Denny Hamlin won $1 million at the NASCAR All-Star Race on Sunday night at Dover Motor Speedway, but the celebration quickly turned into criticism from several NASCAR Cup Series drivers. Instead of feeling like NASCAR’s biggest exhibition event, many drivers said the weekend felt like a normal points race on the NASCAR schedule.
NASCAR changed the format for the All-Star Race with a 350-lap distance, longer practice sessions, segment racing, and inversions. Drivers said those changes removed the fast, aggressive atmosphere usually associated with All-Star weekend.
Even though the race featured hard racing, crashes, and dramatic moments at the Monster Mile, several competitors questioned whether Dover Motor Speedway was the right place for the NASCAR All-Star Race moving forward.
NASCAR All-Star Race Drivers Say Dover Felt Too Serious
Joe Gibbs Racing driver Chase Briscoe finished second behind teammate Denny Hamlin and immediately pointed to the atmosphere as a major issue.
“Maybe it was because it was during the day. All weekend, it didn’t feel like an All-Star Race. It felt like a normal points race.”
Briscoe explained that the long race distance changed the feel of the event. Fans usually expect the NASCAR All-Star Race to be shorter and more aggressive than a regular Cup Series race.
“All-Star Races typically are like the shortest race of the year. I felt like it was a Coke 600 or something, or the Southern 500. It took forever.”
The driver also said the extra practice sessions added to the feeling of a regular NASCAR weekend at Dover Motor Speedway.
Meanwhile, Chase Elliott shared similar concerns before the green flag even dropped.
“It feels like a normal weekend. I would say it feels the least like an All-Star weekend than it ever has in my career.”
Denny Hamlin Questions NASCAR All-Star Race Format
Even race winner Hamlin admitted the NASCAR All-Star Race format did not fully work at Dover Motor Speedway.
“First thing is let’s give Dover their points race back and then let’s figure out where we’re going to go, and then figure out the format.”
Hamlin said NASCAR’s added-horsepower package helped passing but also made the cars difficult to control entering and leaving corners.
“You had the extra horsepower, too. When you put the throttle down, it makes the car further out of control.”
Before the All-Star Race started, Hamlin and seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson warned that Dover’s concrete surface would take time to build grip for drivers.
Still, the race delivered several crashes and close battles throughout the night at the Monster Mile.
NASCAR Drivers Want All-Star Weekend to Feel Different Again
Veteran driver Brad Keselowski said Dover Motor Speedway creates one of the toughest challenges on the NASCAR schedule because drivers must attack the track from the opening lap.
“You gotta commit to a long-ass day at a track that’s fairly unforgiving.”
Bubba Wallace also voiced frustration with the NASCAR All-Star Race atmosphere after the event ended.
“It just doesn’t feel like All-Star weekend. It just feels like another race weekend.”
Wallace added that the organization needs more “fun interactions and All-Star type vibes” for NASCAR fans during the exhibition event.
The NASCAR All-Star Race produced competitive racing and another major victory for Hamlin at Dover Motor Speedway. However, several NASCAR Cup Series drivers left the track believing the event had lost the special feeling that once separated it from a regular race weekend.
NASCAR now faces fresh questions about the future format and location of the All-Star Race after strong reactions from drivers following Sunday’s event.
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