All-Star Race weekend for the NASCAR Cup Series is scheduled to take place this weekend, and for the first time ever, the exhibition race is set to be contested at Dover Motor Speedway, after North Wilkesboro Speedway, which had hosted the event each year since 2023, was given the points race date that had belonged to Dover in July.
North Wilkesboro hasn't hosted a Cup Series points race since 1996, while the "Monster Mile" hasn't not hosted at least one points race per season since 1968, which was before it even opened.
With there being no track lights at the four-turn, 1.0-mile (1.609-kilometer) high-banked oval in Dover, Delaware, NASCAR was forced to turn the traditional nighttime event into a daytime race this year. But the changes didn't stop there.
Several changes were made to the All-Star Race format. But perhaps most notable one was the cancellation of one of the two races.
There is no more All-Star Open this year.
All-Star Open not a part of new All-Star Race format at Dover
The All-Star Open had preceded the All-Star Race itself every year since 1986, giving those not already locked into the All-Star Race an opportunity to qualify. Only in 1985, which was when the first All-Star Race was contested at Charlotte Motor Speedway, was the Open not held.
The Open debuted in 1986, when the All-Star Race was contested at Atlanta Motor Speedway, and it remained in place upon the return to Charlotte, which hosted the next 33 All-Star Races in a row from 1987 to 2019.
It remained in place at Bristol Motor Speedway in 2020, Texas Motor Speedway in 2021 and 2022, and North Wilkesboro from 2023 to 2025.
The NASCAR Fan Vote is still in place, just as it has been since 2004, and is set to determine one of the 26 drivers in this year's All-Star Race.
Notably, this year, that 26-driver tally is a predetermined number, which also differs from previous years. The All-Star Race is set to consist of two 75-lap segments and a 200-lap main segment.
Of the 26 set to compete in the main segment, 19 are already locked in, either by winning at least one points race since the start of the 2025 season, or by being a former champion who still competes full-time.
All previous All-Star Race winners, among active full-time drivers, fit into one or both of those categories, so that particular additional criterion was not needed as a requirement this year, even though it has been listed in the past.
The other six All-Star Race competitors are set to be determined by average finish across the first two segments, which are both set to feature every driver on the entry list, including those already locked in. The top 26 finishers from the first segment are set to begin the second segment in reverse order.
Single-car qualifying to determine the starting lineup for the first segment is set to include a full qualifying lap, a pit stop challenge, and a race back to the checkered flag.
A more detailed Dover All-Star Race format explanation can be found here.
Fox Sports 1's live coverage of the All-Star Race is scheduled to begin this Sunday, May 17 at 1:00 p.m. ET. Begin a free trial of FuboTV now and don't miss any of the action from Dover Motor Speedway!
Add us as a preferred source on Google