Overview
- Denny Hamlin earned the pole Saturday with a 1:49.298 total time after a warmup‑lap spin, topping a qualifying format that required a full‑speed lap, a mandatory four‑tire stop, and a closing lap.
- Front Row Motorsports’ No. 38 crew logged a 12.612‑second stop to win the $100,000 Mechanix Wear Pit Crew Challenge and first pit selection, though driver Zane Smith’s speeding penalty hurt his starting spot.
- The session exposed Dover’s tricky pit entry and tight rules, with speeding penalties for Kyle Larson, Michael McDowell and others, spins by Connor Zilisch and Ricky Stenhouse Jr., and Daniel Suarez losing a right‑front wheel after his run.
- Sunday’s All‑Star Race starts at 1 p.m. ET on FS1 and runs 350 laps in three segments (75/75/200) with the top 26 inverted after Segment 1 and a 26‑car final sprint that includes 19 drivers already locked in, six based on Segment 1‑2 results, and one fan vote.
- NASCAR treated Dover’s concrete with resin and additional rubber and uses a 750‑horsepower package with concrete‑specific Goodyear tires, changes aimed at widening the groove and raising speeds that put more stress on handling and pit‑road execution.