NASCAR Reveals Another Head-Scratching Rule for 2026 All-Star Race

What’s Happening?

This weekend’s All-Star Race is only getting weirder, as during a recent podcast episode, NASCAR’s Mike Forde explained another new stipulation for the annual exhibition race’s Dover debut.

NASCAR’s All-Star race is far from a traditional race weekend, with the event testing out wild stipulations throughout its history, including underglow lights, a mystery caution, and preliminary races.

But this year’s race has seen pushback due to the event’s complex nature and even weirder presentation.

Alongside the race’s move to Dover Motor Speedway and the addition of 225 miles compared to last year’s 125-mile race at North Wilkesboro, the 2026 All-Star Race will not feature any preliminary races.

Instead, NASCAR has opted for a three-segment race with all entered cars racing.

At the end of the first two segments, the winner and the six drivers with the lowest combined finish of the “open” cars in the first two segments fill out the rest of the 26-driver lineup for the final 200-lap segment.

This format has already seen its fair share of criticism. Still, now a NASCAR Official has revealed an overlooked stipulation to the race’s format, one that is just as bizarre as the rest of the event’s rule changes.

During the latest episode of NASCAR’s Hauler Talk podcast, NASCAR Managing Director for Racing Communications Mike Forde added that drivers who go a lap down in the first two segments will be reset to the lead lap for the following segment.

“Unlike a typical race where there are stages, if a car goes down a lap in one of the segments, they do not remain a lap down in the subsequent stages.” — Mike Forde

Forde then added that drivers who go a lap down prior to a caution in that segment can still be the beneficiary, but that at the conclusion of the first two segments, all drivers (including the six who transfer to the 26-driver final segment) will now be back on the lead lap.

This rule is not necessarily controversial, but, with the reset essentially making each segment its own race, it is worth asking if it’s worth having this combined race at all or if the sport should have gone ahead and had the regular preliminary race.

All-Star Oddity

While the 2026 All-Star Race is full of stipulations, including this latest note, fans seem to feel that this year’s race might as well be a points race.

This sentiment likely grew from the race’s full field size and the 350-mile race distance, which is just 50 miles less than Dover’s 2026 NASCAR Cup Series race.

The fanbase would prefer Dover, which has hosted an annual points race every season since 1969, to maintain that status.

Of course, the track lost its point date to North Wilkesboro Speedway this past season, and since then, insiders like Jordan Bianchi of The Athletic have revealed that there is “concern” in the garage area about the track’s future.

Stay close to the on-track action this weekend by following our Race Weekend Dashboard for everything you need to know before, during, and after the race. Share your thoughts by joining the discussion on Discord or X, and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube for further updates.