Last year, a month after Denny Hamlin won on a racetrack, NASCAR changed its fate. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver, a 56-minute red flag rain delay, led for 67 of 407 laps, and held off his teammate in a double overtime finish to win the July 2025 race at Dover International Speedway. So when the higher-ups decided to move Dover away from the points race calendar, Hamlin vehemently protested.

Now, as Dover prepares for its All-Star Race debut with a jaw-dropping change, Hamlin is sticking to his opinion.

Denny Hamlin shoots down new format

“Why in the hell are 36 cars going to start the All-Star Race?” Denny Hamlin asked in an ‘Actions Detrimental’ episode. “Listen, Dover is not going to be compelling if it’s a short run. So they had to put in long runs to make it like that’s the only way the track races kind of good. So they were just in a box by the venue. And so I don’t think that there was any format that they really could formulate to make it this all-star type thing.”

Last week, NASCAR and Speedway Motorsports announced details for the 2026 NASCAR All-Star Race, set for May 17. ‘The Monster Mile’ will host the event for the first time in All-Star’s 42-year-old history. But the mindboggling thing for Denny Hamlin, who owns three Dover race wins, besides the changed venue, is the revamped format of the event.

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It will feature a three-segment, 350-lap event that places every driver on track to start the race. The format will also reward race winners, past champions, and performance across the first two segments. There will be no All-Star Open, creating a streamlined, high-intensity showcase of NASCAR’s top competitors. This lack of a test in order to enter the exhibition race annoyed Denny Hamlin.

“This was just the first swing and miss, no doubt about it, that NASCAR’s had this season,” the 60-time Cup race winner said. “You lost the prestige of win and you’re in the All-Star race. That was always special. I don’t know whether there was any first-time all-star participants scheduled for this year. I don’t know, it’s just that moment you take away that moment from that team and stuff like that. I’m sure some effort went into thinking about it, but whoever did it, it was the wrong mindset.”

The eligibility for the All-Star Race will have different criteria. Winners of points-paying races in 2025 or 2026, previous All-Star Race winners still racing full-time, and previous NASCAR Cup Series champions still racing full-time are already locked in. Additionally, the pit crew contest winner will be determined by the fastest pit stop. The timing line will be established as one box behind and one box ahead of the NASCAR-designated pit stop box.

With a total overhaul of the All-Star Race format, Denny Hamlin is clearly not on the same page as NASCAR. He expressed his concerns over last weekend’s mishap in COTA as well.

Addressing a crucial issue

The Circuit of the Americas event was thrilling, with Tyler Reddick outsmarting Shane van Gisbergen. But behind the road course battle, several drivers were battling the intense heat of Austin, Texas. Multiple cooling suit failures were reported. Alex Bowman had to retire with over 20 laps to go, unable to continue. AJ Allmendinger had to lie down on the road after the race while medical officials tended to him.

“I think the car heat soaks. That’s what I think is causing these things to go bad, is that they’re going out when temperatures are up,” Denny Hamlin explained.

“It’s like having a fan on an ice cube. You’re driving, it’s blowing, and that gives you cool air. Well, once you go caution, your car stops going fast, you shut the fan off. Then you don’t have that cube pushing air onto you anymore. In the hot sense, right, the car just gets really, really hot during cautions. And I think that’s when these cool units are failing. They’re getting overheated and tripping, and that’s when they’re out for the count.”

Such a concerning problem may need NASCAR’s attention. And Denny Hamlin feels the same about All-Star’s revamped format – let’s see if the sport pays heed.