Despite a revamped format that inverted the top-26 drivers after the opening 75-lap stint and re-racked the field for the final 200 laps on Sunday, the “Monster Mile” was no match for Denny Hamlin once again.
While Hamlin dominated and held off Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Chase Briscoe by 0.887 seconds to win the All-Star Race at Dover Motor Speedway, it was a race that felt far from what the exhibition race for $1M was designed for.
Here are three takeaways from Sunday’s NASCAR All-Star Race.
NASCAR misses the mark with new format
Part of what used to make the All-Star Race feel special was the fact that only the winners from previous and current seasons were locked into the event, as well as past All-Star Race winners and former Cup Series champions who are currently full-time.
On Sunday, all 36 drivers took the green flag for a pair of 75-lap segments, with the top 26 being inverted for the second 75-lap run. A crash on Lap 2 immediately forced Kyle Larson and Ryan Blaney behind the wall as Ryan Preece, who was not already locked into the 200-lap finale, caught fire after a hard crash.
