Getty NASCAR drivers race at Daytona International Speedway.
The NASCAR All-Star Race will take place on Sunday, June 13, at Texas Motor Speedway and will pit some of the biggest stars against each other for a $1 million bonus. Prior to the big race, NASCAR has released the top five names from the fan vote that will ultimately help one driver lock up a spot.
According to racing’s sanctioning body, the top five vote-getters are: Matt DiBenedetto, Bubba Wallace, Daniel Suarez, Erik Jones, and rookie Chase Briscoe. NASCAR did not reveal the number of votes submitted for each driver, opting to only list those that sat near the top of the count.
The current list of drivers eligible for the fan vote are Aric Almirola, Anthony Alfredo, Chris Buescher, Josh Bilicki, Chase Briscoe, Ross Chastain, Austin Cindric, Matt DiBenedetto, Joey Gase, Timmy Hill, Quin Houff, Erik Jones, Corey LaJoie, BJ McLeod, Ryan Preece, Tyler Reddick, Garrett Smithley, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Daniel Suarez, Bubba Wallace, and Cody Ware.
Several Drivers Have Secure Spots in the All-Star Race
GettyKevin Harvick celebrates an All-Star win.
There are currently 17 drivers locked into the All-Star Race at Texas Motor Speedway. The list includes Alex Bowman, Austin Dillon, Brad Keselowski, Chase Elliott, Cole Custer, Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano, Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr., Ryan Blaney, William Byron, Michael McDowell, Christopher Bell, Kyle Larson, and Ryan Newman.
In order to qualify for the NASCAR All-Star Race, the drivers have to fit one of a number of criteria. They can lock up a spot by winning a Cup Series race during the 2020-21 seasons while competing full-time. Past All-Star Race winners also receive an immediate spot, provided they still compete full-time in the Cup Series. Finally, the past Cup Series champions are eligible for a spot in the All-Star Race if they are still full-time competitors.
While Newman has not won a race since 2017, he has a spot locked up in the All-Star Race every year. He raced to Victory Lane and captured the bonus money in 2002. He also achieved this goal during his rookie season.
Harvick, on the other hand, locked up his spot in the All-Star race two different ways. He won nine races during the 2020 season, but he also took the checkered flag at two separate All-Star Races. Harvick won in 2007 and then added another in 2018, making him the active leader in All-Star wins.
Only One Fan Vote Winner Has Won the All-Star Race
GettyKasey Kahne prepares for the All-Star Race.
While the fan vote has helped several drivers reach the big show and compete for the cash prize, only one driver has actually achieved this goal. Kasey Kahne, who drove for Gillett Evernham Motorsports at the time, won the fan vote in 2008. He went on to win the All-Star Race, one of three wins in 2008 along with two points races.
Since that impressive performance, no other racer has been able to capture the checkered flag the same year that they won the fan vote. For example, Clint Bowyer won the vote in 2020, but eventual Cup Series champion Chase Elliott raced to the finish line first and captured the prize money.
The All-Star Race will take place on Sunday, June 13, at Texas Motor Speedway. FS1 will provide coverage for the race, as well as the All-Star Open that precedes it. These two events will mark the final Fox Sports races on the coverage before NBC Sports takes over.
READ NEXT: Weather Forecast for Race Weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway