CONCORD, N.C. – The format for the 2019 edition of the 35th running of the NASCAR All-Star Race has been announced.
The $1,000,000 winner-takes-all event will feature four stages, consisting of a 30-lap segment followed by two 20-lap segments and a 15-lap shootout to the checkers to bring the total circuits to 85 laps.
In the first three stages, both green-flag and yellow-flag laps will count with only green-flag laps counting in the final stage. This year, the overtime rules will have unlimited attempts at a green-white-checkered finish while under the conditions of a green flag.
A new twist to this year's exhibition race are two technical elements, with the first being a single-piece carbon fiber splitter/pan that will offer dramatic improvements in ride-height sensitivity for competitors. The second element requires cars to be configured with a radiator exit duct through the hood that will separate aerodynamic performance and engine temperature, creating more parity across the field.
Two Hendrick Motorsports drivers have already clinched their spots in the 2019 All-Star Race. Chase Elliott met the criteria for eligibility by winning a points-paying event in 2018 and Jimmie Johnson is eligible to compete in his 18th All-Star Race because he is a former All-Star Race winner and a past NASCAR Cup Series champion.
Alex Bowman and William Byron will have opportunities to earn their ways into the showcase event by winning a stage in the Open or by winning the Fan Vote.
The 2019 Open will be ran prior to the All-Star Race and will consists of three stages -- 20 laps, 20 laps and 10 laps -- with the winner of each stage earning a spot in the All-Star Race.
Both the NASCAR All-Star Race and Open will air live on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio starting at 6 p.m. ET on Saturday, May 18.