Carson Hocevar, taking advantage of a well-executed pit stop strategy, took the victory at the All-Star Open and secured his place in the NASCAR All-Star Race held at North Wilkesboro Speedway.
John Hunter Nemechek, who finished second in the 100-lap race, also managed to advance to the main event.
Noah Gragson, for his part, obtained the last available position in the All-Star Race thanks to a fan vote.
The main competition, which will take place on Sunday night, will feature the participation of 20 additional drivers who will compete for a $1 million prize over 250 laps.
Hocevar, who started from second position, took the lead in his number 77 Chevrolet thanks to a two-tire pit stop during the mid-race caution.
Spire Motorsports’ driver crossed the finish line with a 0.697-second lead over Nemechek, whose No. 42 Toyota advanced from sixth position in the final seven laps.
It’s something very big for this team. It’s great to win, especially when you’re challenged by the tires there. I had a lot of work. We definitely have to work on our race car because I really didn’t like it. But it’s a good sign that we didn’t like it and we were still pretty fast there.
Carson Hocevar
Ty Dillon finished in third place, followed by Erik Jones and Michael McDowell.
Shane van Gisbergen, who started from pole position, finished in 13th place after leading the first 54 laps on the 0.625-mile oval. The New Zealander driver, who is in his first full season in the Cup Series after winning three Supercar championships in Australia, dropped from first to sixth place after a four-tire pit stop during the mid-race caution.
I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. It’s been a terrible year for us, but I feel like we’re improving every week. This proves it. It was incredible to lead some laps. I was at the front driving like a grandma and it felt easy. We’re improving.
Shane van Gisbergen
Ryan Preece finished 11th in the Open after being sent to the rear from second place on a restart with 17 laps to go. Preece explained that he unintentionally crossed the commitment line before which drivers must choose whether to restart on the inside or outside lane.
It’s really non-existent from inside the car. You can’t see it. So I just turned left crossing the line, imagining I was in that area. I’m frustrated because if you have a situation like that, put a cone there so we can see it. Our Ford Mustang was super fast, and I think we were the only ones making a splash. It’s heartbreaking to have a race taken away like that.
Ryan Preece
NASCAR repainted the restart commitment line before the start of the All-Star Race.
The prize for the winner of the All-Star Race has been $1 million since the 2003 event, and some drivers have expressed that an increase to compensate for inflation is something that should have already been done.
I definitely think it should be increased. That’s the only thing about the All-Star Race that I would probably change. I don’t want to be greedy, but I think it can be raised to $3 million.
Ryan Blaney
Bubba Wallace suggested $5 million, but would be content with a raise to $3 million.
The Cup Series will move to Charlotte Motor Speedway for the Coca-Cola 600 on May 25, the longest race of the season. Christopher Bell won last year’s race, which was shortened from 600 to 374 miles due to rain.
Kyle Larson missed the 2024 race due to his late arrival, as the Indianapolis 500 race was delayed by rain. The Hendrick Motorsports star will try again to become the fifth driver to compete in the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 on the same day.
