The starting lineup and pole for Wednesday's NASCAR All-Star Race at Bristol Motor Speedway were set by a procedure similar to the one that has been used for most Cup Series races since NASCAR's return in May from its COVID-19 pause.
The starting grid for Wednesday's race at Bristol, scheduled to start at 8:30 p.m. ET and be broadcast live on FS1, will be led by a Toyota and a Chevrolet as a result of the fully random draw held to determine the first 16 spots in the 20-car field.
MORE: Updated 2020 NASCAR Cup Series schedule
Three of the final four spots in the All-Star Race field will be determined by the results of the All-Star Open, which will be run prior to the All-Star Race (7 p.m. ET, FS1). The last spot in the All-Star Race will go to the winner of an online fan vote.
Below is the starting lineup for Wednesday's NASCAR All-Star Race and All-Star Open at Bristol and how the Open field was set.
Who won the pole for the NASCAR All-Star Race at Bristol?
NASCAR held a random draw of the 16 drivers who were already eligible for the All-Star Race. Joe Gibbs Racing's Martin Truex Jr. drew the pole position; Hendrick Motorsports' Alex Bowman drew the other spot on the front row.
Truex, with one win this season, is seventh in the 2020 Cup Series points standings. Bowman, also with one win, is ninth.
Bristol is one of Truex's worst tracks, however; he has yet to win there in 29 career Cup Series starts. Bowman likewise is winless in Thunder Valley, although in just nine races.
The second row is Ryan Blaney in the third position and Justin Haley in the fourth spot.
NASCAR All-Star Race starting lineup at Bristol
Drivers earned All-Star Race eligibility in three ways:
— Win a Cup Series points-paying race in 2019 or 2020. Cup Series rookie Cole Custer became eligible with his upset win Sunday at Kentucky. Justin Haley, a full-time driver in the Xfinity Series, gained entry with his win at Daytona last July.
— Win a Cup Series championship. Truex, Kevin Harvick, Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch, Brad Keselowski, Kyle Busch, Joey Logano and Jimmie Johnson are the Cup champions in the All-Star Race field.
— Win a past All-Star Race. Ryan Newman got in this way.
The draw for the starting lineup took place Monday. Below are the results:
| Start | Driver | Car No. | Team |
| 1 | Martin Truex Jr. | 19 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 2 | Alex Bowman | 88 | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 3 | Ryan Blaney | 12 | Team Penske |
| 4 | Justin Haley | 77 | Spire Motorsports |
| 5 | Kevin Harvick | 4 | Stewart-Haas Racing |
| 6 | Matt Kenseth | 42 | Chip Ganassi Racing |
| 7 | Kurt Busch | 1 | Chip Ganassi Racing |
| 8 | Cole Custer | 41 | Stewart-Haas Racing |
| 9 | Brad Keselowski | 2 | Team Penske |
| 10 | Kyle Busch | 18 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 11 | Ryan Newman | 6 | Roush Fenway Racing |
| 12 | Joey Logano | 22 | Team Penske |
| 13 | Chase Elliott | 9 | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 14 | Jimmie Johnson | 48 | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 15 | Denny Hamlin | 11 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 16 | Erik Jones | 20 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 17 | Winner of Open Stage 1 | ||
| 18 | Winner of Open Stage 2 | ||
| 19 | Winner of Open Stage 3 | ||
| 20 | Fan Vote winner |
NASCAR All-Star Open lineup at Bristol
The All-Star Open starting grid was determined similiarly to how lineups for Cup Series races have been set since NASCAR's return from its coronavirus pause. NASCAR is mostly using random draws while it proceeds without qualifying and practice sessions prior to races to limit time spent at the track amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Below is the protocol for how the All-Star Open field was set at Bristol:
- Positions 1-12: Random draw from the top 12 teams in owner points.
- Positions 13-22: Random draw from the remaining teams.
The draw for the starting lineup took place Monday. Below are the results:
| Start | Driver | Car No. | Team |
| 1 | Michael McDowell | 34 | Front Row Motorsports |
| 2 | Aric Almirola | 10 | Stewart-Haas Racing |
| 3 | Christopher Bell | 95 | Leavine Family Racing |
| 4 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 47 | JTG Daugherty Racing |
| 5 | Tyler Reddick | 8 | Richard Childress Racing |
| 6 | Bubba Wallace | 43 | Richard Petty Motorsports |
| 7 | William Byron | 24 | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 8 | Chris Buescher | 17 | Roush Fenway Racing |
| 9 | Clint Bowyer | 14 | Stewart-Haas Racing |
| 10 | Matt DiBenedetto | 21 | Wood Brothers Racing |
| 11 | Austin Dillon | 3 | Richard Childress Racing |
| 12 | Ryan Preece | 37 | JTG Daugherty Racing |
| 13 | JJ Yeley | 27 | Rick Ware Racing |
| 14 | Garrett Smithley | 53 | Rick Ware Racing |
| 15 | Brennan Poole | 15 | Premium Motorsports |
| 16 | Quin Houff | 00 | StarCom Racing |
| 17 | Timmy Hill * | 66 | Motorsports Business Management |
| 18 | Joey Gase | 51 | Petty Ware Racing |
| 19 | Daniel Suarez | 96 | Gaunt Brothers Racing |
| 20 | John Hunter Nemechek | 38 | Front Row Motorsports |
| 21 | Ty Dillon | 13 | Germain Racing |
| 22 | Corey LaJoie | 32 | Go Fas Racing |
* Withdrawn from race.
