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Dover Lands 2026 NASCAR All‑Star Race With New 350‑Lap, Inversion Format

An inversion‑focused overhaul is set to challenge passing on Dover’s concrete mile.

Overview

  • The exhibition runs Sunday, May 17 at 1 p.m. ET on FS1 after Friday practice and a Saturday noon qualifying session that features a Pit Crew Challenge.
  • NASCAR scrapped the All‑Star Open and set one 350‑lap race split 75/75/200, with the field cut to 26 for a final shootout that pays $1 million to the winner.
  • Segment 2 will start with the top 26 finishers from Segment 1 lined up in reverse order, which puts a premium on steady results across the opening runs.
  • Qualifying will time a full‑speed lap plus a four‑tire Mechanix Wear Pit Crew Challenge stop, and the fastest team without a penalty earns first choice of pit stall.
  • All 36 cars will start, 19 drivers are already locked into the finale by recent wins or full‑time champion status, and the Fan Vote closes Sunday at 9 a.m. ET after a May 11 update listed Alex Bowman, Chris Buescher, Noah Gragson, Ryan Preece and Connor Zilisch among the leaders.