NASCAR has announced the rules and format for the 2022 All-Star Race and All-Star Open at Texas Motor Speedway. The announcement was first made on NASCAR Race Hub on April 28.
The Open will consist of any driver that has not won a race within the past year. The race will have three stages of 20, 20, and 10 laps, for a total of 50 laps. The winner of each stage will automatically transfer to the main event, as well as the Fan Vote driver, which will be the driver with the highest number of votes that didn’t automatically transfer through by winning a stage in the race. The final 10-lap stage will be green-flag laps only.
The All-Star Race will consist of any driver that has won a race in 2021 or 2022, plus any past champions or All-Star Race winners who are running full time this season, according to Bob Pockrass.
The race is scheduled for 125 laps, divided into four stages. The winner of the 25-lap stage one will start first heading into the final stage. The winner of the 25-lap stage two will start second in the final stage. Following stage two, there will be a special stage break where each team will perform a four-tire pit stop. Whoever has the fastest pit stop will start fourth in the final stage.
Then stage three will take place, with the winner of the 25-lap stage starting third for stage four. Stage four will be 50 laps, and if there is no natural caution between laps 15 and 25 in the final stage, NASCAR will throw an “All-Star” competition caution.
One stipulation to the winners of stages one and two and the pit stop competition winner is that they must finish in the top-15 in each stage following their wins in order to keep their top-four starting spot for the final stage.
Another big change to the race format is a new version of knockout qualifying to decide which driver who will sit on the pole for the main event. The first round of qualifying will run like a traditional qualifying format – every driver in the all-star field (except the Open transfers who will automatically start at the rear) will run one-lap in reverse order of the 2022 owner points standing. The top eight drivers afterwards will move on to an elimination-style, head-to-head qualifying bracket.
The three-round bracket will feature two cars staged next to each other on pit lane, and at the sound of a horn, the respective teams will perform a four-tire pit stop. Once the jack drops, the driver can take off as fast as they can on pit lane, and whoever gets to the start/finish line first will advance to the next round of the bracket. The last two drivers left will square off for the pole.
The All-Star Race used to be held at Charlotte Motor Speedway every year since the race’s inception in 1985, with the exception of the 1986 race, which was held at Atlanta Motor Speedway. In 2020, it was moved to Bristol Motor Speedway, and in 2021 it was announced that Texas Motor Speedway would host the event. Kyle Larson is the defending winner of the race.
The Open will precede the main event like usual, running at 6 p.m. ET on Sunday, May 22, before the All-Star Race begins at 8 p.m. ET.
About the author
Anthony Damcott joined Frontstretch in March 2022. Currently, he is an editor and co-authors Fire on Fridays (Fridays); he is also the primary Truck Series reporter/writer and secondary short track writer. He also serves as an at-track reporter and assists with social media when he can. A proud West Virginia Wesleyan College alum from Akron, Ohio, Anthony is now a grad student. He is a theatre actor and fight-choreographer-in-training in his free time.
You can keep up with Anthony by following @AnthonyDamcott on X.
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Easy-peasy to understand. Just as simple as usual for the NA$CAR brain trust.
Are they putting a tent over the track to make it like a real circus?
Maybe three rings? P.T. would be proud. They can have Dumbo fly down from the control tower.
Well each year it keeps getting more idiotic!!!! Guess it will be a good movie night with popcorn and family on the sofa