NASCAR All-Star Open 2020 Results: Almirola Headlines All-Star Race Qualifiers

Aric Almirola, William Byron and Matt DiBenedetto are headed to Wednesday night's NASCAR All-Star Race.

They won the first three stages at the 2020 NASCAR All-Star Open, clinching their spots in the 20-driver field in the subsequent All-Star Race at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Clint Bowyer joined them as the winner of the fan vote for the final spot in the field.

As Todd Haislop of Sporting News explained, drivers who won a points event in 2019 or 2020, drivers who won a NASCAR All-Star Race and compete full-time, and drivers who won a NASCAR Cup Series title and compete full-time were eligible for the All-Star Race.

Those who did not meet one of those criteria were given the opportunity to clinch a spot with the Open.

A quick start for pole-sitter Michael McDowell and the rest of the field was imperative considering the Open is a three-stage sprint with the first two at 35 laps each and the final one at 15 laps.

Almirola wasted no time passing McDowell for the lead in that initial sprint, but the biggest development in Stage 1 was the crash between the latter and Bubba Wallace.

Jeff Gluck of The Athletic called it "weird" that it appeared as if McDowell took a right and noted the crash knocked Wallace out of contention for the All-Star Race. That was even the case for the fan vote for the fourth and final spot seeing how "you can't win the fan vote with a destroyed car."

That was notable considering Wallace has made plenty of fans for his fight against systemic racism and for progress within his sport.

Even LeBron James has publicly declared his support for Wallace, who has been an outspoken proponent of the Black Lives Matter movement and a key figure in the sport's decision to ban the Confederate flag.

Wallace was not happy with McDowell, telling FS1 (h/t Daniel McFadin of NBC Sports): "Just disrespect when you get hooked into the wall. I don't even need to see a replay. ... People say (McDowell's) one of the nicest guys in the garage. Can't wait for the God-fearing text that he's going to send me about preaching and praising and respect. What a joke he is."

Following the crash, Almirola captured victory in the first stage.

There was less drama in the final two stages, although fans got a look at the choose rule that allows all drivers—not just the leader—to select the inside or outside lane during restarts.

Byron navigated that and held off DiBenedetto to win the second stage.

That put the pressure on the rest of the field in the 15-lap sprint as a final chance in the Open, and DiBenedetto delivered after coming just short in Stage 2.

The trio who advanced to the second race, along with Bowyer, will take part in a historic event seeing how this is the first time Bristol Motor Speedway will host the All-Star Race. In fact, the NASCAR All-Star Race has been at Charlotte Motor Speedway every other year but 1986, when it was in Atlanta.