The NASCAR All-Star Race is finally here, and for the first time in years, the sport’s annual million-dollar exhibition heads to the legendary Dover Motor Speedway. Between the new format, the fan vote drama, the pit crew challenge, and a stacked field featuring the biggest stars in the sport, this weekend’s NASCAR schedule is packed from Friday through Sunday. Here’s everything fans need to know about the NASCAR All-Star Race weekend, including the full NASCAR schedule, prize money, eligibility rules, TV coverage, odds, and weather outlook.

Full NASCAR schedule for Dover All-Star weekend

Friday schedule

The NASCAR schedule officially kicks off Friday with practice and qualifying sessions for the Truck Series before Cup Series practice begins later in the afternoon.

• 12:30 p.m. ET — Truck Series practice and qualifying
• 3:00 p.m. ET — Cup Series practice (FS2)
• 5:00 p.m. ET — Truck Series race (FS1)
  • Stage format: 45-45-110

Weather conditions are expected to remain favorable throughout the day, with temperatures sitting in the 70s and only a 10% chance of rain.

Saturday’s All-Star qualifying and pit crew challenge

Saturday’s NASCAR schedule shifts focus toward the All-Star Race qualifying session and the always entertaining Pit Crew Challenge.

• 9:30 a.m. ET — O’Reilly Auto Parts Series practice and qualifying (CW App)
• 12:00 p.m. ET — All-Star qualifying and Pit Crew Challenge (FS1)
• 4:00 p.m. ET — O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race (CW)
  • Stage format: 45-45-110

Unlike previous years, qualifying carries major significance in 2026. Drivers will complete one full-speed lap before entering pit road for a four-tire stop as part of the Mechanix Wear Pit Crew Challenge. The overall time from green flag to checkered flag determines qualifying order and pit selection.

Temperatures are expected to reach the low 80s Saturday with only a 5% rain chance.

Sunday’s NASCAR All-Star Race schedule

Sunday is all about the main event.

• 12:00 p.m. ET — NASCAR RaceDay (FS1)
• 1:00 p.m. ET — NASCAR All-Star Race (FS1)

The race format itself looks dramatically different this season.

The opening segment will run 75 laps, followed by another 75-lap stage where the top 26 finishers from Segment 1 are inverted. Following those two segments, the field will then be cut down to 26 finalists for the final 200-lap shootout.

The combination of inversions, eliminations, and strategy should create one of the wildest races on the NASCAR schedule this season.

Who is eligible for the NASCAR All-Star Race?

Eligibility for the 2026 NASCAR All-Star Race remains exclusive.

Drivers automatically qualify if they:

• Won a Cup Series race during the 2025 or 2026 seasons
• Are former full-time Cup Series champions
• Win the Fan Vote

The remaining spots in the final segment are determined through combined finishing positions from the opening two stages.

That means consistency across the entire event matters just as much as outright speed.

NASCAR All-Star Race prize money

The All-Star Race may not award championship points, but the financial incentive remains enormous. The winner of Sunday’s race will take home a massive $1 million prize. That payout alone is why drivers race far more aggressively during the All-Star event compared to a normal points-paying weekend on the NASCAR schedule.

With no championship implications attached, expect bold strategy calls, aggressive restarts, and plenty of late-race chaos.

Fan Vote battle heating up

One of the biggest storylines entering the weekend remains the Fan Vote competition.

As of May 11, the top five vote-getters in alphabetical order are:

• Alex Bowman
• Chris Buescher
• Noah Gragson
• Ryan Preece
• Connor Zilisch

Fans can vote up to five times per day per email address before voting closes Sunday morning at 9 a.m. ET.

Historically, the Fan Vote has produced several memorable moments on the NASCAR schedule. Dale Earnhardt Jr., Danica Patrick, and Clint Bowyer are among the notable winners, while Gragson has claimed the award in each of the last three seasons.

Early favorites and betting odds

After his dominant road course run at Watkins Glen, Shane van Gisbergen enters Dover carrying major momentum, although the concrete mile presents a completely different challenge.

Meanwhile, drivers like Tyler Reddick, Denny Hamlin, Kyle Larson, and defending All-Star winner Christopher Bell are expected to enter the weekend among the betting favorites. With Dover’s high tire wear, intense banking, and brutal restarts, experience could matter more than ever in this year’s All-Star showdown.

Wrapping up

With a brand-new format, a million-dollar prize, and playoff-level intensity despite being an exhibition race, the 2026 NASCAR All-Star Race could easily become one of the most unpredictable weekends on the NASCAR schedule. Between the Dover chaos, aggressive strategy calls, and the fight for the Fan Vote spot, there’s no shortage of storylines heading into Sunday’s main event.