NASCAR 2026 All-Star Format: New Twists & Turns at New Location

The NASCAR All-Star Race in 2026 will have more laps than fans are used to seeing, along with a little bit more math. With the move to Dover Speedway for the 2026 event and the fans there used to seeing all drivers race for 400 laps, the format is designed to have everyone on track and the event to be longer for the main stars than typical for this event. So the race will be a 350-lap, 350-mile event split into segments of 75 laps, 75 laps and 200 laps. Here are the basics of the format: — All cars start the race — The top 26 will be inverted after the first 75-lap segment. — A driver’s combined finish will determine the starting order for the 26-car final 200-lap segment, which will include a competition caution about 75 laps in (Lap 225 overall). — The 26 cars will consist of drivers who won races in 2005-26, past All-Star and Cup champions who still compete full time, and then for the remaining drivers, the best combined finish in the first two segments and one remaining driver from the fan vote. There are currently 17 drivers locked into the final 200-lap main segment. So as of today, there would be eight spots available based on the combined finish of the first two segments. That number could change if additional drivers win who have not won in 2025-26 prior to the May 17 exhibition event. Cup drivers will get practice with time on the track on Friday of the race weekend. They will then qualify on Saturday — a three-lap run that will include the pit-stop competition with a four-tire pit stop (no fuel) after the second lap. The entire time of the three-lap run (including the pit stop) will determine the starting order for the opening 75-lap segment. The pit stop competition will determine the order of pit selection. The 17 drivers currently locked in who can’t be eliminated after the second segment consist of 2025-26 winners Ross Chastain, Austin Cindric, Austin Dillon, Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott, Denny Hamlin, Ryan Blaney, Chase Briscoe, Christopher Bell, Josh Berry, Joey Logano, Bubba Wallace, William Byron, Tyler Reddick and Shane van Gibergen and former Cup champions, Brad Keselowski and Kyle Busch.