Let’s take a quick spin through the rules and format for the 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race.
Call it a bit of a back to basics showcase, but with a unique twist. Previous editions of the Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race have featured gimmicks aplenty, including stage racing before that was a weekly thing, inversions of the field mid-race and even last year’s much ado about nothing “option” tires.
For 2018, most of those things are gone. The stages remain, of course, as do drivers qualifying for the All-Star Race from the Open (run right before it) and the fan vote.
The big new change is the one we’ll hit first as we quickly run through the 2018 NASCAR All-Star Race rules.
The cars are running restrictor plates and a special aero package
Inspired by the 2017 NASCAR XFINITY Series race at Indianapolis, the cars at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Saturday night will run restrictor plates, spoilers with ears on each side and a special splitter in front. They won’t look like Cup Series cars do in any other race this season, but the idea is to more or less force tight racing and more passing. Will it work? Maybe not as dramatically as NASCAR hopes, but it probably won’t hurt.
What are the stage lengths for the NASCAR All-Star Race?
The race will have four stages: Stage 1 is 30 laps, Stages 2 and 3 are 20 laps each (ending on laps 50 and 70, respectively), and the final stage is just 10 laps. There are no mandatory pit stops during or after any stage, a change from previous years.
There are some tweaks that mean the race will almost certainly go more than 80 laps. Overtime rules are in effect for all four stages, ensuring they are unlikely to end under caution. In addition, only green flag laps will count in Stage 4, so if things get crazy toward the end and there are multiple cautions, the final stage could last much longer than the planned 10 laps.
How do drivers advance from the Monster Energy Open?
The Open will take place right before the All-Star Race, beginning shortly after 6:00 p.m. Eastern time. The field for that race is made up of 21 drivers who aren’t otherwise eligible for the All-Star Race, and will give three of them a chance to advance to the big show: the winners of each stage, including the final one. The Open stage lengths are 20, 20 and 10 laps, with overtime rules in effect for all if necessary.
On top of that, a fan vote will choose one additional driver. The heavy suspicion here is that Chase Elliott will win the fan vote, so he should be good to go in the All-Star Race even if he doesn’t run up front in any stage of the Open.
Next: 5 biggest storylines at the 2018 NASCAR All-Star break
What does the winner get?
A trophy and the admiration of all his peers! Just kidding. The winner also gets $1 million, though there are no points up for grabs.
Coverage of the 2018 NASCAR All-Star Race begins at 6:00 p.m. on FS1 with the Monster Energy Open, with the main event expected to drop the green flag around 8:20 p.m. You can also visit us again at FanSided.com for highlights updates and more.