NASCAR All-Star Race takeaways: New format disappoints

With just three laps remaining in the first segment, Chase Elliott, Kyle Busch and Christopher Bell were involved in another multi-car wreck.

The inclusion of every driver for the first 150 laps put the glaring problem of the All-Star Race at the forefront. Even the sport's most popular driver, Chase Elliott, pointed out the major problem that currently exists with a race that has lost its luster from what it used to be.

Ultimately, Elliott and Ross Chastain, who were involved in a separate crash with Brad Keselowski and Bubba Wallace in the second segment, did not even compete in the 200-lap finale, while Blaney, Larson and Bell never had the pace to contend with the damage they received.

It was not a good look for a race that is supposed to be exclusive to winners and past champions of the sport.

Denny Hamlin continues Dover mastery

Hamlin started the race on the pole and regained that spot for the final 200-lap segment after putting together the best combined average finish in the first two segments. The rest is history from there.

Even after he lost the top spot to Briscoe on the final restart following Joey Logano's crash with 62 to go, he muscled around his JGR teammate with 30 laps remaining and proved to be too much in his second All-Star race win (Charlotte, 2015).

Hamlin (45) becomes the second-oldest All-Star Race winner and continues to be the driver to beat at the one-mile concrete oval in Delaware. Entering the weekend, he had won the last two points races there and led a combined 203 laps.

He only has the one victory at Las Vegas in March, but Hamlin has been as consistent as anyone this season and currently sits second in the standings (-129) behind Tyler Reddick. The All-Star win could be the start of a strong upcoming stretch for the veteran.

Erik Jones, Connor Zilisch impress

If there was anything good to come out of the revamped format, it was the strong runs that Jones and Zilisch had after transferring into the 200-lap finale.

Jones finished third, and Zilisch came away fifth despite dropping to the tail of the field after an equipment interference penalty during a stop under the scheduled All-Star caution with 123 to go. Both drivers avoided the carnage and had some much-needed solid runs.