While 20 drivers are locked into the All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway, the remaining drivers will have to rely on their finishes in the All-Star Open or the fan vote to get in. The top two finishers in the All-Star Open, which precedes the All-Star Race on Sunday at 5:30 p.m. ET on FS1, and the fan vote winner will round out the 23-car field that will race for $1 million Sunday night (8 PM EST, FS1, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
There are four drivers that stand out the most of those that find themselves on the outside looking in, each for different reasons. At least one of them, as well as the other 14 drivers competing in the Open, will not make the race, putting even more pressure on the drivers and teams.
Four notable drivers not locked into All-Star Race
Bubba Wallace, No. 23 (23XI Racing Toyota)
Despite a mistake-filled 2025 season so far with four DNFs in 12 races, Wallace sits No. 10 in points. With no wins since 2022 in the fall race at Kansas, Wallace also had to rely on the Open last season as well, but advanced with a runner-up showing.
That is encouraging, but the success of his pit crew could prove vital this weekend. His No. 23 group is the best in the series with average four-tire stops this season. With the quickest time in Friday's Pit Crew Challenge setting the starting lineup for the All-Star Open, that could be a huge advantage for Wallace going into the 100-lap All-Star Open. If he has the track position, it could just come down to execution.
Ryan Preece, No. 60 (Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford)
Seeking his first All-Star Race appearance, Preece heads into the Open with four top 10s and a lot of short track experience as a veteran modified driver.
Preece is having a career year up to this point and has been a frequent contender at multiple tracks this season. Given his short track background, don't be surprised to see him race his way into the All-Star Race and be a factor for the $1 million on Sunday night.
Carson Hocevar, No. 77 (Spire Motorsports Chevrolet)
Yes, Hocevar's aggressiveness has ruffled some feathers in the Cup Series this season and produced three DNFs. However, he won his first career pole at Texas and has clearly had a lot of pace this season.
Like Wallace and Preece, Hocevar was one of the top-five drivers in fan voting as of May 12, per NASCAR.com, along with Trackhouse Racing's Shane van Gisbergen and Front Row Motorsports' Noah Gragson, who has won the fan vote each of the last two seasons. If he does not race his way into the All-Star Race as one of the top two finishers, Hocevar could be the recipient of the fan vote.
Ty Gibbs, No. 54 (Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota)
Just when it looked like Gibbs had righted the ship with back-to-back top-10s at Darlington and Bristol, three straight finishes outside the top 15 have him searching for momentum heading into All-Star Weekend.
His pit crew ranks second to Wallace and he is the defending winner of the All-Star Open. After a disappointing 13th-place finish in last season's All-Star Race, it still may be a tall task for Gibbs even if he reaches the main event. Considering Gibbs was not one of the top-five drivers in fan voting, he will be facing even more pressure to finish in the top two positions in the All-Star Open or it could be an abbreviated weekend for him.