What Drivers Are Saying About the All-Star Format at Dover

The NASCAR All-Star Race has never followed a traditional script, and this year's format at Dover Motor Speedway is no exception. With two 75-lap opening segments featuring every driver entered, an inversion to shake up the field and a 200-lap final segment to decide the million-dollar winner, the structure is designed to test every aspect of a race team. Drivers say that challenge is exactly what makes it exciting.

"It helps a team like us," Ricky Stenhouse Jr. said. "We normally run pretty well at Dover, and getting a qualifying run with two segments to try and make the finale really benefits us."

At a place like The Monster Mile, extra opportunities can be critical. The world's fastest one-mile oval demands aggression and focus from the opening lap, and Stenhouse believes the format plays into the track's personality.

"The car is never really planted; it's kind of on edge the whole time," he said. "It can reward you for driving hard, but it can bite you at the same time. It's intense and it's fun."

The added laps are another feature drivers are embracing. With 350 total laps around Dover, teams will have time to adapt as the racing groove builds and conditions change.

"A lot of laps is a good thing," Chris Buescher said. "For Dover and what we're trying to accomplish there - rubbering up the track, moving around and creating better racing - I think more laps and more cars on track is the right call."

As rubber goes down and the preferred line widens, Buescher believes the format gives the race room to develop naturally.

"From a 50-foot view, it looks like a good decision to try to get the track to come in for some good racing all the way to the end," he said. "Dover is like a roller coaster ride that you actually have a steering wheel for. The first few laps take your breath away. It's a huge challenge, but a lot of fun."

Riley Herbst shares that enthusiasm as he prepares for the All-Star spotlight at Dover.

"It's always fun going up to Dover," Herbst said. "It's a mile concrete track with high banking, so it's a lot of fun for us drivers. I'm excited to get there."

For Noah Gragson, All-Star weekend carries extra meaning. As a three-time All-Star Fan Vote winner, he understands better than most how powerful fan support can be. While he's hopeful to transfer in on speed at a track he enjoys, he hasn't forgotten what got him there before.

"I've gotten the fan vote into the All-Star Race the last three years," Gragson said. "But Dover is a good track for us, so I'm hoping we can transfer in on speed."

Still, the connection with fans remains at the center of it all, and fans can once again make their voices heard through the NASCAR All-Star Fan Vote.

"It's been great to have the fans' support. It's the most incredible thing to have," Gragson said. "I'm super grateful for it. To see them wearing my T-shirts and buying diecasts - I never would have thought that as a kid."

That backing has mattered through both highs and lows.

"To have their support and know they're in my corner makes those tougher weekends not as bad," he said. "It's been a rocky three years for me, but their support keeps fueling me and keeps me excited going into each weekend."

At a place as intense as The Monster Mile, that energy can make all the difference.

With drivers fired up about the format and a million dollars on the line, the stage is set for a must-see night at The Monster Mile. From the opening green flag of the first segment to the final sprint to the checkered flag, every lap promises intensity. To see your favorite driver battle it out for All-Star glory, fans can lock in their tickets now at DoverMotorSpeedway.com and experience the thrill of The Monster Mile live and in person.