mentioned it succinctly.
“This seems like a standard weekend,” mentioned the 2020 Cup Sequence champion throughout media availabilities for the All-Star Race at Dover on Friday afternoon. “It seems like a standard weekend. I might say this feels the least like an All-Star weekend that we’ve ever had in my profession.
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“I don’t know if it’s simply because I’m not used to having an All-Star Race right here however this seems like an October weekend, virtually, with the climate at the moment being cooler and whatnot. It jogs my memory of the outdated fall weekend greater than anything.
“However yeah, I’m certain as we get nearer to Sunday it would really feel a little bit bit extra like an All-Star weekend however proper now, this seems like a completely regular Dover factors race.”
Bubba Wallace had the same expertise.
“I wakened on Monday morning and was like, ‘the place are we racing at on Sunday’ and was like ‘oh yeah, Dover, All Star, and does not really feel like All Star week in order that sucks,” Wallace mentioned. “From a fan standpoint, the All-Star hasn’t been something prefer it was again within the heyday. I do know that. I used to be a part of that not directly, again once we did Velocity Road, and that was actually cool.
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“So then it modified, and we felt like we would have liked to go together with the modifications and all that, moved it round. I appreciated having it at Wilkesboro … however shifting it to Dover … and pay attention, Dover is certainly one of my favourite race tracks to drive on, certainly one of my favourite tracks ever. I haven’t got something unhealthy to say about Dover however the racing itself and it is part of what we’ve to do cope with. …
“It simply does not really feel like All-Star weekend. It simply seems like one other race weekend. I am having to inform myself this weekend does not actually matter so go on the market and take a look at various things. It is simply ‘blah’ and I hate that. I hate that for our sport. I hate that for the followers. We have to have some enjoyable interactions and All-Star sort vibes and we do not get that right here, sadly.”
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To wit, when the All-Star Race begins on Sunday afternoon, a full discipline will take the inexperienced flag even when there will likely be eliminations by the midway level of the 350 lap complete proceedings.
Nevertheless, says the complete discipline taking the inexperienced flag with him, sort of makes him successful his method into the primary occasion at Talladega rather less particular.
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“I’m like, ‘Dang it, I don’t even get that satisfaction of being an All-Star. They’re going to be racing with me,’” Hocevar mentioned. “It’ll really feel good when these vehicles get eradicated at the very least and all the things, and we get to remain on the market.”
Now, the primary half of the race sort of combines the warmth races with the All-Star Open however feels just like Hocevar about the complete day on Sunday.
“My knee-jerk (response) once I noticed it was if we’re all going to be racing on Sunday, is it actually that particular?” mentioned Hamlin. “So, I feel it does take away a little bit bit. Absolutely it does.”
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It’s changing into harder-and-harder for NASCAR to make an exhibition really feel completely different than a standard factors race as a result of a lot of what has been launched from the All-Star Race over the previous three many years at the moment are a part of the weekly cloth of the game.
Double file restarts, time beyond regulation, the race the place nothing however successful issues, and many others. …
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To that final level, 2012 Cup Sequence champion says the All-Star Race truly feels distinctive once more now that the Cup Sequence makes use of a points-based system and the Chase for the Championship.
“I nonetheless like the thought of an All-Star Race,” Keselowski mentioned. “ I do know there are some detractors however I feel that’s most likely higher served about The Conflict than this race. I like the concept that we will simply do some enjoyable issues with the format with this race and never really feel any guilt over it.
“I notably really feel just like the All-Star Race is considerably extra related with the factors format we’ve now the place it’s really a win or go house factor, and with the playoffs, it didn’t make as a lot sense.”
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However once more, when NASCAR has taken each gimmick … for the dearth of a greater time period … from the All-Star Race and standardized it, what else is there left to do to make this race really feel distinctive?
Elliott agreed with the premise of the query.
“You’re proper, we’ve tried quite a lot of various things, and traditionally, a brief shootout sounds good on paper however I feel, as time as gone on, our racing will get higher the longer a run,” Elliott mentioned. “So I feel that has labored towards us on this race.
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“So, like, the 75-lap runs this weekend are sort of attention-grabbing proper? It forces us to run longer, or it may, at the very least. However I don’t know what levers we haven’t pulled that we haven’t tried already.
“The longer the runs for this race, I do suppose is an effective factor, usually talking, however past that, I don’t know as a result of I haven’t put quite a lot of thought into it.”
made a joke in regards to the 550 bundle.
“There was a few them that acquired pulled that I want they did not” Reddick mentioned with amusing.
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NA18D.
“450 horsepower, not good that one,” he mentioned referencing the 2018 race that led the game down a usually maligned place from 2019-to-2022.
For the 2025 All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro, NASCAR and the groups mentioned utilizing a open guidelines bundle however could not attain phrases over doubtless needing to throw away these vehicles after that weekend.
This yr, NASCAR wished to check out a brand new splitter on the brief observe bundle however Denny Hamlin says it didn’t occur attributable to a producing situation.
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“Yeah, some stuff acquired batted round however finally they had been going to attempt some new splitter stuff however simply did not have the producer did not do an amazing job with high quality management,” mentioned Hamlin. “In order that they wished to ensure that it was the identical for everyone so it is best to simply sort of put a pause on that.
“I might love to make use of this race in some unspecified time in the future to sort of – have that completely different bundle you can attempt in a race situation as a result of we attempt them throughout checks and also you simply do not get the true factor till you get all of the vehicles on the market and get them working. Hopefully, it is on the horizon, and hopefully, finally we will get the nostril of those vehicles down, the backs of them up, and go racing.”
Keselowski echoed these sentiments.
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“I don’t know all of the manufacturing idiosyncrasies of why it did not work however I do know NASCAR is making an attempt to assist enhance the racing, and the flexibility of those vehicles to race,” Keselowski mentioned.
“I’ll say the NextGen automotive is phenomenal with respect to having the ability to race side-by-side … It’s tougher to get side-by-side however once they do, they race very well collectively, and that’s a part of the distinctiveness of the NASCAR NextGen automotive.
“So what NASCAR is making an attempt to do is get the automotive to the place it nonetheless races nice side-by-side however will get higher at racing nose-to-tail, and shut in on somebody. So whether or not that’s the underbody or the splitter, I feel that’s their objective, and it’s a superb one to have.”
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For future All-Star Race codecs, desires NASCAR to permit a fan to attract a Energy Ball model quantity for a late invert.
“I imply, NASCAR was going to attempt a distinct splitter right here however the manufacturing simply didn’t work out,” Blaney mentioned. “So NASCAR wished to do one thing completely different for this race and it didn’t work out.
“There are all the time choices. You’ll be able to attempt issues with the race automotive within the All-Star Race, however I feel it could be cool for a fan to do the Energy Ball to determine what number of get inverted. They try this on brief tracks and dust tracks. However you solely discover out after the phase ends.
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“That may be enjoyable and my thought to throw into the hat.”
Finally, for his half, Hamlin doesn’t know what to do with this race shifting ahead.
“It is powerful to say,” Hamlin mentioned. “There’s definitely a stability there between sort of novelty after which purest racing. So, it’s a little bit completely different. I have never fairly a ton of effort into fascinated by it to, if I might, perhaps have a portion of my mind to have time to consider what may we do to repair the All-Star race or weekend? Whether it is broke, I do not know.
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“I simply have not. I am certain there’s little issues you are able to do, however clearly we’ll run 350 laps round right here this weekend. I imply, that is a race. It is a regular race weekend. We’re going to method it that method.”
Images from All-Star Race – FridayJosh Berry, Wooden Brothers Racing
Josh Berry, Wooden Brothers Racing
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Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing
Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing
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Zane Smith, Entrance Row Motorsports
Zane Smith, Entrance Row Motorsports
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Ty Gibbs, Joe Gibbs Racing
Ty Gibbs, Joe Gibbs Racing
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Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing, Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing
Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing, Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing
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William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports
William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports
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Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing
Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing
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Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing
Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing
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Ricky Stenhouse Jr., HYAK Motorsports
Ricky Stenhouse Jr., HYAK Motorsports
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Ross Chastain, Trackhouse Racing
Ross Chastain, Trackhouse Racing
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Ryan Preece, RFK Racing
Ryan Preece, RFK Racing
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Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing
Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing
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Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing
Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing
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Shane van Gisbergen, Trackhouse Racing
Shane van Gisbergen, Trackhouse Racing
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Ryan Blaney, Workforce Penske
Ryan Blaney, Workforce Penske
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Ryan Preece, RFK Racing
Ryan Preece, RFK Racing
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Ryan Blaney, Workforce Penske
Ryan Blaney, Workforce Penske
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Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports
Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports
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Ross Chastain, Trackhouse Racing
Ross Chastain, Trackhouse Racing
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Michael McDowell, Spire Motorsports
Michael McDowell, Spire Motorsports
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Noah Gragson, Entrance Row Motorsports
Noah Gragson, Entrance Row Motorsports
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Joey Logano, Workforce Penske
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Kyle Busch, Richard Childress Racing
Kyle Busch, Richard Childress Racing
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Connor Zilisch, Trackhouse Racing
Connor Zilisch, Trackhouse Racing
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Kyle Busch, Richard Childress Racing
Kyle Busch, Richard Childress Racing
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Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing
Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing
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Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing
Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing
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Zane Smith, Entrance Row Motorsports
Zane Smith, Entrance Row Motorsports
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Cody Ware, Rick Ware Racing
Cody Ware, Rick Ware Racing
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Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing
Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing
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Austin Dillon, Richard Childress Racing
Austin Dillon, Richard Childress Racing
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Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing
Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing
Meg Oliphant / Getty Photos
Brad Keselowski, RFK Racing
Brad Keselowski, RFK Racing
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Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing
Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing
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Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports
Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports
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Carson Hocevar, Spire Motorsports
Carson Hocevar, Spire Motorsports
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Austin Dillon, Richard Childress Racing
Austin Dillon, Richard Childress Racing
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Austin Cindric, Workforce Penske
Austin Cindric, Workforce Penske
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Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing
Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing
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Ty Gibbs, Joe Gibbs Racing
Ty Gibbs, Joe Gibbs Racing
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Austin Cindric, Workforce Penske
Austin Cindric, Workforce Penske
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Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing
Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing
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Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing
Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing
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Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing
Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing
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Michael McDowell, Spire Motorsports
Michael McDowell, Spire Motorsports
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Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing
Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing
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Kyle Busch, Richard Childress Racing
Kyle Busch, Richard Childress Racing
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Ty Gibbs, Joe Gibbs Racing
Ty Gibbs, Joe Gibbs Racing
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Austin Cindric, Workforce Penske
Austin Cindric, Workforce Penske
Meg Oliphant / Getty Photos
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