- Sunday’s NASCAR All-Star Race features a multi-segment format, mid-race inversion and a final 200-lap sprint for the $1 million prize.
- NASCAR and track officials have implemented competition-focused track adjustments to widen the racing groove and increase passing opportunities at The Monster Mile.
- The Mechanix Wear Pit Crew Challenge returns during All-Star qualifying, putting NASCAR’s pit crews in the spotlight with a $100,000 prize on the line.
DOVER, Del. (May 1, 2026) – NASCAR’s annual All-Star Race comes to Dover Motor Speedway this weekend for the first time at the World’s Fastest One-Mile Oval and the first time in the Northeast, bringing a $1 million prize along with several competition-focused changes to The Monster Mile.
In preparation for the NASCAR Cup Series’ return to Dover, NASCAR and track officials have been working to widen the racing groove and increase grip around the concrete oval.
Track crews will apply resin to the corners to help increase multiple racing lanes, and will then drag tires across the racing surface to lay down additional rubber throughout the corners.
Combined with Dover’s concrete surface and rubber buildup throughout the weekend, the added grip is expected to create more passing opportunities and encourage drivers to search for speed in multiple lanes.
The treated racing surface will also be paired for the first-time with 750-horsepower engines, part of a rules update NASCAR announced for Dover ahead of the 2026 season. The higher-horsepower package is expected to produce faster corner-entry speeds and place even more emphasis on throttle control and handling at the high-banked one-mile track.
Goodyear will also bring a concrete-tested tire combination for the NASCAR Cup Series’ first All-Star Race at Dover Motor Speedway. Cup Series teams will use a left-side tire that debuted at Bristol Motor Speedway in April alongside the specially designed right-side tire used at Dover last July, giving teams data from both concrete tracks heading into the weekend. Teams will also receive one additional set of tires during qualifying and the Mechanix Wear Pit Crew Challenge, for a mandatory four-tire pit stop as part of the format.
“The NASCAR All-Star Race is all about putting on the best possible show for the fans, and there’s no better place to do that than Dover Motor Speedway,” said Mike Tatoian, president and general manager of Dover Motor Speedway. “NASCAR has put a major focus on widening the racing groove and creating more opportunities for drivers to race side-by-side and make passes throughout the field. Combined with the added horsepower teams will have this weekend, fans should see even faster speeds and a very competitive race at The Monster Mile.”
Sunday’s NASCAR All-Star Race will begin with all 36 chartered drivers competing in two 75-lap opening segments before the field is reduced for a final 200-lap sprint to determine the winner.
To increase the challenge, NASCAR will invert the top 26 drivers following the opening segment, forcing contenders to race back through traffic during the second segment before the field is trimmed from 36 drivers to 26 ahead of the final stage.
Nineteen drivers are already locked into the final segment entering the weekend:
Christopher Bell, Josh Berry, Ryan Blaney, Chase Briscoe, Kyle Busch, William Byron, Ross Chastain, Austin Cindric, Austin Dillon, Chase Elliott, Ty Gibbs, Denny Hamlin, Carson Hocevar, Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano, Kyle Larson, Tyler Reddick, Shane van Gisbergen and Bubba Wallace.
Six additional drivers will race their way into the final segment based on performance during the opening two segments, while one more driver will advance through the NASCAR All-Star Fan Vote.
All-Star Weekend will also feature the annual Mechanix Wear Pit Crew Challenge during qualifying, the only event of the season dedicated specifically to pit crew performance.
Qualifying begins with drivers taking the green flag for one timed lap before entering pit road on Lap 2 for a mandatory four-tire pit stop. Following the stop, drivers will return to the track for one final timed lap to complete their qualifying run, with total elapsed time determining the starting lineup for Sunday’s race.
The quickest overall time from green flag to checkered flag will earn the pole position for the NASCAR All-Star Race, while the team with the fastest pit stop will win the Mechanix Wear Pit Crew Challenge and receive the first pit selection for the main event. As seen last season, two different teams could ultimately win each competition.
The challenge provides one of the few opportunities each season for NASCAR pit crew members to take center stage, competing not only for the Mechanix Wear Pit Crew Challenge trophy, but also a $100,000 prize.
With additional grip around the racing surface, higher horsepower and a format designed to keep drivers racing through traffic all afternoon, NASCAR All-Star Weekend is expected to bring an intense style of racing to The Monster Mile.
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