The Most Controversial Changes to the NASCAR Schedule in 2026
What’s Happening No matter how much NASCAR hypes up its annual schedule release, the final result will never satisfy every fan….
NASCAR legend Jimmie Johnson did not hold back in expressing his issues with the state of NASCAR’s All-Star Race, saying on his podcast that he wants to see a race where drivers have reason to “rough each other up.”
For 2026, NASCAR and Speedway Motorsports are moving the All-Star Race to Dover Motor Speedway. Not only will this be the first time since 1968 that Dover will not have a points-paying race, but it will likely be the first daytime All-Star Race since 1991.
While this move earned North Wilkesboro Speedway its first points race since 1996, it’s no surprise that this was a head scratcher to fans and industry members alike. One of these individuals is NASCAR Hall of Famer and 11-time Dover winner Jimmie Johnson.
During the latest episode of his and Marty Smith of ESPN’s podcast Never Settle, Johnson said that he was also scratching his head over the move, wondering why a track that drivers love is out of the points-paying schedule.
Furthermore, he thinks that the size and speed over Dover is not appropriate for what the All-Star race should be. “I think in an All-Star Race you want to put the drivers in a position to rough each other up,” Johnson said.
Johnson then joined the group of industry members campaigning to get the all-star race payout moved up from the current $1 million. While the four-time all-star race champions agree that $1 million was “a lot of damn money” when the race was at its peak, he thinks that a boost in payout will help not only fan interest but the on-track product.
He then tied this point into his talk about venue selection, with the seven-time Cup Series Champion saying, “You need to track that somebody will crash the guy in front of him for five million bucks.” While Dover is his favorite track, Johnson says it’s not the type of venue the All-Star Race will “shine” at.
What’s Happening No matter how much NASCAR hypes up its annual schedule release, the final result will never satisfy every fan….
The NASCAR All-Star Race was once a highlight of the season, with Charlotte Motor Speedway hosting the event first in 1985 and then from 1987 to 2019. The exhibition race was unlike any other and a testing ground for NASCAR to think outside the box, but as the years went on, the race lost its luster.
During the 2020 season, after years of declining interest, the race was moved to Bristol Motor Speedway as part of the COVID-19 Pandemic schedule shakeup. In 2021, the race moved to Texas Motor Speedway and after a tumultuous two-year run, the race found itself at the renovated North Wilkesboro Speedway.
While some fans felt the move to North Wilkesboro made the race feel somewhat special and unique, almost like the Field of Dreams Game the MLB hosts in Iowa, calls for an overhaul to the event persist. While the racing action has declined, some see the payout as an issue, with inflation and the worn-out marketing of the $1 million payout watering down one of the race’s selling points.
To Johnson’s point, raising the payout could make an All-Star race win more appealing for the drivers, leading to more intense all-or-nothing racing. This style of competition could bring back the celebrity this race once had amongst the sport’s fanbase, though it would have to be at the right venue as well.
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