NASCAR All-Star Race
Location: Dover, Del.
Course: Dover Motor Speedway
Format: 1.0-mile oval
Laps: 350
NASCAR All-Star Race Preview
The NASCAR Cup Series takes a break from racing for points to compete for a million-dollar payday in the annual All-Star Race. This year's exhibition event moves from North Wilkesboro to Dover Motor Speedway, and it will not feature the traditional All-Star Open prequel race that typically sets the limited field for the main event. Instead, all 36 entrants will start the three-segment race. The first two stages will be 75 laps each with the second segment starting in an inverted order from the finish of the first. The top 26 drivers by average finish from the first two segments will remain to duke it out over the last 200 laps while the lowest 10 will be eliminated. At the end of the day, the driver that crosses the finish line first will take home momentum, bragging rights, and a nice one-million dollar check.
Key Stats at Dover Motor Speedway
- Number of races: 106
- Winners from pole: 13
- Winners from top-5 starters: 59
- Winners from top-10 starters: 79
- Winners from 21st or lower starters: 5
- Fastest race: 135.734 mph
Previous 10 All-Star Race Winners
2025 - Christopher Bell
2024 - Joey Logano
2023 - Kyle Larson
2022 - Ryan Blaney
2021 - Kyle Larson
2020 - Chase Elliott
2019 - Kyle Larson
2018 - Kevin Harvick
2017 - Kyle Busch
2016 - Joey Logano
Despite this being the All-Star Race with its unique field inversion and qualifying format, this year's All-Star Race is effectively a typical race at Dover albeit with 50 fewer laps than usual. The track is a 1.0‑mile concrete oval with steep banking that continues to challenge drivers and equipment, but in the Next Gen era the emphasis has shifted slightly from survival to execution and track position. While Dover's concrete surface still punishes tires, teams tend to arrive better prepared, making equipment failures less common but clean air and restarts even more important. Track position remains critical because passing is difficult, especially as cars get strung out around the 1.0-mile oval. Practice and qualifying still provide valuable indicators of who will be successful Sunday, but chassis adjustments, tire management, and pit strategy can now play a larger role than before in overcoming starting position. As the track's concrete surface evolves throughout the day, teams must balance grip versus tire longevity, making the late-race choice between fresh tires and track position a decisive factor in Sunday's outcome.
RotoWire NASCAR DFS Tools
DraftKings Value Picks for the NASCAR All-Star Race
Based on Standard $50k Salary Cap
DraftKings Tier 1 Values
Denny Hamlin - $11,000
Kyle Larson - $10,500
Ryan Blaney - $10,200
Chase Elliott - $10,000
DraftKings Tier 2 Values
Christopher Bell - $9,700
Tyler Reddick - $9,500
William Byron - $9,000
Chase Briscoe - $8,700
DraftKings Tier 3 Values
Ty Gibbs - $8,500
Joey Logano - $8,000
Chris Buescher - $7,800
Brad Keselowski - $7,500
DraftKings Long-Shot Values
Kyle Busch - $7,300
Bubba Wallace - $7,200
Josh Berry - $7,000
Daniel Suarez - $6,200
Optimal DraftKings Lineup for the NASCAR All-Star Race
Denny Hamlin - $11,000
Christopher Bell - $9,700
Ty Gibbs - $8,500
Ross Chastain - $7,600
Austin Cindric - $6,700
Daniel Suarez - $6,500
NASCAR's All-Star Race can sometimes be difficult to choose lineups for given the unique things NASCAR tends to introduce to the format. However, this year is effectively a shortened race at Dover with the added challenge of inverting the running order in the second stage. That format makes things a little easier for fantasy players as they can rely on past Dover results pretty heavily. Among the best at the track is Denny Hamlin (DK $11,000, FD $14,000), too. He has three wins at Dover, including last year's race when he won from the 13th starting spot.
Toyota's Christopher Bell (DK $9,700, FD $12,000) is also a compelling choice. His season so far has been marked with unfulfilled potential, but his bad luck will turn around at some point. At Dover, Bell has just two top-10s from seven tries. However, he also led 67 laps in last year's race before slipping back to 18th after spinning while trying hard for the victory. Redemption is on the table for him to take this weekend.
Ty Gibbs (DK $8,500, FD $10,500) has a short Dover series record, but it has been productive. His three tries at the track have given him two top-10 finishes, a best finish of fifth last season, and a worst finish of 13th. That quick start to his career at the track along with his speed and consistency so far this season makes him one to watch this week.
On the less expensive side is Ross Chastain (DK $7,600, FD $7,800). His best Dover finishes have come with the current generation of car, which include two top-three finishes in 2022 and 2023. He then finish 12th at the track in 2024 before crashing out of last year's race. His combined laps led in those two top-three finishes was impressive at 184, too. If Chastain can avoid trouble and carry some momentum into this week from his positive race last week at Watkins Glen, we could see him continue moving in the right direction for the next portion of the season.
Team Penske's Austin Cindric (DK $6,700, FD $7,000) could also use to take some steps toward complete race performances. He and the team have shown improvement from 2025 but lack the edge and week-to-week strengths that would put them in the top tier. At Dover, Cindric has four starts with a best result of 15th. A no-pressure weekend racing for bragging rights and a big payday could be just what the No. 2 team needs.
Daniel Suarez (DK $6,500, FD $6,500) has done very well for himself since moving to Spire Motorsports this season. That team is performing better than ever, and Suarez has himself in the Chase positions in the standings. Fantasy players would also be wise to remember that he has five top-10 finishes from 13 Dover starts, too. All signs are positive from his camp so far this season, and this weekend's All-Star stop at Dover is a chance for him to continue proving his naysayers wrong.
NASCAR Cup Series Betting Picks for the All-Star Race
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook as of 3:00 PM ET Friday
Race Winner - Denny Hamlin +370
Top-Three Finish - Christopher Bell +275
Matchup - Alex Bowman -110 vs Ty Gibbs -125
Dover has been a productive hunting ground for Denny Hamlin recently with three top-five finishes from the last three visits including two victories. He has three total wins at the track and has led laps in all but one of the last eight races. That success coupled with his current competitiveness makes him a top choice to win this season's All-Star Race. It could be challenging to predict what the field inversion in Sunday's second stage could mean for some of the faster cars, but Hamlin's pace lately is such that he should be able to make quick work of any traffic ahead in order to be in position to race for the win in the race's long final stage.
Toyota has won the last three Dover races, and the manufacturer's speed at the track should be good news for Christopher Bell. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver has not struggled for pace this season, but bad luck has thwarted some of his strongest showings. Similarly, Bell led 67 laps at the track last year before mistakes cost him what could have been a victory. A shorter race this weekend could play into Bell's hands. He has the equipment to win this weekend and will just need to remain mistake free through whatever the races throws his direction to succeed. The momentum he would gain from a top-three finish could prove invaluable to sparking his bumpy season into high gear.
One of the stronger bets in this week's driver matchups is Ty Gibbs to finish ahead of Alex Bowman. Gibbs has been in excellent form this season, while Bowman has struggled. Bowman does have an impressive history at Dover, including a win and seven top-10 finishes in his last eight starts there, so this matchup pits his track record against Gibbs' current momentum. Even so, Gibbs still looks like the better pick. In three series starts at Dover, he has already posted two top-10s, including a fifth-place finish last year. Bowman is also coming off a difficult weekend at Watkins Glen, while Gibbs was in contention for the win. In a series where momentum matters, Gibbs has the edge this week.
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