Along with points-paying races for the NASCAR O'Reilly and Craftsman Truck Series, the Cup cars will be on the track at Dover this weekend for the 2026 edition of the All-Star Racing.

NASCAR is bringing its annual All-Star Race to the 'Monster Mile' for the very first time, and revamping the format as well. 

Christopher Bell won last year's All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro, while Denny Hamlin is the defending winner at Dover. 2026 will mark the first time since 1968 that Dover does not hold a points-paying Cup race on the schedule.

In this story, you can find all the information you need to watch this weekend's action at Watkins Glen, from the weekend schedule to where to watch, and even the full entry list.

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12:30pm EST -- NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series practice -- FOX ONE Streaming

1:40pm EST -- NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series qualifying -- FOX ONE Streaming

3:00pm EST -- NASCAR Cup pit road qualifying practice -- FOX Sports 1

5:00pm EST -- NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race (200 laps) -- FOX SPORTS 1

Saturday, May 16

9:30am EST -- NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series practice -- CW APP

10:35am EST -- NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series qualifying -- CW APP

12:00pm EST -- NASCAR Cup Series qualifying/pit crew challenge -- FOX SPORTS 1

4:00pm EST -- NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series race (200 laps) -- THE CW

Sunday, May 17

12:00pm EST -- NASCAR RaceDay pre-race show -- FOX SPORTS 1

1:00 pm EST -- NASCAR Cup Dover All-Star Race (350 laps) -- FOX SPORTS 1 

Read Also: NASCAR: Everything you need to know before watching a race

Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

How can I watch the NASCAR Cup Series at Dover?

Date: Sunday, May 17 TV start time: 12:00pm EST Green flag: 1:05 pm EST  Laps: 350 laps  Stages: 75-75-200 TV channel: FS1 | TSN (Canada) | Other international viewing optionsLive stream: In-car cameras on HBO MAX Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Who is competing in the 2026 NASCAR All-Star Race?

There are 36 chartered entries, and with no Open race this year, all of them will start the main event. 19 drivers, whose names are in bold, are locked into the final segment, while the remaining drivers will aim to have one of the six best average finishes between Segment 1 & 2 in order to continue racing. A 26th spot will be awarded to the Fan Vote winner, while the other ten cars will be removed from the race.

Additionally, some notable drivers are taking part in the other races during the weekend. Ross Chastain is running triple duty between all three divisions, while Kyle Busch and Carson Hocevar are also running the Truck race. Clint Bowyer is also making a surprise return with Ram, driving the No. 25 Kaulig Racing truck.

_{(Drivers already locked into Segment 3 in bold)}

No.	Driver	Team	Manufacturer
1	Ross Chastain	Trackhouse Racing	Chevrolet
2	Austin Cindric	Team Penske	Ford
3	Austin Dillon	Richard Childress Racing	Chevrolet
4	Noah Gragson	Front Row Motorsports	Ford
5	Kyle Larson	Hendrick Motorsports	Chevrolet
6	Brad Keselowski	RFK Racing	Ford
7	Daniel Suarez	Spire Motorsports	Chevrolet
8	Kyle Busch	Richard Childress Racing	Chevrolet
9	Chase Elliott	Hendrick Motorsports	Chevrolet
10	Ty Dillon	Kaulig Racing	Chevrolet
11	Denny Hamlin	Joe Gibbs Racing	Toyota
12	Ryan Blaney	Team Penske	Ford
16	AJ Allmendinger	Kaulig Racing	Chevrolet
17	Chris Buescher	RFK Racing	Ford
19	Chase Briscoe	Joe Gibbs Racing	Toyota
20	Christopher Bell	Joe Gibbs Racing	Toyota
21	Josh Berry	Wood Brothers Racing	Ford
22	Joey Logano	Team Penske	Ford
23	Bubba Wallace	23XI Racing	Toyota
24	William Byron	Hendrick Motorsports	Chevrolet
34	Todd Gilliland	Front Row Motorsports	Ford
35	Riley Herbst	23XI Racing	Toyota
38	Zane Smith	Front Row Motorsports	Ford
41	Cole Custer	Haas Factory Team	Chevrolet
42	John Hunter Nemechek	Legacy Motor Club	Toyota
43	Erik Jones	Legacy Motor Club	Toyota
45	Tyler Reddick	23XI Racing	Toyota
47	Ricky Stenhouse Jr.	Hyak Motorsports	Chevrolet
48	Alex Bowman	Hendrick Motorsports	Chevrolet
51	Cody Ware	Rick Ware Racing	Chevrolet
54	Ty Gibbs	Joe Gibbs Racing	Toyota
60	Ryan Preece	RFK Racing	Ford
71	Michael McDowell	Spire Motorsports	Chevrolet
77	Carson Hocevar	Spire Motorsports	Chevrolet
88	Connor Zilisch	Trackhouse Racing	Chevrolet
97	Shane van Gisbergen	Trackhouse Racing	Chevrolet

 

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The NASCAR All-Star Race changes formats ... often. The Sanctioning Body are not shy about using the race as an experiment, but this year marks quite a dramatic change.

First, the All-Star Race heads to Dover, Delaware for the very first time. The 'Monster Mile' will not host a points-paying race for the first time since 1968, but it will play host to the All-Star Race this weekend. NASCAR also plans to add resin all around the one-mile concrete oval to give the track more grip.

But, what is the actual format for the race? Here's a breakdown of how it's all going to work:

Qualifying and Pit Stop Competition

NASCAR will continue to use the three-lap qualifying format that includes a pit stop, as they have in recent All-Star Races. Drivers will run one flying lap, and continue into a second lap, where they will be required to make a four-tire pit stop (no fuel). They will then race back around to the start/finish line.

The fastest pit stop with no penalties will be awarded as the winners of the Pit Crew Challenge, while the starting lineup will be determined by the lowest total time for the entire qualifying run to the longest.

Segment 1 and Segment 2 of the main event

All 36 chartered cars entered into the event will start the All-Star Race, which is a big change from past years. The first segment will be 75 laps with no competition cautions.

At the conclusion of Segment 1, the top 26 will be inverted with the Segment 1 winner now 26th and the 26th-place runner now leading the race. They will run another 75 laps with no competition cautions.

Eliminating ten drivers before final segment

At the end of Segment 2, NASCAR will be eliminating ten drivers from the race. So, who gets to continue?

Well, 19 drivers already know that they are safe, as all 2025/2026 race winners and past series champions who are competing full-time are already locked in. For this year, that means 19 drivers are already safe.

Of the remaining positions available, six will be handed to the the drivers not yet locked in who scored the best average finish between the two segments. One will go to the Fan Vote winner. The other ten drivers who didn't make the cut will be sent to the garage, and their race will be over.

The final segment

The final segment will then begin, with 200 laps of racing ahead. A competition caution will be waved 75 laps into the third segment, but it will otherwise operate as a 'normal' race for the rest of Segment 3.

The drivers already locked into Segment 3

Here's a complete list of the drivers who are locked into the final segment of the race, and why they are eligible:

Ross Chastain (2025 race winner)

Austin Cindric (2025 race winner)

Austin Dillon (2025 race winner)

Kyle Larson (Former champion & 2025 race winner)

Brad Keselowski (Former champion)

Kyle Busch (Former champion)

Chase Elliott (Former champion & 2025/2026 race winner)

Denny Hamlin (2025/2026 race winner)

Ryan Blaney (Former champion & 2025/2026 race winner)

Chase Briscoe (2025 race winner)

Christopher Bell (2025 race winner)

Josh Berry (2025 race winner)

Joey Logano (Former champion & 2025 race winner)

Bubba Wallace (2025 race winner)

William Byron (2025 race winner)

Tyler Reddick (2026 race winner)

Ty Gibbs (2026 race winner)

Carson Hocevar (2026 race winner)

Shane van Gisbergen (2025/2026 race winner)

The drivers who must race their way in or win the Fan Vote: Daniel Suarez, Ty Dillon, AJ Allmendinger, Chris Buescher, Todd Gilliland, Riley Herbst, Zane Smith, Cole Custer, John Hunter Nemechek, Erik Jones, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Alex Bowman, Cody Ware, Ryan Preece, Michael McDowell, Connor Zilisch 

 

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