The NASCAR All-Star Race might have a new home in 2026. Jordan Bianchi of The Athletic reported last Thursday there is an “increasing possibility” that the All-Star Race could be moved from North Wilkesboro Speedway to Dover Motor Speedway.
Bianchi noted that Dover hosting the All-Star Race could lead to North Wilkesboro hosting its first Cup Series points race since 1996. Dover already lost one of its annual dates in 2021. Denny Hamlin won’t be pleased if it loses another in order to host the All-Star Race.
“Surely, they can’t be talking about replacing Dover’s point race, right? … We had such a great fan turnout when it was 120 degrees, it was like being on the sun,” Hamlin said on his Actions Detrimental podcast.
Dover, notably, is a racetrack without lights. If NASCAR holds the All-Star Race at night, temporary lighting will be needed. That could be the draw for Speedway Motorsports CEO Marcus Smith, Hamlin said. Hamlin, however, would prefer this idea not come to fruition. He doesn’t see Dover as an “All-Star type of racetrack.”
Dover and the NASCAR All-Star Race…
“I feel like it would be very Marcus Smith of him to be like, ‘We’re putting in temporary lights and that’s what the spectacle is going to be is to have the first Dover night race.’ I’m just spitballing, but you just never know,” Hamlin said. “I just hope there’s no way they could be going from two points races to none at Dover. The fan turnout’s been good there, I don’t know why you would do that. And then, you got to put in temporary lighting. Surely, we won’t run in the middle of the day in July. Who knows.
“Again, hopefully they’re not thinking this one all the way through because this is not the best choice. Dover is just not an All-Star type of racetrack. That track is one where it needs rubber on the racetrack to then widen out and then you can start making passes. But that doesn’t happen until 30 to 40 laps into a run, and the All-Star Race is made up of short runs. There’s just not going to be any passing.”
The 2026 schedule is expected to come this week. We’ll soon know what the calendar will look like, but if it were up to Hamlin, he’d do away with the All-Star Race and just have a points race at North Wilkesboro.
“Why don’t we just give the damn teams a week off? Like, they are running us through the grinder. It is a grind trying to get to the racetrack every single weekend,” Hamlin said. “Definitely would enjoy another break, and I just don’t see the need of trying to force this.”
