Carson Hocevar beat John Hunter Nemechek in the 100-lap NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Open to advance to the main event on Sunday night at North Wilkesboro Speedway in North Carolina.

By advancing out of the preliminary race, Hocevar and Nemechek were able to race in their first All-Star Race at the 5/8th-mile track, where the winner earns $1 million.

Noah Gragson won the fan vote for the third straight season and advanced in his No. 4 Ford.

Polesitter Shane van Gisbergen bolted away to a nearly three-second lead in the first 25 laps, and the best battle was between Spire Motorsports teammates Hocevar and Michael McDowell for the runner-up spot.

The two Chevrolets banged door-to-door on Lap 17 before Hocevar drove away and had to fend off the hard-charging No. 60 Ford of Ryan Preece.

The competition caution at Lap 50 wiped out van Gisbergen’s nearly four-second lead, and his crew opted to change four tires, sending him back to sixth on the restart.

Meanwhile, Hocevar, McDowell, Bubba Wallace and Ty Gibbs all took right-sides only, moving them up to the top four positions as the race restarted on Lap 59.

Turning occasional sub-19-second laps, Hocevar’s No. 77 showed the way as Gibbs moved up to second, but Preece and Gibbs raced door-to-door for second before the No. 60 edged away from Gibbs’ No. 54 Toyota.

McDowell sent Riley Herbst’s No. 35 into the Turn 3 wall on Lap 78 for the final caution, but Preece was sent to the back for a box infraction.

Nemechek, who took two tires on his No. 42 Toyota on the caution, passed second-place Wallace and held off Ty Dillon and Erik Jones to advance to the main event.

–Field Level Media