The 2026 edition of the NASCAR All-Star Race featured big wrecks, fireballs, field inverts, and a calculator nearby.
The 350-lapper was the first time the event has gone to Dover, with the Monster Mile not hosting a points race for the first time since 1968. And while the format was completely different than your standard race, the same driver who won at Dover last year returned to Victory Lane again.
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Here’s a look at the biggest winners and losers from the Dover All-Star Race:
WINNER: Denny Hamlin for securing the $1 million prize
Watch: Hamlin celebrates All-Star win: ‘We strive to be No. 1’
While he’s not thrilled that it won’t count towards his official win tally, Hamlin is riding a big wave of momentum after a dominant showing at Dover. He started from pole, led the most laps, and earned a $1 million payday as NASCAR turns the page to the second half of the regular season. Hamlin last won the All-Star Race in 2015, and only Kevin Harvick has that many years between their first and last (or most recent) All-Star win. It just speaks to the longevity of Hamlin, and despite his age, driver No. 11 isn’t slowing down.
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LOSER: Chase Briscoe, because second isn’t worth much in an All-Star Race
Watch: Briscoe battles stomach bug for P2 All-Star finish
Briscoe is right on the edge of the cut-line, so he is in need of a great points day. The frustrating thing about Dover is that there were no actual points, so losing the lead late and finishing second only means you just lost one million dollars. He had Hamlin beat on the final restart, but he just couldn’t hold the top spot. Briscoe himself said he “can’t wake up tomorrow saying, ‘I feel like a million bucks.’ One spot short today, P2.”
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WINNER: Connor Zilisch for best oval drive of the year, even with late-race penalty
What a day for the Trackhouse rookie. He still doesn’t have an official top ten in his Cup career, but Sunday was a huge step for him gaining confidence in these cars on the ovals. Zilisch wasn’t even locked into the final segment, but he found his way to the front, reaching as high as second. Unfortunately, a penalty on pit road sent him to the rear of the field, but he didn’t just throw in the towel. Zilisch cut through the back, finishing fifth in his first All-Star Race appearance. With a a few more laps, he was on target to reach third, even after the end-of-line penalty.
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LOSER: Ryan Preece for going up in flames two laps into the race
Ryan Preece after fire damage, RFK Racing Ford
Ryan Preece after fire damage, RFK Racing Ford
The worst thing you can do in an All-Star Race is completely destroy your car at the very start, and unfortunately, that’s what happened with Preece. He started the race near the back, and was battling three-wide with Todd Gilliland and Kyle Larson when they all got tangled together. It appeared as if Preece may have come down the track slightly, and the result was a massive pileup on the second lap of the race. Preece backed into the Turn 1 wall at a high rate of speed, and the car — which was full of fuel — ignited. He scrambled out as the rear of the No. 60 Ford burned. Preece later apologized for the incident.
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WINNER: Dover as changes made for best Next Gen race yet at the track
AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Increased horsepower and traction compound across the entire track was a huge plus for Dover. Sunday’s race showed us that there can be an interesting race with Next Gen cars at the Monster Mile, and drivers were all over the track making moves. As the tires wore, the movement throughout the field was only amplified, and it was a promising step in the right direction.
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LOSER: NASCAR for an All-Star Race format that just wasn’t ‘it’
Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing
Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing
Dover would have been a solid race if it weren’t for one glaring issue — the fact that this 350-lap marathon featuring a full field at the start was supposed to be an All-Star Race. It didn’t feel like one, and the drivers said as much. The exciting Open race that precedes the main event was gone, and everyone was grouped together. A calculator was needed to even know who would advance into the third segment, and no one was sure who those drivers even were. It was made more confusing by locked-in drivers with damage returning to the race, further limiting how many open drivers could advance. The one positive was the field invert, which certainly mixed things up in a fun way, overall, it just wasn’t a good format and seemed to be the wrong direction for an event that was already having an identity crisis.
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WINNER: Erik Jones for giving Legacy Motor Club a great run
How about the No. 43 team? Jones started inside the top five, and finished third in Sunday’s All-Star Race. It was by far his best showing in the event, and he was the highest-finishing open driver. His previous best finish in the All-Star Race was eighth, and he was at the tail of a Toyota 1-2-3 finish on Sunday. That definitely has to give Legacy Motor Club some confidence, as Jones doesn’t have a finish higher than 10th in a points-paying race yet this year. Jones noted after the race how good it felt to be back racing with the top drivers in the field again.
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LOSER: The All-Stars that didn’t even make it to the main event
Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports
Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports
Another awkward part of having a full field of cars is that those early wrecks eliminated several true All-Stars. Former series champions Ryan Blaney and Kyle Larson were destroyed in the Lap 2 melee and while they did return for the final segment, they were too slow to be a factor. Two All-Stars wrecked and didn’t even get back out on track for the final segment — reigning Coca-Cola 600 winner Ross Chastain and 2020 NASCAR Cup champion Chase Elliott. It’s a strange scenario when you have drivers locked into the All-Star Race, but they don’t actually take part in the part of the race meant to be for All-Stars.
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