Heat races to set starting grids are not uncommon in motorsport. Nitro Rallycross and Formula E take it another step further with a one-on-one elimination format. On Saturday, the NASCAR Cup Series determined the field for Sunday’s All-Star Race with a slightly different approach: a four-tyre pit stop at the end of pit road and one lap around Texas Motor Speedway.
New for 2022, the starting lineup for the All-Star Race was determined using a bracket system that gave pit crews a bigger role. Previous All-Star Races also utilised crews such as having drivers make mandatory stops while setting a flying lap in qualifying or during the race, while the Pit Crew Challenge—in which crews made their stops before pushing their cars to the finish—was a fan favourite until its discontinuation in 2012.
Kyle Busch‘s #18 Joe Gibbs Racing crew proved to be the best as he defeated team-mate Martin Truex Jr., Kyle Larson, and Ryan Blaney to win the pole.
“This is a cool event,” commented Busch’s crew chief Ben Beshore. “A good way to showcase our pit crew and they did a great job. They put in a lot of hard work this off-season and throughout the year. They clicked off awesome stops there and it’s exciting.”
Twenty cars were locked into the All-Star, and the top eight in traditional qualifying advanced to the knockout round. Aric Almirola kicked off the experiment on an inauspicious note when he missed the green light to signal the start, causing him to fall significantly behind and William Byron to easily win. Blaney defeated Ross Chastain to take on and eventually defeat Byron.
In the opposite bracket, defending race winner Larson beat Kurt Busch to face younger brother Kyle. However, Busch won the Battle of the Kyles after Larson’s car stalled. The #18 then won the final over the #12.
“Anytime you’re able to showcase the pit crews’ ability and have them and their athleticism in this competition and in this qualifying format, I enjoy that,” said Busch. “I think that’s my most favourite part of the year (when) coming to the All-Star Race, whether it’s Charlotte and coming down pit road and sliding into the box, but having those guys go over the wall certainly means a lot, especially this #18 bunch that I’ve had a lot of success with over the years. Obviously changed up a few times, most recently, but we’ve always been a threat to be reckoned with when it comes to getting on the pole for the All-Star Race. It feels good to have that today.”
Saturday also saw qualifying for the All-Star Open, an event of sixteen drivers who had not locked themselves into the All-Star Race. Tyler Reddick, who has been a regular contender to finally snag his first career Cup victory but has yet to get over the hump, led the way ahead of Daniel Suárez, who has also been in that predicament.
Starting lineup
| Position | Number | Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Best Time | Best Speed (mph) |
| 1 | 18 | Kyle Busch | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 28.554 | 189.115 |
| 2 | 12 | Ryan Blaney | Team Penske | Ford | 28.565 | 189.043 |
| 3 | 24 | William Byron | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 28.528 | 189.288 |
| 4 | 5 | Kyle Larson | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 28.632 | 188.600 |
| 5 | 45 | Kurt Busch | 23XI Racing | Toyota | 28.620 | 188.679 |
| 6 | 1 | Ross Chastain | Trackhouse Racing Team | Chevrolet | 28.723 | 188.003 |
| 7 | 19 | Martin Truex Jr. | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 28.744 | 187.865 |
| 8 | 10 | Aric Almirola | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | 28.767 | 187.715 |
| 9 | 22 | Joey Logano | Team Penske | Ford | 28.777 | 187.650 |
| 10 | 16 | A.J. Allmendinger | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 28.807 | 187.454 |
| 11 | 14 | Chase Briscoe | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | 28.822 | 187.357 |
| 12 | 2 | Austin Cindric | Team Penske | Ford | 28.830 | 187.305 |
| 13 | 9 | Chase Elliott | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 28.831 | 187.298 |
| 14 | 20 | Christopher Bell | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 28.834 | 187.279 |
| 15 | 4 | Kevin Harvick | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | 28.864 | 187.084 |
| 16 | 11 | Denny Hamlin | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 28.891 | 186.909 |
| 17 | 23 | Bubba Wallace | 23XI Racing | Toyota | 28.904 | 186.825 |
| 18 | 6 | Brad Keselowski | RFK Racing | Ford | 28.908 | 186.800 |
| 19 | 34 | Michael McDowell | Front Row Motorsports | Ford | 28.935 | 186.625 |
| 20 | 48 | Alex Bowman | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 29.011 | 186.136 |
* – Ineligible for points
Open qualifying results
| Position | Number | Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Best Time | Best Speed (mph) |
| 1 | 8 | Tyler Reddick | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 28.880 | 186.981 |
| 2 | 99 | Daniel Suárez | Trackhouse Racing Team | Chevrolet | 28.892 | 186.903 |
| 3 | 47 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | JTG Daugherty Racing | Chevrolet | 28.956 | 186.490 |
| 4 | 43 | Erik Jones | Petty GMS Motorsports | Chevrolet | 28.982 | 186.323 |
| 5 | 17 | Chris Buescher | RFK Racing | Ford | 29.003 | 186.188 |
| 6 | 31 | Justin Haley | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 29.028 | 186.027 |
| 7 | 3 | Austin Dillon | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 29.110 | 185.503 |
| 8 | 7 | Corey LaJoie | Spire Motorsports | Chevrolet | 29.195 | 184.963 |
| 9 | 21 | Harrison Burton | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 29.224 | 184.780 |
| 10 | 41 | Cole Custer | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | 29.226 | 184.767 |
| 11 | 77 | Landon Cassill* | Spire Motorsports | Chevrolet | 29.287 | 184.382 |
| 12 | 42 | Ty Dillon | Petty GMS Motorsports | Chevrolet | 29.396 | 183.698 |
| 13 | 51 | Cody Ware | Rick Ware Racing | Ford | 29.506 | 183.014 |
| 14 | 38 | Todd Gilliland | Front Row Motorsports | Ford | 29.749 | 181.519 |
| 15 | 15 | Garrett Smithley | Rick Ware Racing | Ford | 29.895 | 180.632 |
| 16 | 78 | B.J. McLeod | Live Fast Motorsports | Ford | 29.927 | 180.439 |