NASCAR is trying something new for the All-Star Race this year.

For the first time ever, the exhibition event heads to Delaware for a race at the historic Dover Motor Speedway. The one-mile concrete track has hosted the Cup Series annually since 1969.

Nicknamed “The Monster Mile,” Dover is a traditionally treacherous track. With $1 million on the line for the winner and no championship points on the line, chaos could ensue if there’s a late race battle on Sunday.

Here’s everything you need to know for the 2026 All-Star Race format, schedule, participants and more:

When is the NASCAR All-Star Race?

The 2026 NASCAR All-Star Race is set for Sunday, May 17, at 1 p.m. ET.

Before the race, there will be various other events to set the starting order and determine the full field of drivers. Practice will be on Friday, followed by the qualifying and the pit crew challenge on Saturday and the All-Star Race on Sunday.

What is the NASCAR All-Star Race weekend schedule?

Mike Joy (play-by-play), Kevin Harvick (analyst) and Clint Boywer (analyst) will be on the call for FOX this weekend. It’ll be the last race of the year on FOX networks before Amazon Prime Video takes over for the next five weeks, followed by five weeks on TNT and the final 14 on NBC/USA.

Friday, May 15 (FS1, FS2 and streaming)

Saturday, May 16 (FS1 and streaming)

Qualifying and Pit Crew Challenge: 12 p.m. ET, FS1, FoxSports.com

Sunday, May 17 (FS1 and streaming)

What is the format for the NASCAR All-Star Race this year?

Not every driver is qualified for the All-Star Race, but everyone has the chance to race their way in during the first two stages. There will be 26 drivers in the final stage competing for the win.

Nineteen drivers are locked in already by virtue of winning a race in 2025 or 2026, being a past champion or winning a past All-Star Race.

The other 17 drivers who aren’t locked in will have to earn their spot over the first two stages of the race. Qualifying on Saturday will set the lineup for stage one (75 laps). After that, stage two (75 laps) will see the top 26 finishers from stage one inverted at the start and positions 27-36 set based on the stage one results.

The remaining positions for stage three (200 laps) will be filled based on combined results from stages one and two until the field reaches 25 drivers. The 26th and final position will be awarded to the NASCAR All-Star Fan Vote winner.

Here are the 19 drivers who are guaranteed to be in the final stage:

CarDriverTeamSponsor1Ross ChastainTrackhouse RacingBusch Light2Austin CindricTeam PenskeFreightliner3Austin DillonRichard Childress RacingBreztri5Kyle LarsonHendrick MotorsportsHendrickCars.com6Brad KeselowskiRFK RacingSolomon Plumbing8Kyle BuschRichard Childress RacingLucas Oil9Chase ElliottHendrick MotorsportsAmazon Prime11Denny HamlinJoe Gibbs RacingProgressive12Ryan BlaneyTeam PenskeMenards/Wrangler19Chase BriscoeJoe Gibbs RacingBass Pro Shops20Christopher BellJoe Gibbs RacingMobil 121Josh BerryWood BrothersMotorcraft/Quick Lane22Joey LoganoTeam PenskeShell/Pennzoil23Bubba Wallace23XI RacingXfinity24William ByronHendrick MotorsportsAxalta45Tyler Reddick23XI RacingACM Awards/Pinnacle54Ty GibbsJoe Gibbs RacingMonster Energy77Carson HocevarSpire MotorsportsMiner97Shane van GisbergenTrackhouse RacingSafety Culture

If a driver isn’t locked in yet, they will have to race their way into stage three by finishing well over the first 150 laps. That field consists of the following 17 drivers, seven of which will advance to the final stage:

CarDriverTeamSponsor4Noah GragsonFront Row MotorsportsMillerTech Batteries7Daniel SuarezSpire MotorsportsCal Ripken Sr. Foundation10Ty DillonKaulig RacingPatriot Mobile16AJ AllmendingerKaulig RacingCelsius17Chris BuescherRFK RacingBuildSubmarines.com34Todd GillilandFront Row MotorsportsLong John Silver’s35Riley Herbst23XI RacingTreeTop38Zane SmithFront Row MotorsportsAaron’s Rent To Own41Cole CusterHaas Factory TeamHaas/Autodesk42John H. NemechekLegacy Motor ClubDollar Tree43Erik JonesLegacy Motor ClubAdvent Health47Ricky Stenhouse Jr.Hyak MotorsportsNOS Energy48Alex BowmanHendrick MotorsportsAlly51Cody WareRick Ware RacingMuseum of the Bible60Ryan PreeceRFK RacingMohawk Northeast71Michael McDowellSpire MotorsportsRCA88Connor ZilischTrackhouse RacingJockey

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What is the NASCAR All-Star Pit Crew Challenge?

Instead of using hot laps for qualifying, the Pit Crew Challenge will set the starting order for the heat races.

The Pit Crew Challenge is exactly what it sounds like – each team will be put to the test on pit road. Each car’s qualifying time will be based on a three-lap run, which includes one full speed lap, one lap where the driver hits pit road for a four-tire stop and one final lap at full speed.

How do I vote for the NASCAR All-Star Fan Vote?

The 26th and final spot in the final stage will be awarded to the winner of the fan vote. Voting has been live online since last month and will close on Sunday, May 17, at 9 a.m. ET.

If the winner of the fan vote qualifies based on their first two stage results, NASCAR will go to the driver who was second in the vote, and so on.

As of May 11, the top-five vote-getters, in alphabetical order, were Alex Bowman, Chris Buescher, Noah Gragson, Ryan Preece and Connor Zilisch.

You can vote for your favorite driver online right here.