JUNE 09: NASCAR, Motorsport, USA legend Richard Petty speaks to the media before the start of the Toyota/Save Mart 350 NASCAR Cup Series race on July 9, 2024, at Sonoma Raceway in Sonoma, CA. Photo by Matthew Bolt/Sonoma Raceway/Icon Sportswire AUTO: JUN 09 NASCAR Cup Series Toyota/Save Mart 350 EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon240609789

May 19, 2026, 11:00 AM CUT

"Take It Back to Charlotte": Richard Petty Voices Blunt All-Star Frustration

NASCAR legend Richard Petty shared his thoughts on the recently concluded NASCAR All-Star race at Dover Motor Speedway, and he was far from impressed. With a call to take it away from Dover and get the race back to Charlotte, the former NASCAR driver also criticized how the governing body carried out the race.

Petty recently sat down to discuss this with Dale Inman in the "Petty Family Racing" podcast on YouTube. There, he said, "To me, it just didn't feel like an All-Star Race. It was just another race that they just went at it a little bit different."

Over the years, NASCAR hosted the All-Star race in several venues. Such as Atlanta Motor Speedway, Texas Motor Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway, and, in 2025, at North Wilkesboro Speedway. Dover, however, didn't make a fan in Petty.

May 16, 2026; Dover, Delaware, USA; Crew members of NASCAR Cup Series driver Kyle Busch (8) look on during qualifying for the NASCAR All-Star Race at Dover Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

"And I don't think anybody got even when they announced the All-Star race being in Dover, I don't think anybody really got that excited. I guess, all in all, they need to probably take it back to Charlotte and just let it go from there," Petty further added, asking the venue to be shifted.

Notably, Charlotte Motor Speedway also hosted the All-Star race in 1985 and from 1987 to 2019. If NASCAR were to take Petty's suggestion, it would have to put two races back-to-back at the same venue, as the Coca-Cola 600 takes place at Charlotte a week after the All-Star race.

Petty's frustration also stemmed from the fact that the race was almost a full-length race, with all the cautions and flags, and it had no element of surprise. He declined to call the race an All-Star race after the early multi-car wreck, which wasn't representative of 'All Stars'.

Despite all the complications, Denny Hamlin emerged as the winner on Sunday to claim his second NASCAR All-Star victory. He denied JGR teammate Chase Briscoe the win with a 0.887-second margin.

Richard Petty lauds Denny Hamlin after All-Star win

Denny Hamlin led 103 out of 200 laps and took the chequered flag in the All-Star race. With this, the JGR driver won his second race of the season, even though it was a non-points-paying event and didn't count in the larger championship picture.

May 17, 2026; Dover, Delaware, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Denny Hamlin celebrates in victory lane with the winner’s ring after winning the NASCAR All-Star Race at Dover Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Praising Hamlin and his consistency in the aforementioned podcast, Richard Petty said, "They've been the cream of the crop. If he can continue this, it's going to be hard to beat him for the championship."

With this victory, Denny Hamlin picked up $1 million and his fourth win at Dover. The previous wins came in 2022, 2024, and 2025, and no wonder the track has become his happy hunting ground, to say the least.

The three-time Daytona 500 winner heads into the Coca-Cola 600 this weekend with momentum on his side. As one of the oldest drivers on the Cup Series grid, he is counting on his "experience" to steer him to more oval wins.

Written by

Sabyasachi Biswas

Edited by

Yask Kotak