A chaotic opening at Dover
The 2026 NASCAR All‑Star Race at Dover Motor Speedway got off to a stunning start when a massive crash erupted on lap two, scattering debris and briefly igniting flames from one of the involved cars.
Ryan Preece, driving the No. 60 RFK Racing Ford, lost control of his machine and slammed into the wall, setting off a chain reaction that involved Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott, Ryan Blaney and several other front‑running drivers.
The impact sent a plume of smoke across the 1‑mile concrete oval, with fire licking the side of Preece’s car before officials waved the red flag to clear the track and assess the damage.
NASCAR quickly moved to enforce the specific repair protocols allowed for the All‑Star event, allowing teams to fix the damaged machines before the competition could resume under caution.
Apology and context
After the caution period, Preece climbed out of his battered Ford and offered a public apology, admitting he was unsure of the exact cause of the loss of control while acknowledging the incident would reignite discussions about his previous penalties.
The crash also drew additional scrutiny because the driver had been penalized earlier in the weekend, adding a layer of narrative intrigue to an already dramatic opening.
Despite the chaos, Denny Hamlin had secured the pole position earlier in the weekend, though his own qualifying run included a spin that he managed to recover from, highlighting the unpredictable nature of the venue.
With repairs completed and the track cleared, the race finally restarted under caution, giving fans a glimpse of the high‑stakes competition that still lay ahead on the historic concrete surface.