- Zane Smith’s No. 38 team won the Mechanix Wear Pit Crew Challenge with a 12.612-second pit stop during NASCAR All-Star Race qualifying at Dover Motor Speedway.
- Denny Hamlin secured the pole position with a qualifying time of 109.298 seconds at 98.812 mph, marking his second All-Star Race pole and first since 2015.
Zane Smith’s No. 38 team delivered the performance of the session Saturday at Dover Motor Speedway, winning the Mechanix Wear Pit Crew Challenge with a 12.612-second, four-tire pit stop during NASCAR All-Star Race qualifying at The Monster Mile.
The award-winning stop earned the No. 38 crew a $100,000 bonus and the first pit selection for Sunday’s NASCAR All-Star Race, giving the team a major advantage heading into one of NASCAR’s biggest events.
While the crew excelled under pressure on pit road, Smith will start 25th for Sunday’s All-Star Race following the combined qualifying format that included three timed laps and a mandatory four-tire pit stop.
Denny Hamlin ultimately secured the pole position for Sunday’s NASCAR All-Star Race with a total qualifying time of 109.298 seconds at 98.812 mph.
The pole marked Hamlin’s second career NASCAR All-Star Race pole award and his first since 2015, when he went on to win the race from the top starting position. Saturday’s run additionally delivered the eighth All-Star Race pole for Joe Gibbs Racing.
Hamlin’s pole-winning run came despite early adversity after the winner of the last two NASCAR Cup Series races at The Monster Mile spun during his warm-up lap before beginning his official qualifying attempt. The No. 11 team regrouped quickly and delivered the fastest overall effort of the session.
“Hats off to the team,” Hamlin said. “They’re the ones that keep you in the game.”
Saturday’s qualifying and Mechanix Wear Pit Crew Challenge featured no shortage of drama, including multiple on-track incidents.
Daniel Suarez suffered one of the most significant crashes of the session after his right-front wheel came loose exiting pit road during his qualifying run. Suarez entered Turn 1 before the wheel detached completely, sending his car into the outside wall.
“I went into Turn 1 and the tire just fell off,” Suarez said after being evaluated and released from the Infield Care Center. “It’s just crazy how these things happen. I thought my pit crew has been doing an amazing job. I’m just so proud of them.”
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. also endured a chaotic qualifying attempt when his No. 47 Chevrolet broke loose exiting Turn 4. Stenhouse spun multiple times down the frontstretch banking before narrowly avoiding contact with the inside wall.
The incident prevented his crew from getting the opportunity to complete their pit stop during the challenge portion of qualifying.
“Mainly, I was feeling bad for all my guys that they didn’t get the opportunity to do their pit stop,” Stenhouse said. “I’m definitely going to owe them something.”
Despite the spin, Stenhouse remained confident in both his car and team heading into Sunday’s race.
“I hate it for my guys; they brought a really fast Chevrolet,” Stenhouse said. “I was really happy with it in practice yesterday, felt really good right up until that point, so it just jumped out from underneath me and cost us a good shot at starting toward the front.”
The All-Star qualifying and Mechanix Wear Pit Crew Challenge created a high-pressure situation for pit crews at Dover Motor Speedway, putting them front and center for one of the few times during the NASCAR season.
Sunday’s NASCAR All-Star Race at The Monster Mile will feature NASCAR’s top stars battling for one of the sport’s most prestigious victories.
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