Time to spice up the schedule. The NASCAR Cup Series has progressed towards the 2025 playoffs with 12 points-paying races so far. Now, the grid is heading to North Wilkesboro Speedway for a non-points event – but it is equally special, if not more. The NASCAR All-Star Race is coming up, with drivers gearing up to showcase their prowess and vie for the $1 million prize. However, this race is not open to all. So, who are the stars who will be able to compete in the All-Star Race? Read more to find out.

NASCAR All-Star Race – a medley of talents

Remember the 2024 All-Star Race? Three-time Cup Series champion Joey Logano picked up his second trophy at the exhibition event. At the end of the event, veteran driver Kyle Busch had a massive fistfight with Ricky Stenhouse Jr.! Yes, when there are NASCAR stars around, such aggression is always a possibility. However, let’s hope we can have a brawl-free event, nonetheless. With so many stars competing, the sport has a special formula to select the drivers for the event.

Drivers who run the race must have either won points races, be past NASCAR All-Star Race winners, or be former Cup Series champions. Among past trophy-mongers are all the familiar stars – Joey Logano, Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott, Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, and so many more. Additionally, there will be the All-Star Open, a separate 100-lap race on Sunday. This is for those who are not eligible for the main race, and the top two finishers will get to compete in the All-Star Race. Another driver would get lucky based on a fan vote. The top five names leading in the latter category so far are Shane Van Gisbergen, Noah Gragson, Carson Hocevar, Ryan Preece, and Bubba Wallace.

Journalist Bob Pockrass updated the qualifying details of the NASCAR All-Star Race in a Fox Sports article. He wrote, “Qualifying will be on Friday. There will be three laps with a four-tire pit stop after the second lap. The total time will determine the lineup for the Open and All-Star heats. The pit stop time will determine the order of pit selection.” He added, “For drivers automatically in the All-Star race, they will compete in 75-lap heat races on Saturday. The first heat race will determine the inside lane of the main event; the second heat race the outside lane.”

Besides the set procedure to log into the All-Star festivities, drivers will face some new features this season. However, the reactions to one of them have not been bright.

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Drivers are not on board with handing more control

Well, the All-Star Race has always been a haven for experimentation. For instance, double-file restarts are a common sight in the sport in present times. However, the 2009 NASCAR All-Star Race was the springboard for it. Similarly, Goodyear’s multiple tire compounds debuted during the 2017 iteration of the exhibition event. But NASCAR’s newest innovation in 2025 has got veterans worried.

There will be a competition caution on Lap 100. Some time before Lap 220, Marcus Smith (CEO of Speedway Motorsports) can throw the caution. If he does not do so before Lap 200 and then a natural caution occurs, he will not be able to throw a caution before Lap 220. This handing of control has riled up some veteran drivers.

Two-time Cup Series champion Kyle Busch had a solid initial reaction: “What are we doing?” His frustration boiled over again during his guest appearance on Denny Hamlin’s podcast. Busch then revealed his intentions leading up to the promoter’s caution. “If there’s a natural yellow between Lap 200 and 225, there will not be a promoter’s yellow. So at Lap 200, we all need to figure out who we’re going to run into. It’s going to be payback central. If I’m running 12th and I’ve got no shot to win and there’s a few select drivers in front of me, I am going to take care of Marcus’ yellow.” Well, after last year’s brawl with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and a career-long feud with Joey Logano, do watch out for Busch’s antics as the laps dwindle!

Dale Earnhardt Jr, who resuscitated North Wilkesboro Speedway, had suggested an alternative. Considering NASCAR’s roots in fan nostalgia, he said, “The promoters caution at the All-Star race in North Wilkesboro should have been determined by a live fan controlled poll within an app one could download and use from home or at the track.” This idea involves a passionate fan base that has been craving entertainment in recent weeks. After a string of disappointing points-paying races, could a fan-vote-based caution have spiced up the race? We’ll never know.

As our favorite Cup Series drivers head to North Wilkesboro, the enthusiasm can hardly be contained! Let us see how the 2025 All-Star festivities turn out.