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Tag: Dover International Speedway

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Dover

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Dover

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin finished seventh at Dover, posting his tenth top 10 of the season.

    “I unveiled my new racing shoe,” Hamlin said. “It’s called the ‘Jordan Racer 1,’ and it comes with a heat shield built right into the heel. Chances are very good that it will eventually be the hottest shoe on the market.”

    2. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex finished 19th at Dover, one lap down.

    “It just wasn’t our day,” Truex said. “And that sucks, because I’m really fond of that ‘Miles The Monster’ trophy. Now, I can’t tell you exactly why I like that trophy so much. In other words, I can’t give you a ‘concrete’ reason why it appeals to me.”

    3. William Byron: Byron dealt with early brake issues at Dover, but overcame them on his way to a fourth in the Drydene 400.

    “My brake pedal was going all the way to the floor,” Byron said. “That’s not good, although technically, I did have the ‘pedal to the metal.’”

    4. Kyle Larson: Larson won Stages 1 and 2 but couldn’t hold off Hendrick teammate Alex Bowman for the win. Larson finished second as HMS took the top four spots.

    “Losing is the pits,” Larson said. “Oh, did I say ‘Losing is the pits?’ I meant to say ‘Losing in the pits,’ because that’s what we did. Did I say ‘we?’ I meant to say ‘they.’”

    5. Kevin Harvick: Harvick took sixth at Dover and is now eighth in the points standings.

    “It was good to see fans in the stands at Dover,” Harvick said. “Especially some without masks. Now, the fans’ full return won’t be complete until they’re allowed to be out full force in a track infield. And experience tells me that the only way to fully appreciate infield fans is without a mask, because they smell so bad you can taste them.”

    6. Alex Bowman: Bowman won the race off pit road on the final pit stop and led the final 98 laps to win the Drydene 400 at Dover.

    “Hendrick Motorsports cars swept the top four,” Bowman said. “They call that a ‘train,’ and they tell me no one’s run one that well at HMS since Tim Richmond.”

    7. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski suffered a lug nut mishap late at Dover, which forced an extra pit stop to correct. The lost track position left the driver of the No. 2 Penske Mustang with a 16th-place finish.

    “Did you see the guy dressed as Kyle Busch in the stands?” Keselowski said. “It made my day. Now there’s two Kyle Busch’s I can call an ‘ass.’ That would be called the ‘ass-ass-ination’ of Kyle Busch.”

    8. Joey Logano: Logano finished fifth at Dover behind the Hendrick Motorsports 1-2-3-4 finish.

    “That’s the epitome of a ‘sweep,’” Logano said. “So, basically, Hendrick took the broom to the rest of us. And speaking of ‘taking a broom,’ that’s also how Teresa Earnhardt traveled.”

    9. Kyle Busch: Busch suffered early engine issues at Dover and finished 27th, seven laps down, in the Drydene 400.

    “There was a fan in the stands dressed exactly like me,” Busch said. “I’m flattered, but mostly surprised, that anyone would go out of their way to look like me.”

    10. Chase Elliott: Elliott finished third at Dover as Hendrick Motorsports swept the top four spots.

    “I started from the rear because of multiple inspection failures,” Elliott said. “That seems to be a weekly occurrence for me. You know it may be a problem when NASCAR officials spend as much time under your hood as your mechanics.”

  • Bowman leads a 1-2-3-4 finish for Hendrick Motorsports at Dover

    Bowman leads a 1-2-3-4 finish for Hendrick Motorsports at Dover

    It was an historic day for Hendrick Motorsports as Alex Bowman assumed the lead under the final 100 laps following a stellar pit stop from his crew and went on to beat teammate Kyle Larson and win the Drydene 400 at Dover International Speedway on Sunday, May 16, as he also led a 1-2-3-4 finish for the HMS organization.

    The starting lineup was based on a performance metric formula, weighing the driver’s and owner’s results from a previous Cup event, the owner points position and the fastest lap recorded from a previous Cup race. With that, Martin Truex Jr., winner of last weekend’s event at Darlington Raceway, started on pole position and was joined on the front row with Denny Hamlin, teammate and the regular-season points leader.

    Prior to the race, Chase Elliott dropped to the rear of the field due to his car failing pre-race inspection twice. Ryan Newman also dropped to the rear due to unapproved adjustments. Josh Berry, who was making his NASCAR Cup debut in the No. 77 Chevrolet for Spire Motorsports, also dropped to the rear of the field due to a driver change as he replaced Justin Haley, who was absent from the Cup event and Saturday’s Xfinity Series event due to COVID-19 protocols.

    When the green flag waved and the race commenced, Truex launched ahead with the lead followed by Kyle Larson, Hamlin and Kyle Busch. Truex, though, was able to lead the first lap with the field behind jostling for position.

    Through the first 10 laps of the event, Truex continued to lead by half a second over Larson and nearly seven-tenths of a second over William Byron. Hamlin was in fourth followed by Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, Ryan Blaney, Joey Logano, Chris Buescher and Christopher Bell.

    Five laps later, Byron, who had taken over the runner-up spot over teammate Larson, started to close in on Truex for the lead. Another lap later, Byron powered his No. 24 AXALTA Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE to the lead. 

    By Lap 20, Byron was leading teammate Larson and Harvick while Truex slipped back to fourth place ahead of teammate Hamlin.

    By Lap 30 and with the leaders approaching lapped traffic, Byron continued to lead by a narrow margin over teammate Larson. Meanwhile, Kyle Busch, who was running in the top 10, had fallen back to 12th place after reporting a mechanical issue to his No. 18 M&M’s Toyota Camry.

    When the field reached the competition caution on Lap 35, Byron maintained the lead over teammate Larson, Harvick, Truex and Hamlin. By then, Chase Elliott, who started at the rear of the field, was in 17th while Kyle Busch, who continued to have mechanical issues with his car, had fallen back to 23rd. In addition, names like Ryan Preece, Ryan Newman, Kurt Busch, Cole Custer and Aric Almirola were spared from being lapped by Byron.

    Under the competition caution, the leaders pitted and Larson was able to exit pit road ahead of teammate Byron. Following the pit stops, Tyler Reddick, Corey LaJoie and Michael McDowell were sent to the rear of the field for speeding on pit road.

    When the race restarted on Lap 40, Larson took off with the lead followed by Harvick.

    By Lap 50, Larson was out in front by half a second over Harvick while Byron, Ryan Blaney and Denny Hamlin were in the top five. Chris Buescher was in sixth followed by Brad Keselowski, Logano, Alex Bowman and Elliott. Truex was back in 11th followed by Austin Dillon, Christopher Bell, Bubba Wallace and rookie Chase Briscoe. Kyle Busch was in 29th, the final car on the lead lap.

    Three laps later, Kyle Busch, who continued to battle engine issues, was lapped by Larson. Meanwhile, Byron, who continued to run in third place, radioed brake issues to his car.

    Through the first 70 laps of the event, Larson remained in the lead by nearly two seconds over Harvick followed by Byron. Behind, Corey LaJoie pitted due to a flat tire.

    Five laps later, Larson extended his advantage to more than two seconds over Harvick followed by Byron, Blaney and Hamlin. Buescher, Logano, Keselowski, Elliott and Bowman all remained in the top 10 ahead of Austin Dillon and Truex, who was struggling with pace.

    At the Lap 100 mark, Larson continued to lead by more than four seconds over Harvick followed by Byron, Blaney and Hamlin. Elliott moved up to sixth followed by Buescher, Logano, Bowman and Keselowski.

    In the closing laps of the first stage, Larson increased his advantage to more than seven seconds. Behind, Hamlin moved up to second place followed by Blaney, Harvick and Elliott while Byron fell back to sixth.

    On the final lap of the first stage, Chase Briscoe, who was trying to remain on the lead lap ahead of leader Larson, scrubbed the outside wall in Turn 1, though he was able to prevent the car from spinning. The debris from Briscoe’s damaged car was enough for the first stage to conclude under caution as Larson was able to claim his fifth stage victory of the season. Hamlin maintained the runner-up spot followed by Blaney, Elliott and Harvick while Byron, Logano, Bowman, Buescher and Keselowski were in the top 10.

    Under the stage break, the leaders pitted and Larson maintained the lead following his pit service. Hamlin exited in second place followed by Elliott, Blaney and Logano. Soon after, Truex made another pit stop to have damage to the front of his car repaired.

    The second stage started on Lap 129 with Larson and Hamlin on the front row. At the start, Larson maintained the lead while Elliott drew his No. 9 NAPA Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE alongside Hamlin’s No. 11 FedEx Toyota Camry for the runner-up spot.

    By Lap 135, Larson was leading by eight-tenths of a second over teammate Elliott followed by Blaney, Hamlin and Logano. Harvick, Buescher, Austin Dillon, Kurt Busch and Byron were in the top 10. 

    Through the first 150 laps of the event, Larson remained as the leader followed by teammate Elliott, Blaney, Hamlin and Logano. Harvick was in sixth followed by Byron, Buescher, Austin Dillon and Alex Bowman. Kurt Busch and Keselowski were in 11th and 12th, Truex was in 14th ahead of Daniel Suarez, Bubba Wallace was in 17th behind Tyler Reddick and Kyle Busch was in 36th, eight laps behind. By then, names like Cole Custer, Erik Jones, Ryan Newman, Ryan Preece, Christopher Bell, Matt DiBenedetto, Michael McDowell and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. were a lap behind.

    More than 20 laps later, the caution returned when Josh Berry scrubbed the wall in Turn 2. Prior to the pit road opening for the leaders, Blaney pitted to have a hole on the front of his car fixed and due to a flat tire. When the pits opened, the leaders pitted and Larson retained the lead after exiting ahead of Elliott, Hamlin, Harvick and Byron.

    When the race restarted on Lap 176, Larson launched ahead with a strong start followed by Elliott and Hamlin while Harvick and Byron battled for fourth place. In addition, Bowman, the fourth Hendrick Motorsports competitor, joined the party in sixth place.

    By Lap 190, Larson extended his advantage to seven-tenths of a second over teammate Elliott while Hamlin, Byron and Harvick continued to run in the top five. A few laps later, Penske teammates Logano and Keselowski nearly made contact with one another in Turn 1 while battling for eighth place. 

    At the halfway mark on Lap 200, Larson was leading by nearly a second over teammate Elliott while teammate Byron trailed by nearly five seconds. Hamlin was in fourth while Bowman was in fifth, marking all four Hendrick Motorsports competitors in the top five. Harvick was in sixth followed by Kurt Busch, Keselowski, Austin Dillon and Aric Almirola.

    By Lap 220, all four Hendrick Motorsports competitors were running first through fourth, with Larson leading Elliott, Bowman moving up in third and Byron back in fourth. Hamlin was in fifth followed by Harvick, Kurt Busch, Keselowski, Austin Dillon and Almirola. Logano, meanwhile, was in 13th behind Reddick and Truex.

    Despite having teammate Elliott closing in for the lead, Larson was able to pull away late as he approached lapped traffic and win the second stage on Lap 240 for his sixth stage victory of the season. Elliott followed behind in second place followed by teammates Bowman and Byron while Hamlin was in fifth. Harvick, Kurt Busch, Keselowski, Austin Dillon and Reddick were scored in the top 10. By then, names like Wallace and Logano remained on the lead lap.

    Under the stage break, the leaders pitted and Larson retained the lead following another stellar stop from his pit crew followed by Bowman, Elliott, Byron and Kurt Busch.

    With 152 laps remaining, the final stage started. At the start, Larson rocketed away with another strong start while teammates Bowman and Elliott battled for the runner-up spot. Behind, a three-wide battle ensued between Harvick, Keselowski and Hamlin with Harvick moving into sixth place behind Kurt Busch while ahead of Keselowski and Hamlin. 

    Down to the final 135 laps of the event, Larson was out in front by more than two seconds over teammate Bowman with teammate Byron trailing by nearly three seconds and teammate Elliott trailing by three seconds. Kurt Busch, meanwhile, remained in fifth followed by Harvick, Keselowski, Hamlin, Austin Dillon, Reddick, Blaney, Ross Chastain, Almirola, Logano, Suarez and Truex.

    Fifteen laps later, Larson stabilized his advantage to nearly three seconds over teammate Bowman with his other two teammates, Byron and Elliott, trailing by more than four seconds. Harvick was in fifth place, trailing by more than seven seconds, after overtaking former teammate Kurt Busch.

    Down to the final 100 laps of the race, Larson remained in the lead followed by teammates Bowman, Byron and Elliott with Harvick in fifth. A lap later, though, the caution returned when Aric Almirola made hard contact into the Turn 3 outside wall after he blew a right-front tire, with fire eventually flaming out of Almirola’s car. The on-track incident marked Almirola’s fifth DNF and his sixth result of 30th or worse this season. 

    Under the caution period, the leaders pitted and Bowman, whose pit crew clocked off a fast pit service, emerged with the lead ahead of teammates Larson, Elliott and Byron with Harvick coming out in fifth.

    With 92 laps remaining, the race restarted and Bowman maintained the lead over Larson and Elliott. Behind, Harvick overtook Byron for fourth with Hamlin lurking behind.

    Six laps later, the caution returned when a bump from Ricky Stenhouse Jr. sent rookie Anthony Alfredo sideways and spinning to the inside wall in Turn 2, where he made contact with the wall. In the midst of the incident, Stenhouse and Keselowski received minor damage to their respective machines.

    Under caution, a majority of competitors led by Hamlin pitted while the rest led by Bowman remained on the track. Overall, all four Hendrick competitors along with Harvick, Tyler Reddick, Daniel Suarez and Bubba Wallace remained on the track.

    With 81 laps remaining, the race restarted. At the start, Bowman pulled ahead followed by Larson while Elliott struggled to launch on the inside lane. Despite Larson challenging teammate Bowman for the lead through Turns 1 and 2, Harvick pulled his No. 4 Hunt Brothers Pizza Ford Mustang alongside Larson’s No. 5 Nations Guard Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE in Turn 3, which allowed Bowman to maintain the lead.

    While Bowman continued to lead under the final 75 laps, Larson remained within sight of the lead by nearly seven-tenths of a second followed by Elliott, Harvick and Byron. Suarez and Reddick maintained sixth and seventh while Wallace battled owner Hamlin for eighth place.

    Just then, debris drew the caution, which jumbled the field and erased Bowman’s lead over teammate Larson. Under caution, a majority of the leaders remained on the track while others like Logano, Custer pitted.

    The race restarted with 70 laps remaining and with teammates Bowman and Larson on the front row. At the start, Bowman maintained the lead followed by Larson and Elliott while Byron retook fourth place over Harvick.

    Under the final 60 laps of the event, on-track battling occurring and with weather threats looming near the track, Bowman remained as the leader under half a second over a hard-charging Larson followed by Elliott, Byron and Harvick. Reddick, Suarez, Hamlin, Wallace and Logano were in the top 10 followed by Ryan Blaney, Ross Chastain, Kurt Busch, Custer and Truex.

    With 50 laps remaining, Bowman continued to lead by half a second over teammate Larson with teammates Elliott and Byron remaining in third and fourth. Harvick remained in fifth followed by Reddick, Suarez, Logano, Hamlin and Wallace, who had Blaney challenging him for more.

    Down to the final 35 laps of the event, Bowman was leading by more than a second over teammate Larson while Elliott, Byron and Harvick stabilized themselves in the top five. Reddick, Logano, Suarez, Hamlin and Wallace also stabilized themselves in the top 10.

    With 20 laps remaining, the gap between leader Bowman and runner-up Larson remained to more than a second, with teammate Elliott behind by more than two seconds and teammate Byron trailing by more than seven seconds. Harvick remained in fifth place while Logano overtook Reddick for sixth place. A few laps later, Custer overtook Wallace for 10th place.

    Under the final 10 laps, the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE driven by Bowman continued to lead by more than a second over teammate Larson, who continued to lose ground on his teammate for the top spot. Bowman maintained his healthy advantage under the final five laps of the event. 

    With no challengers closing in to his rear bumper, Bowman was able to come back around and claim the checkered flag ahead of his three HMS teammates.

    The Dover victory marked Bowman’s first at the Monster Mile, fourth of his Cup Series career and second of this season as he joined Martin Truex Jr. as the only multi-winners of this year’s Cup season. He also returned the iconic No. 48 car to Victory Lane at Dover for the first time since 2017 made by Jimmie Johnson, who won at Dover 11 times. The 1-2-3-4 finish was a first for HMS and the fourth time done by a NASCAR team.

    “We won Richmond and then had a really rough couple weeks there,” Bowman said on FS1. “[We] Went to some really good race tracks for us and struggled. [I] Told the guys last week, ‘We’re still the same team that did it at Richmond.’ It’s another really good place for us. I’m just so pumped for Ally. It feels right to put the No. 48 back in Victory Lane here after how many races this car has won here. Mr. [Hendrick] is here, I don’t think I’ve won with him here befrore, so that’s really cool. Just so proud of this pit crew. It was a rough off-season for us and a big void to fill…The whole pit crew’s doing a really good job. Thanks to my spotter, Kevin Hamlin, for coaching me there at the end. It was fun racing Kyle [Larson] and glad to get Hendrick Motorsports another win.”

    With the Dover victory and career win No. 267, Hendrick Motorsports is one win away from tying Petty Enterprises for the most victories all-time in the Cup Series. In addition, Chevrolet is one win away from achieving 800 victories in NASCAR’s premier series.

    “I can guarantee you, this is the most nervous I’ve ever been in a race,” Rick Hendrick said. “Great day for the organization. Alex, congratulations to him. This is a sign of the guys working together and bringing good stuff to the track. I don’t think it’ll hit me till tomorrow that we were able to finish 1-2-3-4. That’s pretty hard to do, things can happen, pit stops, tires, anything. That’s a first. We’ll take it. It’s a great day for us.”

    Larson, who led a race-high 263 laps, crossed the finish line in second place, two seconds behind, and for his third runner-up result of the season. 

    “I felt like all of us, HMS guys, were pretty equal, so it was like whoever got out to the lead was gonna be hard to beat,” Larson said. “[Bowman’s] team just really did a good job on that pit stop, gain control of the race and never really had a shot after that. That one restart, I got to his bumper and got him loose, but [Harvick] was coming, so we had to let each other go, but hard to be disappointed with that second. I felt like I did everything I could. We led a lot of laps, won both stages. Good points, but I would’ve liked to have been one spot better…What a day for Hendrick Motorsports and Chevrolet. Thanks to everybody at the shop, the engine shop. This is pretty amazing…That’s a pretty special day, for sure.”

    Elliott finished in third place, three-and-a-half seconds behind, as he has yet to win this season. Byron capped off the 1-2-3-4 finish for Hendrick Motorsports by finishing fourth as he also captured his 11th consecutive top-10 result.

    Logano emerged as the highest-finishing non-Hendrick Motorsports competitor by finishing fifth while Harvick, Hamlin, Reddick, Suarez and Custer finished in the top 10. 

    Wallace claimed his first top-15 finish of this season and for 23XI Racing by finishing 11th ahead of Blaney, Kurt Busch, Austin Dillon and Chastain. Keselowski finished 16th, Truex came home in 19th and Kyle Busch capped off his long afternoon in 27th. Josh Berry finished 30th in his Cup debut.

    There were 10 lead changes for five different leaders. The race featured seven cautions for 41 laps. 

    Denny Hamlin continues to lead the regular-season standings by 101 points over William Byron and 102 over Martin Truex Jr.

    With the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series regular-season stretch halfway complete, 10 competitors (Martin Truex Jr., Alex Bowman, William Byron, Joey Logano, Kyle Larson, Ryan Blaney, Brad Keselowski, Kyle Busch, Christopher Bell and Michael McDowell) are currently guaranteed a spot in the Playoffs based on winning at least once. Denny Hamlin would also be guaranteed a spot based on leading the regular-season standings. Chase Elliott, Kevin Harvick, Austin Dillon, Chris Buescher and Tyler Reddick are inside the top-16 cutline to the Playoffs as winless competitors, with Reddick ahead by 17 points over Matt DiBenedetto, 30 over Kurt Busch, 32 over Ricky Stenhouse Jr., 38 over Ryan Newman, 49 over Bubba Wallace, 56 over Daniel Suarez and 58 over Ross Chastain.

    Results.

    1. Alex Bowman, 98 laps led

    2. Kyle Larson, 263 laps led, Stage 1 & 2 winner

    3. Chase Elliott

    4. William Byron, 21 laps led

    5. Joey Logano

    6. Kevin Harvick

    7. Denny Hamlin, two laps led

    8. Tyler Reddick

    9. Daniel Suarez

    10. Cole Custer

    11. Bubba Wallace

    12. Ryan Blaney

    13. Kurt Busch

    14. Austin Dillon

    15. Ross Chastain

    16. Brad Keselowski

    17. Chris Buescher

    18. Ryan Preece, one lap down

    19. Martin Truex Jr., one lap down, 16 laps led

    20. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., one lap down

    21. Christopher Bell, four laps down

    22. Erik Jones, four laps down

    23. Ryan Newman, four laps down

    24. Matt DiBenedetto, five laps down

    25. Michael McDowell, five laps down

    26. Corey LaJoie, seven laps down

    27. Kyle Busch, seven laps down

    28. Anthony Alfredo, eight laps down

    29. Quin Houff, 12 laps down

    30. Josh Berry, 12 laps down

    31. Cody Ware, 13 laps down

    32. Garrett Smithley, 17 laps down

    33. James Davison, 18 laps down

    34. Josh Bilicki, 19 laps down

    35. Chase Briscoe, 65 laps down

    36. B.J. McLeod – OUT, Engine

    37. Aric Almirola – OUT, Accident

    Next on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is a trip to Austin, Texas, for the series’ inaugural event at the Circuit of the Americas for the EchoPark Texas Grand Prix. The event is slated to occur on Sunday, May 23, at 2:30 p.m. ET on FS1.

  • Cindric perseveres to win the XFINITY Series Drydene 200 at Dover

    Cindric perseveres to win the XFINITY Series Drydene 200 at Dover

    Reigning Xfinity champion Austin Cindric captured his third victory of the NASCAR Xfinity Series season Saturday in the Drydene 200 at Dover International Speedway. Cindric also won the season opener at Daytona and again at Phoenix Raceway in March.

    Cindric started in 16th place but methodically made his way to the front to lead 51 of the 200 laps in his Team Penske No. 22 Ford en route to his 11th Xfinity Series career win.

    With this victory, he has increased his lead in the Xfinity Series standings to 62 points over Daniel Hemric in second.

    “Every win means so much and everyone that is in this series — I have the unique opportunity to know what I am doing in the future. I respect the guys that I am racing around are trying to get to the top level. I know I have that for me down the road but I have to bring that same energy that I am racing against. These wins are really hard to come by. It sucks that we have had some bad races recently that make this one feel so much better. This is my favorite race track that we go to,” Cindric said.

    Josh Berry finished second for his third top-five this season in the JR Motorsports No. 8 Chevrolet, passing his teammate Justin Allgaier with 28 laps to go and captured the Dash 4 Cash $100,000 bonus.

    “It could have been one spot better, we were so good today,” Berry said. “That last run we just fired off too free. Me and Justin got racing each other and the 22 (Cindric) got away. We just weren’t quite as good in that last run as the run before. It’s tough. But when you’re in the top two or three all day, there’s still a lot to be proud of.”

    Justin Allgaier finished third, AJ Allmendinger fourth and rookie Ty Gibbs finished fifth.

    “It’s just a hard track for me. I feel like this is one of my harder ones. I feel like I’m learning as I go. I’m kind of frustrated. I think I could have ran a little better. We had a good day overall. I will take a top-five any day. We will keep on going,” Gibbs said.

    The Xfinity Series heads to the Circuit of the Americas for the Pit Boss 250 on Saturday, May 22 at 4 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on FS1, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. This will be the series’ first event at the Austin Texas road course.

    NASCAR Xfinity Series Race Number 10
    Race Results for the 40th Annual Drydene 200 – Saturday, May 15, 2021
    Dover International Speedway – Dover, DE – 1. – Mile Concrete
    Total Race Length – 200 Laps – 200. Miles

    FinStrNoDriverTeamLapsS1PosS2PosS3PosPtsStatus
    11622Austin CindricCar Shop Ford20083051Running
    268Josh Berry #Tire Pros Chevrolet20021054Running
    327Justin AllgaierBRANDT Chevrolet20012053Running
    4716AJ AllmendingerHyperice Chevrolet20034048Running
    51454Ty Gibbs #Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota20079038Running
    6520Harrison BurtonDEX Imaging Toyota20045044Running
    7111Michael AnnettPilot Flying J myRewards Plus Chevrolet20007034Running
    81239Ryan SiegCMR Construction and Roofing/A-Game Ford20090031Running
    9118Daniel HemricPoppy Bank Toyota20000028Running
    101968Brandon BrownBrandonbilt Foundations Chevrolet20000027Running
    111310Jeb BurtonChevy Chevrolet20000026Running
    12851Jeremy ClementsFirst Pacific Funding Chevrolet20000025Running
    13102Brett MoffittDestiny Homes Chevrolet19900024Running
    143123JJ YeleyOur Motorsports Chevrolet19900023Running
    1539Noah GragsonBass Pro Shops/TrueTimber/BRCC Chevrolet19966032Running
    16152Myatt SniderTaxSlayer Chevrolet19900021Running
    172098Riley HerbstMonster Energy Ford198010021Running
    18280Jeffrey EarnhardtForeverLawn Chevrolet19800019Running
    191836Alex LabbeProlon/rousseau/Silver Wax Chevrolet19800018Running
    201744Tommy Joe MartinsGilreath Farms Red Angus Chevrolet19800017Running
    212499BJ McLeod(i)Chevrolet1980000Running
    223247Kyle WeathermanThin Blue Line USA/Police Week 2021 Chevrolet19800015Running
    232717Cody WareNurtec ODT Chevrolet19700014Running
    242674Bayley Currey(i)Childrens National Chevrolet1960000Running
    25376Landon CassillDrydene Chevrolet19600012Running
    26234Ryan Vargas #Drydene Chevrolet19500011Running
    27395Matt MillsJ.F. Electric Toyota19500010Running
    282515Colby HowardDrydene Chevrolet1940009Running
    29367Joe Graf Jr.Z GRILLS Chevrolet1930008Running
    302266Timmy Hill(i)ATS Alarm Tech Toyota1930000Running
    314052Gray GauldingPanini Chevrolet1920006Running
    323026John Hunter Nemechek(i)ACME Toyota18210800Running
    333448Jade BufordBig Machine Spiked Coolers Chevrolet1550004Engine
    343590Kyle SiegIndependent Metal Strap Ford830003Accident
    35419Brandon JonesMenards/Pelonis Toyota685008Accident
    36911Zane Smith(i)LeafFilter Gutter Protection Chevrolet670000Accident
    373378Jesse LittleApex Wireless Chevrolet570001Accident
    382992Josh WilliamsAlloy Employer Services Chevrolet570001Accident
    393813Matt JaskolAuto Parts 4 Less Toyota560001Accident
    402161David StarrSpecial Report w/ Bret Baier Toyota180001Overheating
  • Weekend schedule for Dover

    Weekend schedule for Dover

    The NASCAR Cup Series and the Xfinity Series travel to Dover International Speedway this weekend. The Camping World Truck Series has the week off but will return May 22 for the Toyota Tundra 225 at Circuit of The Americas.

    There have been 10 different Cup Series winners in 12 races this season with Martin Truex Jr. the only multi-race winner with three victories.

    Four active drivers are tied with the most wins at Dover. Kevin Harvick, Martin Truex Jr., Kyle Busch and Ryan Newman each have three wins.

    All eyes will be on JR Motorsports driver Noah Garson as he attempts to sweep the Dash 4 Cash Xfinity Series races. Since the multi-round format was established in 2011, no driver has ever won all the rounds in a season.

    There will be no practice or qualifying sessions due to COVID-19 protocols established by NASCAR.

    Truex (Cup) and Daniel Hemric (Xfinity) have been awarded the pole starting positions for their respective series based on the formula below.

    The starting lineups will be determined by the following metrics formula:

    • 25 percent: Driver’s finishing position from the previous race
    • 25 percent: Car owner’s finishing position from the previous race
    • 35 percent: Team owner points ranking
    • 15 percent: Fastest lap from the previous race
    All times are Eastern.

    Saturday, May 15

    1:10 p.m.: Driver Intros (Drivers Standing By Cars)
    1:30 p.m.: Xfinity Series Drydene 200 (Green flag 1:41)
    200 miles (200 Laps)
    Stage 1 ends on Lap 45, Stage 2 ends on Lap 90, Final Stage ends on Lap 200
    FS1/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
    Pole: Daniel Hemric

    Sunday, May 16

    1:40 p.m.: Driver Intros (Drivers Standing By Cars)
    2 p.m.: Cup Series Drydene 400 (Green flag 2:11)
    The Place: Dover International Speedway
    400 miles (400 laps)
    Stage 1 ends on Lap 120, Stage 2 ends on Lap 240, Final Stage ends on Lap 400
    FS1/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
    Pole: Martin Truex Jr.

    Dover International Speedway:
    “    Season Race #: 13 of 36 (05-16-21)
    Track Size: 1-mile
    Banking/Turn 1 & 2: 24 degrees
    Banking/Turn 3 & 4: 24 degrees
    Banking/Frontstretch: 9 degrees
    Banking/Backstretch: 9 degrees
    Frontstretch Length:  1,076 feet
    Backstretch Length:  1,076 feet
    Race Length: 311 laps / 311 miles
    Stage 1 and 2 Length: 120 laps each
    Final Stage Length: 160 laps

    Dover International Speedway Qualifying Information:
    Track qualifying record: Denny Hamlin, Toyota 166.984 mph, (21.559 secs.) on Oct. 5, 2019.
    2020 Dover pole winner: Qualifying was canceled due to pandemic – Chase Elliott started on pole.

    • Kurt Busch leads all active series drivers in starts at Dover with 41 starts.
    • Kyle Larson leads all active drivers in the series in an average starting position at Dover with a 7.8 in 13 starts.
    • 42 different NCS drivers have won the pole at Dover and eight pole winners are active this weekend.  Denny Hamlin (4), Ryan Newman (4), Martin Truex Jr, (3), Chase Elliott (1), Kyle Larson (1), Kyle Busch (1), Brad Keselowski (1), and Kevin Harvick (1).
    • The youngest series Dover pole winner is Chase Elliott (May 3, 2019 – 23 years, 5 months, 8 days).
    • The oldest series Dover pole winner is Mark Martin (June 1, 2012 – 53 years, 4 months, 23 days).
    • 10 drivers have won consecutive poles at Dover and the two active drivers this weekend are Ryan Newman (fall 2005, spring 2006), and Denny Hamlin (fall 2012, spring 2013).

    Dover International Speedway Race Information:
    Track race record: Kyle Larson, Chevrolet 135.734 mph, (02:56:49) on Oct. 6, 2019.
    2020 Dover race winner: Denny Hamlin, Toyota 124.359 mph, (02:30:03), Aug. 22, 2020

    • 38 different NCS drivers have won at Dover and nine are active this weekend.  Kevin Harvick (3), Martin Truex Jr. (3), Kyle Busch (3), Ryan Newman (3), Denny Hamlin (1), Kyle Larson (1), Chase Elliott (1), Brad Keselowski (1), and Kurt Busch (1).
    • Jimmie Johnson leads the NCS in wins at Dover with 11 victories.
    • The youngest Dover race winner is Chase Elliott (October 7, 2018 – 22 years, 10 months, 0 days).
    • 13 of the 102 (12.7%) NCS races at Dover have been won from the pole or first starting position but the second place starting position is the most proficient starting position in the field, producing more winners (20) than any other starting position.
    • Ryan Newman is the only active driver entered this weekend that has won from the pole in the NCS at Dover on June 1, 2003.
    • The deepest in the field that an active race winner has started at Dover is 26th, by Martin Truex Jr.
    • Hendrick Motorsports has the most wins at Dover in the NCS with 20 victories among six drivers.
    • Nine different manufacturers have won in the NCS at Dover.  It’s led by Chevrolet with 41 victories, followed by Ford with 27, Dodge (seven), Mercury (seven), Toyota (seven), Pontiac (six), Buick (three), Oldsmobile (two) and Plymouth (two).
    • Kyle Larson leads all active drivers in the NCS in average finishing position at Dover with a 7.4 in 13 starts.
    • Kevin Harvick leads all active series drivers in laps led at Dover with 1,666 in 41 races.

    Top 12 Dover Driver Ratings:
    Kyle Busch – 103.5
    Kyle Larson – 103.3
    Martin Truex Jr. – 101.2
    Kevin Harvick – 98.6
    Brad Keselowski – 93.2
    Chase Elliott – 91.5
    Cole Custer – 89.2
    Denny Hamlin – 88.9
    Kurt Busch – 87.2
    |Joey Logano – 86.8
    Ryan Blaney – 84.1
    Erik Jones – 83.3

    Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2020 races (32 total) among active drivers at Dover International Speedway.

  • Ty Gibbs’ full 2021 Xfinity schedule revealed

    Ty Gibbs’ full 2021 Xfinity schedule revealed

    Coming off an historic debut and victory at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course, Ty Gibbs will return for an additional 14 NASCAR Xfinity Series races throughout the 2021 season for Joe Gibbs Racing.

    The 18-year-old grandson of NASCAR Hall of Famer and team owner, Joe Gibbs, from Charlotte, North Carolina, will make his second career start in the Xfinity circuit at Phoenix Raceway on March 13.

    He will then compete at Martinsville Speedway on April 9 followed by Darlington Raceway on May 8, Dover International Speedway on May 15, Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 29, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on June 5, Pocono Raceway on June 27, Road America on July 3, Watkins Glen International on August 7, Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course on August 14, Michigan International Speedway on August 21 and at Richmond Raceway on September 11. During the 2021 Xfinity Series Playoffs, he will also compete at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval on October 9 and at Kansas Speedway on October 23.

    JGR took to social media to reveal the announcement and Ty Gibbs’ schedule.

    With Gibbs’ full part-time Xfinity schedule revealed, he will also continue to pilot Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 54 Toyota Supra led by crew chief Chris Gayle.

    Gibbs made his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut last weekend at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course, where he led 14 laps and outlasted the field through two overtime attempts to record his first victory across NASCAR’s top three national touring series. By winning at Daytona in his debut, he became the sixth competitor to win in their series debut but the first to do so without a prior Cup start. He also became the 165 different competitor to record an Xfinity Series win and the 18th to do so while driving for his grandfather’s organization.

    In addition to a part-time Xfinity schedule, Gibbs currently competes as a full-time competitor in the ARCA Menards Series for JGR and in the No. 18 Toyota Camry led by crew chief Mark McFarland.

    With Gibbs’ next event on the schedule at Phoenix in March, Ty Dillon will return for the following two NASCAR Xfinity Series races with JGR at Homestead-Miami Speedway on February 27 and at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 6.

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Dover

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Dover

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Kevin Harvick: Harvick led 223 of 311 laps to win the Drydene 311 at Dover.

    “It’s always cool to win at Dover,” Harvick said. “And the ‘Miles The Monster’ trophy is the best trophy in NASCAR. It’s also useful on lonely days. When I get lonely, I sit that trophy on the couch and pretend I’m having a conversation with Bruton Smith.

    “I clinched the regular season. The regular season doesn’t mean that much to me, but to old farts like Tony Stewart, ‘regular season’ means you’re on the toilet three times a day.

    2. Denny Hamlin: An unscheduled pit stop cost Hamlin any chance for completing the Dover weekend sweep. Instead, he finished 19th while the main rival Kevin Harvick took the win.

    “I had a loose wheel,” Hamlin said. “So, it appears the only thing ‘tight’ were the nerves of the crew member responsible. We can’t have crucial mistakes like that. Maybe that crew member should be cut loose.”

    3. Martin Truex, Jr.: Truex finished second on Sunday at Dover, matching his Saturday result. He is fourth in the points standings, 196 behind Kevin Harvick.

    “I really wanted both those wins,” Truex said. “So to come up short both times is gut-wrenching. So, instead of the ‘Double-Dover,’ I’m ‘doubled over.’”

    4. Chase Elliott: Elliott started on the pole at Dover, but trouble struck early on lap six, when contact between Joey Logano and Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. caused Elliott to hit the rear of Kyle Busch. Elliott finished 39th.

    “This season,” Elliott said, “it’s not often you find yourself behind Kyle Busch. Last year, when Kyle won the championship, many people found themselves behind him. Who else may have found themselves behind Kyle at other points in time? State troopers.”

    5. Joey Logano: Logano finished sixth at Dover, claiming his 13th top-10 of the year.

    “I caused major problems for other cars when I made contact with Ricky Stenhouse, Jr.,” Logano said. “It was my mistake, so I take all the blame. And I have no problem taking all the blame when I’m at fault, on the one condition that punishment doesn’t come courtesy of Matt Kenseth.”

    6. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski came home eighth at Dover.

    “While we were racing at Dover,” Keselowski said, “the Indianapolis 500 was running at The Brickyard. Indy car speeds were approaching 240 miles per hour, so if its speed your comparing, Indy cars have our ‘milk.’”

    7. Ryan Blaney: Blaney finished 12th at Dover and is now seventh in the points standings, 203 out of first.

    “Erik Moses was named president of Nashville Speedway,” Blaney said. “He became the first black track president in NASCAR history. Many NASCAR fans honored the announcement by flying their Confederate flags upside down.”

    8. Aric Almirola: Almirola led 22 laps at Dover and finished seventh.

    “I clinched a spot in the championship playoffs,” Almirola said. “That’s an accomplishment. And that calls for a clenched fist. I’ll let those who haven’t clinched clench their sphincters.”

    9. Kyle Busch: Busch finished 11th at Dover and clinched a spot in the championship round.

    “I’m just glad I don’t have to go to Daytona to clinch a spot,” Busch said. “So, for probably the first time this year, you could say the No. 18 team is ‘locked in.’”

    10. Clint Bowyer: Bowyer finished 16th at Dover.

    “I haven’t officially clinched a spot in the playoffs,” Bowyer said. “But it would take an act of God for me not to make the playoffs. So, I’m praying that God doesn’t act. I don’t know if that makes me a Christian or a heathen.”

  • NASCAR Xfinity Series Power Rankings – Dover

    NASCAR Xfinity Series Power Rankings – Dover

    Dover International Speedway held two NASCAR Xfinity Series races this past weekend for a doubleheader weekend, with both races making up the originally postponed Spring and Fall events.

    Justin Allgaier ended up snapping a winless streak dating back to Phoenix of 2019 and with one of his best races of the season to date. Meanwhile, Chase Briscoe continued his hunt for eight wins that he set out at the beginning of the year, winning the Sunday event for his sixth victory of the year.

    But where did everyone else wind up?

    Here’s a look at this week’s Power Rankings following the Dover doubleheader.

    1. Chase Briscoe – After a forgettable Daytona Road Course race, Briscoe bounced back this weekend by placing 10th in Saturday’s race and leading 107 laps in Sunday’s race en route to victory. The Indiana native also won the second stage in Sunday’s race and gained substantial bonus points. Briscoe is solidly in the Playoffs and could very easily reach eight victories before the season is said and done.

      Previous Week Ranking – Fifth
    2. Justin Allgaier – It’s been a whirlwind of a season for Allgaier, who has been up and down throughout the year with five DNFs. However, Allgaier had a solid weekend at the “Monster Mile” by winning Saturday’s race (finishing third in Stage 1 and winning Stage 2). In addition, he led 120 of 200 laps, the most out of any driver in the race. When Sunday rolled around, Allgaier looked to continue his winning ways. He managed stage finishes of second twice, led 19 laps, and ultimately gained his 12th top-10 finish of the season, finishing seventh. It was a bounce-back weekend for the JR Motorsports driver.

      Previous Week Ranking – Not Ranked
    3. Austin Cindric – A pair of top-five finishes for the No. 22 Penske team, finishing second and third respectively in both races. Cindric led a combined 50 laps, won Stage 1 in Saturday’s race, and managed stage finishes in the top-10 for Sunday. Despite his winning streak being broken this weekend, Cindric is still riding high after a mid-season momentum. After the Dover races, Cindric has earned 15 top-five finishes.

      Previous Week Ranking – First
    4. Noah Gragson – A respectable weekend in the No. 9 JR Motorsports camp, finishing fourth in Saturday’s race and sixth in the Sunday outing. The Las Vegas native was able to lead a combined effort of 38 laps. Gragson sits third in the points standings, 97 points behind championship points leader Cindric. Gragson could easily be a dark horse favorite for the championship if he continues to have consistent finishes. However, once the Playoffs begin consistent finishes won’t be enough to advance into the next rounds. Gragson will have to start winning again if he wants to be in the Championship Round at Phoenix.

      Previous Week Ranking – Second
    5. Riley Herbst – Herbst had an uneventful but consistent weekend with finishes of sixth and ninth. No laps were led but he brought home a clean No. 18 Monster Energy Toyota Camry for his 12th top-10 of the season. It was a much needed finish after a few weeks of bad luck.

      Previous Week Ranking – Fourth

    Fell Out

    1. Brandon Jones – It was a mixed bag of results for Brandon Jones following the Dover weekend. Jones wound up 16th in Saturday’s outing but bounced back to a fourth-place finish in Sunday’s race. Despite quality stage finishes in Saturday’s race, Jones could only place seventh on Sunday.

      Previous Week Ranking – Third
  • NASCAR Gander RV and Outdoors Truck Series Power Rankings – Dover

    NASCAR Gander RV and Outdoors Truck Series Power Rankings – Dover

    The Truck Series continued their 2020 season momentum last Friday night by visiting Dover International Speedway for race No. 13.

    Rookie Zane Smith grabbed another victory when the checkered flag flew after 200 laps at the “Monster Mile.” The victory marked his second of the year and slowly, but surely, he is starting to become a championship favorite for the Playoffs. Aside from the Daytona Road Course, Smith has been able to either win or finish inside the top 10. With his late momentum, Smith has upped his average finish to a solid 10.9 and has only one DNF, which is really impressive for a rookie.

    While Smith enjoyed the Dover victory, the top 10 finishing order saw a mixed bag of drivers seeing their best finishes to date.

    Here are this week’s Power Rankings following Race No. 13.

    1. Zane Smith – After finishing 13th the week last week at Daytona, Smith was back on top at Dover claiming the victory and leading 50 laps. On top of winning Friday’s race, Smith finished fourth in Stage 1 and won the second stage. All in all, not a bad day for the Californian who picked up 57 points and six playoff points. With the victory, Smith tied his GMS teammate Sheldon Creed in the playoff picture with 14 playoff points.

      Previous Week Ranking – Not Ranked
    2. Matt Crafton – Crafton found himself with a shot to win when a late-race restart came with three to go. He maneuvered his way to second following the restart and tried to chase down Smith in the process. Ultimately, the ThorSport driver fell .989 seconds short but did gain stage finishes of second and 10th, respectively. Crafton’s second-place finish was his seventh of the 2020 season.

      Previous Week Ranking – Third
    3. Brett Moffitt – Moffitt started on the pole, led 50 laps, and came home to a podium finish of third. In both stages, the Iowan ended up fifth and gained a total of 46 points. Surprisingly, with just one race left before the playoffs are set, Moffitt does not have a win but currently is 94 points above the cut line. Barring any circumstances at Gateway, he could easily lock himself in after one of the stages. Though, he’ll have to pick it up a notch in the Playoffs and start winning a lot more often.

      Previous Week Ranking – Fifth
    4. Todd Gilliland – It was a bounce-back race in Gilliland’s camp after finishing 33rd at Daytona Road Course due to an electrical problem. This past weekend at Dover, the Front Row Motorsports Ford Performance team came home with a top-five after finishing fourth. It’s the first time he has finished fourth since Pocono back in June. Gilliland sits 10th on the bubble, +4 above the cut line without a win. If he finishes where he usually does next weekend at Gateway, Gilliland will be in the Playoffs. But, the No. 38 team will have to avoid any issues in order to make it in on points or can get help if there is no new winner.

      Previous Week Ranking – Not Ranked
    5. Ben Rhodes – A much needed fifth place at Dover after finishing outside the top 10 the last two weeks and getting involved in a couple of incidents. Rhodes had a clean race and placed sixth in Stage 2. The fifth-place outing gained the Kentucky native his fifth of the year.

      Previous Week Ranking – Not Ranked

    Fell Out

    1. Sheldon Creed – A forgettable 22nd place (four laps down) outing at Dover for Creed after winning Daytona the week prior. The only highlight of the day was Creed finishing sixth in Stage 1 and fourth in Stage 2.

      Previous Week Ranking – First
    2. Grant Enfinger – Enfinger had a quiet day finishing outside the top 10 in 13th, one lap down.

      Previous Week Ranking – Second
  • 2020 Xfinity Series Playoff outlook following Dover doubleheader

    2020 Xfinity Series Playoff outlook following Dover doubleheader

    Following a pair of eventful NASCAR Xfinity Series races at Dover International Speedway, another name has been added to this year’s Playoff grid with five regular-season races remaining until the 12-car Playoff field is established.

    In a season that has had its share of the ups and the downs, veteran Justin Allgaier turned his season into good fortunes and at the right timing after he won the first Xfinity Dover event of a doubleheader weekend on Saturday, August 22, and for his first win since November 2019 at Phoenix Raceway. With the victory, Allgaier remains as the only Xfinity Series competitor to make every Xfinity Playoffs since its inception in 2016.

    While Allgaier won on Saturday, Chase Briscoe rallied from a wreck a day earlier to win for the sixth time this season following a late battle with Ross Chastain and Austin Cindric. The victory reignited Briscoe’s season-long momentum as he continues his pursuit for his first Xfinity Series championship and while his plans for next season remain undetermined.

    Through the first 21 races of this year’s Xfinity Series season, Allgaier and Briscoe are among seven competitors to be guaranteed spots in the Playoffs based on wining throughout the regular season. The list also includes regular-season points leader Austin Cindric, Noah Gragson, rookie Harrison Burton, Brandon Jones and Justin Haley.

    The first competitor who continues to emerge as the highest Xfinity competitor in points with no victories thus far is Ross Chastain. Though he came close on both occasions this weekend at Dover, finishing third on Saturday and second on Sunday, the Floridian has nine top-five results and 18 top-10 results under his belt, the most among the field despite having no victories yet this season. With five regular-season races remaining, Chastain and his No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet team are 388 points above the top-12 cutline and in prime position of making the Playoffs.

    Trailing behind him in points is veteran Michael Annett and his No. 1 JR Motorsports Chevrolet team. Following strong results in both Dover races, where he finished ninth on Saturday and eighth on Sunday, the Iowa native has 12 top-10 results under his belt this season and is 204 points above the cutline while he attempts to make his third Xfinity Playoffs as a title contender.

    The next two competitors in points are rookie Riley Herbst and Ryan Sieg. Like Annett, Herbst recorded a pair of top-10 results at the Monster Mile to tally his top-10 results this season to 12. He is currently 116 points above the cutline and looking to join teammate Burton in the battle for the series title and the Rookie-of-the-Year title. Sieg, on the other hand, left Dover with a pair of top-15 results and despite starting towards the front on Sunday. With a total of 12 top-15 results through the Dover doubleheader, Sieg is 88 points above the cutline and is five races away in making his third career appearance in the Xfinity Playoffs as a title contender.

    Finally, Brandon Brown continues to hold sole possession of the 12th and final spot to the Playoffs following a 14th-place run on Saturday and a 16th-place run on Sunday. While he started on the front row on Sunday, he struggled in keeping pace with the leaders and gaining more valuable stage points. Nonetheless, the Woodbridge, Virginia, native is ahead of the cutline by 31 points.

    The first two competitors who continue to trail the cutline are journeyman Jeremy Clements and rookie Myatt Snider. After finishing in the top 15 on Saturday and the top 20 on Sunday, Clements is 31 points behind the cutline. Snider, on the other hand, recorded a pair of top-20 results at the Monster Mile as he trails by 58 points.

    Among other competitors who continue to trail the cutline by 96 or more points include Josh Williams, rookie Jesse Little, B.J. McLeod, rookie Joe Graf Jr. and Tommy Joe Martins.

    The battle for the final spots to the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs continues next weekend on August 28 at Daytona International Speedway, which will air at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

  • 2020 Cup Playoff outlook after Dover doubleheader

    2020 Cup Playoff outlook after Dover doubleheader

    Following a 25-race regular-season stretch spanning seven months and a bizarre season highlighted with doubleheader races and midweek races to make up the lost time amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, it all comes down to one regular-season race to determine the 16-car field to this year’s Cup Playoffs and the rest who will set their championship sights for next season. With Daytona International Speedway set to host the regular-season finale next weekend on Saturday, August 29, NASCAR is in for an all-out, competitive show of pack racing and every competitor giving it their all every lap for momentum or for a final push to the Playoffs.

    Two competitors that have momentum for this year’s Playoffs are Kevin Harvick and Denny Hamlin after both emerged victorious following both Dover Cup races. While Hamlin reignited his pursuit for his first Cup championship with a win on Saturday, Harvick knocked another one out of the park after claiming his seventh victory of the season and wrapping up the regular-season championship.

    Both Harvick and Hamlin remain as two of 10 Cup competitors to have already clinched a spot in the Playoffs based on winning throughout the regular season, a list that includes Brad Keselowski, Chase Elliott, Joey Logano, Martin Truex Jr., Ryan Blaney, Alex Bowman, Austin Dillon and rookie Cole Custer.

    Following the Dover doubleheader races, however, 13 spots have been reserved for competitors involved in the Playoffs. The first to qualify based on points was Aric Almirola. Since June at Homestead-Miami Speedway, consistency was on Almirola’s side as his No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford Mustang team logged in nine consecutive top-10 results all the way through early August at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Despite recording two top-10 results during the previous five races, including both Dover races, the seventh-place result at the Monster Mile on Sunday was enough for the Floridian to qualify for the postseason after being 112 points above the top-16 cutline. With that, Almirola will make his fourth career appearance in the Playoffs as a championship contender.

    “Great job from everyone on bouncing back today,” Almirola said. “I need to do better, we all need to do better, and we just need to keep grinding with the playoffs coming up. We didn’t have a clean race today again and still found ourselves leading laps and running in and around the top-five. Our goal when we started the season was to make Daytona not matter before the playoffs and we accomplished that goal by clinching our spot in the playoffs today. Looking forward to heading there with no pressure and racing one last time for that regular-season win.”

    In what has been a roller coaster season a year after winning his second Cup championship, Kyle Busch capped off an up-and-down weekend at Dover by securing his spot to the Playoffs with a 91-point cushion above the top 16 in the standings. Since the green flag waved in February at Daytona International Speedway, the majority of the regular season has been filled with near misses and disappointment for Busch and his No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota team. Despite scoring 11 top-five results and 13 top-10 results, the Las Vegas native sustained eight finishes outside the top 20 throughout the regular season as he struggled in claiming his first victory of the season. With no additional winners throughout the regular season, however, Busch was able to maintain his place inside the top-16 cutline and will now set his sights towards the Playoffs with an opportunity to defend his series title.

    “It was a long day with our Interstate Batteries Camry,” Kyle Busch said. “We worked on the car overnight and wanted to improve on yesterday’s finish. Got run into the back of near the beginning, and I’m not sure what exactly that did to our car. We just couldn’t quite get it handling like we wanted to or even like it did yesterday. We just kept fighting all day and did the best with what we had.”

    Like brother Kyle, Kurt Busch has had an up-and-down regular season mired with four top-five results and 14 top-10 results with his last victory still dating back to last July at Kentucky Speedway. With consistency being key to his season, nonetheless, the Las Vegas native and his No. 1 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE team were able to make the Playoffs with a 72-point cushion as Busch will receive an opportunity to win his first Cup title since 2004.

    “We have been consistent in our hunt for the playoffs all season,” Kurt Busch said. “With today‘s finish, not what we hoped for, but we locked-in! I’m proud of everybody at Chip Ganassi Racing. Teamwork is what it’s all about.”

    Despite an up-and-down weekend at Dover, Clint Bowyer remains in prime position of making his ninth career appearance in the Playoffs. In a season filled with two top-five results and seven top-10 results, all with new crew chief Johnny Klausmeier, Bowyer can clinch his spot for the Cup Playoffs early should he collect enough stage points within the first stage of next weekend’s race at Daytona.

    “Overall, a good weekend,” Bowyer said. “Good day yesterday, had a decent day going today doing what we needed to and had a little hiccup with left front on the last stop. We’ll have to wait until next week to lock us in the playoffs.”

    If there was one competitor left grinding his gears following a pair of Cup Dover races, it was Matt DiBenedetto. After finishing 20th on Saturday at the Monster Mile, DiBenedetto started on pole position on Sunday and received an opportunity to collect more points and build on his cushion towards the top-16 cutline. Despite a strong start, where he led the first 11 laps, he ended his race in 17th place when the checkered flag flew. DiBenedetto’s 21st top-20 result of this season left him with only a nine-point cushion approaching next weekend’s race at Daytona.

    “Dover killed us,” DiBenedetto said. “We were pretty horrendous both days. I just tried to make the most of it that we could and it just wasn’t much. It was the perfect storm of really losing a lot of points and having a rough weekend. Going to Daytona. I hate to be negative but if we were going somewhere else I would feel better about it because we have been pretty strong at most tracks aside from here. I have struggled here. Going to Daytona and the Ford’s are strong but I have ended up at the infield care center the last two years there. We keep getting caught up in everyones mess. I am going to sit and hope and pray all week that we can just come out of there clean and make the playoffs. We shouldn’t be this close to the bubble. It is frustrating. A couple weeks messed us up. Getting wiped out at Texas and Kansas and then really hurt us points wise and then we come here and really hurt ourselves here. It has been a tough go of circumstances and going to Daytona is going to make it quite an uncomfortable week.”

    In the battle for the 16th and final spot to the Playoffs, four points separate Hendrick Motorsports’ drivers William Byron and Jimmie Johnson with Byron and the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE team ahead of Johnson and the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE team.

    While Johnson remains in prime position of pointing his way in, Erik Jones’ hopes of making this year’s Playoffs took another hit following two results outside the top 10 at the Monster Mile. In a season highlighted with five top-five results, eight top-10 results and with his future uncertain, Jones’ results of 12th and 22nd have the Byron, Michigan, native trailing the cutline by 50 points entering Daytona.

    Another competitor who will likely need to win at Daytona next weekend to make the Playoffs is rookie Tyler Reddick. Despite recording two top-five results and seven top-10 results throughout the regular season, having no victories logged in have left the Californian and the reigning two-time Xfinity Series champion behind in points. Following results of 13th and 18th at Dover, Reddick trails the cutline by 69 points.

    “We started off with our No. 8 Cat App Chevrolet a lot better than yesterday,” Reddick said. “I was able to roll through the turns a lot smoother and just needed a bit more rear security. I thought maybe that issue would be cleared up as the track began to rubber up, but it just never tightened up quite as much as I needed it to. The adjustments that my crew chief, Randall Burnett, and the team made through Stage 1 and 2 helped fight that looseness, but I still needed even more stability to really carry speed into the corner like I needed to. At the end of Stage 2, we took a big swing on our adjustments, which did help solve the rear security issue, but took it almost to the other extreme and made it too tight to turn. The day didn’t go how we wanted it to, but I’m proud of our team. No one gave up, and we worked hard all race long. This isn’t over for us yet. We still have one more chance to make the Playoffs at Daytona International Speedway, and I’m looking forward to the challenge.”

    The rest of the competitors who trail by 176 or more points and will need a win or a miracle at Daytona next weekend to qualify for the Playoffs include rookie Christopher Bell, Chris Buescher, Bubba Wallace, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Michael McDowell, Ryan Newman, rookie John Hunter Nemechek, Ty Dillon, Matt Kenseth, Corey LaJoie, Ryan Preece, Daniel Suarez, rookie Brennan Poole and rookie Quin Houff.

    The 2020 NASCAR Cup Series regular season and the battle for the final spots to the Playoffs will wrap up next weekend on August 29 at Daytona International Speedway, which will air at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC.