NASCAR Cup Series News & Notes – Dover Motor Speedway

NASCAR Cup Series

Next Race: Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400
The Place: Dover Motor Speedway
Track Length: 1 Mile Concrete Oval
The Date: Sunday, July 20
The Time: 2 p.m. ET
The Purse: $11,055,250
TV: TNT, 1:30 p.m. ET
Radio: PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR (Channel 90)
Distance: 400 miles (400 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 120),
Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 250), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 400)

Where To Watch NASCAR This Weekend:

Friday, July 18

ARCA: General Tire 150 (FS1 at 5 p.m. ET)

Saturday, July 19

NXS Practice & Kennametal Pole Qualifying (CW App at 11 a.m. ET)
NASCAR Cup Series Practice & Busch Light Pole Qualifying (truTV, PRN, SiriusXM at 1:30 p.m. ET)
NXS Race: BetRivers 200 (CW Network, PRN, SiriusXM at 4:30 p.m. ET)

Sunday, July 20

NASCAR Cup Series Race: Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 (TNT, PRN, SiriusXM at 2 p.m. ET)
NASCAR Cup Series Race: Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 – Challenge Altcast (truTV, PRN, SiriusXM at 2 p.m. ET)

Dover Storylines and Insights:

• This weekend marks the 107th running of a NASCAR Cup Series race at Dover Motor Speedway (1969-2025), 2025 is the fifth straight season Dover hosted one race a year.
• The stage end laps for this weekend’s race are laps 120, 250 and 400.
• Denny Hamlin won this race last year, he is the only repeat winner in the last seven Dover races.
• Hendrick Motorsports (eight) and Joe Gibbs Racing (six) combined won 14 of the last 19 Dover Cup races.
• A Dover race winner finished outside the top-10 in a stage in only one of the 24 stages at Dover.
• The stages and race win were swept three times in track history: Kevin Harvick in 2018 and 2020, and Denny Hamlin in 2020.
• Only three of the last eight Dover races had a final green flag stretch less than 62 laps.
• Dover has produced only two first-time Cup winners: Jody Ridley in May 1981 and Martin Truex Jr in June 2007.
• The Dover race winner led at least 68 laps in each of the last eight races.
• None of the last eight Dover races ended in overtime.
• The driver starting first failed to win in the last 24 Dover races.
• The driver leading the most laps won only three of the last nine races including Denny Hamlin last year.
• Laid in 1995, Dover’s concrete track surface is the oldest oval surface on the Cup series schedule.
• Alex Bowman (5/21) and Denny Hamlin (8/20, 4/24) are the only drivers to win in the last 28 Dover races who don’t have a Cup championship.
• The winners of the last five Dover races combined made a total of four green flag pit stops, all were in the last two races (two each).
• Three of the last eight Dover races ended on Monday including two of the last three.
• Alex Bowman’s six top-10 finishes at Dover since the start of 2019 are the most among all active drivers and are tied for the most with Martin Truex Jr. and Kevin Harvick.
• Joey Logano is making his 600th Cup start at Dover this weekend, he made his NASCAR debut in the top 3 series at Dover in 2008 NXS race, finishing sixth. The only driver to win in their 600th Cup start was Richard Petty at Richmond in February 1973.
• Logano will be the youngest driver to make 600 starts.
• Joey Logano will be the sixth driver to make their 600th career Cup start at Dover.
• Chris Buescher will be making his 350th career Cup start and 200th start with RFK Racing this weekend.  Three drivers have won in their 350th Cup start, most recently Tony Stewart at Talladega in October 2008.
• Daniel Suarez is making his 200th consecutive start this weekend at Dover.
• Kyle Busch leads all active drivers in Cup Series wins at Dover Motor Speedway with three (2008, 2010, 2017).
• A total of six of the 39 NASCAR Cup Series Dover Motor Speedway race winners are active this weekend:

• There were only five cautions at Dover last April, the fewest in the last five races there.
• Qualifying has only been held in seven of the last 15 Dover races, only twice in the last six.
• No driver has ever won at Dover from below the Playoff cutline in the regular season.
• Under the current points format (2017-2025), only one driver has ever pointed into the Playoffs from below the cutline at this point or later in the season (Clint Bowyer, was -2 in 2019).
• A driver has won their way into the Playoffs at this point or later in the season every year since 2020.
• Bubba Wallace has been on the regular season NASCAR Cup Series Playoff bubble (16th or 17th in the standings) more than any other driver in the Next Gen era (22 times).
• In 2024, three drivers that were above the cutline after race 20 ended up missing the Playoffs (Ross Chastain, Chris Buescher, Bubba Wallace).
• The last six consecutive seasons have seen at least one driver above the cutline at this point or later in the season go on to miss the Playoffs.
• Chase Elliott was the best finishing Hendrick Motorsports’ driver in four of the last five races of 2025, he was the best finishing Hendrick driver in only one of the first 15 races.
• Eight Stage 2 winners in 2025 went on to win the race, the most through 20 races in a season and the most in a season since 13 in 2021.
• Shane van Gisbergen’s three wins from pole in 2025 are the most by a NASCAR Cup Series driver in a season since Jimmie Johnson in 2008, and are tied for the most of all drivers in the Next Gen era (Joey Logano).
• Kyle Larson’s average finish in the eight races since the Indy 500 is nearly 10 positions worse than the first 12 races of the season.

NCS Clinch Scenarios Following Sonoma Raceway:

Already Clinched

• The following four drivers have clinched a spot in the 16-driver postseason field: Kyle Larson, Denny Hamlin, Christopher Bell, Shane Van Gisbergen.

Can Clinch Via Previous Wins

• The following drivers could clinch on previous wins with a win by William Byron, Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson, Denny Hamlin, Christopher Bell, Ryan Blaney, Chase Briscoe, Ross Chastain, Joey Logano, Shane Van Gisbergen:
• William Byron: Could only clinch with help
• Chase Elliott: Could only clinch with help

Can Clinch Via Win

• The following drivers would clinch on their win alone:
• William Byron, Chase Elliott, Ryan Blaney, Chase Briscoe, Ross Chastain, Joey Logano, Austin Cindric, Josh Berry

Understanding the In-Season Challenge:

• The top 32 in driver points following Nashville were eligible for the In-Season Challenge (Shane van Gisbergen, Cole Custer, Riley Herbst and Cody Ware failed to qualify among full-time drivers).
• The three races at Michigan, Mexico City and Pocono established the seeding for the challenge based on the best driver finishing positions over those races.
• The five races (or Rounds) for the In-Season Challenge are Atlanta, Chicago, Sonoma, Dover and Indianapolis.
• The drivers will compete in a bracket-style tournament until the final two drivers face off in the finale at Indianapolis with the best-finishing driver winning $1 million.
• Four drivers remain in the In-Season Challenge: John Hunter Nemechek, Ty Dillon, Ty Gibbs and Tyler Reddick.

In-Season Challenge Round 4 Matchups:

• John Hunter Nemechek (No. 12 seed) Vs. Ty Dillon (No. 32 seed)
• Dillon has made 11 Cup starts at Dover compared to Nemechek’s three.
• Nemechek (21.3) has a better average finish at Dover than Dillon (25.1).
• Dillon has a best finish of 14th at Dover; Nemechek’s best finish at Dover is 20th.
• Ty Gibbs (No. 6 seed) Vs. Tyler Reddick (No. 23 seed)
• Reddick has made six Cup starts at Dover compared to Gibbs’ two.
• Gibbs (11.5) has a better average finish than Reddick (14.5) at Dover.
• Reddick has two top-10 finishes at Dover; Gibbs has one top-10 finish at Dover.

NASCAR & Dover, Etc.

Historical and Significant Events at Dover Motor Speedway:

• Dover Motor Speedway, a.k.a. ‘The Monster Mile,’ opened in 1969 as a unique dual-purpose facility designed to accommodate both harness racing and motorsports events.
• Melvin Joseph owner of Melvin Joseph Construction oversaw the building of the Speedway and served on the Board of Directors until his death in 2005.
• The first speedway race was a NASCAR Cup Series race, the “Mason-Dixon 300,” on July 6, 1969 won by Richard Petty.
• Attendance at the first race was 22,000. Attendance increased in the 1980’s and the track added seats for 16 consecutive seasons, 1986-2001, to a peak of 135,000. Current capacity is reported to be 85,000.
• The NASCAR Xfinity Series has visited the track each season since its inception in 1982.
• The first Dover NASCAR Cup Series race on the concrete surface was 6/4/1995 won by Kyle Petty from 37th place starting position; the deepest in the field a winner has started.
• In 2002, Dover Downs International Speedway became Dover International Speedway as the gaming side of the company split off and Dover Motorsports, Inc. was created to exclusively oversee racing.
• Dover Motorsports at one time owned and operated Memphis Motorsports Park, Gateway International Raceway, Nashville Superspeedway and the Long Beach CA Grand Prix, in addition to Dover International Speedway. Denis McGlynn has been the CEO since March 2002.
• The 56 seat Monster Bridge over Turn 3 was opened in 2004.
• The track has undergone many improvements and additions in recent years. In 2006 the ’’Monster Makeover” was launched This long-term program includes an expanded Media Center, enlarged pit road, new Skybox complex, new sound system, overall beautification, fan plaza and an outdoor concert area.
• Miles The Monster the 46-foot tall sculpture at Victory Plaza was introduced in 2008.
• A new pit road was constructed for the 2009 season which added a pit stall by extending the length of pit road, bringing the total to 43 stalls at 32 feet each and extended the width of pit road by four feet.
• Dover Motorsports Inc. in collaboration with Red Frog Events has hosted the Firefly Music Festival at The Woodlands of Dover Motor Speedway since 2012, a four day music festival held during mid-summer.
• Just before the halfway point of the June 2014 race, a piece of concrete came up from the track. Jamie McMurray #1 hit the concrete causing front end splitter damage. The race was red flagged for more than 20 minutes while repairs were made to the track. An epoxy type filler was used which is the same filler that’s used any time repair is required at the track, whether it be asphalt or concrete.
• Dover began “right sizing” their facility in 2009 first widening seats reducing capacity from 135,000 to 113,00.  In 2014 the first major removal of grandstands reduced capacity to 95,500. Between 2015 and 2015 more removal took the track to its current capacity to 85,000 seats.
• With NASCAR reducing the size of its Cup field from 43 to 40 cars, the track removed three pit stalls and increased the length of its stalls from 32 feet to 34 feet. The track is known for having some of the tightest pit stalls on the circuit.
• Dover added an additional 500 feet of SAFER Barrier for the October 2016 race on the outside wall in Turn 2, under the walkover bridge, and the outside of Turn 4, entering the front stretch following a violent crash involving Tony Stewart, Danica Patrick and Jamie McMurray.
• Dover replaced the guard rails on the inside of Turn 3 with approximately 500 feet of SAFER Barrier for 2017.
• 1,800 feet of new SAFER barrier was also installed along the front and backstretch.
• December 2021 Speedway Motorsports Inc. completed the purchase of Dover making it Dover Motor Speedway.