DOVER, DELAWARE – MAY 17: Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 Progressive Insurance Toyota, poses with the one million dollar check in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race at Dover Motor Speedway on May 17, 2026 in Dover, Delaware. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)

By Holly Cain, NASCAR Wire Service

DOVER, Del. – For the second time in his celebrated career, Denny Hamlin won the NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race from pole position – making the pass for victory over his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Chase Briscoe with 29 laps remaining to claim the winner’s $1 million check.

DOVER, DELAWARE – MAY 17: Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 Progressive Insurance Toyota, takes the checkered flag to win the NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race at Dover Motor Speedway on May 17, 2026 in Dover, Delaware. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)

Hamlin’s No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota went on to win by a .887-second margin over Briscoe’s No. 19 JGR Toyota prevailing in the 200-lap final segment of competition in the three-phase non-points race taking place for the first time ever at the Dover (Del.) Motor Speedway’s famous one-mile concrete track.

Just finishing the third and final phase of this race was essentially an accomplishment for many of the sport’s best. A pair of nine-car accidents bookended the first of two 75-lap stages and either eliminated or badly handicapped perennial favorites such as past All-Star winners Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson and Ryan Blaney.

DOVER, DELAWARE – MAY 17: Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 Progressive Insurance Toyota, celebrates with a burnout after winning the NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race at Dover Motor Speedway on May 17, 2026 in Dover, Delaware. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)

Toyota drivers Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick, who drive for the 23XI Racing team Hamlin co-owns with NBA legend Michael Jordan, each won one of the opening two stages. And ultimately it came down to another three Toyotas to settle the popular “main event” in front of a packed house at the venerable Dover “Monster Mile” on a steamy Sunday afternoon.

“Makes it a lot easier when you have a car this fast,” said Hamlin, who at 45 years old is the second oldest driver to claim a trophy in the annual All-Star race. “Hats off to this whole [sponsor] Progressive team.

DOVER, DELAWARE – MAY 17: Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 Progressive Insurance Toyota, and Chase Briscoe, driver of the #19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota, race during the NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race at Dover Motor Speedway on May 17, 2026 in Dover, Delaware. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)

“We strive to be number one and we did it today,” he said, adding, “I just knew the game-changer for us was long runs and obviously the ability to pass when behind someone.”

Of the $1 million prize, Hamlin smiled and did not hesitate to say, “I’ll probably give it to mama.” – an especially moving gesture considering he lost his father in December in a fire that destroyed his parents’ home.

Hamlin (103) and Briscoe (61) combined to lead all but 36 laps of the final stage and the runner-up showing for Briscoe was a career best in the All-Star Race.

DOVER, DELAWARE – MAY 17: Tyler Reddick, driver of the #45 ACM Awards/Pinnacle Toyota, and Ross Chastain, driver of the #1 Busch Light Chevrolet, race during the NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race at Dover Motor Speedway on May 17, 2026 in Dover, Delaware. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)

It was obviously a really fast car and just proud of our group,” Briscoe said. “I knocked the wall down in practice and we basically rebuilt the whole car. So, for them to be able to get the car back to where it’s competitive says a lot about the guys. It was a good day.

“Wish it were a points race because we definitely need the points. But it was a hard-fought day,” added Briscoe, who said he’d been battling a stomach bug all weekend.

“Had a shot there at the end for a million bucks and you can’t ask for anything more.”

Erik Jones rallied to a third-place finish in the No. 43 Legacy Motor Club Toyota  – his best showing of the season – followed by the Chevrolets of Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Dillon and Trackhouse Racing rookie Connor Zilisch, who both also turned in their best finishes of the year.

DOVER, DELAWARE – MAY 17: A general view of racing during the NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race at Dover Motor Speedway on May 17, 2026 in Dover, Delaware. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)

It was an especially impressive day for the 19-year old fan-favorite Zilisch, who absolutely dominated the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series last year winning 10 times, but has endured some expected growing pains in his move up to the premier NASCAR Cup Series this year.

His fifth-place finish proved a remarkable comeback Sunday considering he received a pit road penalty after exiting the pits in second-place near the race’s midpoint. He steadily rallied back from the penalty – moving into the top-10 with 20 laps remaining and then into the that fifth-place showing by the checkered flag.

DOVER, DELAWARE – MAY 17: Shane Van Gisbergen, driver of the #97 SafetyCulture Chevrolet, and AJ Allmendinger, driver of the #16 Celsius Chevrolet, race during the NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race at Dover Motor Speedway on May 17, 2026 in Dover, Delaware. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)

“It would have taken a lot to beat the 11 [Hamlin] and 19 [Briscoe]; they were both really good,” Zilisch said. “Regardless, it was a really good day for Trackhouse and this 88 team. We needed a day like this where we had contending speed. It’s been a long year and moments of hope like this certainly feel good.

“It was cool to be on offense for once, have good restarts and not feel like a fish out of water,” he added.

Team Penske’s Austin Cindric, Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron, Spire Motorsports Michael McDowell, Hendrick Motorsport’s Alex Bowman and Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing’s Brad Keselowski rounded out the top-10. It was a notable comeback performance for the former series champion Keselowski, who started alongside Hamlin on the front row, but was collected in a multi-car accident in the second 75-lap segment.

Hamlin’s victory was his second in 20 All-Star starts and he becomes the third driver in NASCAR history to win the race at multiple tracks after claiming his first trophy at Charlotte Motor Speedway in 2015.

The NASCAR Cup Series championship resumes next week in annual Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway (6 p.m. ET, Amazon Prime, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain is the defending race winner.

Interviews:

All-Star Race Winner Denny Hamlin (No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota) –

Racing Winning Owner, Heather Gibbs and Crew Chief, Chris Gayle (No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota) –

NASCAR Cup Series Race – NASCAR All-Star Race

Dover Motor Speedway

Dover, Delaware

Sunday, May 17, 2026

                1. (1)  Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 200.

                2. (2)  Chase Briscoe, Toyota, 200.

                3. (7)  Erik Jones, Toyota, 200.

                4. (11)  Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, 200.

                5. (5)  Connor Zilisch #, Chevrolet, 200.

                6. (6)  Austin Cindric, Ford, 200.

                7. (4)  William Byron, Chevrolet, 200.

                8. (9)  Michael McDowell, Chevrolet, 200.

                9. (10)  Alex Bowman, Chevrolet, 200.

                10. (15)  Brad Keselowski, Ford, 200.

                11. (14)  Noah Gragson, Ford, 200.

                12. (20)  AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet, 200.

                13. (24)  Ryan Blaney, Ford, 200.

                14. (17)  Carson Hocevar, Chevrolet, 199.

                15. (13)  Ty Dillon, Chevrolet, 198.

                16. (16)  Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chevrolet, 198.

                17. (23)  Kyle Busch, Chevrolet, 198.

                18. (19)  Josh Berry, Ford, 197.

                19. (21)  Shane Van Gisbergen, Chevrolet, 197.

                20. (12)  Bubba Wallace, Toyota, 196.

                21. (26)  Daniel Suarez, Chevrolet, 196.

                22. (3)  Tyler Reddick, Toyota, Steering, 168.

                23. (22)  Christopher Bell, Toyota, Handling, 164.

                24. (18)  Ty Gibbs, Toyota, Suspension, 138.

                25. (8)  Joey Logano, Ford, Accident, 137.

                26. (25)  Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, Accident, 134.

Average Speed of Race Winner:  127.864 mph.

Time of Race:  1 Hrs, 33 Mins, 51 Secs. Margin of Victory:  .887 Seconds.

Caution Flags:  2 for 14 laps.

Lead Changes:  9 among 5 drivers.

Lap Leaders:   D. Hamlin 1;C. Briscoe 2-40;T. Reddick 41-74;D. Hamlin 75-77;C. Zilisch # 78;D. Hamlin 79-144;A. Dillon 145;D. Hamlin 146-148;C. Briscoe 149-170;D. Hamlin 171-200.

Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led):  Denny Hamlin 5 times for 103 laps; Chase Briscoe 2 times for 61 laps; Tyler Reddick 1 time for 34 laps; Connor Zilisch # 1 time for 1 lap; Austin Dillon 1 time for 1 lap.