Dover Motor Speedway hosted one NASCAR Cup Series race in each of its first two years of existence back in 1969 and 1970, and from 1971 to 2020, it hosted two races each.
In 2020, as a result of COVID-19-related restrictions, those two races were contested on the same weekend, as the spring race had to be postponed. Then in 2021, the "Monster Mile" lost its second race altogether, and the track remained a one-race track through 2025.
While the four-turn, 1.0-mile (1.609-kilometer) high-banked Dover, Delaware oval remains on the schedule in 2026, it is not in line to host a points race this year. That hasn't been the case since 1968, which was before it even opened.
North Wilkesboro Speedway was revitalized and put back on the Cup Series calendar in 2023 for the first time in 1996, and after three years of hosting the All-Star Race it was given its first points race in three decades. That race is scheduled to take place in July, which is when Dover's points race took place a year ago.
In addition to snapping Dover's 57-year run of hosting at least one points race, NASCAR has drastically redone the All-Star format for this weekend's festivities.
And we don't just mean turning into a day race, since Dover does not have track lights.
NASCAR's new All-Star Race format, explained
First and foremost, there is no more All-Star Open. The Open had been contested for 40 consecutive years dating back to 1986, which is when the second All-Star Race is held.
There are 19 drivers locked into this year's 200-lap All-Star Race, as they all have won a race since the start of the 2025 season or are former Cup Series champions who still compete full-time. Being a former All-Star Race winner has also historically locked a driver in, but all former winners of the race already fulfill either one or both of the aforementioned categories anyway.
These drivers include, in alphabetical order, 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.
All drivers on the entry list, including those already locked into main event, are set to make a single-lap qualifying attempt, and then come into the pits for the Mechanix Wear Pit Crew Challenge on the second lap, featuring a four-tire change with no fueling. Drivers are then set to drive back to the start/finish line, and the starting lineup is set to be determined based on total time, including the pit stop.
Pit stall selection is set to be determine strictly by the pit stop times from the Mechanix Wear Pit Crew Challenge.
This is where things get complicated, and why there is no more All-Star Open.
No more All-Star Open in 2026
The qualifying results are set to determine the full starting lineup for a 75-lap "segment". The top 26 finishers from that segment are set to start the second 75-lap segment in reverse order. Everyone who finished segment one 27th or worse is set to start segment two where they finished, but none of them are set to be mathematically eliminated from contention.
A total of 26 drivers are set to advance to the main 200-lap third segment, including the 19 already locked in. Six of the other seven spots are set to be determined by each driver's average finish across segments one and two, among the drivers not already locked in. The other one is set to be determined by the NASCAR Fan Vote.
The full starting lineup for the 200-lap third segment is then set to be determined by each driver's average finish from segments one and two, meaning that the polesitter doesn't necessarily need to be one of the 19 drivers already locked in.
This differs from the All-Star Open format, where those who advanced were guaranteed to start the main event from the back.
And last, but certainly not least, there is no more "Promoter's Caution" gimmick, which might well be the most welcome change to the format that fans could have asked for.
Whether Dover becomes the permanent location of the All-Star Race remains to be seen, although given the fact that it's set to become the event's fifth different location since 2019, it's highly unlikely.
The bigger question is whether or not it returns in 2027, and that does appear likely, given the fact that the past two All-Star Race venues have hosted the race for either two or three consecutive seasons.
Fox Sports 1's live coverage of the All-Star Race is set to begin at 1:00 p.m. ET this Sunday, May 17. Start a free trial of FuboTV and don't miss any of the action from Dover Motor Speedway!
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