Since its inception in 1985 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the All-Star Race has been a battleground of sorts for NASCAR’s elite, a chance for past champions and recent winners to showcase their skills without the pressure of a points race. Think 1987, when Dale Earnhardt made the pass in the grass. The moment we remember is the 1992 finish. Davey Allison, making his way from the back of the pack, just got the lead as the white flag waved. But Kyle Petty wasn’t going to let up so easily, and as they battled across the chequered flag, Allison’s win was forgotten as his car was sent into the wall.

Such is the enticement of the All-Star race. The focus shifts from points to pure, unadulterated spectacle.  Unlike your typical Cup Series race, where strategy and consistency rule, the All-Star Race is all about shaking things up, with a format that’s as unpredictable as a last-lap pass. And that’s part of the long-standing tradition. 

This year, it’s got a new twist: a “promoter’s caution” that lets Speedway Motorsports CEO Marcus Smith throw a yellow flag anytime between Laps 100 and 220, plus a “Manufacturer Showdown” pitting Chevrolet, Ford, and Toyota against each other. It’s a recipe for chaos, a night where entertainment trumps tradition, and drivers are left guessing what’s coming next.

With such surprises and $1 million in prize money, you’d think the grid would be excited, right? But drivers aren’t fans of the format. Kyle Busch made his side clear. “What are we doing? If we’re Bailey and Barnum (the circus), then let’s just freaking call it Bailey and Barnum. I mean, they went out of business.” Meanwhile, Denny Hamlin was focused on the prize money aspect. “Certainly, the purse could get updated with the times. If you don’t win, it really financially is not a great deal for us to come here. So, it’s a bit challenging as far as that’s concerned. I think there’s any sport that can get the most out of its teams and players in an all-star format.”

Amidst all this, Chase Elliott, NASCAR’s most popular driver and a man known for his candor, didn’t mince words when asked about the All-Star Race’s identity. In a recent interview with Front Stretch, he laid it out plain and simple, “I am not really sure. That’s probably above me. I think the event was originally designed for the bold print, which was the million-dollar thing, right? That’s what I remember about it when it first came along was like you know a million bucks when that came. It was like just the craziest thing ever at that time because that wasn’t a thing back then and I think the event was made and designed to just be a fun kind of environment for the drivers and get the crew members involved and what not.” 

When you think of it, a prize money of $1 million back in the 2000s and subsequent years was a very big deal. Even before that, the amount was massive, like the $200,000 from the ’80s. When drivers and teams were struggling to put together the finances to enter into a race, such a prize money would shake things up. It encouraged hardcore racing. When Awesome Bill from Dawsonville challenged Dale Earnhardt Sr. into last-ditch efforts that sent him on the grass, but still in control of the car.

When he talks about the million-dollar prize, he’s harking back to 1985, when Darrell Waltrip won the first All-Star Race and pocketed a cool $200,000, a sum that felt like winning the lottery in an era when NASCAR purses were a fraction of today’s figures. But as the race has evolved, with formats like the promoter’s caution and manufacturer showdowns, it’s lost some of that original simplicity. But it’s not just about the prize. It’s all about making it special.

“I think they’ve kept that, throughout the year, over the years, and I still think it has that same kind of vibe to it as it did back then but we’ll see what they do moving forward. Long story short, it’s just kind of above me and I really don’t know what the right or wrong answer is there,” he added. It’s a sentiment drivers echo across the grid. Winning the All-Star race is a massive honor. 

As Bubba Wallace said, “You’re putting on a show for the fans. Even if it’s $1 million, for those guys, $1 million to NFL players is nothing. But for us, it’s another race. It doesn’t matter if we’re at Martinsville, North Wilkesboro, Daytona, where the speeds can vary. We still give it our all. We always have that ‘give it your all’ factor. It’s the same thing we do every weekend. You just so happen to take points away, it’s not like we lay over. We’re still racing. We want to win $1 million. You win the All-Star Race, you’re locked in for the next 10 years.”

It’s good to see drivers have the dedication to the event as much as the fans do. For now, let’s take a look at what Elliott has been up to.

From the Track to the Sea, Elliott’s Connection with Heroes

Chase Elliott might be throwing his hands up at the All-Star Race, but when it comes to Mission 600, he’s all in, heart and soul. On May 14, 2025, he swapped his racing gear for a life jacket and headed to the U.S. Coast Guard Station Wrightsville Beach, part of a program that’s become a Memorial Day weekend tradition.

It wasn’t just a visit—it was a day of real connection, of boat rides, handshakes, and stories that stuck with him. “I think in anything that you do, really, the people, is what makes it special,” Elliott said after the visit.“This unit here was it was no different. The crew was just extremely professional. Any time you have an opportunity to hang around individuals like that and see what they do on a daily basis, it makes my job a lot of fun. I hope they enjoyed it as much as I did.” His day included learning about rescue operations and even trying his hand at navigating a boat, a hands-on experience that left him humbled.

The visit is part of Mission 600, now in its eighth year, a program that brings NASCAR drivers into direct contact with military and first responders, a reminder that the sport’s reach extends far beyond the track. For Elliott, it’s a chance to step off the pedal and appreciate the real heroes, the ones who don’t get the spotlight but deserve it just as much. His day at Wrightsville Beach wasn’t just about learning—it was about feeling and understanding the weight of their service. A stark contrast to his All-Star Race frustrations, where the purpose feels murky, but here, with the Coast Guard, it seemed crystal clear