Sunday, May 31, 2015

Jimmie Johnson extends Dover win record to 10 wins

Old six-time makes it 10-time at Dover
DOVER, Del. (AP) -- Jimmie Johnson pulled away on the final restart Sunday to win at Dover International Speedway and become the fifth NASCAR driver with 10 or more Sprint Cup victories at a single track.

Johnson led the final 23 laps, staying out on cold tires when other contenders made late race pit stops. The six-time series champion has 10 wins in 27 career starts on the concrete mile track. He needed five extra laps beyond the scheduled 400 because a late accident brought out the caution.

He has four wins this season, 74 in his career and has won at least four times in a season 11 times.

Johnson took his familiar spot in victory lane and took a quick, congratulatory phone call from team owner Rick Hendrick.

''I know what I'm capable of and felt just fine doing it,'' Johnson said. ''And, I've got a great rhythm. I've got great support at home.''

Kevin Harvick was second, followed by Kyle Larson, Kasey Kahne and Aric Almirola.

No active driver owns a track like Johnson does Dover.

Johnson joined NASCAR Hall of Famers Richard Petty (Martinsville-15, North Wilkesboro-15, Richmond-13, Rockingham-11, Daytona-10), Darrell Waltrip (Bristol-12, Martinsville-11, North Wilkesboro-10), Dale Earnhardt (Talladega-10) and David Pearson (Darlington-10) as drivers to win 10 races at a single track.

The Hendrick Motorsports driver swept Dover in 2002 and 2009 and also won races in 2005, 2010, 2012, 2013 and 2014.

Harvick held a comfortable lead until the field was bunched on a late caution. Kyle Busch, who was in the top five, connected with Brian Scott to end the race for each driver. Busch, who poked his head inside Scott's window for a chat, was unhurt in his second points race since he suffered leg and ankle injuries at Daytona.


Saturday, May 30, 2015

Updated odds from Westgate Superbook to win 2015 FedEx 400 at Dover

Is there value with Jeff Gordon at 20/1 odds?
FEDEX 400
DOVER INT'L SPEEDWAY
SUNDAY, MAY 31, 2015


KEVIN HARVICK 9-2
JIMMIE JOHNSON 9-2
KURT BUSCH 10
BRAD KESELOWSKI 15
JOEY LOGANO 15
JEFF GORDON 20
DALE EARNHARDT JR 20
MATT KENSETH 10
KYLE BUSCH 10
DENNY HAMLIN 5
CARL EDWARDS 12
KASEY KAHNE 30
MARTIN TRUEX JR 10
KYLE LARSON 20
JAMIE McMURRAY 40
RYAN NEWMAN 100
TONY STEWART 100
DAVID RAGAN 100
PAUL MENARD 75
CLINT BOWYER 100
GREG BIFFLE 50
AUSTIN DILLON 100
AJ ALLMENDINGER 300
ARIC ALMIROLA 300
DANICA PATRICK 500
TREVOR BAYNE 500
RICKY STENHOUSE JR 300
SAM HORNISH JR 500
CASEY MEARS 500
FIELD 500

Final Dover Practice Notes & Driver Ratings 

Westgate Las Vegas odds to win 2015 Chevrolet Indy Dual in Detroit (Race #2)

CHEVROLET INDY DUAL IN DETROIT-RACE #2
THE RACEWAY AT BELLE ISLE PARK
SUNDAY, MAY 31, 2015


WILL POWER 5-2
SIMON PAGENAUD 9-2
SCOTT DIXON 7
HELIO CASTRONEVES 6
JUAN MONTOYA 6
RYAN HUNTER-REAY 20
SEBASTIEN BOURDAIS 15
STEFANO COLETTI 100
SAGE KARAM 60
CHARLIE KIMBALL 20
TONY KANAAN 20
JACK HAWKSWORTH 50
CARLOS MUNOZ 25
JOSEF NEWGARDEN 15
LUCA FILIPPI 30
MARCO ANDRETTI 30
TAKUMA SATO 30
GRAHAM RAHAL 25
JAMES JAKES 60
FIELD 50

Dover Practice Notes: All four Joe Gibbs cars are superfast for FedEx 400

Denny Hamlin and JGR cars are dialed in for Dover this week
LAS VEGAS -- It’s a new ball game as the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads into the second third of the 2015 season. Jimmie Johnson is still rated as the top driver to win Sunday’s FedEx 400 at Dover International Speedway, but the pool of quality candidates to win this week is greater than it’s been on any non-restrictor-plate track this season.

Following Saturday’s final two practice sessions, it was clear that Joe Gibbs Racing has all four of its cars dialed in better collectively than any race this season. We’ve already seen Denny Hamlin win at Martinsville, Matt Kenseth win at Bristol, Hamlin take the All-Star Race and then Carl Edwards win last week’s Coca-Cola 600, but at no point has all four cars been as good together as they are this week. In the final practice session the four JGR drivers, including Kyle Busch, finished within the top-five fastest speeds posted.

So if JGR is so good, why is Jimmie Johnson rated No. 1? If this were the first time ever raced at Dover, Johnson might fall to fourth or fifth behind the Gibbs cars, but you can’t ignore a track best nine wins. This guy has speed comparable to the Gibbs cars, and he’s also got history that shows he’s won six of the past 12 races on the track, including this race last season. He knows this track better than anyone and crew chief Chad Knaus knows what it takes down the stretch to win, which accounts for almost as much as actual speed in the practices and boosts his rating up considerably as the driver to beat.

Kyle Busch, Edwards and Kenseth all have great history on the track while Hamlin has had only three top-fives in 18 starts. However, in Hamlin’s case, being the fastest in both of Saturday’s practices make a strong case to say he has the best car and should be considered a favorite to win right up there with Johnson. Bettors could have had 18-to-1 of Hamlin before Friday, but now you’ll be lucky to get 7-to-1.

But the good news for bettors is that with such a wide ranging pool of drivers to win is that several drivers are going have decent odds. Sports books can’t drop everyone down to 5-to-1 (some #?&@!! books in Vegas actually do), so you’ve got perhaps the best value of the season from a betting stand point.

Kevin Harvick has been the driver rated at the top of the charts for almost every race this season, but falls considerably just because of everyone else stepping up their game. Harvick practiced well Saturday, and did lead 247 laps at Dover last season, but he’s still never won in 28 starts. He’s had only three top-five finishes over that span.

The most surprising drop-off of all came from Brad Keselowski who had only the 15th fastest lap during the final practice, which was his best among the three sessions ran between Friday and Saturday. He won the fall Dover race in 2012 and was runner-up in both races last season. He was expected to be one of the top candidates to beat Johnson this week, but doesn’t appear to have a car good enough to hang with Johnson or any of the JGR drivers. There might be about 15 cars better than Keselowski just based on speed, but his past skill on the track counts for something, so let’s just say he’ll finish about 11th.

NASCAR betting at Dover?
Every time I see the Dover Downs Hotel and Casino sitting on the Speedway’s grounds, where you can watch the race from your room, I think about the millions in lost revenue our friends at William Hill are missing out on the past four years because of the ridiculous sports betting rules bestowed upon Delaware. William Hill operates the sports risk management portion for the Delaware state lottery, but the only type of sports bets allowed are parlays on NFL.

Dover Downs has a captive audience for the weekend and if only half of the people going to the races bet an average of $20 on their drivers to win and the book can expect to hold 40 percent of that wagering pool, well, you do the math. It’s a chunky figure, and you can multiply that by two NASCAR weekends a year.

Around 2001, I had a few talks with Las Vegas Motor Speedway president Chris Powell about bringing wagering inside the concourses of the Speedway, but it never came about because LVMS would have had to go through a lengthy process to get a gaming license in the state. The volume of that captive audience would have been massive, and the NASCAR action would have been greater than any chain of books in the state. But Dover has everything already in place on site, they just don’t have the logical rules on sports betting like Nevada does. That may change soon.


FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks 
Dover International Speedway
Sunday, May 31, 2015 -  10:16 am (PT)

RATING    DRIVER   ODDS            PRAC 1   QUALIFIED    PRAC 2    PRAC 3
 1. Jimmie Johnson 7/2            1st         14th           4th         6th 
Track best nine-time winner, including six in past 12 starts; using brand new chassis this week. 
 2. Denny Hamlin 18/1              2nd          1st           1st         1st 
Would have been rated No. 1 had Johnson not had such great past history; no wins in 18 starts.
 3. Kurt Busch 8/1                     9th         13th           3rd       10th
2011 winner with 18.2 average finish in 29 starts; fastest 10-consecutive lap average in practice 2.
 4. Kyle Busch 15/1                   5th         10th         12th       18th 
Nine top-five finishes in 20 starts, including two wins; he loves this track and his car is real fast.
 5. Kevin Harvick 7/2                 8th          6th            8th        7th  
No wins and only three top-five finishes in 28 starts, but did lead 247 laps between both ‘14 races.
 6. Carl Edwards 20/1                7th          8th           2nd        2nd 
2007 winner with 10.2 average; they call him ‘concrete Carl’. Gibbs cars got something going on.
 7. Matt Kenseth 12/1               20th         4th           10th        4th 
Two-time winner with 15 top-five finishes in 32 starts; seventh or better in past 11 of 14 starts.
 8.. Joey Logano 10/1               22nd         5th            7th       11th 
Tenth or better in his past six starts, 13.8 average in 12 starts; grew up four hours from track.  
 9. Jeff Gordon 15/1                 17th        22nd         21st         9th 
Five-time winner, including last fall; fourth or better in four of past five starts; using Vegas chassis.
10. Martin Truex Jr. 15/1         10th         2nd         11th        20th  
Scored his first career Cup win on home track in 2007; finished sixth and seventh in ’14 races. 

Note: Dover’s 1-mile high-banked concrete layout in a paperclip shape is unique to itself, but there are some similarities to Bristol, and the April 19 Food City 500 results can be helpful in handicapping process. Kenseth won that race followed by Johnson and Gordon.

Odds courtesy of the Westgate Las Vegas Super Book

Micah Roberts, a former race and sports book director in Las Vegas, has been setting NASCAR odds since 1995. For more post-practice analysis, visit the Linemakers on SportingNews.com or follow MicahRoberts7 on Twitter.

Friday, May 29, 2015

Denny Hamlin snags pole at Dover

Denny Hamlin has a car that can win on Sunday and he's getting 15/1 odds
Dover Qualifying Facts:

* Denny Hamlin won the Coors Light Pole Award for the 46th Annual FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks with a lap of 22.483 seconds, 160.121 mph.

* This is his 21st pole in 339 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races.

* This is his first pole and sixth top-10 start in 2015.

* This is his third pole in 19 races at Dover International Speedway.

* Martin Truex Jr. (second) posted his seventh top-10 start of 2015 and his ninth in 19 races at Dover International Speedway.

* Kyle Larson (third) posted his third top-10 start at Dover International Speedway. It is his seventh in 12 races this season.

* Jeb Burton (35th) was the fastest qualifying rookie.

- NASCAR

FedEx 400 Qualifying Results

Final Dover Practice Notes & Driver Ratings

Johnson fastest in first Dover practice; Toyota shines as well

Not surprising at all to see No. 48 top the early charts
Jimmie Johnson was fastest (163.867 mph) in Friday morning’s Sprint Cup practice at Dover International Speedway.

No surprise there, as Johnson is the all-time winningest driver (9 victories) at Dover.

But what was surprising was the onslaught behind Johnson: Five of the first seven fastest drivers were Toyota pilots.

Denny Hamlin (163.532 mph) was second-fastest,David Ragan (163.339) was fourth, Kyle Busch(162.808) fifth, Clint Bowyer (162.727) sixth and Coca-Cola 600 winner Carl Edwards (162.624) seventh.

Sandwiched in-between was the only other Chevy driver in the top 7, Dale Earnhardt Jr. (163.473) was third-fastest.

The fastest Ford driver was 12th fastest Greg Biffle (162.330 mph).

Most of the 45 drivers on the grid were practicing in qualifying form, as qualifying is set for 3:45 pm ET this afternoon.

Read More Here....Practice Speeds.....NBC Sports

2015 FedEx 400 Odds: Jimmie Johnson goes for 10th Dover win

Jeff Gordon makes the final pass on Brad Keselowski last fall at Dover
LAS VEGAS -- We get to see some different kind racing this week as the Sprint Cup Series rolls into Dover for the 13th race of the season. The storylines have been similar for the five races run on 1.5-mile tracks this season, but in almost all the other races, someone new has stepped up to take the victory.

However, as we go through the history of Dover's high-banked 1-mile concrete paperclip layout, you'll notice one driver has had no trouble slaying the Monster Mile. Jimmie Johnson's nine wins are a track record, and he has won at least one of the two races there the past three years.

Because of Johnson's past dominance at the track, the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook has given his rating a huge upgrade this week, but at 7-to-2 odds, he’s still only a co-favorite to win along with Kevin Harvick.

Let's take a look at all the drivers' odds and find out where the best value rests this week.

FED EX 400, ODDS AND ANALYSIS, DOVER INT'L SPEEDWAY, SUNDAY, MAY 31

KEVIN HARVICK 7/2: By the way I talk about Harvick and his lofty driver rating weekly, you might think he has six wins already, but he's only got two. However, the only two races this season where Harvick was downgraded were Martinsville and Bristol, and that was mostly because of his recent history. This week kind of falls into the same category, where you know he's going to be fast, but only three top-fives and no wins in 28 career starts suggest the Monster has gotten under his skin. Last season, when he was also dominating on 1.5-mile tracks, he finished 17th and 13th in the two Dover races. He might even be a bet-against driver in matchups against quality opponents at plus-money.

JIMMIE JOHNSON 7/2: We should have known we were in for NASCAR greatness when he swept Dover as a rookie in 2002, and here he is with a record nine wins on a track that has been running since 1969 and twice a year since 1971. With a win on Sunday, he joins Richard Petty, Darrell Waltrip, David Pearson and Dale Earnhardt as the only drivers to win 10 races on a single track. Think about it: nine wins in 26 starts; he wins every 2.88 starts he makes on the track. He has six wins in his last 12 Dover starts, and he's 24 laps led away from 3,000. Under the new Chase format, all Johnson wants to do is win, which makes him even scarier at the place he dominates. But it also makes him more volatile in terms of finishing position, which matchup players looking for big underdogs like to see.

BRAD KESELOWSKI 6/1: He's finished fifth or better in four of his past five starts at Dover, so it's clear he digs this place. He won in 2012 and was runner-up in both 2014 races. He's the driver with the best chance at keeping Johnson from another win.

KURT BUSCH 8/1: He grabbed his only Dover win in 2011 while driving for Penske Racing. Last season with Stewart-Haas, he was 18th in both races. While his prospects of winning are not overly exciting, there are some positives with Busch, such as leading 98 laps at Bristol in April. Bristol is a half-mile shorter than Dover, but the concrete and banking are comparable. The Tennessee short track is the only thing comparable to Dover on the entire schedule.

JOEY LOGANO 10/1: He doesn't have a Dover win like his teammate Keselowski, but he has been very consistent with top-10 finishes in his past six starts there. He was fourth last fall, and his career best was third-place, twice (Fall 2010, Fall 2013).

MATT KENSETH 12/1: In 32 career starts at Dover, the guy has 15 top-fives and two wins. He likes this track a lot and has been one of the most consistent in Dover driver matchups. You can trust him – he’s been seventh or better in 11 of his past 14 starts here. His two wins came for Roush Fenway Racing, but he's been every bit as good with Joe Gibbs Racing, including third and sixth last year. He also won at Bristol last month. JGR is flexing its muscles lately with wins by Hamlin and Edwards at Charlotte the past two weeks.

Read More Here....complete list of odds from Westgate SuperBook

Dover Driver Chassis Selections: 2015 FedEx 400

Gordon using Vegas/All-Star chassis; Johnson using new chassis

#3-Austin Dillon: will pilot Chassis No. 477 in the FedEx 400 benefitting Autism Speaks. This is the same Chevrolet SS that Dillon raced to a ninth-place finish at Bristol Motor Speedway in April and a 20th-place finish at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March. In 2014, Dillon raced this Chevrolet SS to a 24th-place finish at Dover International Speedway in September, a 20th-place finish at Richmond International Raceway in September and a 14th-place finish at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in July.

#4-Kevin Harvick: Chassis Information: Chassis No. 4-884: Kevin Harvick will pilot the No. 4 ditech Chevrolet SS built on Chassis No. 4-884 in the FedEx 400 benefitting Autism Speaks NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race Sunday at Dover (Del.) International Speedway. Built in 2014, Chassis No. 4-884 made its debut at Indianapolis Motor Speedway last July, where it won the pole, led 12 laps and finished eighth. It also won the pole in its second appearance at Atlanta in August, when it led 195 laps and finished 19th. It won its third appearance at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway in October, when it started seventh and led 162 laps. In its most recent start, Harvick made his 500th career start at Texas when he started fifth, led two laps and finished second. In its lone start in 2015, Chassis No. 4-884 started and finished second and led 96 laps at Texas in April.

#5-Kasey Kahne: Crew chief Keith Rodden has selected Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 5-896 for Sunday's race at Dover. In 2014, Kahne raced the chassis at Chicagoland Speedway in September and at Phoenix in November. Most recently, Kahne raced the chassis at Phoenix in March, where he finished fourth.

#14-Tony Stewart: Chassis No. 14-827: This car debuted in July 2014 during the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Stewart used it to qualify sixth, but in the race the car was persistently loose and it finished 17th. It was a reversal of fortune for the car, for in its lone test prior to Indianapolis it excelled, as Kevin Harvick drove it to the fastest speed of anyone participating in the Dec. 9, 2013 test session at Charlotte (N.C.)Motor Speedway. Chassis No. 14-827 next raced at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois, where it had a quiet weekend, qualifying 22nd and finishing 18th. The car returned to Charlotte in October where it made its third career start, qualifying a strong fourth but finishing 21st, bedeviled by a tight-handling condition. Its last start of 2014 came in November at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, where in qualifying it set the fastest lap in a stock car at a 1.5-mile oval when Stewart drove it to a lap of 26.985 seconds at 200.111 mph. It was the first time a stock car surpassed the 200 mph mark on a 1.5-mile oval. The car performed admirably in the race, finishing 11th. The car sat idle until April 2015 when it appeared at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway. It was a solid effort with the sixth-place finish at the concrete oval being the car's best among its five career starts. Chassis No. 14-827 returns to the concrete with this weekend's race at Dover.

#24-Jeff Gordon: Crew chief Alan Gustafson has selected Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 24-907 for Sunday's race. The chassis has been raced five times previously with Gordon finishing fourth in the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte and 18th at Las Vegas in its only starts of 2015. Last year, the 43-year-old driver finished 29th at Texas in November and posted runner-up finishes at Charlotte Motor Speedway in October and Chicagoland Speedway in September racing the chassis.

#27-Paul Menard: will get behind the wheel of chassis No. 487 this weekend at Dover International Speedway. This Richard Childress Racing-prepared Chevrolet SS was utilized earlier this season at Atlanta Motor Speedway (Start: 13/ Finish: 13), Auto Club Speedway (Start: 11/ Finish: 4) and Charlotte Motor Speedway for the Sprint Showdown (Start: 1/ Finish: 2).

#31-Ryan Newman: will drive chassis No. 504 in the FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks. This Chevrolet has been utilized three times this season at Auto Club Speedway (Start: 9/Finish: 5), Texas Motor Speedway (Start: 7/Finish: 12) and Kansas Speedway (Start: 15/Finish: 10).

#32-Mike Bliss: Crew Chief Clinton Cram will be bringing chassis GGR-742 to serve as the primary car. Bliss last drove this car at Bristol in April finishing 31st. Chassis GGR-289 will serve as the backup car.

#33-Brian Scott: is scheduled to pilot chassis No. 460 in Sunday's FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks. Scott most recently ran this chassis at Las Vegas Motor Speedway where he scored his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series career-best finish of 13th. This chassis saw action at three previous tracks in 2014 including Auto Club Speedway, Atlanta Motor Speedway and Phoenix International Raceway.

#41-Kurt Busch: Chassis No. 828: Kurt Busch will pilot Chassis No. 828 in the FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks at Dover (Del.) International Speedway. Formerly a No. 10 chassis for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) teammate Danica Patrick, Chassis No. 828 debuted in November 2013 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, when Patrick started 24th and finished 20th. It was then put to use in March 2014 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, where she started 22nd and finished 21st. It raced two weeks later at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California, where Patrick started 27th and finished 14th. Chassis No. 828 last raced at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway in May 2014, where Patrick started seventh and finished 10th. Chassis No. 828 was prepared and carried numerous times throughout the rest of the 2014 season as a backup car, but will see its first laps of action since then this weekend at Dover (Del.) International Speedway.

#47-A.J. Allmendinger: Chassis 499: "We're bringing the same car AJ raced at Phoenix International Raceway and Kansas Speedway," crew chief Brian Burns said. "So, it's fairly new and only its third race. We debuted it at Phoenix and lost a motor in practice. AJ drove from the back of field and overcame bad track position to finish 17th. We also had our jack man Mike Klein go out with an injury mid-race and he's our pit coach as well. I feel pretty good about this car. We're hoping for a solid weekend."

#48-Jimmie Johnson: For this weekend's event, crew chief Chad Knaus has selected chassis No. 48-937, which is a brand new Chevrolet SS. The backup car is 48-824, which last raced at Pocono Raceway in June 2014.

#88-Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Crew chief Greg Ives and the No. 88 team will unload Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 88-905 this weekend at Dover. Earnhardt most recently raced the chassis at Phoenix International Raceway in March.

- compiled by Jayski.com

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Dover test to give Hamlin an edge Sunday in FedEx 400

Denny Hamlin is 15/1 to win at Dover Sunday
Denny Hamlin
#11 FedEx Cares Toyota
Joe Gibbs Racing

Race Info:
Race: FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks
Date/Time: May 31/1 p.m. ET
Distance: 400 laps/400 miles
Track Length: 1 mile
Track Shape: Oval
Banking: 24 degrees
2014 Winner: Jimmie Johnson

Express Notes:
Special Scheme for FedEx 400:
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads to Dover International Speedway for Sunday’s FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks, the fifth time FedEx has sponsored the 400-lap event at the “Monster Mile.” Denny Hamlin will have a special #11 FedEx Cares Toyota paint scheme for the event. Through the FedEx Cares global charitable platform, FedEx and its team members are able to show their passion about sustainably connecting people and places and improving the quality of life around the world. In the last year alone, FedEx has donated over $45 million to charitable organizations in communities around the world and FedEx team members have volunteered nearly 70,000 hours of service. The #11 paint scheme will highlight 10 charitable organizations that FedEx supports, including Autism Speaks, American Red Cross, Direct Relief, Safe Kids, Junior Achievement Worldwide, United Negro College Fund, FIRST, Arbor Day Foundation, St. Jude and March of Dimes.

Autism Awareness: Heading into the FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks this weekend, Hamlin and his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Matt Kenseth are encouraging fans to make a donation to Autism Speaks by texting RACING to 30644 to get started. Visit www.AutismSpeaks.org/Racing for more information.

Dover Preview: Hamlin is making his 19th career Cup Series start at Dover in Sunday’s FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks, looking for his first victory at the high-banked, concrete oval. In 18 events, Hamlin owns six top-10 finishes, including a best result of fourth (twice) in the spring 2007 and 2010 events. He also has recorded two poles and led 143 total laps at the track. Hamlin started seventh and finished fifth in the FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks one year ago.

Charlotte Recap: Hamlin finished eighth in Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, forced to make an unscheduled pit stop from the lead in the #11 FedEx Office Toyota with 35 laps to go in the season’s longest event won by Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Carl Edwards. Hamlin retook the lead on a late restart on Lap 330 of 400, and kept a series of competitors — including Martin Truex Jr. and Kevin Harvick — at bay as the laps clicked. However, he radioed some 25 laps later that he thought he had a loose wheel, and crew chief Dave Rogers elected to bring him to pit road to change four tires. The majority of the field still needed to make one more stop for fuel as well, but Edwards and a handful of teams stretched their gas to the end, as the FedEx Racing Team settled for an eighth-place result. Hamlin started fifth and ran among the top-10 throughout the event. The #11 machine showed its strength on long runs during the race, as Hamlin took the lead from Joey Logano on Lap 44 and led 20 laps in the early going. A tight condition in the car dropped Hamlin back to ninth through the race’s midpoint, but with the help of good adjustments and quick work by the FedEx crew on pit road, Hamlin worked his way back through the field.

Hamlin Statistics:
Track: Dover International Speedway
Races: 18
Wins: 0
Top-5: 3
Top-10: 6
Average Start: 12.3
Average Finish: 19.2
Laps Led: 143

Hamlin Conversation — DOVER:

What are your thoughts heading into Dover?

“I’m very optimistic heading into Sunday’s FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks. We tested there a few weeks ago for three days and I thought it went pretty well. Dover was a tough track for me early in my career, but I have gotten more comfortable there over the years and put together some solid runs. We haven’t finished quite where we deserved there, but Dover is a really tough place. It’ll be important to put together a solid qualifying effort to start up front and hopefully get our first win there.”

How important is it for you to help recognize deserving charities through the special #11 FedEx Cares paint scheme?
“FedEx does so much for charities around the world. Many of the FedEx team members generously provide time volunteering for great causes. I’m proud that our FedEx race team can play a small part in recognizing those employees as well as bringing awareness to a handful of charitable organizations that do great work in local communities all over the globe. The #11 FedEx Cares Toyota looks great this weekend, and hopefully we can drive it right into victory lane.”

Hagerstown, Maryland, Along for the Ride in Dover: The FedEx Freight service center in Hagerstown, Maryland, will be recognized with its “HGR” code letters on the b-post of the #11 FedEx Cares Toyota for this weekend’s FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks at Dover International Speedway. The Hagerstown service center covers northern Maryland, southern Pennsylvania and the eastern panhandle of West Virginia.

FedEx Office – Closest to Dover International Speedway: 132 Elkton Road, Newark, DE 19711, (302) 368-5080

          2015 FEDEX RACING TEAM – SEASON RESULTS
DATEEVENTLOCATIONSTARTFINISHLAPSSTATUSWINNINGSLEDPTSTREND
Feb. 22Daytona 500Daytona424203/203Running$680,48344th
March 1Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500Atlanta438284/325Running$111,1051419th
March 8Kobalt 400Las Vegas195267/267Running$162,3808th
March 15Camping World 500Phoenix2523312/312Running$92,85513th
March 22Auto Club 400Fontana628209/209Running$106.4855614th
March 29STP 500Martinsville151500/500Running$172,260917th
April 11Duck Commander 500Texas1811334/334Running$146,5258th
April 19Food City 500Bristol*526505/511Running$109,20011th
April 26Toyota Owners 400Richmond222398/400Running$95,35012th
May 3GEICO 500Talladega179188/188Running$127,645510th
May 9SpongBob SquarePants 400Kansas1341205/267Running$79,33015th
May 24Coca-Cola 600Charlotte58400/400Running$143,7205315th
Averages/Totals14.218.097.2%$2,027,338223
* Drivers: Denny Hamlin and Erik Jones

- Weber Shandwick Worldwide for FedEx Racing

Kevin Harvick searching for first Dover win

Kevin Harvick is 7/2 to win this week at Dover
KANNAPOLIS, N.C. (May 27, 2015) – When Kevin Harvick takes to the racetrack this weekend for the FedEx 400 benefitting Autism Speaks at Dover (Del.) International Speedway, his No. 4 Chevrolet SS for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) will sport the distinctive blue of primary sponsor ditech for the first time.

Ditech Mortgage Corporation, one of the mortgage industry’s best-known brands, maintains its corporate headquarters 90 miles from Dover – in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania – and Harvick would love nothing more than to host a party in victory lane Sunday for the new partner’s first primary race in its own backyard.

Stewart-Haas Racing welcomed ditech as an associate sponsor of Harvick’s No. 4 Chevrolet for the final 10 races of 2014 before ditech increased its involvement with the team to include two primary races in 2015. This weekend at Dover is the first of the two, with the second race scheduled for Sept. 27 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon.

Harvick, crew chief Rodney Childers and the No. 4 ditech team have had Dover circled on their calendar since last September as unfinished business. In their most recent appearance at Dover in September 2014, Harvick and the No. 4 team won the pole position with a qualifying speed of 162.933 mph and went on to dominate the majority of the race by leading 233 of 400 laps. But a flat left-front tire with 150 laps to go derailed what looked to be a sure win. After dropping back to 21st, the team rebounded to score a 13th-place finish.

The fact Dover International Speedway is known as “The Monster Mile” is not lost on Harvick or the No. 4 team. The difficult racetrack is one of only five on the Sprint Cup circuit where Harvick remains winless. But, if the start to the 2015 race season is any indication, Harvick should be a favorite Sunday.

Twelve races into 2015, Harvick has scored eight top-two finishes – including wins at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Phoenix International Raceway. He sits atop the driver standings with 473 points. His five straight Sprint Cup finishes of second or better to start the season is a series record. He has led a series-high 1,032 laps with an average finish of 6.4 thus far. His 1,032 laps led are 373 laps more than the next-closest competitor – 659 by his SHR teammate Kurt Busch.

The Bakersfield, California, native leads several other statistical categories: 125.9 driver rating, eight top-five finishes, 11 top-10s, 22 bonus points, 621 fastest laps run, 19.5 percent of fastest laps run, 26.4 percent of laps led, 1,129.38 miles led, 3,606 laps in the top-15, 92.1 percent of laps in the top-15, average running position of 5.65, average finish of 6.4, and a pass differential of 222.

The reigning Sprint Cup champion has led at least one lap in 11 straight Sprint Cup points events in 2015. The only race he hasn’t led was the season-opening Daytona 500. That trend should continue this weekend based on last season’s performances at the high-banked concrete mile oval. Harvick led 247 laps in the two 2014 Sprint Cup races at Dover.

Harvick’s two Sprint Cup race wins in 2015 virtually secure his spot in this year’s Chase for the Sprint Cup, but from this point on he is looking for race wins and bonus points to start the Chase. This weekend in Dover, he is hoping to welcome ditech to the team with its first visit to victory lane as a primary sponsor in Sunday’s FedEx 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Dover.

KEVIN HARVICK, Driver of the No. 4 ditech Chevrolet SS for Stewart-Haas Racing:

What is it like to take a lap around Dover?

“For me, Dover is one of those tracks where you feel the speed the most. You carry a lot of speed through the corners and, as you go from the straightaways, the elevation change as you go down in the corners is pretty drastic. And then you’re right back in the throttle and it kind of throws you back out of that hole and up the hill on the exit of the corner. Laps seem to happen very fast there and you want to try and have the best-handling racecar you can have there because, if you’re off even a little bit, you’ll go multiple laps down in a hurry. It’s a fun, very fast racetrack that’s really hard to get everything right.”

Talk a little bit about the physical demands on a driver at Dover. You always hear about how intense a lap around the track is, but 400 laps around there must really be taxing on a driver?
“Dover is definitely one of the most taxing places that we go to, for sure. There are just a lot of G-forces as you go off into the corner and it kind of throws you down into a hole. There’s a lot of banking with a lot of speed and it’s hard on your body. I usually leave out of there with sore heels from where my feet have beat on the floorboard through the day. It’s definitely a very taxing racetrack for a driver.”

Kevin Harvick Dover International Speedway Performance Profile:
YearEventStartFinishStatus/LapsLaps LedEarnings
2014FedEx 400817Running, 399/40024$137,418
 AAA 400113Running, 399/400223$135,623
2013FedEx 40078Running, 400/4001$152,001
 AAA 400126Running, 400/4000$147,296
2012FedEx 40062Running, 400/4000$250,001
 AAA 4001313Running, 397/4000$126,596
2011FedEx 4001010Running, 400/4000$142,986
 AAA 4002210Running, 400/40010$129,861
2010Autism Speaks 400307Running, 400/4000$146,476
 AAA 4003315Running, 400/4000$114,926
2009Autism Speaks 4003517Running, 400/4000$127,403
 AAA 4002012Running, 400/4000$118,203
2008Best Buy 4003438Running, 326/4000$122,831
 Camping World RV 400246Running, 400/4001$139,461
2007Autism Speaks 4001820Running, 398/4000$132,186
 Dodge Dealers 400720Running, 396/4000$119,811
2006Neighborhood Excellence 40053Running, 400/4000$198,586
Dover 4002532Engine, 366/4000$101,986
2005MBNA RacePoints 400 I725Running, 396/4000$122,216
 ×MBNA RacePoints 400 II1719Running, 402/4040$112,561
2004MBNA America 400 I3310Running, 398/4000$116,538
 MBNA America 400 II3019Running, 397/4000$99,493
2003MBNA Armed Forces Family 4002327Running, 395/4000$97,833
 MBNA America 40034Running, 400/400133$119,533
2002MBNA Platinum 4003428Running, 396/4000$96,283
 MBNA All-American Heroes 4003530Running, 394/4000$91,868
2001MBNA Platinum 40088Running, 400/4000$98,487
 MBNA Cal Ripken Jr. 400146Running, 400/4000$102,167
* Race cut short due to weather. × Race length extended due to green-white-checkered finish. † Qualifying canceled due to weather, starting position set via car owner points.

- True Speed Communication for Stewart-Haas Racing

Kyle Larson and Jamie McMurray Dover Previews

Larson is 25/1 to win at Dover Sunday, McMurray is 60.1
Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates Advance Notes

RACE SETUP

Race: FedEx 400 benefitting Autism Speaks – 400 laps (400 Miles) #FedEx400
Track: Dover International Speedway (1-mile concrete oval) @MonsterMile
Drivers: @jamiemcmurray, @KyleLarsonRacin
Cars: No. 1 McDonald’s/Cessna Chevrolet SS, No. 42 Target Chevrolet SS
Television: Sunday, May 31 FOX (1:00 p.m. ET)
Social: @CGRnascar #TeamTarget #TeamMcD #TeamGanassi

I BET YOU DIDN’T KNOW THAT

Three-Five-Nine-Ten: In follow-up to one of the biggest racing weekends of the year last week, Chip Ganassi Racing Teams (CGRT) is gearing up for one of their busiest, action-packed weekends of racing in 2015. For the first time this season, CGRT will compete in three different cities (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., Dover, Del., and Detroit, Mich.) in five series (Red Bull Global Rallycross, Tudor United SportsCar Championship, NASCAR XFINITY Series, Verizon INDYCAR Series and the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series), with nine cars and 10 different drivers (Steve Arpin, Scott Pruett, Joey Hand, Brennan Poole, Sage Karam, Charlie Kimball, Tony Kanaan, Scott Dixon, Kyle Larson and Jamie McMurray). This will be the first time that CGRT will have cars on-track on the same weekend for all five series in which it competes.

#TEAMGANASSI
Follow CGR on Twitter: Be sure to follow CGR on the official team Twitter page. Find in-race updates and weekly news on the No.1 and No.42 teams throughout the 2015 season by following @CGRnascar. You can also connect in the social conversation throughout the season with team hashtags – #TeamTarget #TeamMcD

TWEET OF THE WEEK
@jamiemcmurray: “Proud to raise awareness for @autismspeaks @MonsterMile this week with Jamie McMurray Foundation on the No. 1 car”

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW FOR DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY

Jamie McMurray and No. 1 McDonald’s/Cessna Team

Charlotte Recap:
The Coca-Cola 600, which is the longest race on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) schedule, is the annual series stop for Memorial Day weekend. Jamie McMurray and the No. 1 Cessna/McDonald’s team looked to wrap up two weekends of racing at Charlotte Motor Speedway, billed “10 Days of Thunder”, with a strong run. The No. 1 Chevy started from the 22nd position and finished the 400-lap race with a 19th place result.

Dover Stats: Jamie McMurray has made 24 starts at Dover where he has completed 9,474 of 9,604 (98.6%) laps of competition. He has five top-10 and one top-five finish with an average start of 15.7 and average finish of 18.2. McMurray has led a total of 132 laps in NSCS competition and has zero DNF’s (did not finish). He has a best start of fifth on two occasions (June 2008 & Sept. 2014) and his best finish was a runner-up result in June 2006.

Strong Foundation: This weekend at the Monster Mile the Jamie McMurray Foundation logo will be featured on the decklid of the No. 1 McDonald’s/Cessna Chevrolet SS. McMurray, who has been a longtime supporter of Autism Awareness and has participated in public service announcements to support individuals and families affected by Autism, will also participate in the annual Drive for Autism Golf Tournament on Thursday May 28th at the DuPont Country Club in Wilmington, DE, hosted by NASCAR on FOX director Artie Kempner.

Kyle Larson and No. 42 Target Team

Charlotte Recap:
On the biggest racing weekend of the year, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) was at Charlotte Motor Speedway (CMS) for the longest race of the season, the Coca-Cola 600. As teams prepared for the 400-lap event, the Target crew steadily made improvements on Kyle Larson’s No. 42 Chevrolet SS, and looked poised for a strong race starting from the ninth position. However, after a good start, Larson began to experience handling issues that would persist throughout the race and result in a 25th place finish.

Larson at Dover: Larson has competed in two previous NSCS races at the Monster Mile, and also has four starts at Dover in the XFINITY Series and one in the K&N Pro Series East. Last season, Larson scored finishes of 11th and sixth in the spring and fall races respectively, and boasts an average starting position of sixth at Dover. In his five races in NASCAR’s lower series, Larson has an average finish of 5.8.

In-Store: Prior to putting on his Team Target uniform for the weekend, Larson will be making an appearance at the Target store closest to Dover International Speedway. Larson will be at the store, located on 148 John Hunn Brown Road in Dover, from 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. on Thursday evening. The event is open to the public and fans are encouraged to come out and meet Kyle.

A Shopping Bullseye: If you have made it to the race only to find out you’ve forgotten to pack a few necessities, there’s no need to worry. For all your last minute needs, and forgotten items, Target has all of the essentials and more. Target is located at 148 John Hunn Brown Road, Dover, Del. 19901, and can be reached at (302) 741-0434. Call ahead and make sure they have what you need.

2015 STATS
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
StartsWinsPolesTop 5sTop 10sAvg. startAvg. FinishPts. Pos.
Jamie McMurray12002413.614.88
Kyle Larson11000315.516.822

CAREER STATS
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
StartsWinsPolesTop 5sTop 10sAvg. StartAvg. Finish
Jamie McMurray4507115412518.818.8
Kyle Larson510182015.516.8

ONE TEAM
Chip Ganassi has been a fixture in the auto racing industry for over 25 years and is considered one of the most successful as well as innovative owners the sport has anywhere in the world. Today his teams include four cars in the IndyCar Series, two cars in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, and one Prototype in the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship. Overall his teams have 17 championships and over 160 victories, including four Indianapolis 500s, a Daytona 500, a Brickyard 400 and six Rolex 24 At Daytonas and the 12 Hours of Sebring. Ganassi boasts state-of-the-art race shop facilities in Indianapolis and Brownsburg, Ind. and Concord, N.C., with a corporate office in Pittsburgh, Pa.

For more information log onto www.chipganassiracing.com

- Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates

Jimmie Johnson owns Dover, goes for 10th career win on Sunday

Johnson going for 10th Dover win; he's 7/2 to win on Sunday
No. 48 Lowe's ProServices Chevrolet SS / Jimmie Johnson


Driver: Jimmie Johnson
Hometown: El Cajon, California
Age: 39
Resides: Charlotte, North Carolina

Jimmie Johnson, driver of the No. 48 Lowe's ProServices Chevrolet SS, will be available to members of the media on Friday at 10:15 a.m. local time in the Dover International Speedway media center.

CONTROLLED THE MONSTER: During his rookie season in 2002, Jimmie Johnson claimed his first Dover win by leading 188 laps en route to his second career Cup victory. Later that season in September, Johnson led 170 laps and won on the Monster Mile yet again. Of his nine career wins at Dover, Johnson has won from the pole position twice.

SWEEPER: Johnson has swept the spring and fall events at Dover twice in his career. After winning both events as a rookie in 2002, he accomplished the feat again in 2009.

END OF STREAK: Johnson’s 40th-place finish Sunday at Charlotte marked the first time he finished out of the top three since Martinsville, Virginia, six races prior.

LAP LEADER: Last May, Johnson took home his ninth career trophy from Dover by leading a dominating 272 laps. In that race he surpassed Bobby Allison’s 2,802 laps led to become the all-time lap leader at Dover. Johnson has now led 2,976 laps around the Monster Mile and has completed 98.2 percent of all laps attempted.

ELLEN SHOW APPEARANCE: Johnson will appear on the The Ellen DeGeneres Show on Tuesday, June 2. See local listings for air times.

NINE AT DOVER: Johnson has a total of nine Sprint Cup wins at Dover International Speedway, which ranks first all-time ahead of NASCAR Hall of Famers Bobby Allison and Richard Petty who recorded seven wins apiece.

DOVER CHASSIS: For this weekend’s event, crew chief Chad Knaus has selected chassis No. 48-937, which is a brand new Chevrolet SS. The backup car is 48-824, which last raced at Pocono Raceway in June 2014.

TICKET PACKAGE AT POCONO: Pocono Raceway is offering a kid-generated question-and-answer session with three-time Pocono winner Johnson. In addition to the Q&A, this year’s Jimmie Johnson Experience will include hands-on activities for kids to showcase the relationship between NASA and auto racing. Every child in attendance will receive a 12-page, four-color booklet centered around NASA’s Rockets 2 Racecars STEM Education. For more information, click here.

Jimmie Johnson on racing at Dover
“I’d have to say Dover is probably one of the most technical tracks we go to. Setup is key. Communication between driver and crew chief is key. At Dover, you have such loading characteristics, as you’re on the straightaway and kind of lunge off the corner, that you can draw some similarities between Dover and Charlotte. Dover isn’t easy, but it just suits my driving style and I love it.”
 
 
2015 Season
  • 5th in standings
  • 12 starts
  • 3 wins
  • 0 pole positions
  • 7 top-five finishes
  • 8 top-10 finishes
  • 364 laps led
 
 
Career
  • 483 starts
  • 73 wins
  • 33 pole positions
  • 200 top-five finishes
  • 300 top-10 finishes
  • 17,515 laps led
 
 
Dover Career 
  • 26 starts
  • 9 wins
  • 3 pole positions
  • 14 top-five finishes
  • 19 top-10 finishes
  • 2,976 laps led
 
 - Hendrick Motorsports

Dover Preview: 2015 FedEx 400

The Dover Downs King
After two weeks of sleeping on their own pillows in Charlotte, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams hit the road again as they travel to Dover, Delaware for this weekend’s FedEx 400 which when over will be the end of the first-half of the regular season.

With Carl Edwards winning last week’s Coca-Cola 600, there are now nine drivers with wins which should be good enough to get them into the Chase when the lineup is set after race No. 26 at Richmond. That means there are seven Chase positions available with 14 races to go until the playoff field is set.

This is the second season of the current Chase format and you can see that the drivers are applying several different strategies. For the drivers with wins already they’re comfortable and trying to go all out for another win. Their crews are trying radical strategies to make the car faster to get wins and if they fail, so what, they’re making the Chase anyway. When Jimmie Johnson spun out and crashed into the inside wall Sunday night to finish 40th, he just shrugged his shoulders and said it was no big deal. Everyone who has a win right now has that luxury to be relaxed for the next 14 weeks because they’re in.

However, it’s those winless drivers that are stressing a little more right now. They know it’s hard enough to beat the likes of Kevin Harvick and Johnson on a weekly basis, so while they want to win, they also have to try and get as many points as possible to for the chance that a few drivers will still gain entry into the Chase. Martin Truex Jr. has the second most points in the series, but is in 10th position for the Chase because of no wins. He should get in regardless of not winning, but then you have others that have been up and down like Jeff Gordon and Kasey Kahne that are still winless. Jamie McMurray is having a great year so far in 11th-place, but isn't comfortable. Ryan Newman, Aric Alimirola and Paul Menard sit 14th-16th in points, but are no where near being comfortable. The top four drivers outside looking in are separated by 24 points -- Clint Bowyer, Danica Patrick, Greg Biffle and A.J. Allmendinger.

Within the next 14 races, there are a couple of races that could serve as wild cards for smaller teams like last season when Allmendinger won on the road course at Watkins Glen and Almirola won at Daytona. Neither of those drivers would have made the Chase without those wins. However, this week’s race at Dover doesn’t fit that criteria because it is usually won by an elite team, and in most cases, the most elite of all, Jimmie Johnson.

In 29 career Dover starts, Johnson has won a track-record nine times on the high-banked 1-mile concrete paperclip. The track was built in 1969 and got to witness all the greats like Richard Petty, Cale Yarborough, David Pearson and Dale Earnhardt, but it’s Johnson who stands alone as the best all-time. He’s won three of the past six Dover races, including this race last season. It’s because of that dominance that he should be considered the favorite this week and supplant Harvick who has held that that status at every non-plate track.

Read More Here....Top-5 Finish Prediction

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Dover International Speedway Track Facts: 2015 FedEx 400 benefiting Austism Speaks

Jimmie Johnson don't mess around at Dover; he has become the true monster of 'The Monster Mile'
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series 2015 Top 16 at Dover International Speedway

Driver
Races
Poles
Wins
Top Fives
Top 10s
DNFs
Average Finish
Driver Rating
 
 
1
Kevin Harvick
28
1
0
3
12
1
15.2
86.5
 
2
Martin Truex Jr.
18
2
1
1
8
2
15.8
89.1
 
3
Joey Logano
12
0
0
3
8
1
13.8
82.6
 
4
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
30
1
1
6
11
1
16.2
81.9
 
5
Jimmie Johnson
26
3
9
14
19
2
8.2
122.3
 
6
Brad Keselowski
10
1
1
4
4
0
13.2
92.1
 
7
Matt Kenseth
32
1
2
15
21
5
12.8
108.3
 
8
Jamie McMurray
24
0
0
1
5
0
18.3
78.0
 
9
Jeff Gordon
44
4
5
18
25
5
11.4
96.5
 
10
Kasey Kahne
22
0
0
1
5
6
20.9
80.9
 
11
Ryan Newman
26
4
3
6
13
2
13.4
88.2
 
12
Aric Almirola
6
0
0
0
1
0
17.5
73.7
 
13
Paul Menard
15
0
0
0
2
0
19.1
67.0
 
14
Kurt Busch
29
0
1
6
8
6
18.2
91.0
 
15
Denny Hamlin
18
2
0
3
6
3
19.2
84.2
 
16
Carl Edwards
21
0
1
8
12
0
10.2
99.2
 
* – Based on last 20 races at Dover International Speedway.



Dover International Speedway Data
Season Race #: 13 of 36 (05-31-15)
Track Size: 1-mile
Banking/Turn 1 & 2: 24 degrees
Banking/Turn 3 & 4: 24 degrees
Banking/Frontstretch: 9 degree
Banking/Backstretch: 9 degree
Frontstretch Length:  1,076 feet
Backstretch Length:  1,076 feet
Race Length: 400 laps / 400 miles

Top 10 Driver Ratings at Dover
Jimmie Johnson........................ 122.3
Matt Kenseth............................. 108.3
Kyle Busch............................... 105.5
Carl Edwards.............................. 99.2
Greg Biffle.................................. 97.4
Jeff Gordon................................ 96.5
Kyle Larson................................ 93.0
Clint Bowyer............................... 92.5
Brad Keselowski......................... 92.1
Kurt Busch.................................. 91.0
Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2014 races (20 total) among active drivers at Dover Motor Speedway.

Qualifying/Race Data
2014 pole winner:
Brad Keselowski, Ford
164.444 mph, 21.892 secs. 05-30-14

2014 race winner:
Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet
117.724 mph, (03:23:52), 06-01-14

Track qualifying record:
Brad Keselowski, Ford
164.444 mph, 21.892 secs. 05-30-14

Track race record:
Mark Martin, Ford
132.719 mph, (03:00:50), 09-21-97

Dover International Speedway:
History
·         The official opening of Dover International Speedway, then called Dover Downs International Speedway, was in 1969.
·         The first NASCAR Sprint Cup race was held on July 6, 1969 – won by Richard Petty.
·         The first two races at Dover were 300 miles. The race length was changed to 500 miles in 1971.
·         The track surface was changed to concrete in 1995.
·         The race length was changed to 400 miles beginning with the second race in 1997.
·         The track name was changed to Dover International Speedway in 2002.
Notebook
·         There have been 90 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Dover International Speedway, one race in 1969 and 1970, two races per year since 1971.
·         381 drivers have competed in at least one NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Dover International Speedway; 278 in more than one.
·         Ricky Rudd leads the series in starts at Dover with 56. Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers with 44 starts; followed by Matt Kenseth with 32.
·         David Pearson won the inaugural Coors Light pole at Dover in 1969 with a speed of 130.430 mph. 
·         39 drivers have Coors Light poles at Dover, led by David Pearson with six. Jeff Gordon and Ryan Newmanlead all active drivers in poles with four each.
·         Nine drivers have won consecutive Coors Light poles at Dover. David Pearson holds the record for most consecutive poles at Dover with three; from 1973 to the spring race of 1974.
·         Two active drivers have posted consecutive Coors Light poles at Dover: Ryan Newman (fall 2005 and spring 2006), and Denny Hamlin (fall 2012 and spring 2013).
·         Youngest Dover pole winner: Jeff Gordon (06/04/1995 – 23 years, 10 months, 0 days).

·         Oldest Dover pole winner: Mark Martin (06/01/2012 – 53 years, 4 months, 23 days).
·         34 different drivers have won at Dover International Speedway, led by Jimmie Johnson with nine wins (2002 sweep, fall 2005, 2009 sweep, 2010 fall, spring 2012, fall 2013 and spring 2014). 
·         12 drivers have posted consecutive wins at Dover International Speedway, including three consecutive by David Pearson (fall 1972 and 1973 sweep), Rusty Wallace (fall 1993 and 1994 sweep) and Jeff Gordon (fall 1995 and 1996 sweep).
·         Youngest Dover winner: Kyle Busch (06/01/2008 – 23 years, 0 months, 30 days).
·         Oldest Dover winner: Harry Gant (05/31/1992 – 52 years, 4 months, 21 days).
·         Hendrick Motorsports has the most wins at Dover in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with 17: Jimmie Johnson(nine), Jeff Gordon (five), Geoff Bodine (one), Ken Schrader (one) and Ricky Rudd (one). 
·         Nine different manufacturers have won in the NSCS at Dover; led by Chevrolet with 36 victories; followed byFord with 25.
·         13 of the 90 (14.4%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Dover have been won from the Coors Light pole; the two most recent were Jimmie Johnson in 2009 and 2010.
·         The second-place starting position is the most proficient starting position in the field, producing more winners (15) than any other starting position at Dover International Speedway.    
·         28 of the 90 (31.1%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Dover have been won from the front row: 13 from the pole and 15 from second-place.
·         71 of the 90 (78.8%) NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Dover have been won from a top-10 starting position.
·         Five of the 90 (5.6%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Dover have been won from a starting position outside the top 20 – most recently: Tony Stewart, spring 2013 (22nd-place starting position)
·         The deepest in the field that a race winner has started at Dover was 37th, by Kyle Petty in the spring of 1995.
·         Mark Martin leads the series in runner-up finishes at Dover with eight; followed by Dale Earnhardt with five. Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers with four.
·         Mark Martin leads the series in top-five finishes at Dover with 24; followed by Dale Earnhardt with 19.  Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers with 18.  
·         Mark Martin leads the series in top-10 finishes at Dover with 33; followed by Richard Petty and Ricky Ruddwith 26 each. Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers with 25.
·         Ryan Newman leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in average starting position at Dover with a 9.654.
·         Jimmie Johnson leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in average finishing position at Dover with an 8.154.

·         11 of the 12 active NASCAR Sprint Cup Series winners at Dover International Speedway participated in at least one or more races before visiting Victory Lane. Jimmie Johnson won at Dover in his first two appearances.     
·         Among the 12 active NSCS Dover winners Kurt Busch (22) and Matt Kenseth (14) made 10 or more attempts before their first win.
·         Kevin Harvick leads the series among active drivers with the most NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Dover without visiting Victory Lane at 28.
·         Since the advent of electronic scoring the closest margin of victory (MOV) in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Dover International Speedway was the September 25, 2005 race won by Jimmie Johnson over Kyle Busch with a MOV of 0.08 second.
·         There has been one NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race resulting with a green-white-checkered finish at Dover International Speedway (Scheduled No. of Laps/Actual No. of Laps): fall of 2005 (400/404).
·         Not one of the 90 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Dover International Speedway have been shortened due to weather conditions.   
·         Qualifying has been cancelled due to weather conditions in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Dover International Speedway five times: fall of 1984, spring of 2001, fall of 2003, spring of 2005 and spring of 2011.  
·         Three NASCAR Sprint Cup Series active drivers have made their first career start at Dover International Speedway: Matt Kenseth (9/20/98), Kurt Busch (9/24/00) and David Ragan (9/24/06).
·         Two active drivers have posted their first career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coors Light pole at Dover International Speedway: Matt Kenseth (06/02/02) and Michael Waltrip (06/03/1991).      
·         One active NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver has posted his first career win at Dover International Speedway:Martin Truex Jr. (06/04/07).
·         Jimmie Johnson leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in laps led at Dover with 2,976 laps led in 26 starts.
·         If Jimmie Johnson leads 24 laps or more this weekend he will surpass the 3,000 laps led mark at Dover International Speedway, becoming the seventh driver in series history to lead 3,000 or more laps at a single track. Jeff Gordon is the only other active driver to accomplish the feat (Martinsville – 3,744 laps led). 
·         Two female drivers have competed at Dover International Speedway in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series: Janet Guthrie and Danica Patrick.

Driver
Starting Position
Finishing Position
Date
Danica Patrick
13
25
9/28/2014
Danica Patrick
28
23
6/1/2014
Danica Patrick
31
29
9/29/2013
Danica Patrick
39
24
6/2/2013
Danica Patrick
38
28
9/30/2012
Janet Guthrie
15
11
9/18/1977
Janet Guthrie
11
33
9/19/1976

NASCAR in Delaware
·         There have been 90 NASCAR Sprint Cup races in Delaware all at Dover International Speedway.
Track Name
City
NSCS
Dover International Speedway
Dover
90
·         Nine drivers in NASCAR national series history have their home state recorded as Delaware; none of the eight have recorded a victory in NASCAR national series competition.
Milestones – Dover
DRIVER
HAS
NEEDS
MILESTONE
AJ Allmendinger
49
1
50th Consecutive NSCS Start - Allmendinger is 21st on the active consecutive NSCS starts list.
Tony Stewart
48
2
50th NSCS Win - Stewart is 13th on the all-time NSCS wins list, two wins behind NASCAR Hall of Famers Junior Johnson and Ned Jarrett in 12th (50 wins).
Matt Kenseth
32
1
33rd NSCS Win - Kenseth is tied with Dale Jarrett for 22nd on the all-time NSCS wins list, one win behind Fireball Roberts in 21st (33 wins).
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
24
1
25th NSCS Win - Earnhardt Jr. is ties with Carl Edwards for 30th on the all-time NSCS wins list, one win behind Joe Weatherly and Denny Hamlin in 29th (25 wins).
Carl Edwards
24
1
25th NSCS Win - Edwards is tied with Dale Earnhardt Jr. for 30th on the all-time NSCS wins list, one win behind Joe Weatherly and Denny Hamlin in 29th (25 wins).
Joey Logano
49
1
50th NSCS Top-Five Finish - Logano is 70th on the all-time NSCS top fives list, two top-fives behind Neil Castles and Cotton Owens in 68th (51).
Paul Menard
49
1
50th NSCS Top-10 Finish - Menard is tied with Bill Seifert and J.T. Putney for 115th on the all-time NSCS top 10s list, one top-10 behind Tommy Irwin and Charlie Glotzbach in 113th (50).
Jeff Gordon
24,825
175
25,000 NSCS Laps Led - Gordon can become the sixth driver in NSCS history to lead 25,000 laps.
Matt Kenseth
9,594
406
10,000 Laps Led - Kenseth can become the 16th driver in series history to lead 10,000 or more laps. 
Jimmie Johnson
2,976
24
3,000 Laps Led At A Single Track - Johnson can become the seventh driver in series history to lead 3,000 or more laps at a single track joining Richard Petty, Cale Yarborough, Dale Earnhardt, Rusty Wallace, Darrell Waltrip and Jeff Gordon.
Jimmie Johnson
9
1
10 Or More Wins At A Single Track - Johnson can become the fifth driver in series history to win 10 or races at a single track joining Richard Petty, Darrell Waltrip, David Pearson and Dale Earnhardt.
#43 car
199
1
200 NSCS Wins - The No. 43 car is second on the all-time NSCS wins list, five wins behind the No. 11 car in first (204).