Denny Hamlin wins at Dover

Denny Hamlin won NASCAR’s All-Star Race at Dover Motor Speedway on Sunday, taking the lead for good with 29 laps remaining and beating Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Chase Briscoe in the exhibition event. NASCAR said Hamlin earned the $1 million prize, his second All-Star Race victory and his second Cup event win of the 2026 season. The race marked Dover’s debut as host of the All-Star event after NASCAR moved the exhibition from North Wilkesboro for 2026. (nascar.com) Dover Motor Speedway’s one-mile concrete oval, known as the Monster Mile, staged the 350-lap format announced earlier this year. (nascar.com) ### How did Hamlin take control at the end? Hamlin started both Segment 1 and the final segment from the pole, NASCAR said, but Briscoe cleared him on a restart with 52 laps to go. NASCAR said Hamlin stayed within a second of Briscoe before making the winning pass with 29 circuits left and holding the top spot to the finish. The margin of victory was 0.887 seconds, according to NASCAR’s live results page. Chase Briscoe finished second, followed by Erik Jones in third, Austin Dillon in fourth and Connor Zilisch in fifth. (nascar.com) ### What did the win add to Hamlin’s record? NASCAR said Hamlin’s Dover result was his second career All-Star Race victory and his third race in a row at the one-mile Delaware track. The sanctioning body also said he won his second Cup event of 2026 on Sunday. (nascar.com) NASCAR’s victory-lane video said Hamlin credited the No. 11 team and his Toyota after the race. In a separate race clip, NASCAR said Hamlin “holds off Chase Briscoe late” to collect his second career $1 million check in the event. (nascar.com) ### Why was Dover hosting the All-Star Race this year? NASCAR announced on August 20, 2025, that Dover Motor Speedway would host the 2026 All-Star Race, ending North Wilkesboro Speedway’s three-year run with the exhibition. NASCAR said the move made Dover the first one-mile oval and the first Northeastern venue to hold the event. (nascar.com) Dover Motor Speedway said the 42nd annual All-Star Race was scheduled for Sunday, May 17, with a 350-lap format and a $1 million prize. (nascar.com) NASCAR said the format featured three segments and a 26-car final field. ### What shaped the race before the finish? Briscoe led 39 laps in the final segment before traffic and tire issues altered the order, NASCAR said. Tyler Reddick briefly moved forward in the closing run, but NASCAR said Hamlin retook the lead before the scheduled caution and later regained it for good after Briscoe’s restart surge. (nascar.com) Joey Logano crashed on Lap 139 after a blown tire, NASCAR said, and Tyler Reddick later went to pit road with a power-steering issue before his team ended the day. (dovermotorspeedway.com) NASCAR also said Connor Zilisch recovered from a pit-road penalty to finish fifth. ### What comes next on the Cup schedule? NASCAR’s 2026 Cup Series schedule lists the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina, as the next race on Sunday, May 24, at 6 p.m. ET. The schedule page lists Dover’s All-Star Race as the previous event and Hamlin as the winner. (nascar.com) NASCAR’s Dover weekend schedule said the All-Star Race aired on FS1, MRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. Re-airs of the Dover race are scheduled on FS1 and FS2 beginning May 18, according to NASCAR’s listings page. (nascar.com 1) (nascar.com 2) (nascar.com 3)