DOVER, Del. -- The 2026 NASCAR All-Star Race is promising to be very different than previous iterations of NASCAR's annual all-star event.

From where the race will be run to when it will be run to even how it will be run, everything is completely different than pretty much every All-Star Race.

For the first time in the history of the NASCAR All-Star Race, it will be held at Dover Motor Speedway. It became the All-Star Race venue after North Wilkesboro Speedway hosted it for three years after a grassroots movement led to NASCAR's return in 2023.

Kyle Larson won the 2023 NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro. Then, Joey Logano and Christopher Bell took turns getting their car lifted up to victory lane in the following years. 

This year, North Wilkesboro received a Cup points race for the first time since 1996. It came as a result of Dover losing its Cup points race.

Texas Motor Speedway (2021-22), Bristol Motor Speedway (2020), Charlotte Motor Speedway (1985, 1987-2019) and EchoPark Speedway Atlanta (1986) previously hosted the race. 

The NASCAR Cup Series schedule is without a points race at Dover for the first time since 1968, making 2026 the first year where the track will not host a Cup points race.

This year's NASCAR All-Star Race may still feel like a regular race, however, because every full-time driver will start the race for the first time in the race's history. 

With no All-Star Open race (for the first time since 1986), the field racing for the All-Star Race win will be filled within the All-Star Race itself.

There are 19 drivers locked into racing for the win. However, there are seven spots available for drivers to get in -- the most in the race's history. 

How do drivers get one of those spots? The six drivers with the lowest combined finishing positions in the first two segments will get in, as well as the Fan Vote Winner. 

"If there is a tie, the first tiebreaker is the best finish in either segment and the second tiebreaker is the best finish in Segment 1," NASCAR stated.

The first two segments are 75 laps each with all 36 drivers. The top-26 of the first segment will be inverted to start the second segment, which will put the second segment's 26th-place finisher in first to start the second segment and vice versa.

Then, the final segment is scheduled for 200 laps with the 26 remaining drivers. A competition break will occur around 75 laps into that segment.

These drivers are already locked into the final segment, based on either being a 2025 or 2026 race winner or a former Cup champion:

Christopher Bell, Josh Berry, Ryan Blaney, Chase Briscoe, Kyle Busch, William Byron, Ross Chastain, Austin Cindric, Austin Dillon, Chase Elliott, Ty Gibbs, Shane van Gisbergen, Denny Hamlin, Carson Hocevar, Brad Keselowski, Kyle Larson, Joey Logano, Tyler Reddick and Bubba Wallace.

Who could possibly win the Fan Vote? In alphabetical order, the current leaders are Alex Bowman, Chris Buescher, Noah Gragson, Ryan Preece and Connor Zilisch.

The race will be run in the daytime for the first time since 1991, the year before the "One Hot Night" race that solidified the All-Star Race as a night race until now.

Qualifying to set the lineup for the first segment is set for Saturday at 12 p.m. ET on FS1. Practice precedes it Friday at 3 p.m. ET on FS2. 

Denny Hamlin has won the last two years at Dover. Previous winners include Martin Truex Jr. (2023) and Chase Elliott (2022).