CONCORD, N.C. -- The format for the All-Star Race at Texas Motor Speedway was announced Wednesday night, laying out the rules and eligibility for NASCAR Cup Series drivers to participate.
The format has been revamped from previous seasons but still includes the $1 million prize. As in past years, the race won't count toward the point standings.
The 100-lap race will be broken into six stages, or rounds. The first four stages are 15 laps, the fifth stage is 30 laps and the final stage is 10 laps. Only green-flag laps will count.
The starting lineup for the event will be set through a random draw and the field will be inverted for the start of Round 2 through another random draw (minimum eight/maximum 12) live on FS1. Before Round 3 begins, the entire field will be inverted.
Round 4 will see another inversion before it starts (minimum eight/maximum 12). Starting positions for Round 5 will consist of the cumulative finish from Rounds 1-4. The lowest cumulative finisher starts on the pole, second-lowest starts second, and so forth. All cars will need to pit for four tires during Round 5.
For the final shootout stage, the starting positions will be set by the finishing results from Round 5.
On top of the $1 million bonus to the winning driver, the team with the fastest pit stop during the race will earn $100,000. The No. 48 pit crew of Alex Bowman's Chevrolet consistently has had the fastest four-stop pit times throughout the season.
“Texas has always felt like an All-Star market; it is a big-event market and Texas Motor Speedway thrives under a bright spotlight,” said Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR executive vice president and chief racing development officer. “The entire Speedway Motorsports and TMS team has done an incredible job embracing and elevating this event, creating a fun, must-see show for fans at the track and watching from home on FS1."
To be eligible to participate in the All-Star Race, a driver must have won a points-paying race in 2020 or 2021 or must be a previous All-Star Race winner. Kyle Larson, William Byron and Alex Bowman each have won a 2021 race while Chase Elliott is the reigning All-Star Race champion after he took the checkered flag during the event at Bristol Motor Speedway last July. It was Elliott's first All-Star Race victory.
It's the first time the All-Star Race has been held at Texas Motor Speedway and only the third time since it's inception that it hasn't been hosted at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Last year, the race was at Bristol due to COVID-19-related reasons and, in 1988, the race was held at Atlanta Motor Speedway where Chase Elliott's father, NASCAR Hall of Famer Bill Elliott, took home the title.
The All-Star Race at Texas Motor Speedway will be Sunday, June 13 at 8 p.m. ET on FS1.