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Why Denny Hamlin wants NASCAR All-Star Race at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway

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The NACAR All-Star Race received plenty of criticism from drivers and fans, but surely race winner Denny Hamlin was happy with the event at Dover Motor Speedway, right? Wrong.

Even after cashing a $1 million check by dominating the final segment of the non-points race, Hamlin had several ideas about how to improve the NASCAR All-Star Race.

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Hamlin’s review included a recommendation to locate a new venue for the race and suggested Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway.

Speedway Motorsports is negotiating a deal with Nashville leaders to renovate the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway and bring NASCAR’s top tier back to the 0.596-mile oval for the first time since 1984.

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Denny Hamlin, NASCAR driver for Joe Gibbs Racing in top 10 for all-time wins

DOVER, DELAWARE – MAY 17: Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 Progressive Insurance Toyota, poses with the one million dollar check in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race at Dover Motor Speedway on May 17, 2026 in Dover, Delaware. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)

“If I’m Steve O’Donnell, CEO of NASCAR right now, I’m contacting SMI (Speedway Motorsports) and saying, all right, let’s do whatever we’ve got to do to run this in Nashville Fairgrounds on Saturday night next year,” Hamlin said on his weekly podcast, Actions Detrimental. “It needs to be at night. I think it needs to be on a Saturday night, and it needs to be on a shorter track.”

Other NASCAR Cup drivers over the last few years have also said they would like to see NASCAR return to the Nashville short track. That includes Dale Earnhardt Jr., who ran a CARS Tour race at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway in April.

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Denny Hamlin was not in favor of taking points race from Dover

Hamlin, winner of 61 career Cup races, was only revving up with his suggestion to move the NASCAR All-Star Race to Nashville.

He was not happy with the exhibition race being moved to Dover Motor Speedway, which meant removing a points race on the NASCAR schedule from that venue for the first time in its 58-year history.

“It stinks, right?” Hamlin told reporters after the race on May 17. “I definitely prefer Dover as a points race. There’s no other track like this on our schedule. It’s so unique, and it requires such a unique style of driving − far different than any oval that we go to. You can’t lose tracks like this in our points schedule. I’m a fan of this place.”

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Why Denny Hamlin wants NASCAR All-Star Race at night

Most NASCAR All-Star Races since its inception in 1985 have been at night.

NASCAR ALL-STAR RACE LOST ITS IDENTITY: NASCAR All-Star Race has no identity after aimless Dover weekend

The 2026 race started at noon CT because Dover Motor Speedway does not have lights.

Hamlin didn’t care for the time or the day of the week of the race either.

“It needs to be at night,” Hamlin said. “I think it needs to be on a Saturday night, and it needs to be on a shorter track.”

The All-Star Race left Charlotte Motor Speedway in 2019 and moved to Bristol in 2020. Then it went to Texas Motor Speedway (2021-22) and then North Wilkesboro Speedway (2023-25).

Reach Mike Organ at 615-259-8021 or on X @MikeOrganWriter.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Denny Hamlin suggests moving NASCAR All-Star Race to Nashville



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