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| Jimmie Johnson knows the proper way around Dover. |
The first cutoff race in the Chase is the 1-mile concrete over in Dover, Delaware. Nicknamed the ‘Monster Mile’ the track is known for its unique surface, challenging corners and high speeds. Team Chevy’s Jimmie Johnson is the Master of the Monster earning 10 victories at the concrete jungle, more than any other driver in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series history. Johnson is in solid shape heading into the first cutoff race sitting 13 markers ahead of the 12th and final advancement spot.
Last weekend Kevin Harvick, pilot of the No. 4 Chevrolet SS punched his ticket into the Round of 12 with a victory at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Johnson, Chase Elliott, Kurt Busch, Kyle Larson, Jamie McMurray, Austin Dillon and Tony Stewart all hope to do the same thing this weekend at Dover. The hoisting of the Miles the Monster trophy ensures a visit to the second round of the Chase playoff. McMurray and Dillon are only five points out of the 12th and final transfer spot. A solid finish could keep them in championship contention although neither has been able to tame the monster before. Three-time Sprint Cup Series champion Tony Stewart will all but need a win in order to keep his championship hopes alive in his final season as a full-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series competitor. Stewart is a three time Dover winner.
Keeping a strong contingent of Chevy SS race cars in the hunt for the championship is the number one priority for Team Chevy this weekend at Dover, but the brand is also chasing a Milestone at the Monster Mile. Chevrolet has 38 wins at the 1-mile venue; two more victories will give Team Chevy 40 all-time wins at the track making Dover the seventh circuit on the Sprint Cup Series tour that the Bowtie Brigade has 40 victories, more than any other manufacturer.
The third race of the 10-race Chase playoff and the first elimination race in this year’s championship battle from Dover International Speedway is scheduled to begin Sunday, October 2 at 2 p.m. Live coverage of the 300-lap/317.4-mile contestwill be available on NBCSN, MRN, Sirius NASCAR Radio Channel 90 and NASCAR.com.
TEAM CHEVY FROM THE DRIVER’S SEAT:
KEVIN HARVICK, NO. 4 JIMMY JOHN’S CHEVROLET SS – 6TH IN STANDINGS
“Anyone can throw a ‘Hail Mary.’ I think there’s only a handful of drivers and teams that are capable of finishing those off. I would consider us one of those teams just for the fact that we’ve done it before. We did that last year at Dover. We did that the year before at Phoenix and Homestead. I think as a group we’ve been able to do things when we needed to do things and put days together when they really count. So, it’s something that I’m glad we have that experience, because there are those times when you have to put your back up against the wall and do things that most other people can’t do.”
JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE’S CHEVROLET SS – 8TH IN STANDINGS
“There is no doubt Dover is my favorite track. I wish we raced there every single weekend – it suits my driving style. I anticipate it to be a tough race since it’s a cutoff race, there will be guy driving their hearts out to stay in the Chase. This Lowe’s team is due for a win, I would love to get number 11 at Dover this weekend.”
CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 24 MOUNTAIN DEW CHEVROLET SS – 9TH IN STANDINGS
“I feel like Dover is just another upcoming race and we need to do a better job.”
KURT BUSCH, NO. 41 MONSTER ENERGY/HAAS AUTOMATION CHEVROLET SS – 11TH IN STANDINGS
“Restarts are tough at Dover. You want to make sure you just get spread out and find that spot to protect your racecar and not run into anybody else’s mess. Pit road is tough there. It’s real small, it’s narrow and it’s slow, so it’s easy to speed. Mainly, you are just trying to stay away from any kind of trouble. I won the Chase race there in 2011. My car was just fast on corner exit. That is what you always hope to have – the ability to cut through that corner exit where the track rubbers in.”
KYLE LARSON, NO. 42 TARGET CHEVROLET SS – 12TH IN STANDINGS
“Dover has been a track where our Target team has had a lot of success, so it’s always great to go back to a track where you’ve had good finishes and solid cars. I think Dover suits my driving style and is a really fun, aggressive, physical place to race. The earlier race at Dover was sort of a turnaround for our team this season, with the runner up finish, and our Target Chevy has gotten faster since then. We’re excited to go back there for the cutoff race and will be working to run up front, run good and stay out of trouble as we look to advance to the next round of the Chase.”
JAMIE MCMURRAY, NO. 1 CREDIT ONE CHEVROLET SS – 13TH IN STANDINGS
“Last week’s finish was tough because we had a good car all day and ran around the top-10 most of the race. We just fell victim to pit sequence there at the end of the race and it cost us a few positions. The great news is that we have been unloading fast cars at the race track for the past several weeks that I expect that will be the same at Dover. Matt (McCall) and the guys have done a great job. We have our work cut-out for us this weekend and we are capable of getting it done.”
AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 AAA CHEVROLET SS – 14TH IN STANDINGS
“Actually, I’m excited to go to Dover International Speedway. I had a good run going there and we had a brake failure last time. We’ve changed brakes since then and it’s been really good since that point. I’m looking forward to getting back to Dover and proving what we can accomplish. It’s a tough track but I enjoy the challenge.”
KASEY KAHNE, NO. 5 PANASONIC CHEVROLET SS – 17TH IN STANDINGS
“Dover is a tough track. It’s probably one of the toughest tracks we go to, physically. My team has been bringing me fast cars to the track. I’m really enjoying driving this car again. It has been a lot of fun. Everyone has been doing a great job and putting a huge effort in.”
RYAN NEWMAN, NO. 31 WIX FILTERS CHEVROLET SS – 18TH IN STANDINGS
“For me, it’s racing as usual. I want to go out there and do the best job I possibly can for my sponsors. I want to go out there and have fun with it. My team wants to be the spoiler. We want to be the team they are talking about. Maybe we didn’t make the Chase but we finally won a race and proved we were a championship contender.”
AJ ALLMENDINGER, NO. 47 BUSH’S CHILI BEANS CHEVROLET SS – 20TH IN STANDINGS
“Last time at Dover International Speedway, we really had a good day going there. We ran inside the top 15. Basically, I thought we had ninth to 12th place speed the whole day and got caught up in a wreck. The finish doesn’t really show how well we ran. I was pleased with our performance and it’s a place that’s always been one of my favorite racetracks. We hadn’t ran well the previous couple of years. I love the track and I’m looking forward to going back.”
DANICA PATRICK, NO. 10 NATURE’S BAKERY CHEVROLET SS – 23rd IN STANDINGS
“It can be a real challenge. It’s quite quick and, when you come off turns two and four, it drops you down like a roller coaster. You just have to have a good setup and make sure everything is working right or it can be a long day. It’s actually a pretty long race, so you have to be prepared. But it’s a fun track and I’m looking forward to it.”
PAUL MENARD, NO. 27 DURACELL/MENARDS CHEVROLET SS – 25THIN STANDINGS
“Dover is a fun place to race. It has high banking which allows for high speeds. Things definitely happen fast there. It’s a track I really enjoy going to. I think we’ve seen the last couple of times there that the middle groove starts to come in about three-quarters of the way up the track. It’s a lot like it used to be. I look forward to progressing that groove a little bit higher when the top comes in, it makes for a heck of a race.”
CASEY MEARS, NO. 13 GEICO CHEVROLET SS – 29TH IN STANDINGS
“Dover is a fun track. Coming from an IndyCar background, it was a place where you are out of the throttle the least compared to a lot of the tracks you run in stock cars. I liked Dover right out of the gate. I like the sensation of speed and the way that you drive the cars there. It’s definitely difficult over the course of a long run. As tire rubber builds up on the track and changes it over time. Definitely you can run the bottom, middle, top. The track gives you a lot of options as a driver. It’s a fun track. I really enjoy it. When your car is bad there, it can be difficult but when you have a good car there it can be a lot of fun to race around Dover. Our GEICO Chevrolet SS team has worked hard on developing our Dover setup and I’m looking forward to getting the car on track this weekend.”
TY DILLON, NO. 95 DEATH WISH COFFEE CHEVROLET SS:
“What a great experience it has been for me this year. My main goal was to just log laps and learn as much as I could about these Cup cars. Experience is everything at this level because you are competing against guys that have been doing it for over 10 years. I think the biggest thing for me has been working with different teams and crew chiefs and understanding how they go about a race weekend. I understand how difficult it is to be successful in this series – you have to work at it. I can’t thank Circle Sport/Leavine Family Racing, Stewart-Haas Racing and Tommy Baldwin Racing enough for the opportunities. If anything, I’ve learned that I can compete at this level and I hope to do so in the near future.”
JEFF GORDON, INTERIM DRIVER, NO. 88 NATIONWIDE CHEVROLET SS:
“Alex (Bowman) has been doing a great job, and I’m just happy to do whatever I can to help the (No. 88) team. I’ve always loved Dover. It’s one of the tracks that I feel confident going to, so I’m looking forward to getting back in the car and working with Greg (Ives, crew chief) and the No. 88 team again this weekend.”
- Chevrolet
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