Dover's NASCAR All-Star race has wild format, and a potential pothole

DOVER − When Dover Motor Speedway hosts the NASCAR Cup Series All-Star race on May 17, it will mark something entirely new since the sport's top series began racing at the Monster Mile in 1969, a span of 107 races. This time, Dover will host a race for the first time without points at stake. It will also present a new format in which the race is divided into three segments over 350 laps, with the final 200 laps consisting of only 26 drivers.

The rest of the field will be eliminated. Those 26 drivers, determined by a number of factors explained below, will compete for $1 million in prize money. For Dover Motor Speedway president and general manager Mike Tatoian, the All-Star race brings something brand new to Dover.

The track will also host the Ecosave 200 in the Craftsman Truck Series on May 15, and the BetRivers 200 in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series on May 16. "The reason why we like it is because we've never had it before," Tatoian said. "Any time you get a new product, I think it's good for the fans ...

Having the anomaly of it here for the first time in the northeast, we've created a lot of excitement around it. " That includes the off-track entertainment as well as the racing taking place inside the track. As usual, Dover Motor Speedway will have an assortment of entertainment for fans outside the track.