Just like past years, we're going to treat the 2023 NASCAR All-Star Race next Sunday (May 21) just like a normal weekend NASCAR race, but with less bonus point availability due to the simpler format of the 2023 All-Star event.
All picks for the All-Star Open and the All-Star race events must be posted before 5:00PM EDT (2:00PM PDT) Sunday, May 21, before the television coverage of both races starts on Fox Sports 1.
Here's the weekend schedule:
* No game bonus point for qualifying at this event
* Sunday, May 21, 5:00PM EDT (2:00PM PDT) the NASCAR All-Star Open, a 100-lap qualifying race for all drivers not automatically eligible to drive in the All-Star race. There will be a "competition break" on or around lap 40. The top 2 race finishers will transfer to the All-Star race. A fan vote winner will also advance to the All-Star race.
* The 2023 All-Star Race is scheduled to be a 200-lap race with a "competition break" on or around lap 100
So, how are points going to work? Pick two drivers as always - driver picks can be from both the All-Star Open and the already-qualified drivers for the All-Star Race. You are picking drivers for only the All-Star Race, not the All-Star Open.
All game scoring will be based on All Star Race stage and finish position only.
But you can pick a driver that is driving in the All-Star Open if you think they will be one of the three drivers from either the All-Star Open stage winners, or will be the fan vote winner, and advance to the All Star Race.
If your driver wins the All Star Race you'll get a -5 bonus, 2nd-place driver pick will get a -3 point bonus. Also, the driver pick leading at the "competition break" of the All Star Race will get a -1 point bonus.
As always, finishing positions from the All Star Race for your driver picks will be averaged. But not all current drivers will be starting the 200-lap All-Star race.
Only 25 drivers will start the All-Star race event, including the Fan Vote Winner and the top two finishers from the All-Star Open preliminary race.
If you pick a driver that doesn't make it out of the All-Star Open, you'll get an 25th-place finish for that driver.
No picks at all will be counted as 25 points since only 25 cars will be starting the All-Star Race.
Here's the list of the 22 drivers guaranteed entry to the All-Star Race. They'll be joined by the Fan Vote Winner and the top two finishers of the All-Star Open:
#1 Ross Chastain
#2 Austin Cindric
#3 Austin Dillon
#4 Kevin Harvick
#5 Kyle Larson
#6 Brad Keselowski
#8 Kyle Busch
#9 Chase Elliott
#11 Denny Hamlin
#12 Ryan Blaney
#14 Chase Briscoe
#17 Chris Buescher
#19 Martin Truex Jr.
#20 Christopher Bell
#22 Joey Logano
#23 Bubba Wallace
#24 William Byron
#43 Erik Jones
#45 Tyler Reddick
#47 Ricky /Stenhouse Jr.
#48 Alex Bowman
#99 Daniel Suarez
Pick any driver not on the above list and double any bonus points earned by that driver. You could get -10 points for an event win, -6 points for an event runner-up, -2 points for leading at the the "competition break" of the All-Star Race.
Not interested in any driver except for those already locked in, you say? Any of the drivers racing in the All-Star Open could easily win either the All-Star Open or the Fan Vote on Friday night. Pick a non-qualified driver and possibly earn double bonus points.
So, do you feel lucky? Well, do you?
Vote for your favorite driver if he's not already in the set field and try to get him in via the Fan Vote.
And i you just want to keep your already "locked in" picks...that's OK too.
Good luck all! Let me know if you have any questions.