What’s Happening?

On NASCAR Race Hub, NASCAR announced their format for the All-Star race. Highlights include multiple tire compounds and an additional caution flag during the All-Star main event. The format is as follows.

• Tires: Teams will have 3 tire options to choose from on race day, wet, prime, and option tires. Wet tires have white lettering and will only be used when the track is wet. Prime tires with yellow lettering are the normal tires for a race. The options tires have red lettering and have the same, soft rubber that the wet weather tires do, except they are racing slicks instead of being treaded. The Prime tires are harder, slower, and last longer, while the option tires are softer and quicker yet don’t last as long.
• Friday/Saturday: The All-Star Weekend will function similarly to last year. Practice will be on Friday followed by All-Star Qualifying. All-Star Qualifying, setting the lineup for the Heat Races, will be 3 laps with one full-speed lap, a 4-tire pit stop on lap two, and a race back to the checkered flag on lap 3. The Heat Races will be on Saturday, and each race will be 60 laps in length. Caution laps do count.
• The Open: The All-Star Open will be on Sunday before the main All-Star Race. It will be 100 laps, and teams can start on any tire they please. The top 2 finishers and the winner of the fan vote get into the main event. Caution laps do count.
• The All-Star Race: The main event will come on Sunday night, and will last 200 laps. Teams must start on the option tires with two cautions on lap 100 and lap 150. Teams must pit on lap 100 for 4 tires, but, teams can choose to stay out on lap 150 if they so choose. Caution laps do count.

The All-Star Race is set to be one of the most interesting races of the season on a brand new surface. Will this format work?