May 22 non-points $1 million Cup race at Texas Motor Speedway will feature winners from the past calendar year and more.
This year’s NASCAR All-Star race at Texas Motor Speedway will include just about every Cup Series driver who’s raced even one lap during the 20’s. Well, maybe not quite that wide-open, but we’re not terribly far off.
Twenty-five drivers will line up in Fort Worth on May 22. Among them will be all race winners between last year’s All-Star race in Texas and this year’s May 15 Cup race at Kansas City.
The eligibility list also includes previous All-Star winners (champion Kyle Larson won last year) not otherwise eligible. Oh, and throw in the winners of that evening’s three NASCAR Open heat races for drivers not otherwise eligible. Plus, of course, the winner of the Fan Vote.
The Race
The race itself will be in four stages: three 25-lap stages, then the $1 million-to-win, 50-lap fourth stage that crowns the overall winner. The winner of stage 1 gets the pole for the 50-lap finale as long as he finishes 15th or better in the second and third stages. (That’s to prevent the winner from sandbagging after he’s won the stage).
The stage 2 winner will start second in the final stage as long as he finishes 15th or better in Stage 3 and the winner of the third stage will start third in the final 50-lap stage.
A special stage break/pit stop competition will be held between the third and fourth stages. Teams will come down pit road for a four-tire stop, with the quickest team starting fourth for the final stage as long as he finishes 15th or better in Stage 3.
If a “natural” caution occurs between laps 15-25 of the final stage, standard race procedures will be in effect. If no “natural” caution occurs during that time, NASCAR will call an “All Star” competition caution so crews and pit strategies can come into play.
Who’s Eligible
Eligibility for the race includes 1) any Cup Series driver who won a race last season or through this year’s upcoming races at Dover, Darlington, and Kansas City, 2) previous All-Star winners who are full-time in the Cup Series this year, and 3) previous Cup Series champions who are competing full-time this season.
Those 20 drivers include AJ Allmendinger, Aric Almirola, Christopher Bell, Ryan Blaney, Alex Bowman, Chase Briscoe, Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, William Byron, Ross Chastain, Auston Cindric, Chase Elliott, Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, Brad Keselowski, Kyle Larson, Joey Logano, Michael McDowell, Martin Truex Jr., and Bubba Wallace.
Kyle Larson was last year’s NASCAR All-Star Race.
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Four drivers not otherwise eligible will come from the three-stage NASCAR Open and the Fan Vote. The “consolation” race will immediately precede the main event and consist of 20-, 20- and 10-lap stages. The three stage winners will start from the rear of the All-Star grid, along with the winner of the Fan Vote.
Among some of the drivers expected for the Open: Daniel Suarez, Tyler Reddick, Daniel Hemric, Ty Dillon, Austin Dillon, Harrison Burton, Corey LaJoie, Chris Buescher, Ricky Stenhouse, Justin Haley, Todd Gilliland, and Erik Jones. The driver picked second in the Fan Vote will advance into the All-Star race if the Fan Vote winner qualifies in the NASCAR Open.
The History
“The annual All-Star Race highlights our best athletes—from the driver to road crew to the pit crews—and this year’s edition brings that to another level,” Scott Miller, NASCAR Sr. Vice President for Competition said. “Fans will have a full weekend of exciting competition starting with a unique qualifying format and an All-Star Race that features the top talent in our sport.”
Darrell Waltrip won the first NASCAR All-Star Race in 1985.
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NASCAR waited until its 36th season—in May of 1985—to host its first all-star race. It was at the Charlotte Motor Speedway, where Darrell Waltrip nipped Harry Gant at the checkered just seconds before the engine in his No. 11 Junior Johnson-prepared Chevrolet exploded. Of course, conspiracy theorists – an illegal engine too damaged for a post-race teardown – have had a ball with that one.
After something of a flop at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Mother’s Day weekend of 1986 (Bill Elliott just crushed the 10-car field), the race returned to Charlotte for the 1987-2019 editions. It went to Bristol Motor Speedway for 2020 and is back at Texas this year for the second consecutive year.
Keyword: NASCAR All-Star Race: Everything, and We Mean EVERYTHING, You Need to Know