Every year, the NASCAR All-Star Race brings together the sport’s top talent for a shot at a million-dollar payday. But not every driver is guaranteed a place in the main event. Most of the field is filled by race winners and past champions. But a few coveted spots are left open for those who can race their way in through the All-Star Open or win the ever-popular fan vote.

This high-stakes battle for the final three spots always delivers drama, heartbreak, and surprise heroes. In 2025, the fight for those last spots was as fierce as ever. However, it was two of NASCAR’s most notorious “bad boys” who grabbed the headlines and the golden tickets. Meanwhile, Bubba Wallace was left on the outside looking in.

Noah Gragson and Carson Hocevar steal the spotlight at All-Star Race

Noah Gragson, driving the No. 4 Ford Mustang Dark Horse for Front Row Motorsports, didn’t win the Open on track. But the driver clinched his spot by winning the fan vote. However, Noah Gragson has been in hot water in the past. He started his full-time Cup career at Legacy Motor Club in 2023 and ended up getting suspended in his rookie year for liking an insensitive social media post!

His road to redemption was paved by Stewart-Haas Racing, as the team took him in during the 2024 season before shutting down itself. Despite all this, Gragson has won the All-Star fan vote for the last three years, proving that sometimes, no publicity is bad publicity. “It means a lot. Really grateful to have all the support from the fans, and feel like we’ve got a pretty good race car,” Gragson said.

Apart from Gragson, the likes of Shane van Gisbergen, Carson Hocevar, Ryan Preece, and Bubba Wallace were on the short list for the fans to vote for their favorite driver. Clearly, Gragson has no competition in terms of popularity among the fans, not even SVG or Wallace could topple him from his throne this year. Meanwhile, the other ‘bad boy’ earned that title for his antics on the track.

Carson Hocevar developed a reputation as NASCAR’s next villain after his antics at Atlanta Motor Speedway this season. The sophomore driver, coming off his Rookie of the Year-winning season, ruffled the feathers of Kyle Busch, Ryan Blaney, and his mentor Ross Chastain as he notched a P2 finish in the 2nd race of the season. Blaney and Chastain confronted him after the race, while Busch threatened to “wreck his a–“ on the radio. What did Hocevar have to say after all this? “We’re here to win races, not to be in a boy band.” These words sent a loud and clear message that this sophomore is not to be messed with, and he proved it yet again in the All-Star open.

Carson Hocevar won the All-Star open, adding to Spire Motorsports’ sublime weekend. The Jeff Dickerson-owned team won the pit crew challenge on Saturday with their #71 team as Michael McDowell’s pit crew delivered a 12.587-second pit stop. Hocevar put on a show in the open as he battled with Ryan Preece and John-Hunter Nemechek for the win. The #77 deployed a smart pit road strategy and led 46 laps in the race, and will now have a shot at $1 million in the main event, starting the All-Star Race in 21st place. “It’s super big for this team. It’s great to win, especially being challenged by tires there,” Hocevar said.

Meanwhile, John Hunter Nemechek made a splendid comeback in the last 7 laps of the race and jumped from seventh to second to secure the final spot for the All-Star race. With just 14 laps to go, Nemechek ran side-by-side with Bubba Wallace and eventually overtook him for 2nd. Wallace then fought with Erik Jones, sliding him into the wall to no avail. With 9 laps to go, Jones overtook Wallace as the latter’s hopes of an All-Star appearance faded away.

A mere 0.697 seconds was the difference between Hocevar and Nemechek crossing the finish line. Meanwhile, It was a tough day for pole sitter SVG, who, despite leading 54 laps, couldn’t find himself in contention; the Kiwi driver finished the race 13th. The big upset was Bubba Wallace finishing the All-Star Open in eighth place, not enough to get him through.

Bubba Wallace gave it everything he had but came up short. Despite his efforts and loyal fan base, the 23XI Racing driver missed out on both the transfer position and the fan vote. It was a tough break for Wallace, who’s made a name for himself in high-pressure situations. All that being said, with Gragson and Hocevar joining the All-Star Race, the main event promises fireworks.

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All-Star Race lineup: Here’s how the field is set

The 2025 NASCAR All-Star Race lineup at North Wilkesboro is set, and it’s a mix of champions, fan favorites, and headline-makers. Brad Keselowski will start on pole after winning his heat race and backing up his strong qualifying run. Christopher Bell lines up alongside him on the front row, having taken the other heat race win. Ross Chastain and Joey Logano, both aggressive racers in their own right, make up row two after finishing second in their respective heats.

William Byron and Chase Elliott, two of Hendrick Motorsports’ brightest stars, start fifth and sixth. Ryan Blaney and Kyle Busch round out the top eight. Lastly, Alex Bowman and Chris Buescher complete the top ten. The rest of the field features a strong mix of veterans and young guns, including Josh Berry, Daniel Suarez, Tyler Reddick, Chase Briscoe, Austin Dillon, and Austin Cindric.

Kyle Larson, who missed his heat race due to Indy 500 qualifying, will roll off 19th. Denny Hamlin, always a threat in big-money events, starts 20th. The final three spots go to the drivers who raced or voted their way in. Carson Hocevar and John Hunter Nemechek made the transfer through the All-Star open, and Noah Gragson sealed the final spot through fan votes.

With a $1 million winner-take-all prize on the line, the stage is set for fireworks. The field is stacked with talent and personalities. Who will seize the spotlight and take home one of NASCAR’s most coveted trophies? The green flag will tell the story. It drops as we speak!