The NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race, an event traditionally held the week before the Coca-Cola 600, has always been designed as a no-holds-barred, high-stakes spectacle, originally called “The Winston” in 1985 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. However, the recent change in location of the All-Star Race is a clear sign of NASCAR’s strategy to break with tradition and seek new energy.

For 34 of its first 35 years, the race resided at Charlotte Motor Speedway. This tradition was broken in 2020 when the race moved to Bristol Motor Speedway, then to Texas Motor Speedway for 2 years, and then to the resurrected, historic North Wilkesboro Speedway for 2023 through 2025, marking NASCAR’s 75th anniversary. Now, the official announcement that Dover Motor Speedway will host the 2026 All-Star Race signals NASCAR’s intent to keep the event dynamic and unpredictable.

The constant state of flux within the sport is precisely what the insiders are dissecting, as NASCAR attempts to undo controversial decisions from its past.

As Jordan Bianchi noted, “They talk about the All-Star Race next year against Dover, and what that could look like, and I think everybody’s agreed that you have to do something really special for that race. And the expectation is that you’re probably going to see a one-way-to-one kind of thing, to really kind of allow that. And OD said that on the show, like, ‘hey, we give the team more of a runway, get ready for this, we feel like we can do that, so we’ll see.'”

He also noted that Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR’s president, acknowledged the necessity of providing teams with ample preparation time to execute the vision.

Denny Hamlin addressed the controversy over NASCAR’s proposed ‘Run What Ya Brung’ All-Star format, explaining that while the idea is exciting in theory, it’s financially impractical for teams.

On the Actions Detrimental podcast, the 23XI Racing co-owner said, “I couldn’t imagine what this would cost us. More than likely, 2 million dollars? It just doesn’t make sense, guys. Trust me, as a fan and a driver, I wish we could do it. But under the parameters that were set, it just wasn’t thought out enough. It’s not feasible. No team is going to sign up to voluntarily lose millions of dollars.” 

He further explained the limitations of satellite teams like 23XI, saying, “I don’t have the CNC machines and all this stuff that the Gibbs, Hendrick, and Penske teams have…we’d have to go to ‘Big Brother.'”

This suggestion of an “unrestricted” or unique package is a direct response to a legacy of decisions that, as Jeff Gluck stated, “Especially with the tires getting better, and Goodyear has unquestionably made gains with the tires they can fall for. When you combine the tire gains they’ve made with some percentage, who knows what percentage is better, 10% better, 5% better? So to have 750, you know, they’re at 670 right now. So it’s not going from 670 to 900. But O’Donnell on the podcast said, I think he said it would be like $40 or $50 million for the industry.”  

This collective move toward more power and a willingness to stage spectacle-driven events at new, challenging tracks signals a strong pivot by NASCAR’s leadership to re-engage with its core audience. But what are fans saying about it?

Fans speculate on NASCAR’s big changes

One fan playfully remarked, “Haas Factory Team just rolls in with an F1 car.” This sentiment echoed the excitement from a 2022 event where Haas F1 drivers Kevin Magnussen and Mick Schumacher took NASCAR hot laps with Stewart-Haas Racing drivers at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

While another jokingly added, “Finally a way for Cole Custer to win again.” Custer, returning to the Cup Series with the No. 41 Ford Mustang Dark Horse after a successful stint in the Xfinity Series, has been facing a tough season ahead.

Another wrote, “Can’t wait to see 2000 hp Garage 56 with Dodge Daytona wings hybrid looking a– cars drifting through the turns going 230 mph into them. Yeah I think that’s a little too much to ask for lol.” 

For instance, the Garage 56 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 that races at the 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans, was a heavily modified NASCAR Next Gen car featuring a naturally aspirant 5.8-liter V8 engine producing around 650-700 horsepower.

Furthermore, the iconic Plymouth Superbird and Dodge Charger Daytona of 1969-1970 allowed Buddy Baker to break the 200 mph barrier in 1970, which fans think will happen at the All-Star Race too, as one fan stated, “Richard Petty & LMC Pulling up with the Plymouth Superbird Winged Cars.” 

But the modern Cup Series cars, including the Garage 56 version, use a much smaller, integrated rear spoiler and underwing designed under strict rules. So, while they can exceed 200 mph on superspeedways, a top lap speed at a 1-mile oval is closer to 167 mph for a Cup car.

While one fan further joked, “Watch Justin Marks Pull Up with his Trackhouse Moto GP bikes.” This is a literal realization of Marks’ desire for a globally relevant American vibe motorsport brand, culminating in the bold move to acquire a spot on the MotoGP World Championship grid in 2024 as the first fully American-owned team in over a decade, fielding Aprilia motorcycles for riders like Miguel Oliveira and Raúl Fernándes.

The satirical fan comment saying, “Brad Keselowski gonna show up with a literal Submarine (reference to his build your submarine sponsor)” is a playful extension of the unusual, high-profile sponsorship RFK Racing secured with an initiative by the U.S. Navy’s Submarine Industrial Base program via the non-profit BlueForge Alliance.

Ultimately, while fans dream big, NASCAR’s balance of innovation, safety, and feasibility will determine just how wild the All-Star Race can get.