NASCAR Preview: Dover Race Weekend
- DIVEBOMB Motorsport
- Jul 19
- 5 min read
Written by Gabriel Tsui & Ashleigh McGregor
After a stretch of races featuring NASCAR at its most diverse, the Cup and Xfinity Series fields travel to the historic Dover Motor Speedway for their sole weekend there.
Dover has hosted NASCAR since its opening in 1969. From then to 1994, the track had asphalt paving, but from 1995 onwards, it was repaved to concrete. This allows for a type of racing unique to here and Bristol. The track is 1.0 miles (1.609 kilometres) with banking of 24 degrees in the corners and nine degrees on the straights.
Below are the start times for each race plus lap count:
Xfinity: Saturday, 19 July, 16:30 local (21:30 UK) - 200 laps
Cup: Sunday, 20 July, 14:00 local (19:00 UK) - 400 laps
Below are the defending winners of each race:
Xfinity: No. 20 - Ryan Truex (Joe Gibbs Racing)
Cup: No. 11 - Denny Hamlin (Joe Gibbs Racing)
Cup Series: Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 Preview
Written by Gabriel Tsui
Following another dominant weekend from the road course alpha, Shane van Gisbergen, we head to Delaware for the penultimate round of the in-season tournament. All four of the remaining drivers in the tournament are still in search of a win this season, and Dover might provide them with an opportunity to do so. Will we see a thirteenth driver locked into the playoffs, or could we see a playoff driver further strengthen their position at the top of the standings?
The drivers will be driving around Dover for 400 laps, with 120 laps each in the first and second stages, closing off the race with a 160 lap marathon, for a total of 400 miles (643.7 kilometres) run around the track.
The weather report indicates there is a possibility of thunderstorms during the weekend, with temperatures around 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit). The race will commence on the Sunday of July 20th, at 14:00 EST (11:00 PST, 19:00 UK).
Race Predictions
After a run of road courses from the streets of Chicago to the vineyards of Sonoma, we head all the way to the opposite coast in Delaware for the first oval race in the month of July. In recent years, the track has been a pendulum between Chevrolet and Toyota, and to keep it simple, the pick for the race is Christopher Bell.
Ever since the switch to the Gen 7 cars, only Chase Elliott was able to break past Toyota’s stronghold of Dover, and he won the race on a rain-suspended race pushed back to Monday.
Bell has had two top-ten finishes in Dover since the switch, and his record in mile-long ovals backs his case even more. As is the story for most of the season, the only person that can beat Christopher David Bell is Christopher David Bell. If he can hold his own, the race can easily shape out in his favour.
Three storylines to look out for
Ty Dillon high on miracles
Well, well, well. Ty Dillon beats out Alex Bowman to continue his miracle run in the in-season tournament. Although there were moments where it seemed impossible for Dillon to beat out Bowman to advance to the penultimate round, Dillon ultimately gets an edge over Bowman with a 17th-placed finish to continue his run.
Dillon will be facing off John Hunter Nemechek in Dover, who has a decent record at Dover with the limited machinery he was working with. Dillon on the other hand, will have a tougher time with his Kaulig Racing Chevy at a disadvantage in short track races.
Michael McDowell inching towards a playoff spot
Michael McDowell reels in his highest finishing position of the season, with a fourth place in Sonoma. This puts him only seventy points behind the playoff cutline, but the true test will come in Dover. The Spire Motorsports Chevy is slightly below average in shorter intermediate tracks, and his history at Dover isn’t convincing.
If he can find an answer to Dover, there is a very good chance he gets even closer towards the playoff cutline.
Tyler Reddick knocking on the doors of victory
One of the most consistent drivers on the NASCAR grid, Tyler Reddick is the only driver in the top-nine of the championship standings to not have a win. He currently sits in fourth place in the championship standings, and is basically a sure-fire lock to the playoffs. He will have an opportunity to make it official this weekend in Dover, where he has had past successes with multiple top-ten finishes.
Xfinity Series: BetMGM 200 Preview
Written by Ashleigh McGregor
Connor Zilisch evened the score with Shane van Gisbergen at Sonoma Raceway. After the wake up call Zilisch received by van Gisbergen at the Chicago street race – where he pulled a move on an unexpecting Zilisch to snatch the win away in the last laps – Zilisch has maintained an average finish of 2.6.
Heading into Sonoma Raceway all eyes were on those two for the win. Zilisch came out on top, beating van Gisbergen and proving he wouldn’t let that happen to him again. Van Gisbergen finished right behind in second.
This week the series moves to Delaware at the Dover Motor Speedway. Referred to as the “Monster Mile” because it’s a challenging one-mile track due to the concrete surface and high-banked turns, drivers will need to be at peak focus as any margin of error at this track could mean game over.
Track Insights
Drivers are racing 200 laps covering a distance of 200 miles. Stages one and two will have 45 laps each. The final stage will have the remaining 110 laps to race to the finish line.
Practice will take place at 11:00 EST (16:00 UK) on Saturday. Qualifying will immediately follow at 12:05 EST (17:05 UK).
It’s going to be warm during race time with a high of 83 degrees. There’s a chance of rain with thunderstorms, which could see some delays to the start time of the race.
Playoff Picture
This weekend, all eyes are on Sam Mayer as he has yet to secure his first win this season. His spot in the playoffs seems secure, as he is currently second in the drivers championship – just 59 points behind leader Justin Allgaier. This season has undoubtedly been his best with numerous top-five finishes. Getting the win this weekend would be sublime.
Jeb Burton currently holds the final position in the playoffs, but his cousin Harrison Burton is only 16 points behind – meaning a cousin battle for the playoffs could be under way. Taylor Gray is in 11th place, just six points ahead of Jeb Burton so he’s also under threat from the cousins. Gray could see himself knocked out of the playoffs if he’s not in top form.
Ross Chastain, NASCAR Cup driver, will be racing this weekend in the Xfinity Series. Historically when a Cup driver enters the race for the Xfinity Series they go on to win it. It’s an extra challenge to the Xfinity drivers this weekend with the playoffs looming over and the “Monster Mile” track.
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