The 2020 NASCAR All-Star Race (XXXVI) was a NASCAR Cup Series stock car exhibition race that was originally scheduled to be held on May 16, 2020, and was rescheduled to July 15, 2020, at Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tennessee. Contested over 140 laps, it was the second exhibition race of the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season. It was the first All-Star Race since the 1986 Winston at Atlanta Motor Speedway to be hosted outside Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Report Background
The All-Star Race is open to race winners from last season through the 2020 Quaker State 400 at Kentucky Speedway, all previous All-Star race winners, NASCAR Cup champions who had attempted to qualify for every race in 2020, the winner of each stage of the All-Star Open, and the winner of the All-Star fan vote are eligible to compete in the All-Star Race.
As part of scheduling changes associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, and citing a desire to host the race with fans (which was not then possible due to health orders in North Carolina), the All-Star Race was moved from Charlotte Motor Speedway to Bristol Motor Speedway.
While most NASCAR races held during the pandemic had been held behind closed doors with no spectators, the All-Star Race admitted 30,000 spectators with social distancing. Although this was only 20% of the venue's total capacity of 162,000, the All-Star Race hosted the largest number of spectators at a U.S. sporting event since the beginning of pandemic-related restrictions.
A new "choose rule" was used for restarts during the race, where drivers could choose whether they wanted to be in the inside or outside lane. NASCAR experimented with an underglow lighting package on vehicles at the All-Star Race, color-coded by manufacturer (with Chevrolet in orange, Ford in blue, and Toyota in red). This package was featured on the vehicles of all drivers who had automatically qualified for the event. At the request of teams, NASCAR also experimented with moving the numbers on the sides of vehicles closer to their rear tires, in order to provide additional room for sponsor logos. This change became permanent upon the introduction of the Next Gen car in 2022.
Entry list (R) denotes rookie driver. (i) denotes driver who is ineligible for series driver points.
NASCAR All Star Open Driver Team Manufacturer 00 Quin Houff (R) StarCom Racing Chevrolet 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 8 Tyler Reddick (R) Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 10 Aric Almirola Stewart–Haas Racing Ford 13 Ty Dillon Germain Racing Chevrolet 14 Clint Bowyer Stewart–Haas Racing Ford 15 Brennan Poole (R) Premium Motorsports Chevrolet 17 Chris Buescher Roush Fenway Racing Ford 21 Matt DiBenedetto Wood Brothers Racing Ford 24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 27 J. J. Yeley (i) Rick Ware Racing Ford 32 Corey LaJoie Go Fas Racing Ford 34 Michael McDowell Front Row Motorsports Ford 37 Ryan Preece JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 38 John Hunter Nemechek (R) Front Row Motorsports Ford 43 Bubba Wallace Richard Petty Motorsports Chevrolet 47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 51 Joey Gase (i) Petty Ware Racing Ford 53 Garrett Smithley (i) Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet 66 Timmy Hill (i) MBM Motorsports Toyota 95 Christopher Bell (R) Leavine Family Racing Toyota 96 Daniel Suárez Gaunt Brothers Racing ToyotaOfficial entry list
NASCAR All-Star Race Driver Team Manufacturer 1 Kurt Busch Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 2 Brad Keselowski Team Penske Ford 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart–Haas Racing Ford 6 Ryan Newman Roush Fenway Racing Ford 9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 19 Martin Truex Jr. Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 20 Erik Jones Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 41 Cole Custer (R) Stewart–Haas Racing Ford 42 Matt Kenseth Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 48 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 77 Justin Haley (i) Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 88 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports ChevroletOfficial entry list
Qualifying (Open) Michael McDowell was awarded the pole for the open as determined by a random draw.
Open Starting Lineup Pos Driver Team Manufacturer 1 34 Michael McDowell Front Row Motorsports Ford 2 10 Aric Almirola Stewart–Haas Racing Ford 3 95 Christopher Bell (R) Leavine Family Racing Toyota 4 47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 5 8 Tyler Reddick (R) Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 6 43 Bubba Wallace Richard Petty Motorsports Chevrolet 7 24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 8 17 Chris Buescher Roush Fenway Racing Ford 9 14 Clint Bowyer Stewart–Haas Racing Ford 10 21 Matt DiBenedetto Wood Brothers Racing Ford 11 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 12 37 Ryan Preece JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 13 27 J. J. Yeley (i) Rick Ware Racing Ford 14 53 Garrett Smithley (i) Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet 15 15 Brennan Poole (R) Premium Motorsports Chevrolet 16 00 Quin Houff (R) StarCom Racing Chevrolet 17 51 Joey Gase (i) Petty Ware Racing Ford 18 96 Daniel Suárez Gaunt Brothers Racing Toyota 19 38 John Hunter Nemechek (R) Front Row Motorsports Ford 20 13 Ty Dillon Germain Racing Chevrolet 21 32 Corey LaJoie Go Fas Racing FordWithdrew WD 66 Timmy Hill (i) MBM Motorsports ToyotaOfficial Open starting lineup
Qualifying (All-Star Race) Martin Truex Jr. was awarded the pole for the race as determined by a random draw.
All-Star Race Starting Lineup Pos Driver Team Manufacturer 1 19 Martin Truex Jr. Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 2 88 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 3 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 4 77 Justin Haley (i) Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 5 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart–Haas Racing Ford 6 42 Matt Kenseth Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 7 1 Kurt Busch Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 8 41 Cole Custer (R) Stewart–Haas Racing Ford 9 2 Brad Keselowski Team Penske Ford 10 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 11 6 Ryan Newman Roush Fenway Racing Ford 12 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 13 9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 14 48 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 15 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 16 20 Erik Jones Joe Gibbs Racing ToyotaOfficial All-Star starting lineup
NASCAR All Star Open
NASCAR All Star Open results Pos Grid Driver Team Manufacturer 1 10 21 Matt DiBenedetto Wood Brothers Racing Ford 852 9 14 Clint Bowyer Stewart–Haas Racing Ford 853 11 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 854 8 17 Chris Buescher Roush Fenway Racing Ford 855 20 13 Ty Dillon Germain Racing Chevrolet 856 4 47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 857 1 34 Michael McDowell Front Row Motorsports Ford 858 19 38 John Hunter Nemechek (R) Front Row Motorsports Ford 859 21 32 Corey LaJoie Go Fas Racing Ford 8510 5 8 Tyler Reddick (R) Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 8511 3 95 Christopher Bell (R) Leavine Family Racing Toyota 8512 18 96 Daniel Suárez Gaunt Brothers Racing Toyota 8513 12 37 Ryan Preece JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 8514 13 27 J. J. Yeley (i) Rick Ware Racing Ford 8515 15 15 Brennan Poole (R) Premium Motorsports Chevrolet 8516 14 53 Garrett Smithley (i) Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet 8517 16 00 Quin Houff (R) StarCom Racing Chevrolet 8318 17 51 Joey Gase (i) Petty Ware Racing Ford 7619 7 24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 70 20 2 10 Aric Almirola Stewart–Haas Racing Ford 35 21 6 43 Bubba Wallace Richard Petty Motorsports Chevrolet 17Winner of the second segment. Winner of the first segment. By rule, when a driver wins a segment, he exits the race and immediately advances to the All-Star Race feature.Official NASCAR All Star Open race results
All-Star Race
All-Star Race results Pos Grid Driver Team Manufacturer 1 13 9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 1402 10 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 1403 5 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart–Haas Racing Ford 1404 9 2 Brad Keselowski Team Penske Ford 1405 15 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 1406 3 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 1407 12 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 1408 2 88 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 1409 17 10 Aric Almirola Stewart–Haas Racing Ford 14010 1* 19 Martin Truex Jr. Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 14011 16 20 Erik Jones Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 14012 18 24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 14013 19 21 Matt DiBenedetto Wood Brothers Racing Ford 14014 4 77 Justin Haley (i) Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 14015 20 14 Clint Bowyer Stewart–Haas Racing Ford 14016 8 41 Cole Custer (R) Stewart–Haas Racing Ford 14017 14 48 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 14018 6 42 Matt Kenseth Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 14019 11 6 Ryan Newman Roush Fenway Racing Ford 14020 7 1 Kurt Busch Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 140Official NASCAR All-Star Race results Because of multiple pre-race inspection fails, Martin Truex Jr. was moved to the last starting position during the pace laps.
Media
Television Fox Sports was the television broadcaster of the race in the United States. Lap-by-lap announcer, Mike Joy and Jeff Gordon covered the race from the Fox Sports studio in Charlotte. Regan Smith and Matt Yocum reported from pit lane. Larry McReynolds provided insight from the Fox Sports studio in Charlotte. This was also Fox Sports' last Cup race for their portion of the 2020 season as NBC Sports takes over NASCAR broadcasts for the rest of the season.
FS1 TelevisionBooth announcersPit reportersIn-race analyst Lap-by-lap: Mike JoyColor-commentator: Jeff Gordon Regan SmithMatt Yocum Larry McReynolds
Radio Motor Racing Network (MRN) continued their longstanding relationship with Speedway Motorsports to broadcast the race on radio. The lead announcers for the race's broadcast were Alex Hayden and Jeff Striegle. The network also implemented two announcers on each side of the track: Dave Moody in turns 1 and 2 and Kyle Rickey in turns 3 and 4. Winston Kelly and Steve Post were the network's pit lane reporters. The network's broadcast was also simulcast on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio.
MRN RadioBooth announcersTurn announcersPit reporters Lead announcer: Alex HaydenAnnouncer: Jeff Striegle Turns 1 & 2: Dave MoodyTurns 3 & 4: Kyle Rickey Winston KellySteve Post
References