Dover International Speedway | 2021 Race Program

NASCAR WEEKEND

M AY 1 4 - 1 6 , 2 0 2 1

CONTENTS

88

DEPARTMENTS Welcome to Dover International Speedway......................................3 2021 Race Weekend Schedule..........................................................................4 Dover International Speedway Partners................................................ 5 Drydene Welcome Letter.......................................................................................6 General Tire Welcome Letter...........................................................................10 Dover International Speedway........................................................................12 Jason Anderson Foundation..............................................................................13

FEATURES Nashville Superspeedway....................................................................................14 The Road to 102...........................................................................................................64 The Monster Mile Journal....................................................................................84 Cup Series Drivers’ Dover Memories......................................................86 Alfredo’s Virtual Victory Honors Local Family..............................88 Together We Can, Together We Will.......................................................92 How to Express Your NASCAR Fandom.............................................94 The Future Stars of NASCAR........................................................................106 Speedway Sudoku......................................................................................................112

94

NASCAR CUP SERIES SECTION NASCAR Cup Series Track Records. . ........................... 17 2020 Cup Series Race Recaps....................................... 18 2021 Cup Series Driver Profiles.................................... 22

64

XFINITY SERIES SECTION NASCAR Xfinity Series Track Records. . ..................... 69 2020 Xfinity Series Race Recaps.................................. 71 2021 Xfinity Series Driver Profiles............................... 74

ARCA MENARDS SERIES SECTION

17

AD INDEX

NASCAR ARCA Menards Series Track Records......... 79 2020 ARCA Menards Series Race Recap.. ............... 80 2021 ARCA Menards Series Driver Profiles. . ........... 82

2

Anheuser-Busch .............................................1 Delaware Lottery ......................................87 Dippold Marble & Granite ..............91 Drydene ......................................................7, BC Ford ....................................................................... 49 Miss Utility of Delmarva .....................61 Geico ....................................................................43 General Tire ..........................................9, IBC

DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY

Iron Source .....................................................53 Jockey .................................................................105 KDI Office Technology .......................... 11 Lucas Oil ............................................................57 NASCAR Race Hub ................................67 New Holland ..................................................10 Pepsi ....................................................................IFC Safety-Kleen....................................................37

State Water Heaters ............99 visitdelaware villages.com ........93 Weis Markets .........39 Williams Scotsman.....................................35 WORKPRO Tools.........................................63 Xfinity.......................................................................15

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

WELCOME Dear Race Fans, Hello from Dover International Speedway! We are looking forward to hosting you and your family at the Monster Mile for our NASCAR tripleheader weekend.

As thankful as we all are to see America’s best drivers back in the First State, we are even more grateful that we get to see you back in the stands at Dover for the first time since 2019.

MICHAEL TATOIAN

PRESIDENT & CEO DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY

Like all of you, our team experienced both highs and lows in the last year when the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic struck. The Monster Mile became a focal point for community events, from hosting monthly food distribution events that have serviced more than 12,000 households to seeing the joy of the next generation when we invited more than 400 graduates of Dover High School’s Class of 2020 to take celebratory laps around the track as they received their diplomas. We have also been a Delaware headquarters for COVID-19 vaccinations, with almost 54,000 residents serviced through early April.

While you are at the Speedway, please follow all posted COVID-19 procedures and protocols. They are implemented for the safety of the entire NASCAR family, from the competitors and officials to fans and volunteers.

On the track, defending Dover Cup Series winners Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick are back at the world’s fastest one-mile oval, as well as reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion Chase Elliott, Kyle Busch, Ryan Blaney, Joey Logano and more of your favorites! Be sure to visit DoverSpeedway.com for updates and download our mobile app for schedules and announcements surrounding our race weekend.

The on-track centerpiece is the “Drydene 400” NASCAR Cup Series race on Sunday, May 16, the 103rd NASCAR Cup Series race in Dover’s long history. It is preceded by the NASCAR Xfinity Series Dash 4 Cash race on Saturday, May 15 and the “General Tire 125” ARCA Menards Series East race on Friday, May 14.

Please enjoy the features in this souvenir program, please stay safe, and we hope to see you return to the Monster Mile in 2022.

Sincerely,

Michael Tatoian President & CEO Dover International Speedway

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY

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SCHEDULE FRIDAY, MAY 14

1:45 p.m. “General Tire 125” ARCA Menards Series East Practice/Qualifying 5 p.m.

“General Tire 125” ARCA Menards Series East Race

SATURDAY, MAY 15

1:30 p.m. NASCAR Xfinity Series Dash 4 Cash Race NASCAR Xfinity Series

SUNDAY, MAY 16

2 p.m.

“Drydene 400” NASCAR Cup Series Race

RESCHEDULE POLICY The sanctioning body (NASCAR) and Dover International Speedway determine racing schedules. In the event of a delay or postponement, all tickets will be honored on the rescheduled race day. All ticket sales are final. No refunds or exchanges.

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PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

PARTNERS THE MONSTER MILE

SALUTES ITS PARTNERS

WASTEMASTERS

SOLUTIONS PEPSI_S1_4CP_SM (FOR USE .25" TO 1.5") CMYK

®

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES PEPSI_S1_4CP_MEDIUM (FOR USE 1.5" TO 4")

DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY

5

Hello Race Fans!

Welcome to the Drydene 400 at Dover International Speedway! You know it as the Monster Mile. We know it as the place where racing heritage lives.

Born in the mid-Atlantic region Drydene is steeped in history, just like Dover and NASCAR itself. An American owned and operated brand, Drydene was there as this great country built our first roads, laid the blocks of our first factories, spanned rivers with new bridges and rail, and raced on our first tracks. Today our high-performance line of engine and racing oils, greases, gear oils, transmission fluids, hydraulic oils, with ALL Technology additive chemistry, along with DEF, keep Americans doing what we do best – getting the job done.

Just like you, we’re race fans too. And we are excited and proud to join you here at the track. Racing is in our blood, and it’s in our history. We know it is in yours too.

From everyone at Drydene, thank you for your support, and thank you for joining us at Dover International Speedway for the Drydene 400!

Dave Klinger President Drydene Performance Products

DRYDENE PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS, INC. 305 MICRO DRIVE • JONESTOWN, PA 17038 w: DRYDENE.COM p: 800.772.5823 f: 800.772.5823

WHEN PERFORMANCE IS CRITICAL...

YOU NEED THE HARDEST WORKING BRAND IN HEAVY-DUTY LUBRICATION From crushing rocks to hauling cargo throughout this great nation, the Drydene brand has been a part of building our country since the turn of the century. Today, that same tradition of quality and service continues with our new ALL Technology™ formula for today’s hard working engines. If you’re looking for a high performance line of engine oils, greases, hydraulic and transmission fluids that increases the life and efficiency of your equipment, you need to call or visit our website today!

1-877-DRYDENE  DRYDENE.COM /TEAMDRYDENE

Proud sponsor and official motor oil of

Dear Race Fans, Welcome to the General Tire 125 at Dover International Speedway, home of the famous “Monster Mile.”

We are thrilled to continue our partnership with the Monster Mile to bring you Friday’s ARCA Menards Series East event. General Tire has been committed to promoting regional and international series across two continents and more than 11 countries and this partnership continues to be a natural fit as we continue to work to bring the fans exciting racing.

General Tire has been manufacturing tires for passenger and commercial vehicles for more than 100 years, since our founding in Ohio in 1915 as The General Tire & Rubber Company and our racing roots run deep. We began by developing tires for off‐road racing, showcasing our industry‐leading tire technologies and we are proud to continue that “born in competition” tradition with ARCA and our line of ultra‐high performance passenger tires.

Our team works hard to provide competitive, action‐packed racing each week for the fans and we’re proud to be the “Official Racing Tire” and “Exclusive Tire Supplier” of the ARCA Menards Series, NASCAR Pinty’s Series and the NASCAR PEAK Mexico Series.

On behalf of all of us at General Tire, we would like to thank each of you, because without you we wouldn’t be able to support the sport that we love.

G-MAX ™ RS

WWW.GENER ALTIRE.COM

SUMMER ULTRA-HIGH PERFORMANCE

Whether it’s your field or the infield,

performance matters.

OFFICIAL TRACTORS OF DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY®

As the Official Agricultural Equipment of Dover International Speedway ®, you’ll find Team Blue sweeping the track and mowing the infield at races around the country.

Trackside, performance matters. Same goes on America’s farms and construction sites, where folks rely on New Holland for proven performance every day.

See the full line of New Holland tractors and equipment at your local New Holland dealer or learn more at www.officialtractors.com

© 2021 CNH Industrial America LLC. All rights reserved. New Holland is a trademark registered in the United States and many other countries, owned by or licensed to CNH Industrial N.V., its subsidiaries or affiliates. Any trademarks referred to herein, in association with goods and/or services of companies, other than owned by or licensed to CNH Industrial N.V., its subsidiaries or affiliates, are the property of those respective companies.

DOES Managed IT Document Management Managed Print Services Scanning & Conversion Services Business Process Outsourcing Digital Imaging Systems Production Print IT Hardware & Software Scanning & Printer Solutions Digital Phone Systems YOU’RE BUSY. WE GET IT.

As the fastest growing, independent office technology provider in the mid-Atlantic region - we’re big enough to offer premium quality, yet, we also provide the personalized service, support, and old-fashioned, family values you’d expect from a much smaller company. We’re skilled at matching the most appropriate technology for your needs and making sure it runs smoothly, 24-7.

SO YOU DON’T HAVE TO KDI Office Technology is Dover International Speedway's Official & Exclusive Business Solutions Provider Center City Philadelphia | Aston, PA Mt. Laurel, NJ | Iselin, NJ | Horsham, PA West Hazleton, PA | Wilmington, DE BRINGING BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY TOGETHER

800.537.4613

Dover Motorsports, Inc. owns two of auto

racing’s unique venues, Dover (Del.) International Speedway and Nashville Superspeedway in Lebanon, Tenn.

The tracks are the largest concrete-only venues in NASCAR and collectively have hosted exciting racing and entertainment events for national and international guests for more than 50 years.

The green flag dropped on Dover International Speedway events on July 6, 1969, when Richard Petty won that day’s “Mason-Dixon 300” by six laps. In 2021, the 1-mile oval nicknamed the “Monster Mile” is set to host another NASCAR tripleheader weekend in May, including the “Drydene 400” NASCAR Cup Series race on Sunday, May 16.

Nashville Superspeedway hosted its first NASCAR events in April 2001. Through 2011, the 1.33-mile D-shaped oval with 14 degrees of banking was home to 21 NASCAR Xfinity Series races, 13 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series events

DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY MAILING ADDRESS: Dover International Speedway P.O. Box 843 Dover, DE 19903 SHIPPING ADDRESS: Dover International Speedway 1131 N. Dupont Highway Dover, DE 19901 Tickets: 800-441-RACE Phone: 302-883-6500 Fax: 302-672-0100 For ticket information, contact tickets@dovermotorsports.com

and eight Indy Racing League contests. In 2021, Nashville is scheduled to host its first NASCAR Cup Series race on Sunday, June 20, the “Ally 400,” a NASCAR Xfinity Series race on Saturday, June 19 and the “Rackley Roofing 200” NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race on Friday, June 18.

Dover is also home to the Firefly Music Festival, which was first held in July 2012 and hosted 48 national music acts over three days. Firefly has grown to an event that has hosted upwards of 90,000 fans per day, with more than 100 acts playing across a dozen stages, earning a top-five U.S. music festival designation by Rolling Stone magazine. The Firefly Music Festival is set to return to the Woodlands at Dover International Speedway in September, 2021.

Notable acts that have appeared at Firefly include Paul McCartney, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Eminem, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Kendrick Lamar, Foo Fighters, Outkast, The Black Keys, The Killers, Jack White, Kings of Leon, Imagine Dragons, Mumford & Sons and Post Malone.

NASHVILLE SUPERSPEEDWAY

DOVER MOTORSPORTS, INC.

MAILING/SHIPPING ADDRESS: 4847-F McCrary Rd Lebanon, TN 37090 Ticket Reservations/Questions: 866-RACETIX

Dover Motorsports, Inc. P.O. Box 843 1131 N. Dupont Highway Dover, DE 19903

For ticket information, sponsorship informationor media-related inquiries, contact: info@nashvillesuperspeedway.com

Phone: 302-883-6500 Fax: 302-672-0100 info@doverspeedway.com

For comments, questions, suggestions or media-related inquiries, contact info@doverspeedway.com For sponsorship information, contact corpmktg@doverspeedway.com

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DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

THE JASON ANDERSON FOUNDATION FOR YOUTH SPORTS Teamwork, Leadership, Friendship Our Mission

Dover International Speedway • DoverSpeedway.com

15

TENNESSEE’S SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT JEWEL IS BACK

W

hen backhoes and shovels first hit

the dirt near Gladeville, Tenn., to start construction on Nashville Superspeedway in the late 1990s, the ultimate goal was to bring a NASCAR Cup Series race back to Middle Tennessee for the first time since the mid-1980s.

Fast forward more than two decades and that goal is finally being realized.

Track owner Dover Motorsports Inc. announced last June that Nashville Superspeedway would be re-opened for the 2021 NASCAR season, receive $8 million to $10 million in immediate upgrades and bring more than two dozen full-time jobs to Wilson County, Tennessee.

The centerpiece of the announcement was that the track would host its first NASCAR Cup Series race on Sunday, June 20 – the “Ally 400” on Father’s Day. Later in the year, the full schedule was revealed, including a NASCAR Xfinity Series race on Saturday, June 19 and the “Rackley Roofing 200” NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event on Friday, June 18 for a full weekend of racing and excitement.

Nashville Superspeedway hosted its first NASCAR races in April 2001. Through 2011, the 1.33-mile D-shaped oval with 14 degrees of banking was home to 21 NASCAR Xfinity Series races, 13 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series events and eight Indy Racing League contests.

“We are excited to bring NASCAR racing back to Nashville, a place where the passion for our sport runs deep,” said NASCAR President Steve Phelps.

“The Nashville market is a vital one for our sport, and bringing NASCAR Cup Series racing to Nashville Superspeedway will be an integral building block in helping us further deliver on our promise

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in creating a dynamic schedule for 2021.”

In August, Erik Moses, a veteran sports executive and seasoned venue management leader, was announced as the track’s president. Moses was previously president of the XFL’s DC Defenders, and he made clear from the beginning of his tenure that NASCAR is just the beginning of the track’s future offerings.

“As we set the course for Nashville Superspeedway, it is our mission to establish a new standard not only for what a racetrack can be, but especially what it can mean to our community and NASCAR fans across the region,” Moses said.

“With our roots firmly planted in racing, we believe the fun and excitement can go well beyond the track. Our goal is to become a premier sports and entertainment destination.”

Just before the holiday season, Nashville Superspeedway hosted Jurassic Quest, a drive-thru dinosaur experience that re-introduced the Speedway property to thousands of local families as it once again becomes a staple on the regional sports, entertainment and festival scene.

“Hearing your hopes for what our facility can bring to residents and visitors alike in Nashville and Middle Tennessee adds fuel and enthusiasm to our commitment to make Nashville Superspeedway a great race track and so much more,” Moses said.

“Our vision for this facility could not be clearer.”

For more information on tickets, race schedules, RV lots, group rates and more, visit NashvilleSuperSpeedway.com or call 866-RACETIX. Be sure to follow the track’s social media channels as well on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for up-to-date offers and announcements.

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

STORIES & 16

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TRACK QUALIFYING RECORD, 1 LAP 166.984 mph, Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 10/5/19 FASTEST RACE RECORD, 400 MILES 135.734 mph, Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, 10/6/19 SLOWEST RACE RECORD, 400 MILES 97.042 mph, Mark Martin, Ford, 6/6/04 FASTEST RACE RECORD, 500 MILES 125.945 mph, Bill Elliott, Ford, 9/16/90 SLOWEST RACE RECORD, 500 MILES 100.334 mph, Rusty Wallace, Pontiac, 9/19/93 MOST CAUTION FLAGS 16 in Fall 1993 SplitFire Spark Plug 500 FEWEST CAUTION FLAGS 0 in Spring 1971 Mason-Dixon 500 MOST CAUTION LAPS (TIED) 103 in 1975 Mason-Dixon 500, 1993 SplitFire Spark Plug 500 FEWEST CAUTION LAPS 0 in 1971 Mason-Dixon 500 MOST WINS BY A DRIVER 11 by Jimmie Johnson

CLOSEST FINISHES MARGIN 0.080 second 0.091 second 0.187 second 0.210 second 0.220 second

DATE 9-25-05 6-1-97 5-15-16 6-5-88 6-4-95

MOST WINS, CAR MAKE 41 by Chevrolet MOST WINS FROM A STARTING POSITION 20 wins from starting position No. 2 RACE WINNER,

GREATEST IMPROVEMENT FROM STARTING POSITION

Kyle Petty, 6/4/95, started 37th *

*Jimmie Johnson started in the back of the field at green flag on 6/4/17 due to a penalty but was officially credited with starting from the 14th position.

MOST WINS FROM POLE 3, David Pearson, 2 in 1973, 1 in 1975

FEWEST LEAD DRIVERS (TIED) 3-1969, 1970 Mason-Dixon 300; 1971 Delaware 500; 1974, 1982 Mason-Dixon 500; 2015 AAA 400 MOST POLE POSITIONS 6 by David Pearson MOST TOP-5 FINISHES 24 by Mark Martin MOST TOP-10 FINISHES 33 by Mark Martin

FEWEST LEAD CHANGES 3 in 1971 Delaware 500

FEWEST CARS TO FINISH ON LEAD LAP (TIED) 1 in spring 1969, 1971, 1972, 1975, 1982, 1985 1 in fall 1971, 1972, 1974, 1981, 1991

MOST LAPS LED (1 RACE, 400 MILES) 381 by Jeff Gordon, 6/3/01, MBNA Platinum 400

MOST CARS TO FINISH ON LEAD LAP 21, 8/23/20, Drydene 311

MOST LAPS LED (1 RACE, 500 MILES) 489 by Richard Petty, 9/15/74, Delaware 500

FEWEST CARS RUNNING AT END 13 of 32, 5/17/81, Mason-Dixon 500

MOST LEAD DRIVERS (TIED) 13 in 1997 Miller 500, 2000 MBNA.com 400 and 2011 AAA 400

MOST CARS RUNNING AT END (TIED) 40 of 43: 9/21/08 Camping World RV 400; 9/28/14 AAA 400; 10/4/15 AAA 400

MOST LEAD CHANGES 29 in 1980 CRC Chemicals 500

RACE EVENT MBNA RacePoints 400 The Miller 500 AAA 400 Drive for Autism Budweiser 500 Miller Genuine Draft 500

WINNER Jimmie Johnson Ricky Rudd Matt Kenseth Bill Elliott Kyle Petty

SECOND PLACE Kyle Busch Mark Martin Kyle Larson Morgan Shepherd Bobby Labonte

MOST POLES David Pearson Mark Martin Rusty Wallace Jeff Gordon Alan Kulwicki Ryan Newman Ricky Rudd

6 5 5 4 4 4 4

UNDER CAUTION FINISHES DATE 9-16-84 9-18-94 6-4-17

RACE EVENT FIRST PLACE SECOND PLACE Delaware 500 Harry Gant Terry Labonte SplitFire Spark Plug 500 Rusty Wallace Dale Earnhardt AAA 400 Drive for Autism Jimmie Johnson Kyle Larson

GREEN-WHITE-CHECKERED FINISHES

LAPS DATE RACE EVENT FIRST PLACE SECOND PLACE 404 9-25-05 MBNA RacePoints 400 Jimmie Johnson Kyle Busch 405 5-31-15 Fed-Ex 400 Benefiting Jimmie Johnson Kevin Harvick Autism Speaks 406 6-4-17 AAA 400 Drive for Autism Jimmie Johnson Kyle Larson 404 10-7-18 Gander Outdoors 400 Chase Elliott Denny Hamlin

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

MOST VICTORIES Jimmie Johnson Bobby Allison Richard Petty Jeff Gordon David Pearson

DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY

11 7 7 5 5

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RACE 1

RECAP

DENNY HAMLIN GAINS FIRST DOVER VICTORY

IN ‘DRYDENE 311’ NASCAR CUP SERIES RACE DOVER, Del. (Aug. 22, 2020) – Through his long career, when Denny Hamlin would be quizzed by fans on what his least favorite track was, he always had an easy answer: Dover.

“I love the track, but I haven’t been very good here,” Hamlin said. “I always felt like a fifth-place driver here.”

After Saturday’s performance, maybe that answer will change in the future.

Hamlin swept the first two stages and then passed two teammates down the stretch, including one with less than 10 laps remaining, to win the “Drydene 311” NASCAR Cup Series race at Dover International Speedway.

Driving the No. 11 Toyota, Hamlin led a Joe Gibbs Racing sweep of the top three positions, with teammates Martin Truex Jr. placing second and Kyle Busch taking third.

Hamlin passed Truex on Lap 303 and pulled away to win by 1.179 seconds for his first Dover victory, his sixth of the season and 43rd of his career.

“There’s been no year that’s been like this,” Hamlin said. “We’re rolling right now and we’re rolling at tracks that we’re not

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typically great at.

“I want to lock in as many playoff points as possible and give myself a shot. I know we are a championship team, regardless of whether we have the trophy or not.”

Hamlin completed the 311-mile race in 2 hours, 30 minutes and 3 seconds with an average speed of 124.359 mph. While success hasn’t come easy for Hamlin at Dover, learning from Truex and Busch (six Dover wins combined) has helped him become more competitive on the high-banked, onemile concrete oval.

“I’ve got teammates that are the best in the business when it comes to this track,” Hamlin said. “My style of driving typically doesn’t fit this racetrack. I’ve had to adapt.”

After winning Stage 2, Hamlin, who led a race-high 115 laps, came off pit road third and was quickly fourth after the restart.

Gradually, patiently, Hamlin maneuvered through the field.

“We were better but it took us that whole last stage to get there,” Hamlin said. “I could see I was gaining on them. We just kept pushing and pushing.”

The race lead changed 15 times among 10 drivers, with Truex leading 88 laps and Austin Dillon pacing 49 before ending up 15th. Twelve drivers finished on the lead lap, headed by the Joe Gibbs Racing trio.

“Joe Gibbs Racing has a tremendous fleet of drivers, great resources and equipment – we’re certainly capable of it,” said Christopher Gabehart, Hamlin’s crew chief. “This one ranks pretty high. To sweep the three stages here and pass both of our teammates to get there is gratifying.”

Hamlin will have quick opportunity to be a repeat winner as part of the “Drydene Doubleheader Weekend” Sunday at 4 p.m. in the “Drydene 311” NASCAR Cup Series race (NBCSN) - the final race of the Monster Mile’s six-race weekend.

Hamlin will start 20th on Sunday, but no matter his result in the weekend finale, Hamlin knows he will have a new friend with him when he departs Delaware.

“The Monster Trophy is very, very cool,” said Hamlin, who also has two Xfinity Series wins at Dover. “I’ve always been envious of those that had them.”

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

RACE NASCAR Cup Series Race Number 24 Race Results for the 51st Annual Drydene 311 (1) - Saturday, August 22, 2020 Dover International Speedway - Dover, DE - 1. - Mile Concrete Total Race Length - 311 Laps - 311. Miles

Fin Str Car Driver

Team

Laps

Stage 1 Stage 2 Pos Pos

Pts

Status

Tms

Laps

Playoff Pts 7

1

2

11 Denny Hamlin

FedEx Office Toyota

311

1

1

60 Running

3

115

2

3

19 Martin Truex Jr.

SiriusXM Toyota

311

5

2

50 Running

2

88

3

22

18 Kyle Busch

4

41 Running

1

3

4

10

6

42 Running

5

1

27

6

Interstate Batteries Toyota

311

4 Kevin Harvick

Mobil 1 Ford

311

1

9 Chase Elliott

Mountain Dew/Team Rubicon Chevrolet

311

10

33 Running

4

14 Clint Bowyer

Haas Automation Ford

311

4

3

46 Running

7

6

48 Jimmie Johnson

Ally Chevrolet

311

8

7

37 Running

8

5

22 Joey Logano

Shell Pennzoil Ford

311

6

8

37 Running

9

7

Wurth Ford

311

3

5

42 Running

2

9

10

19

47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

Kroger Chevrolet

311

9

29 Running

1

1

11

21

41 Cole Custer #

HaasTooling.com/Jacom Co Ford

311

26 Running

12

13

20 Erik Jones

DEWALT Atomic Toyota

311

25 Running

13

16

Cat App Chevrolet

310

24 Running

14

20

12 Ryan Blaney

Advance Auto Parts Ford

310

15

32

3 Austin Dillon

Dow/Behr Ultra Scuff Defense Chevrolet

310

2

31 Running

3

49

16

12

17 Chris Buescher

SunnyD Ford

310

9

23 Running

17

17

10 Aric Almirola

Smithfield Hometown Original Ford

309

10

21 Running

18

25

13 Ty Dillon

GEICO Chevrolet

309

19 Running

19

23

Guaranteed Rate Ford

309

18 Running

20

14

21 Matt DiBenedetto

Menards/Monster Energy Ford

309

17 Running

1

17

21

11

88 Alex Bowman

Acronis Chevrolet

309

16 Running

22

18

95 Christopher Bell #

Rheem Toyota

309

15 Running

23

26

42 Matt Kenseth

Clover Chevrolet

309

14 Running

1

1

24

31

38 John Hunter Nemechek #

ACME Ford

309

13 Running

25

27

37 Ryan Preece

Scott Brand Chevrolet

309

12 Running

26

15

34 Michael McDowell

Digital Ally Shield Cleansers Ford

308

11 Running

27

24

43 Bubba Wallace

Door Dash Chevrolet

308

10 Running

28

8

24 William Byron

Axalta Chevrolet

308

9 Running

1

1

29

29

32 Corey LaJoie

Drydene Ford

308

8 Running

30

28

96 * Daniel Suarez

CommScope Toyota

306

7 Running

31

34

27 JJ Yeley(i)

Thriv5 Ford

302

0 Running

32

37

53 Josh Bilicki(i)

Chevrolet

299

0 Running

33

35

00 Quin Houff #

Eagle Rock Wealth Chevrolet

298

4 Running

34

33

66 * Timmy Hill(i)

Toyota

298

0 Running

35

38

51 Joey Gase(i)

Ford

293

0 Running

36

30

15 Brennan Poole #

RememberEveryoneDeployed. Today Chevrolet

286

1 Rear End

37

39

Chevrolet

241

0 Battery

38

40

78 * BJ McLeod(i)

Chevrolet

166

0 Handling

39

36

77 Reed Sorenson

Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

83

1 Handling

40

9

2 Brad Keselowski

8 Tyler Reddick #

6 Ryan Newman

7 * Garrett Smithley(i)

1 Kurt Busch GEARWRENCH Chevrolet 2 Hrs, 30 Mins, 3 Secs.

Time of Race: Stage 1 Top 10: 11, 3, 2, 14, 19, 22, 4, 48, 17, 10 Stage 2 Top 10: 11, 19, 14, 18, 2, 4, 48, 22, 47, 9

Race Comments: Failed to Qualify: Caution Flags: Lead Changes:

7

23 Running

6

Average Speed:

124.359 MPH

1 Accident

Margin of Victory:

1.179 Seconds

Denny Hamlin won the Drydene 311 at Dover International Speedway, his 43rd victory in the NASCAR Cup Series. Prior to the start of the race, the following cars dropped to the rear of the field for the reasons indicated: No. 15 (multiple inspection failures); Nos. 51, 96 (unapproved adjustments); No. 7 (impound procedure infraction).

None.

4 for 21 laps; Laps: 8-11 (#1, 20 incident backstretch [7]); 27-31 (Competition [7]); 72-77 (Stage 1 Conclusion [15]); 187-192 (Stage 2 Conclusion [12]).

15 among 10 drivers; C. Elliott 1-27; A. Dillon 28-30; M. Kenseth 31; A. Dillon 32-58; D. Hamlin 59-136; B. Keselowski 137-138; K. Busch 139-141; R. Stenhouse Jr. 142; M. DiBenedetto 143-159; W. Byron 160; D. Hamlin 161-188; M. Truex Jr. 189-253; B. Keselowski 254-260; A. Dillon 261-279; M. Truex Jr. 280-302; D. Hamlin 303-311.

Busch Pole Award: Chase Elliott, #9

Sunoco Rookie of the Race: Cole Custer, #41

(i) Ineligible for driver points in this series Next Race: August 23, 2020 - Dover International Speedway NASCAR Integrated Marketing Communications @ P.O. Box 2875, Daytona Beach, FL 32120-2875

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY

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RACE 2

RECAP

KEVIN HARVICK TRIUMPHS IN ‘DRYDENE 311’ NASCAR CUP SERIES RACE

DOVER, Del. (Aug. 23, 2020) – Two of America’s best drivers lined up side by side with 17 miles to go to the finish.

At the green flag, the leader was an 11-time track winner and a seven-time national champion, making perhaps his final appearance behind the wheel at a place that has already labeled him ‘The Master.’

And he was the underdog.

Kevin Harvick showed why he was the favorite in that duel by passing Jimmie Johnson one lap into a restart before pulling away to win the “Drydene 311” NASCAR Cup Series race at Dover International Speedway on Sunday, concluding the “Drydene Doubleheader Weekend” and 1,347 total miles of racing across three days and six events.

Harvick, driving the No. 4 Ford for Stewart-Haas Racing, topped Martin Truex Jr. by 3.525 seconds for his seventh victory of the season and gave Ford its 700th win in the Cup Series. Harvick’s 56th Cup Series win ties him for ninth on the all-time list with Kyle Busch, and he also clinched NASCAR’s regular season championship and the 15 bonus points that go with it with one race remaining before the postseason begins.

“I am just really proud of everybody at Stewart-Haas Racing for being able to drive this car,” said Harvick, who led a race-high

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223 laps. “Week after week they just put so much effort into making this thing go fast and it has been a great year.”

Harvick is the 18th driver to win three or more NASCAR Cup Series races at The Monster Mile. The leader of that bunch, of course, is Johnson, who took just two tires while Harvick took four during a final round of pit stops following a caution flag on Lap 290. That gamble by Johnson’s team led to the final showdown at the restart.

“I knew when we hit the gas and the No. 4 car was staying with me going into Turn 1 we were in trouble,” said Johnson, who finished third in his final Dover visit of his last full-time Cup Series season. “We really just had to gamble. It netted a better finish.

“This place is a blast to drive. I always enjoy making laps here. If the phone ever rings for me to come back and I get to pick a track, it would be this one.”

Truex finished second for the second straight Dover race, and earned a top-three finish for the seventh consecutive Cup Series event.

“Second or third it seems like every week here,” Truex said. “On one hand, it’s good obviously and you want to be running up front and having good finishes. On the other hand, we didn’t get any better than we were

yesterday - it was actually a little bit worse.

I was a little disappointed in that. These things are really, really tricky to figure out to get them right.”

With one race to go to determine the playoff field, Johnson trails William Byron (fourth on Sunday) by four points and Matt DiBenedetto by nine points for the 16th and final postseason spot.

Harvick averaged 110.994 mph to complete the 311 miles in 2 hours, 48 minutes and 7 seconds and swept all three stages for seven additional playoff points. Twentyone drivers finished on the lead lap, a Dover Cup Series record.

Aric Almirola (seventh), Kyle Busch (11th) and Kurt Busch (13th) clinched their spots in the postseason as the NASCAR Cup Series stars completed an unprecedented 622 tough miles over a two-day period. Two of the favorites in that postseason will be Harvick and Denny Hamlin, Saturday’s Dover winner who slipped to 19th Sunday after an unscheduled pit stop for a loose wheel in the final stage.

“With Denny winning yesterday we needed to win today and we need all the points we can get,” Harvick said. “I think as you look at these playoffs, you never know what to expect. I know that as we go week to week we will give it all we have and I am just really proud.”

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

RACE NASCAR Cup Series Race Number 25 Race Results for the 51st Annual Drydene 311 (2) - Sunday, August 23, 2020 Dover International Speedway - Dover, DE - 1. - Mile Concrete Total Race Length - 311 Laps - 311. Miles

Fin Str Car Driver

Team

Laps

Stage 1 Stage 2 Pos Pos

1

17

4 Kevin Harvick

Mobil 1 Ford

311

2

19

19 Martin Truex Jr.

Bass Pro Shops Toyota

311

1

3

14

48 Jimmie Johnson

Ally Chevrolet

311

4

23

24 William Byron

Axalta Chevrolet

311

5

21

88 Alex Bowman

Acronis Chevrolet

311

6

13

22 Joey Logano

Shell Pennzoil Ford

311

6

7

4

10 Aric Almirola

Smithfield Hometown Original Ford

311

4

8

12

2 Brad Keselowski

Wurth Ford

311

5 10

Pts

Status

39 Running

6

46 Running

7

36 Running

2

45 Running

4

15

37 Running

1

22

3

37

1

11

Dow/Behr Ultra Scuff Defense Chevrolet

311

HaasTooling.com/Jacom Co Ford

311

11

18

18 Kyle Busch

Interstate Batteries Toyota

311

12

7

12 Ryan Blaney

Advance Auto Parts Ford

311

2

13

28

1 Kurt Busch

GEARWRENCH Chevrolet

311

9

10

36 Running 29 Running

8

30 Running 26 Running

5

40 Running 26 Running

14

5

17 Chris Buescher

Fastenal Ford

311

23 Running

15

22

42 Matt Kenseth

Clover Chevrolet

311

22 Running

16

15

14 Clint Bowyer

Haas Automation Ford

311

17

1

21 Matt DiBenedetto

Menards/Monster Energy Ford

311

18

8

8 Tyler Reddick #

Cat App Chevrolet

311

19

20

11 Denny Hamlin

FedEx Office Toyota

311

20

27

38 John Hunter Nemechek #

ACME Ford

311

17 Running

21

26

43 Bubba Wallace

Columbia Chevrolet

311

16 Running

22

9

20 Erik Jones

Reser's Fine Foods Toyota

310

15 Running

23

30

32 Corey LaJoie

Drydene Ford

310

14 Running

24

2

Guaranteed Rate Ford

310

13 Running

25

25

34 Michael McDowell

Digital Ally Shield Cleansers Ford

310

12 Running

26

29

37 Ryan Preece

Scott Brand Chevrolet

310

11 Running

27

24

95 Christopher Bell #

Rheem Toyota

310

10 Running

28

31

96 * Daniel Suarez

CommScope Toyota

309

9 Running

29

3

13 Ty Dillon

GEICO Chevrolet

309

8 Running

30

34

15 Brennan Poole #

RememberEveryoneDeployed. Today Chevrolet

305

7 Running

31

40

78 * BJ McLeod(i)

Chevrolet

303

0 Running

32

33

53 Josh Bilicki(i)

Chevrolet

302

0 Running

33

37

77 Reed Sorenson

Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

302

4 Running

34

35

00 Quin Houff #

Eagle Rock Wealth Chevrolet

302

3 Running

35

39

Chevrolet

296

0 Running

36

36

66 * Timmy Hill(i)

Manscaped Toyota

252

0 Engine

37

11

47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

Kroger Chevrolet

215

1 Running

38

32

27 JJ Yeley(i)

Thriv5 Ford

110

0 Handling

39

16

6

1 Accident

40

38

Race Comments: Failed to Qualify: Caution Flags: Lead Changes:

3

9

3

3 Austin Dillon

21 Running 7

4

Average Speed:

1

8

41 Cole Custer #

51 Joey Gase(i) Ford 2 Hrs, 48 Mins, 7 Secs.

Time of Race: Stage 1 Top 10: 4, 12, 24, 10, 2, 22, 21, 48, 1, 3 Stage 2 Top 10: 4, 22, 11, 19, 12, 24, 88, 41, 48, 2

7

42 Running

6

NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet

223

60 Running

10

9 Chase Elliott

6

1

9

7 * Garrett Smithley(i)

Playoff Pts

4

10

6 Ryan Newman

Laps

Tms

110.994 MPH

24 Running 19 Running 3

26 Running

0 Accident

Margin of Victory:

3.525 Seconds

Kevin Harvick won the Drydene 311 at Dover International Speedway, his 56th victory in the NASCAR Cup Series. Prior to the start of the race, the following cars dropped to the rear of the field for the reasons indicated: Nos. 1, 88 (backup car); No. 7 (engine change).

None.

7 for 40 laps; Laps: 7-11 (#7, 9, 18, 22, 47, 51 incident frontstretch [None]); 34-39 (Debris Turn 3 [77]); 72-78 (Stage 1 Conclusion [Red Flag: Lap 76, 12:19] [77]); 101-106 (#13, 32 incident turn 2 [78]); 187-192 (Stage 2 Conclusion [38]); 217-221 (#00 spin turn 2 [43]); 290-294 (#32 incident turn 3 [42]).

15 among 6 drivers; M. DiBenedetto 1-11; A. Almirola 12-33; R. Blaney 34-68; K. Harvick 69-72; R. Blaney 73; K. Harvick 74-101; R. Blaney 102; J. Logano 103-114; K. Harvick 115-187; J. Logano 188; K. Harvick 189-217; J. Logano 218; K. Harvick 219-290; J. Logano 291; J. Johnson 292-294; K. Harvick 295311.

Sunoco Rookie of the Race: Cole Custer, #41

(i) Ineligible for driver points in this series Next Race: August 29, 2020 - Daytona International Speedway NASCAR Integrated Marketing Communications @ P.O. Box 2875, Daytona Beach, FL 32120-2875

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

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21

00 HOUFF QUIN @P1_Houff CAR MAKE: TEAM:

Chevrolet

StarCom Racing

CUP EXPERIENCE: BORN: AGE:

Third year

Sept. 15, 1997

23

HOMETOWN:

Weyers Cave, Va.

◣◣ Has three prior starts at Dover with a best finish of 33rd ◣◣ Won two CARS Super Late Model Tour races ◣◣ Made his Cup Series debut in 2019 after only 10 XFINITY Series starts ◣◣ Finished 15th in his Xfinity Series debut in 2017 at Bristol

22

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PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

1 BUSCH KURT @KurtBusch CAR MAKE: TEAM:

Chevrolet

Chip Ganassi Racing

CUP EXPERIENCE: BORN: AGE:

22nd year

Aug. 4, 1978

42

HOMETOWN:

Las Vegas, Nev.

◣◣ Has one win, nine top fives and 12 top 10s in 41 Dover starts ◣◣ 2004 Cup Series champion with Roush Fenway Racing ◣◣ 2017 Daytona 500 champion with Stewart-Haas Racing ◣◣ Finished sixth in 2014 Indianapolis 500 driving for Andretti Autosport

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23

BRAD

2

KESELOWSKI @keselowski CAR MAKE: TEAM:

Ford

Team Penske

CUP EXPERIENCE: BORN: AGE:

14th year

Feb. 12, 1984

37

HOMETOWN:

Rochester Hills, Mich.

◣◣ One win and five top fives in 22 Dover starts, as well as winner of the 2009 spring XFINITY Series race with JR Motorsports ◣◣ 2012 Cup Series champion ◣◣ 2010 XFINITY Series champion ◣◣ Started racing for his familyowned team in the Camping World Truck Series in 2004

24

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PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

3 DILLON AUSTIN @austindillon3 CAR MAKE: TEAM:

Chevrolet

Richard Childress Racing

CUP EXPERIENCE: BORNN: AGE:

11th year

April 27, 1990

31

HOMETOWN:

Lewisville, N.C.

◣◣ Three top 10s in 15 Monster Mile contests ◣◣ 2018 Daytona 500 champion in the No. 3 car, 20 years after Dale Earnhardt won the 500 ◣◣ 2013 XFINITY Series champion ◣◣ 2011 Camping World Truck Series champion

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

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25

KEVIN

4

HARVICK @Kevin Harvick

CAR MAKE: TEAM:

Ford

Stewart-Haas Racing

CUP EXPERIENCE: BORN: AGE:

21st year

Dec. 8, 1975

45

HOMETOWN:

Bakersfield, Calif.

◣◣ Owner of three Monster Trophies (2015, 2018 and 2020) in 40 Cup starts at Dover ◣◣ 2007 Daytona 500 champion and 2001/2006 XFINITY Series champion ◣◣ 2014 NASCAR Cup Series champion with Stewart-Haas Racing ◣◣ Nicknamed “The Closer” for his ability to sneak up to the lead late in races during his early years

26

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PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

5 LARSON KYLE

@KyleLarsonRacin CAR MAKE: TEAM:

Chevrolet

Hendrick Motorsports

CUP EXPERIENCE: BORN: AGE:

Ninth year

July 31, 1992

28

HOMETOWN:

Elk Grove, Calif.

◣◣ Has one win at Dover (2019) in 12 starts ◣◣ Led 617 laps and has nine top 10s at Dover ◣◣ Won in his just his fourth race with Hendrick Motorsports in 2021 ◣◣ Two-time Chili Bowl winner (2020 and 2021)

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

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27

RYAN

6

NEWMAN

@RyanJNewman CAR MAKE: TEAM:

Ford

Roush Fenway Racing

CUP EXPERIENCE: BORN: AGE:

22nd year

Dec. 8, 1977

43

HOMETOWN:

South Bend, Ind.

◣◣ Three Dover wins (two in 2003 and one in 2004) in 38 starts ◣◣ 2008 Daytona 500 champion ◣◣ Holds an engineering degree from Purdue University ◣◣ 2002 NASCAR Cup Series Rookie of the Year

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7 LAJOIE COREY @CoreyLaJoie CAR MAKE: TEAM:

Chevrolet

Spire Motorsports

CUP EXPERIENCE: BORN: AGE:

Sixth year

Sept. 25, 1991

29

HOMETOWN:

Concord, N.C.

◣◣ Has a best finish of 23rd in seven prior Dover starts ◣◣ Hosts the Stacking Pennies podcast for NASCAR.com ◣◣ Son of two-time XFINITY Series champion Randy LaJoie, who owns The Joie of Seating ◣◣ Made Cup Series debut in 2014 after a handful of XFINITY and Camping World Truck Series starts

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

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29

8

TYLER

REDDICK @TylerReddick CAR MAKE: TEAM:

Chevrolet

Richard Childress Racing

CUP EXPERIENCE: BORN: AGE:

Third year

Jan. 11, 1996

25

HOMETOWN:

Corning, Calif.

◣◣ Finished 13th in his first Cup race at Dover in 2020 ◣◣ Won at Dover in the Camping World Truck Series in 2015 for Brad Keselowski Racing ◣◣ Won back-to-back XFINITY Series championships in 2018 and 2019 for two different teams (JR Motorsports and Richard Childress Racing, respectively) ◣◣ Well-known in NASCAR for racing on the upper groove near the wall at almost every track

30

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PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

9 ELLIOTT CHASE @chaseelliott

CAR MAKE: TEAM:

Chevrolet

Hendrick Motorsports

CUP EXPERIENCE: BORN: AGE:

Seventh year

Nov. 28, 1995

25

HOMETOWN:

Dawsonville, Ga.

◣◣ Has one Dover win (2018) with seven top fives in 10 starts at the 1-mile track ◣◣ 2020 Cup Series champion at 25 years old ◣◣ 2014 XFINITY Series champion for JR Motorsports ◣◣ Winner of three straight NMPA Most Popular Driver Awards

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

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31

10

ARIC

ALMIROLA

@aric_almirola CAR MAKE: TEAM:

Ford

Stewart-Haas Racing

CUP EXPERIENCE: BORN: AGE:

14th year

March 14, 1984

37

HOMETOWN:

Tampa, Fla.

◣◣ Has two top fives and four top 10s in 17 Dover starts ◣◣ Best NASCAR Cup Series point standings finish was fifth in 2018 ◣◣ First Cup Series win came in 2014 for Richard Petty Motorsports at Daytona ◣◣ Made NASCAR Cup Series debut in 2007 at Las Vegas

32

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PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

11 HAMLIN DENNY @dennyhamlin CAR MAKE: TEAM:

Toyota

Joe Gibbs Racing

CUP EXPERIENCE: BORN: AGE:

17th year

Nov. 18, 1980

40

HOMETOWN:

Chesterfield, Va.

◣◣ Has one win and six top fives in 30 starts at Dover ◣◣ Three-time Daytona 500 champion (2016, 2019 and 2020) ◣◣ Co-owns 23XI Racing with Michael Jordan ◣◣ Set Dover qualifying lap record in October 2019 with average speed of 166.984 mph

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

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33

12

RYAN

BLANEY @Blaney

CAR MAKE: TEAM:

Ford

Team Penske

CUP EXPERIENCE: BORN: AGE:

8th year

Dec. 31, 1993

27

HOMETOWN:

High Point, N.C.

◣◣ Has a best finish of eighth (twice) in 10 Dover starts ◣◣ Won his first Cup Series race at Pocono in 2017 ◣◣ Son of former NASCAR driver Dave Blaney ◣◣ Made NASCAR XFINITY Series debut in 2012 at Richmond

34

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14 BRISCOE CHASE

@ChaseBriscoe_14 CAR MAKE: TEAM:

Ford

Stewart-Haas Racing

CUP EXPERIENCE: BORNN: AGE:

Rookie year

Dec. 15, 1994

26

HOMETOWN:

Mitchell, Ind.

◣◣ Has one XFINITY Series win in five starts at the Monster Mile ◣◣ Won nine XFINITY Series races in 2020 before being promoted to the Cup Series ◣◣ 2016 ARCA Menards Series champion ◣◣ Hand-picked by Tony Stewart to drive the No. 14 car in 2021

36

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PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

17

CHRIS

BUESCHER @Chris_Buescher

CAR MAKE: TEAM:

Ford

Roush Fenway Racing

CUP EXPERIENCE: BORN: AGE:

7th year

Oct. 29, 1992

28

HOMETOWN:

Prosper, Tx.

◣◣ Has a best finish of 14th in 10 starts at Dover ◣◣ 2015 XFINITY Series champion ◣◣ Earned first NASCAR Cup Series victory in 2016 at Pocono ◣◣ 2012 ARCA Menards Series champion during his early years

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18 BUSCH KYLE @KyleBusch

CAR MAKE: TEAM:

Toyota

Joe Gibbs Racing

CUP EXPERIENCE: BORN: AGE:

18th year

May 2, 1985

36

HOMETOWN:

Las Vegas, Nev.

◣◣ Has three wins and 13 top fives in 32 starts at Dover ◣◣ Two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion (2015 and 2019) ◣◣ Started his career with Hendrick Motorsports ◣◣ 2009 NASCAR XFINITY Series champion

40

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PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

19

MARTIN

TRUEX JR. @MartinTruex_Jr CAR MAKE: TEAM:

Toyota

Joe Gibbs Racing

CUP EXPERIENCE: BORN: AGE:

18th year

June 29, 1980

41

HOMETOWN:

Mayetta, N.J.

◣◣ Has three wins in 30 starts at the Monster Mile ◣◣ Won his first NASCAR Cup Series race in 2007 at Dover ◣◣ 2017 NASCAR Cup Series champion ◣◣ 2004 and 2005 NASCAR XFINITY Series champion

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY

41

20 BELL CHRISTOPHER @CBellRacing

CAR MAKE: TEAM:

Toyota

Joe Gibbs Racing

CUP EXPERIENCE: BORN: AGE:

2nd year

Dec. 16, 1994

26

HOMETOWN:

Norman, Okla.

◣◣ Has two XFINITY Series wins at Dover ◣◣ Won his first Cup Series race at the Daytona road course in February 2021 ◣◣ Won three straight Chili Bowls from 2017 to 2019 ◣◣ 2017 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion

42

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21

MATT

DIBENEDETTO @mattdracing

CAR MAKE: TEAM:

Ford

Wood Brothers Racing

CUP EXPERIENCE: BORN: AGE:

7th year

July 27, 1991

29

HOMETOWN:

Grass Valley, Calif.

◣◣ Has one top 10 in 12 starts at Dover ◣◣ Nicknamed “Guido,” which is also his grandfather’s name ◣◣ Co-hosts the Not Another Racing Podcast with Ryan Ellis ◣◣ Made his XFINITY Series debut with Joe Gibbs Racing in 2009

44

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PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

22 LOGANO JOEY @joeylogano

CAR MAKE: TEAM:

Ford

Team Penske

CUP EXPERIENCE: BORN: AGE:

14th year

May 24, 1990

30

HOMETOWN:

Middletown, Conn.

◣◣ Has four top fives and 14 top 10s in 24 Dover starts ◣◣ Youngest winner in history in both NASCAR Cup Series (19 years, 35 days) and NASCAR Xfinity Series (18 years, 21 days) ◣◣ 2015 Daytona 500 champion ◣◣ 2018 NASCAR Cup Series champion

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY

45

23

BUBBA

WALLACE @BubbaWallace

CAR MAKE: TEAM:

Toyota

23XI Racing

CUP EXPERIENCE: BORN: AGE:

5th year

Oct. 8, 1993

27

HOMETOWN:

Mobile, Ala.

◣◣ Has six prior starts at Dover with a best finish of 20th ◣◣ NASCAR Drive for Diversity program alum ◣◣ Won six Camping World Truck Series races in his first 45 starts ◣◣ Made his Cup Series debut in the legendary No. 43 car for Richard Petty Motorsports

46

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24 BYRON WILLIAM @WilliamByron

CAR MAKE: TEAM:

Chevrolet

Hendrick Motorsports

CUP EXPERIENCE: BORN: AGE:

4th year

Nov. 29, 1997

23

HOMETOWN:

Charlotte, N.C.

◣◣ Has a best finish of fourth in six starts at the Monster Mile ◣◣ 2017 NASCAR XFINITY Series champion ◣◣ 2016 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Rookie of the Year ◣◣ 2015 NASCAR ARCA Menards Series East champion

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY

47

34

MICHAEL

MCDOWELL @mc_driver

CAR MAKE: TEAM:

Ford

Front Row Motorsports

CUP EXPERIENCE: BORN: AGE:

14th year

Dec. 21, 1984

36

HOMETOWN:

Glendale, Ariz.

◣◣ Has a best finish of 19th in 20 starts at Dover ◣◣ 2021 Daytona 500 champion, which was his first Cup win ◣◣ Earned first NASCAR XFINITY Series victory at Road America in 2016 ◣◣ Made NASCAR XFINITY Series debut in 2007 at Texas

48

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37 PREECE RYAN

@RyanPreece_ CAR MAKE: TEAM:

Chevrolet

JTG Daugherty Racing

CUP EXPERIENCE: BORNN: AGE:

4th year

Oct. 25, 1990

30

HOMETOWN:

Berlin, Conn.

◣◣ Has four Cup starts at Dover with a best finish of 19th ◣◣ Made his NASCAR Cup Series debut in 2015 after making a bet with Tommy Baldwin ◣◣ Won his first XFINITY Series race in 2017 at Iowa ◣◣ 2013 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion

50

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38

ANTHONY

ALFREDO @anthonyalfredo CAR MAKE: TEAM:

Ford

Front Row Motorsports

CUP EXPERIENCE: BORN: AGE:

Rookie year

March 31, 1999

22

HOMETOWN:

Ridgefield, Conn.

◣◣ Finished 11th in his first XFINITY Series race at Dover and 13th in his second event ◣◣ Ran 19 XFINITY Series races in 2020 with two top fives ◣◣ Finished second in the CARS Late Model Tour standings in 2017, driving for Dale Earnhardt Jr. ◣◣ Made his Cup Series debut in the 2021 Daytona 500

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

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51

41 CUSTER COLE @ColeCuster

CAR MAKE: TEAM:

Ford

Stewart-Haas Racing

CUP EXPERIENCE: BORN: AGE:

3rd year

Jan. 23, 1998

23

HOMETOWN:

Ladera Ranch, Calif.

◣◣ Finished 10th in his second Cup start at Dover ◣◣ Earned first Cup Series win at Kentucky in 2020 ◣◣ Youngest winner in NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series history (16 years, 7 months, 28 days) ◣◣ Won seven XFINITY Series races in 2019, before being promoted to the Cup Series

52

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42

ROSS

CHASTAIN @RossChastain

CAR MAKE: TEAM:

Chevrolet

Chip Ganassi Racing

CUP EXPERIENCE: BORN: AGE:

5th year

Dec. 4, 1992

28

HOMETOWN:

Alva, Fl.

◣◣ Has six Cup starts, 12 XFINITY starts and four Camping World Truck Series starts at Dover ◣◣ Made his NASCAR Cup Series debut in 2017 at the Monster Mile, finishing 20th ◣◣ Finished runner-up in the Camping World Truck Series in 2019 ◣◣ Won his first XFINITY Series race in 2018 with Chip Ganassi Racing at Las Vegas

54

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43 JONES ERIK

@Erik_Jones CAR MAKE: TEAM:

Chevrolet

Richard Petty Motorsports

CUP EXPERIENCE: BORN: AGE:

6th year

May 30, 1996

24

HOMETOWN:

Byron, Mich.

◣◣ Has one top five and two top 10s in eight Dover starts, plus an XFINITY Series win (2016) ◣◣ 2015 Camping World Truck Series champion ◣◣ Performs a weekly reading of children’s books on social media ◣◣ 2017 Cup Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY

55

47

RICKY

STENHOUSE JR.

@StenhouseJr CAR MAKE: TEAM:

Chevrolet

JTG Daugherty Racing

CUP EXPERIENCE: BORN: AGE:

11th year

Oct. 2, 1987

33

HOMETOWN:

Olive Branch, Miss.

◣◣ Has three top 10s in 17 starts at Dover ◣◣ Co-owns Stenhouse Jr.-Marshall Racing Team, which competes in the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Sprint Car Series ◣◣ Earned first NASCAR Cup Series victory in 2017 at Talladega ◣◣ 2011 and 2012 NASCAR XFINITY Series champion

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DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

48 BOWMAN ALEX

@Alex_Bowman CAR MAKE: TEAM:

Chevrolet

Hendrick Motorsports

CUP EXPERIENCE: BORN: AGE:

7th year

April 25, 1993

28

HOMETOWN:

Tucson, Ariz.

◣◣ Has a second-place finish at Dover (spring 2019) and three top fives in 10 starts ◣◣ Made Cup Series debut in the 2014 Daytona 500 ◣◣ Finished sixth in the 2020 Cup Series standings ◣◣ Replaced Dale Earnhardt Jr. in 2016 for 10 races, highlighted by 194 laps led at Phoenix

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DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

52

JOSH

BILICKI @joshbilicki

CAR MAKE: TEAM:

Ford

Rick Ware Racing

CUP EXPERIENCE: BORN: AGE:

5th year

June 3, 1995

25

HOMETOWN:

Menomonee Falls, Wisc.

◣◣ Has two Cup Series starts at Dover ◣◣ Ran four XFINITY Series races at the Monster Mile ◣◣ Made XFINITY Series debut in 2016 at Road America ◣◣ Made a name for himself by competing in the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA)

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY

59

53 GASE JOEY

@JoeyGaseRacing CAR MAKE: TEAM:

Ford/Chevrolet

Rick Ware Racing

CUP EXPERIENCE: BORN: AGE:

8th year

Feb. 8, 1993

28

HOMETOWN:

Cedar Rapids, Iowa

◣◣ Has two Cup Series starts at Dover ◣◣ Made Cup Series debut in 2014 at Chicagoland Speedway ◣◣ Ran first full Cup Series schedule in 2020 with Rick Ware Racing ◣◣ Awarded first-ever Comcast Community Champion Award in 2015 for his work to promote organ donation

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DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

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99

DANIEL

SUAREZ @DanielSuarez_G

CAR MAKE: TEAM:

Chevrolet

Trackhouse Racing

CUP EXPERIENCE: BORN: AGE:

5th year

Jan. 7, 1992

29

HOMETOWN:

Monterrey, Mexico

◣◣ Has a best finish of third with four top 10s in eight Dover starts ◣◣ 2016 NASCAR Xfinity Series champion ◣◣ One win and five top 10 finishes in six NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Dover ◣◣ Won 10 NASCAR Peak Mexico Series races

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PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

D A RTO O 102 THE

Dover International Speedway long history includes 102 NASCAR Cup Series races. Read on to find your first race, your favorite race and maybe one that brings back some great memories. The following list includes the race date, race name, winner’s name, his number of Dover wins to that point and a short recap of the event.

1. JULY 6, 1969, “MASON-DIXON 300” – Richard Petty (1): Dover’s debut race. Petty wins by six laps.

2. SEPT. 20, 1970, “MASON-DIXON 300” – Richard Petty (2): Petty leads 186 laps, takes lead for good on Lap 269 from Charlie Glotzbach.

3. JUNE 6, 1971, “MASON-DIXON 500” – Bobby Allison (1): Dover’s first 500-mile race is also only event with no caution flags/laps.

4. OCT. 17, 1971, “DELAWARE 500” - Richard Petty (3): The latest race by date in track history also featured the fewest lead changes (3).

5. JUNE 4, 1972, “MASON-DIXON 500” – Bobby Allison (2): Allison gives Chevrolet its first Dover win. Chevy leads all manufacturers with 40 Monster Mile victories.

6. SEPT. 17, 1972, “DELAWARE 500” - David Pearson (1): Pearson was only driver on the lead lap.

7. JUNE 3, 1973, “MASON-DIXON 500” – David Pearson (2): Pearson is first driver to win Dover race from pole position.

8. SEPT. 16, 1973, “DELAWARE 500” - David Pearson (3): Pearson completes first yearly Dover sweep, leads 344 laps.

9. MAY 19, 1974, “MASON-DIXON 500” – Cale Yarborough (1): Race was shortened to 450 miles/laps due to fuel crisis.

1969

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10. SEPT. 15, 1974, “DELAWARE 500” - Richard Petty (4): Petty cruises, leads final 461 laps and record 489 overall. Petty was only driver on the lead lap.

11. MAY 19, 1975, “MASON-DIXON 500” – David Pearson (4): 103 caution laps is tied for most in track history (Fall 1993). Pearson was only driver on the lead lap.

12. SEPT. 14, 1975, “DELAWARE 500” - Richard Petty (5): Petty recovers from part mishap and takes advantage of timely caution flag in record fifth win.

13. MAY 16, 1976, “MASON-DIXON 500” – Benny Parsons (1): Parsons wins by 25.5 seconds over Pearson.

14. SEPT. 19, 1976, “DELAWARE 500” - Cale Yarborough (1): Yarborough comes from two laps down multiple times before earning win.

15. MAY 15, 1977, “MASON-DIXON 500” – Cale Yarborough (2): Yarborough leads final 97 laps, topps Pearson by 6.2 seconds.

16. SEPT. 18, 1977, “DELAWARE 500” - Benny Parsons (2): Parsons leads the final 250 laps, and 267 overall.

17. MAY 21, 1978, “MASON-DIXON 500” – David Pearson (5): NASCAR’s “Silver Fox” leads the final 72 laps. Among drivers with three or more Dover wins, Pearson has the highest average finish at 8.0 through 16 races.

18. SEPT. 17, 1978, “DELAWARE 500” - Bobby Allison (3): Allison leads 257 of final 258 laps, topping Yarborough by almost 20 seconds.

19. MAY 20, 1979, “MASON-DIXON 500” – Neil Bonnett (1): Bonnett and Yarborough trade the lead from Lap 220 on. Bonnett takes lead for good on Lap 498 and official margin of victory is “two car lengths.”

20. SEPT. 16, 1979, “CRC CHEMICALS 500” - Richard Petty (6): Petty edges Donnie Allison by half a car length and becomes first driver with six Dover wins. It is Petty’s only Dover victory in a Chevrolet.

21. MAY 18, 1980, “MASON-DIXON 500” – Bobby Allison (4): Allison leads final 121 laps. Petty is only other car on lead lap.

22. SEPT. 14, 1980, “CRC CHEMICALS 500” - Darrell Waltrip (1): Most lead changes in track history (29).

23. MAY 17, 1981, “MASON-DIXON 500” – Jody Ridley (1): Ridley’s only NASCAR Cup Series win. Took lead for good on Lap 481.

24. SEPT. 20, 1981 “CRC CHEMICALS 500” - Neil Bonnett (2): Bonnett, who led 185 laps, finished as only driver on lead lap.

25. MAY 16, 1982, “MASON-DIXON 500” – Bobby Allison (5): Allison led a commanding 486 laps and finished three laps ahead of runner-up Dave Marcis.

26. SEPT. 19, 1982, “CRC CHEMICALS 500” - Darrell Waltrip (2): Waltrip dominates, leading 287 laps before edging Kyle Petty at finish.

27. MAY 15, 1983, “MASON-DIXON 500” – Bobby Allison (6): Ties Dover victory mark after taking lead for good over Waltrip on Lap 483.

28. SEPT. 18, 1983, “BUDWEISER 500” - Bobby Allison (7): Allison sets track record for victories, capping Dover sweep during only NASCAR championship season.

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

1997 29. MAY 20, 1984, “BUDWEISER 500” Richard Petty (7): Petty ties track record for victories and picks up career win No. 199.

30. SEPT. 16, 1984, “DELAWARE 500” - Harry Gant (1): “Handsome Harry’s” first Dover win is first Monster Mile race to finish under caution.

31. MAY 19, 1985, “BUDWEISER 500” - Bill Elliott (1): “Awesome Bill from Dawsonville” was only driver on lead lap.

32. SEPT. 15, 1985, “DELAWARE 500” - Harry Gant (2): Gant leads final 94 laps, with Waltrip only other driver on lead lap.

33. MAY 18, 1986, “BUDWESIER 500” - Geoff Bodine (1): Bodine took lead for good on Lap 457.

Gant led most laps but had late engine failure.

34. SEPT. 14, 1986, “DELAWARE 500” Ricky Rudd (1): Rudd leads a race-high 141 laps.

Begins a streak of five straight wins for Ford.

35. MAY 30, 1987, “BUDWEISER 500” - Davey Allison (1): Just second driver to win first Dover race.

36. SEPT. 20, 1987, “DELAWARE 500” Ricky Rudd (2): Rudd cruised, leading race-high 373 laps, topping Davey Allison by 2 seconds.

37. JUNE 5, 1988, “BUDWEISER 500” - Bill Elliott (2): Elliott edges Morgan Shepherd in closest Dover finish at that time (.210 second).

38. SEPT. 18, 1988, “DELAWARE 500” - Bill Elliott (3): Elliott caps Dover sweep during his only NASCAR championship season.

39. JUNE 4, 1989, “BUDWEISER 500” - Dale Earnhardt (1): “The Intimidator” leads 456 laps but edges tops Mark Martin by just half a second.

40. SEPT. 17, 1989, “PEAK PERFORMANCE 500” - Dale Earnhardt (2): Earnhardt passes eventual runner-up Martin for good on Lap 484.

41. JUNE 3, 1990, “BUDWEISER 500” –-Derrike Cope (1): Cope backed up his shocking Daytona 500 victory earlier in the year with this win.

42. SEPT. 16, 1990, “PEAK ANTIFREEZE 500” - Bill Elliott (4): Elliott’s final Dover win is quickest 500-mile race in track history (125.945 mph).

43. JUNE 2, 1991, “BUDWEISER 500” - Ken Schrader (1): Schrader’s last NASCAR Cup Series victory.

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

44. SEPT. 15, 1991, “PEAK ANTIFREEZE 500” - Harry Gant (3): Gant was only driver on lead lap after multiple wrecks.

45. MAY 31, 1992, “BUDWEISER 500” Harry Gant (4): Gant leads the final 41 laps and becomes Dover’s oldest winner (52 years, 4 months, 12 days). It is also Oldsmobile’s last win at Dover.

46. SEPT. 20, 1992, “PEAK ANTIFREEZE 500” - Ricky Rudd (3): Rudd took lead for good on Lap 476, edging Elliott by less than half a second.

47. JUNE 6, 1993, “BUDWEISER 500” - Dale Earnhardt (3): Earnhardt leads last 63 laps in final Dover win.

48. SEPT. 19, 1993, “SPLITFIRE SPARK PLUG 500” - Rusty Wallace (1): Most caution flags in Dover’s history (16), leads to track’s slowest 500-mile race (100.334 mph).

49. JUNE 5, 1994, “BUDWEISER 500” Rusty Wallace (2): Wallace and Ernie Irvan trade lead from Lap 234 on. Wallace leads 150 laps and tops Irvan by .340 second.

50. SEPT. 18, 1994, “SPLITFIRE SPARK PLUG 500” - Rusty Wallace (3): Wallace’s final Dover win comes with track’s second under caution finish. Earnhardt places second.

51. JUNE 4, 1995, “MILLER GENUINE DRAFT 500” - Kyle Petty (1): First race on concrete surface. Kyle Petty’s last NASCAR Cup Series victory.

52. SEPT. 17, 1995, “MBNA 500” - Jeff Gordon (1): Gordon leads 400 laps on his way to first NASCAR championship.

53. JUNE 2, 1996, “MILLER 500” - Jeff Gordon (2): Gordon leads 307, tops eventual NASCAR champion Terry Labonte by 3.9 seconds.

54. SEPT. 15, 1996, “MBNA 500” - Jeff Gordon (3): Gordon completes Dover sweep, leading 204 laps and beating Wallace to checkered flag by less than half a second.

55. JUNE 1, 1997, “MILLER 500” - Ricky Rudd (4): Rudd’s final victory is closest Dover finish at that time (.091 second) over Martin. Race is final 500-lap event at Dover.

56. SEPT. 21, 1997, “MBNA 400” - Mark Martin (1): Dover’s first 400-mile race remains its fastest (132.719 mph, 3:00.50) for more than 22 years.

57. MAY 31, 1998, “MBNA PLATINUM 400” - Dale Jarrett (1): Jarrett led only the final eight laps, topping Jeff Burton by more than 13 seconds.

58. SEPT. 20, 1998, “MBNA GOLD 400” - Mark Martin (2): Martin leads a race-high 379 laps. Matt Kenseth made NASCAR Cup Series debut.

59. JUNE 6, 1999, “MBNA PLATINUM 400” - Bobby Labonte (1): Takes lead from Gordon on Lap 395. Race ends on an extended green-flag run and multiple drivers run out of gas before checkered flag.

60. SEPT. 26, 1999, “MBNA GOLD 400” Mark Martin (3): Martin leads final 52 laps, tops Tony Stewart by 1.145 seconds.

61. JUNE 4, 2000, “MBNA PLATINUM 400” - Tony Stewart (1): Stewart leads 242 laps, tops Kenseth by 1.215 seconds. Kurt Busch made NASCAR Cup Series debut.

62. SEPT. 24, 2000, “MBNA.COM 400” Tony Stewart (2): Stewart was one of a record 13 lead drivers.

63. JUNE 3, 2001, “MBNA PLATINUM 400” - Jeff Gordon (4): Gordon set record for most laps led in 400-mile Dover race (381).

2001 DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY

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2002 64. SEPT. 23, 2001, “MBNA CAL RIPKEN, JR. 400” - Dale Earnhardt Jr. (1): Dover’s most famous race. First NASCAR Cup Series race after Sept.

11 tragedies. Junior celebrates win with giant American flag flowing out of window during victory lap.

65. JUNE 2, 2002, “MBNA PLATINUM 400” - Jimmie Johnson (1): Rookie wins race during first visit to Monster Mile.

66. SEPT. 22, 2002, “MBNA ALL-American Heroes 400” – Jimmie Johnson (2): Johnson leads final 80 laps.

67. JUNE 1, 2003, “MBNA ARMED FORCES FAMILY 400” - Ryan Newman (1): Newman wins pole, leads race-high 162 laps.

68. SEPT. 21, 2003, “MBNA AMERICA 400” - Ryan Newman (2): Newman leads final 73 laps, and 106 total, on way to yearly Dover sweep.

69. JUNE 6, 2004, “MBNA 400: A SALUTE TO HEROES” - Mark Martin (4): Martin’s final Dover win is track’s slowest 400-mile race (97.042 mph).

70. SEPT. 26, 2004, “MBNA AMERICA 400” - Ryan Newman (3): Monster Trophy debuts in Victory Lane at this race.

71. JUNE 5, 2005, “MBNA RACEPOINTS 400” - Greg Biffle (1): Biffle leads race-high 150 laps.

72. SEPT. 25, 2005, “MBNA RACEPOINTS 400” - Jimmie Johnson (3): Johnson edges Kyle Busch in closest Dover finish to date (.080 second). Race also featured track’s first green-white-checkered finish.

73. JUNE 4, 2006, “NEIGHBORHOOD EXCELLENCE 400” - Matt Kenseth (1): Kenseth passes Jamie McMurray on Lap 397 leading to first Dover win.

74. SEPT. 24, 2006, “DOVER 400” - Jeff Burton (1): Burton leads just the last six laps, but passes Kenseth late before taking checkered flag.

75. JUNE 4, 2007, “AUTISM SPEAKS 400, PRESENTED BY VISA” - Martin Truex Jr. (1): First career win for Truex comes in a rare Monday race.

76. SEPT. 23. 2007, “DODGE DEALERS 400” - Carl Edwards (1): Edwards leads a Roush Racing 1-2 finish, topping teammate Biffle.

77. JUNE 1, 2008, “BEST BUY 400 BENEFITING STUDENT CLUBS FOR AUTISM SPEAKS” - Kyle Busch (1): Busch leads final 74 laps on long green-flag run. It is first Dover victory for Toyota.

78. SEPT. 21, 2008, “CAMPING WORLD RV 400 PRESENTED BY AAA” - Greg Biffle (2): Roush Racing has a 1-2-3 finish when Biffle edges teammates Kenseth and Edwards. The trio combine to lead 250 of the race’s 400 laps.

79. MAY 31, 2009, “AUTISM SPEAKS 400 PRESENTED BY HELUVA GOOD! SOUR CREAM DIPS 7 CHEESE” - Jimmie Johnson (4): 20 drivers finished on lead lap, tied for most in track history.

80. SEPT. 27, 2009, “AAA 400” - Jimmie Johnson (5): Johnson leads final 225 laps.

81. MAY 16, 2010, “AUTISM SPEAKS 400 PRESENTED BY HERSHEY’S MILK AND MILKSHAKES” - Kyle Busch (2): Busch dominates, leading 131 laps and winning by 7.551 seconds over Jeff Burton.

82. SEPT. 26, 2010, “AAA 400” - Jimmie Johnson (6): Johnson leads 191 total laps, including last 35.

83. MAY 15, 2011, “FEDEX 400 BENEFITTING AUTISM SPEAKS” - Matt Kenseth (2): Kenseth leads final 32 laps, tops Martin by more than 2 seconds.

84. OCT. 2, 2011, “AAA 400” - Kurt Busch (1): 20 drivers finished on lead lap, tied for most in track history.

85. JUNE 3, 2012, “FEDEX 400 BENEFITING AUTISM SPEAKS” Jimmie Johnson (7): Johnson leads final 76 laps.

86. SEPT. 30, 2012, “AAA 400” - Brad Keselowski (1): Keselowski only leads 14 laps, but that includes final 10 on his way to only Monster Mile win and NASCAR Cup Series championship.

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87. JUNE 2, 2013, “FEDEX 400 BENEFITING AUTISM SPEAKS” Tony Stewart (3): Stewart passes Juan Pablo Montoya in final Dover victory.

Begins a streak of six straight wins for Chevrolet.

88. SEPT. 29, 2013, “AAA 400” - Jimmie Johnson (8): Johnson sets track record for victories, passing Petty and Allison.

89. JUNE 1, 2014, “FEDEX 400 BENEFITING AUTISM SPEAKS” - Jimmie Johnson (9): Takes lead for good on Lap 367, holds off Keselowski by less than 1 second.

90. SEPT. 28, 2014, “AAA 400” - Jeff Gordon (5): Gordon wins last Monster Mile checkered flag in the first “knockout race” of the newly-formatted NASCAR playoffs.

91. MAY 31, 2015, “FEDEX 400 BENEFITING AUTISM SPEAKS” - Jimmie Johnson (10): Johnson tops Kevin Harvick in Dover’s second green-whitecheckered finish.

92. OCT. 4, 2015, “AAA 400” - Kevin Harvick (1): Harvick leads to 355 laps to advance to next round of playoffs.

93. MAY 15, 2016, “AAA 400 DRIVE FOR AUTISM” - Matt Kenseth (3): Voted best race of 2016 in USA Today online poll. Kenseth survives 16-car frontstretch crash after late restart and holds off Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott at checkered flag.

94. OCT. 2, 2016, “CITIZEN SOLDIER 400” - Martin Truex Jr. (2): Truex leads 187 laps and tops Kyle Busch by more than 7.5 seconds.

95. JUNE 4, 2017, “AAA 400 DRIVE FOR AUTISM” - Jimmie Johnson (11): Johnson tops Larson in an overtime finish. Only third Dover race to finish under caution.

96. OCT. 1, 2017, “APACHE WARRIOR 400 PRESENTED BY LUCAS OIL” - Kyle Busch (3): Busch passes Elliott on Lap 399 to win.

97. MAY 6, 2018, “AAA 400 DRIVE FOR AUTISM” - Kevin Harvick (2): Harvick leads 201 laps and wins by more than 7 seconds over Clint Bowyer.

98. OCT. 7, 2018, “GANDER OUTDOORS 400” - Chase Elliott (1): First speedway win for Elliott, who becomes Dover’s youngest winner (22 years, 10 months, 8 days).

99. MAY 6, 2019, “GANDER RV 400” - Martin Truex Jr. (3): Truex notches second Monday victory at Dover.

100. OCT. 6, 2019, “DRYDENE 400” - Kyle Larson (1): Larson paces field with an average speed of 135.734 mph (2:56.49), quickest in track history for a 400-lap event.

101. AUG. 22, 2020, “DRYDENE 311” - Denny Hamlin (1): First August Cup Series race in track history goes to a first-time winner. Hamlin leads race-high 115 laps, including final nine after passing runner-up Truex on Lap 303.

102. AUG. 23, 2020, “DRYDENE 311” - Kevin Harvick (3): Harvick dominates, leads 223 laps on way to win. Johnson leads three laps and finishes third in final scheduled Cup Series race at track. Race completes track’s unprecedented six-race, three-day weekend.

2006 PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

STORIES & 68

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TRACK QUALIFYING RECORD, 1 LAP 158.318 mph, Erik Jones, Toyota, 10/1/16

MOST WINS, CAR MAKE 31 by Chevrolet

FASTEST RACE RECORD, 200 MILES 131.219 mph, Joey Logano, Ford, 9/28/13

MOST WINS FROM A STARTING POSITION 11 wins from starting position 2

SLOWEST RACE RECORD, 200 MILES 85.197 mph, Denny Hamlin, Chevrolet, 9/22/07

FEWEST LEAD DRIVERS (TIED) 2, MBNA Platinum 200, 6/5/99 and Heluva Good! 200, 5/31/08

RACE WINNER,

MOST POLE POSITIONS 5 by Harry Gant and Joey Logano MOST TOP-5 FINISHES 12 by Matt Kenseth

GREATEST IMPROVEMENT FROM STARTING POSITION

MOST CAUTION FLAGS (TIED) 13, Dover 200, 9/23/06, and RoadLoans.com 200, 9/22/07 FEWEST CAUTION FLAGS 1, 5/30/98, MBNA Platinum 200 MOST CAUTION LAPS 61, 9/22/07, RoadLoans.com 200 FEWEST CAUTION LAPS (TIED) 8, MBNA Platinum 200, 5/30/98, and 5-hour ENERGY 200, 9/28/13 MOST WINS BY A DRIVER 5 by Kyle Busch (9/20/08, 5/15/10, 9/25/10, 5/31/14, 9/27/14)

CLOSEST FINISHES MARGIN 1 foot .146 second .160 second

DATE 5-19-84 9-19-98 9-17-94

Started 36th, Jeff Burton, 6/3/06 MOST WINS FROM POLE 2, Kyle Busch (9/20/08, 5/15/10) MOST LEAD CHANGES 19, Budweiser 200, 5/19/84 FEWEST LEAD CHANGES 1, MBNA Platinum 200, 6/5/99

FEWEST CARS TO FINISH ON LEAD LAP (TIED) 1, Late Model Sportsman 200, 5/15/82, Budweiser 200, 5/18/85 MOST CARS TO FINISH ON LEAD LAP (TIED) 22, 5/5/18, OneMain Financial 200

MOST LAPS LED (1 RACE, 200 MILES) 193 by Ryan Newman, Dover 200, 9/24/05

FEWEST CARS RUNNING AT END 12 of 22, Late Model Sportsman 200, 5/15/82

MOST LEAD DRIVERS 9, Budweiser 200, 6/4/88

MOST CARS RUNNING AT END 39 of 43, MBNA Platinum 200, 5/30/98

RACE EVENT Budweiser 200 MBNA Gold 200 SplitFire Spark Plug 200

UNDER CAUTION FINISHES

MOST TOP-10 FINISHES 15 by Kyle Busch

WINNER Sam Ard Matt Kenseth Johnny Benson

SECOND PLACE Ron Bouchard Kevin Grubb Harry Gant

DATE RACE EVENT WINNER SECOND PLACE 6-4-88 Budweiser 200 Bobby Hillin Larry Pearson 6-1-91 Budweiser 200 Todd Bodine Jeff Gordon 9-19-92 SplitFire Spark Plugs 200 Robert Pressley Bobby Labonte 9-21-02 MBNA All-American Heroes 200 Scott Wimmer Mike McLaughlin 9-25-04 The Stacker 2 Hundred Martin Truex Jr. Mike McLaughlin 5-14-11 5-hour ENERGY 200 Carl Edwards Kyle Busch

MOST POLES Harry Gant Joey Logano Kyle Busch Dick Trickle

5 5 3 3

MOST VICTORIES Kyle Busch Joey Logano Todd Bodine Carl Edwards

DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY

5 4 3 3

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RACE 1

RECAP

JUSTIN ALLGAIER EARNS VICTORY

IN ‘DRYDENE 200’ NASCAR XFINITY SERIES RACE DOVER, Del. (Aug. 22, 2020) – With a winless drought that stretched to last fall, Justin Allgaier admits he had thoughts of leaving the weekly grind of top-level motorsports behind.

After pacing the field at Dover International Speedway on Saturday, he now has his sights set on a NASCAR championship.

Allgaier led a race-high 120 laps on his way to a victory in the “Drydene 200” NASCAR Xfinity Series race, kicking off the “Drydene Doubleheader Weekend” at the Monster Mile.

Driving the No. 7 Chevrolet for JR Motorsports, Allgaier topped Austin Cindric by 1.977 seconds to earn his first victory since Nov. 9 at Phoenix and second career Dover win.

“It’s been tough, mentally, physically, emotionally,” said Allgaier. “In the last six months, I’ve told my wife 10 times I don’t know if I want to be a race car driver anymore. You get to a point where you can tell it weighs on you where it’s not beneficial.

“You never know when the next win is

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coming. These races are harder and harder and the talent level is insane.”

Allgaier completed the 200 miles in 1 hour, 48 minutes and 57 seconds for an average speed of 110.142 mph. Allgaier was near the lead throughout the race, after winning Stage 2 and finishing third in Stage 1.

“We didn’t do anything crazy today,” Allgaier said. “We were solid on pit road.

We made good adjustments. We didn’t get excited, even when we lost track position.”

The final stage featured a compelling battle between Allgaier and Cindric, who has won five of the last seven NASCAR Xfinity Series races. The duo started side by side on the race’s final restart on Lap 168, but Allgaier had a solid jump at the green flag and pulled away for the win.

Cindric, who led 49 laps, was followed

by Ross Chastain in third, Noah Gragson (27 laps led) in fourth and rookie Harrison Burton in fifth.

“I had a great battle there with Justin,” said Cindric, who leads the NASCAR

Xfinity Series standings by 72 points over Chase Briscoe. “Obviously, he wanted it really bad. I knew that it wasn’t going to be an easy pass, so hopefully we can take it to him tomorrow. I mean, he drove the wheels off that thing.”

Allgaier will have a quick opportunity to be a repeat winner as part of the “Drydene Doubleheader Weekend” Sunday in the “Drydene 200” NASCAR Xfinity Series race during the Monster Mile’s six-race weekend.

“Since we came back, we’ve had a lot of really good days that ended with poor finishes,” said Jason Burdett, Allgaier’s crew chief. “Some of that was on me or we had a bad pit stop or pit call. We’ve managed to stick together well. We’ve been together now for five or six years. It’s the same core group. We’re all in this together.

“Dover’s been a really good place for us to come and put together a solid day and give ourselves the opportunity to break out of the funk we’ve been in the last four or five months.”

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

RACE

REPORT NASCAR Xfinity Series Race Number 20 Race Results for the 39th Annual Drydene 200 - Saturday, August 22, 2020 Dover International Speedway - Dover, DE - 1. - Mile Concrete Total Race Length - 200 Laps - 200. Miles

Fin Str Car Driver

Team

Laps

Stage 1 Stage 2 Pos Pos

Pts

Status

Tms

Laps

Playoff Pts

1

5

7 Justin Allgaier

FFA Chevrolet

200

3

1

58 Running

3

120

6

2

1

22 Austin Cindric

PPG Ford

200

1

2

54 Running

2

49

1

3

13

10 Ross Chastain

Moose Fraternity Chevrolet

200

4

3

49 Running

4

2

Bass Pro Shops/TrueTimber Camo Chevrolet

200

2

4

49 Running

1

27

5

4

20 Harrison Burton #

Fields/DEX Imaging Toyota

200

5

6

43 Running

6

6

18 Riley Herbst #

Monster Energy Toyota

200

6

5

42 Running

7

27

8 Jeb Burton

State Water Heaters Chevrolet

200

9

32 Running

8

22

11 Justin Haley

LeafFilter Gutter Protection Chevrolet

200

7

33 Running

9

8

1 Michael Annett

Pilot/Flying J Chevrolet

200

9

10

31 Running

10

10

98 Chase Briscoe

Highpoint.com Ford

200

8

11

26

21 Anthony Alfredo

ADS/Footing First Chevrolet

200

12

9

39 Ryan Sieg

CMRRoofing.com Chevrolet

200

13

7

51 Jeremy Clements

RepairableVehicles.com Chevrolet

200

24 Running

14

21

68 Brandon Brown

Jabs Construction Chevrolet

200

23 Running

1

4

15

28

02 Brett Moffitt(i)

Robert B Our Inc Chevrolet

200

0 Running

9 Noah Gragson

30 Running 26 Running

10

16

3

19 Brandon Jones

Menards/Pelonis Toyota

200

17

11

93 Myatt Snider #

The Original Louisiana Hot Sauce Chevrolet

200

20 Running

18

23

08 Joe Graf Jr #

Bucked Up Energy Chevrolet

199

19 Running

19

19

90 Alex Labbe

Prolon/VRVictoriaVille.com Chevrolet

199

18 Running

20

30

0 Jeffrey Earnhardt

Drydene Chevrolet

198

17 Running

21

14

44 Tommy Joe Martins

Gilreath Farms Red Angus Chevrolet

198

16 Running

22

15

61 Stephen Leicht

JANIKING Toyota

198

15 Running

23

12

4 Jesse Little #

Drydene Chevrolet

198

14 Running

24

18

92 Josh Williams

Musselman's Big Cup Applesauce Chevrolet

198

13 Running

25

20

47 Kyle Weatherman

Chevrolet

198

12 Running

26

32

99 Stefan Parsons

Rich Mar Florist Toyota

198

11 Running

27

29

07 David Starr

Jacob Construction Chevrolet

197

10 Running

28

35

78 Vinnie Miller

Glassskinz Chevrolet

196

9 Running

29

34

13 Chad Finchum

GARRISON HOMES Toyota

196

8 Running

30

33

15 Colby Howard

Project Hope Foundation Chevrolet

195

7 Running

31

24

52 Kody Vanderwal #

ADVANCED DAIRY SERVICES Chevrolet

194

6 Running

32

31

36 Korbin Forrister(i)

Nursing Home Heroes Chevrolet

191

0 Running

33

25

5 Matt Mills

JF Electric Chevrolet

161

4 Running

34

17

6 BJ McLeod

Drydene Chevrolet

146

3 Suspension

35

16

36

36

74 Bayley Currey(i)

Mutt and Jeff Porkskins Inc Chevrolet

66 Timmy Hill(i) JANIKING Toyota 1 Hrs, 48 Mins, 57 Secs.

Time of Race: Stage 1 Top 10: 22, 9, 7, 10, 20, 18, 19, 98, 1, 39 Stage 2 Top 10: 7, 22, 10, 9, 18, 20, 11, 19, 8, 1

Race Comments: Failed to Qualify: Caution Flags: Lead Changes:

7

26 Running

8

28 Running

92

0 Fuel Pressure

55

Average Speed:

110.142 MPH

0 Vibration

Margin of Victory:

1.977 Seconds

Justin Allgaier won the Drydene 200 at Dover International Speedway, his 12th victory in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Prior to the start of the race, the following car dropped to the rear of the field for the reason indicated: No. 15 (unapproved adjustments).

None.

6 for 27 laps; Laps: 22-25 (Competition [99]); 47-51 (Stage 1 Conclusion [78]); 78-81 (#98 incident backstretch [99]); 92-96 (Stage 2 Conclusion [08]); 150154 (#6 incident turn 4 [93]); 164-167 (#19 spin turn 4 [98]).

6 among 4 drivers; A. Cindric 1-48; N. Gragson 49-75; J. Allgaier 76-92; B. Brown 93-96; J. Allgaier 97-149; A. Cindric 150; J. Allgaier 151-200.

Mobil 1 Driver of the Race: Justin Allgaier, #7

Sunoco Rookie of the Race: Harrison Burton, #20

(i) Ineligible for driver points in this series Next Race: August 23, 2020 - Dover International Speedway NASCAR Integrated Marketing Communications @ P.O. Box 2875, Daytona Beach, FL 32120-2875

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY

71

RACE 2

RECAP

CHASE BRISCOE BOUNCES BACK TO WIN ‘DRYDENE 200’ NASCAR XFINITY SERIES RACE DOVER, Del. (Aug. 23, 2020) – After spinning out his primary car early in a doubleheader weekend, Chase Briscoe can be forgiven if he felt a little dejected heading into Sunday’s “Drydene 200” NASCAR Xfinity Series race.

Instead, the mistake served as motivation. And now he has a Monster Trophy to show for it.

Briscoe, driving the No. 98 Ford for Stewart-Haas Racing topped Ross Chastain by 2.463 seconds for his first Dover victory, sixth of the season and eighth of his Xfinity Series career. Briscoe started at the tail of the field after switching to a backup car before the green flag.

“It’s a testament to these guys at Stewart-Haas to pull a backup car out and come from the back and win,” Briscoe said. “I thought it was better than our primary. We hadn’t won in a month and a half but it felt like five years. I think this

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DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY

was the most dominant car we’ve had all year.”

Briscoe made his way up through the field and was in sixth place by the end of Stage 1 at Lap 45. He had the lead by Lap 71, won Stage 2, then survived a round of green-flag pit stops to take the checkered flag.

On his way back to the front during the pit cycle, Briscoe nudged Chastain after the duo exited Turn 4, causing Chastain to lift just enough for Briscoe to make the winning pass.

“I would do the same thing,” said Chastain, who won Stage 1 and led 24 laps. “It doesn’t mean I’m not mad about it. I’m upset but I would have done the same thing.”

Chastian held on for second, followed

by Austin Cindric, Brandon Jones and Daniel Hemric to complete the top-five.

The race capped two days and 400 miles worth of speed, effort and hot temperatures on the one-mile, high-banked,

concrete oval for the Xfinity Series stars.

“This track is probably one of the harder ones to do [a doubleheader] at for sure,” said Cindric, who holds a 62-point lead over Briscoe in the Xfinity Series standings. “I definitely feel like I earned a sleep-in tomorrow morning. But it is fun.

I love this place. I would come back and race it tomorrow if I had the opportunity.”

Briscoe led a race-high 107 laps and averaged a speed of 111.784 mph to complete the 200 miles in 1 hour, 47 minutes and 21 seconds. Five caution flags took up 24 laps in a race that featured 12 lead changes among eight leaders.

“I always wanted to win at Dover,” Briscoe said. “This is one of those ‘driver’ race tracks.

“I was pretty dejected after yesterday. I felt like I let a lot of people down. There’s no give-up on this team and its awesome to be a part of.”

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

RACE

REPORT NASCAR Xfinity Series Race Number 21 Race Results for the 35th Annual Drydene 200 - Sunday, August 23, 2020 Dover International Speedway - Dover, DE - 1. - Mile Concrete Total Race Length - 200 Laps - 200. Miles

Fin Str Car Driver

Team

Laps

Stage 1 Stage 2 Pos Pos

Pts

Status

Tms

Laps

Playoff Pts

1

6

98 Chase Briscoe

Highpoint.com Ford

200

6

1

55 Running

3

107

6

2

13

10 Ross Chastain

Moose Fraternity Chevrolet

200

1

3

53 Running

2

24

1

3

14

22 Austin Cindric

PPG Ford

200

7

4

45 Running

1

1

4

16

19 Brandon Jones

Menards/Pelonis Toyota

200

7

37 Running

2

8

5

9

8 Daniel Hemric

Poppy Bank Chevrolet

200

9

6

39 Running

6

12

9 Noah Gragson

Bass Pro Shops/TrueTimber Camo Chevrolet

200

5

5

43 Running

1

11

7

15

7 Justin Allgaier

FFA Chevrolet

200

2

2

48 Running

1

19

8

7

1 Michael Annett

Pilot/Flying J Chevrolet

199

29 Running

1

5

9

10

Monster Energy Toyota

199

4 3

2

25

10

1

11

11

12 13

18 Riley Herbst #

35 Running

02 Brett Moffitt(i)

Robert B Our Inc Chevrolet

199

20 Harrison Burton #

Fields/DEX Imaging Toyota

199

8

11 Justin Haley

LeafFilter Gutter Protection Chevrolet

199

5

21 Anthony Alfredo

ADS/Footing First Chevrolet

199

24 Running

14

4

39 Ryan Sieg

CMRRoofing.com Chevrolet

199

23 Running

15

24

44 Tommy Joe Martins

Gilreath Farms Red Angus Chevrolet

198

16

2

68 Brandon Brown

Jabs Construction Chevrolet

198

17

18

90 Alex Labbe

Prolon/VRVictoriaVille.com Chevrolet

198

20 Running

18

17

93 Myatt Snider #

The Original Louisiana Hot Sauce Chevrolet

197

19 Running

19

3

51 Jeremy Clements

RepairableVehicles.com Chevrolet

197

18 Running

20

25

07 David Starr

Jacob Construction Chevrolet

197

17 Running

21

21

08 Joe Graf Jr #

Bucked Up Energy Chevrolet

197

16 Running

22

22

92 Josh Williams

Musselman's Big Cup Applesauce Chevrolet

197

15 Running

23

20

4 Jesse Little #

Drydene Chevrolet

197

14 Running

24

32

13 Chad Finchum

GARRISON HOMES Toyota

196

13 Running

25

28

Drydene Chevrolet

196

12 Running

26

31

15 Colby Howard

Project Hope Foundation Chevrolet

196

11 Running

27

34

52 Kody Vanderwal #

ADVANCED DAIRY SERVICES Chevrolet

196

10 Running

28

27

99 Stefan Parsons

Rich Mar Florist Toyota

196

9 Running

29

19

0 Jeffrey Earnhardt

Drydene Chevrolet

195

8 Running

30

35

5 Matt Mills

JF Electric Chevrolet

194

7 Running

31

23

61 Stephen Leicht

JANIKING Toyota

192

6 Running

32

30

36 Korbin Forrister(i)

Nursing Home Heroes Chevrolet

167

0 Brakes

33

33

74 Bayley Currey(i)

Chevrolet

106

0 Engine

34

36

66 Timmy Hill(i)

JANIKING Toyota

59

0 Overheating

35

26

47 Kyle Weatherman

Thin Blue Line USA Chevrolet

23

2 Suspension

36

29

6 BJ McLeod

78 Vinnie Miller Glassskinz Chevrolet 1 Hrs, 47 Mins, 21 Secs.

Time of Race: Stage 1 Top 10: 10, 7, 02, 18, 9, 98, 22, 11, 8, 68 Stage 2 Top 10: 98, 7, 10, 22, 9, 8, 19, 02, 20, 11

Race Comments: Failed to Qualify: Caution Flags: Lead Changes:

8

8

0 Running

9

28 Running

10

29 Running

22 Running 10

22 Running

11

Average Speed:

111.784 MPH

1 Accident

Margin of Victory:

2.463 Seconds

Chase Briscoe won the Drydene 200 at Dover International Speedway, his eighth victory in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Prior to the start of the race, the following cars dropped to the rear of the field for the reasons indicated: No. 98 (backup car); No. 8 (driver change); Nos. 90, 78, 0 (unapproved adjustments).

None.

5 for 24 laps; Laps: 12-15 (#0, 78 incident backstretch [None]); 22-24 (Competition [None]); 47-52 (Stage 1 Conclusion [52]); 65-69 (#0, 18 incident turn 2 [36]); 92-97 (Stage 2 Conclusion [13]).

12 among 8 drivers; B. Moffitt(i) 1-24; R. Chastain 25-47; B. Moffitt(i) 48; B. Jones 49-51; J. Allgaier 52-70; C. Briscoe 71-92; A. Cindric 93; C. Briscoe 94165; R. Chastain 166; B. Jones 167-171; N. Gragson 172-182; M. Annett 183-187; C. Briscoe 188-200.

Mobil 1 Driver of the Race: Chase Briscoe, #98

Sunoco Rookie of the Race: Riley Herbst, #18

(i) Ineligible for driver points in this series Next Race: August 28, 2020 - Daytona International Speedway NASCAR Integrated Marketing Communications @ P.O. Box 2875, Daytona Beach, FL 32120-2875

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY

73

XFINITY SERIES JUSTIN

ALLGAIER HOMETOWN

SPAULING, ILL. TEAM

ALLMENDINGER HOMETOWN

LOS GATOS, CALIF. TEAM

MICHAEL

ANNETT HOMETOWN

DES MOINES, IOWA TEAM

JR MOTORSPORTS

KAULIG RACING

JR MOTORSPORTS

JOSH

BRANDON

HARRISON

BERRY HOMETOWN

HENDERSONVILLE, TENN. TEAM

BROWN HOMETOWN

WOODBRIDGE, VA. TEAM

BURTON HOMETOWN

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. TEAM

JR MOTORSPORTS

BRANDONBILT MOTORSPORTS

JOE GIBBS RACING

JEB

LANDON

AUSTIN

BURTON HOMETOWN

CASSILL HOMETOWN

CINDRIC HOMETOWN

HALIFAX, VA.

CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA

COLUMBUS, OHIO

TEAM

TEAM

TEAM

KAULIG RACING

74

AJ

DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY

JD MOTORSPORTS

TEAM PENSKE

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

DRIVER PROFILES

JEREMY

CLEMENTS HOMETOWN

SPARTANBURG, S.C. TEAM

BAYLEY

CURREY HOMETOWN

DRIFTWOOD, TEXAS TEAM

TY

DILLON HOMETOWN

LEWISVILLE, N.C. TEAM

JEREMY CLEMENTS RACING

BJ MCLEOD MOTORSPORTS

JOE GIBBS RACING

JEFFREY

GRAY

TY

EARNHARDT HOMETOWN

MOORESVILLE, N.C. TEAM

GAULDING HOMETOWN

COLONIAL HEIGHTS, VA. TEAM

GIBBS HOMETOWN

CHARLOTTE, N.C. TEAM

JD MOTORSPORTS

MEANS MOTORSPORTS

JOE GIBBS RACING

JOE

NOAH

JUSTIN

GRAF JR. HOMETOWN

GRAGSON HOMETOWN

HALEY HOMETOWN

MAHWAH, N.J.

LAS VEGAS, NV

WINAMAC, IND.

TEAM

TEAM

TEAM

SS GREEN LIGHT RACING

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

JR MOTORSPORTS

KAULIG RACING DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY

75

XFINITY SERIES DANIEL

HEMRIC HOMETOWN

KANNAPOLIS, N.C. TEAM

HERBST HOMETOWN

LAS VEGAS, NV TEAM

COLBY

HOWARD HOMETOWN

SIMPSONVILLE, S.C. TEAM

JOE GIBBS RACING

STEWART-HAAS RACING

JD MOTORSPORTS

BRANDON

ALEX

JESSE

JONES HOMETOWN

ATLANTA, GA. TEAM

LABBE HOMETOWN

SAINT ALBERT, QUEBEC TEAM

LITTLE HOMETOWN

SHERRILLS FORD, N.C. TEAM

JOE GIBBS RACING

DGM RACING

BJ MCLEOD MOTORSPORTS

TOMMY JOE

MATT

STEFAN

MARTINS HOMETOWN

MILLS HOMETOWN

PARSONS HOMETOWN

COMO, MISS.

LYNCHBURG, VA.

CORNELIUS, N.C.

TEAM

TEAM

TEAM

MARTINS MOTORSPORTS

76

RILEY

DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY

BJ MCLEOD MOTORSPORTS

BJ MCLEOD MOTORSPORTS

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

DRIVER PROFILES

RYAN

SIEG HOMETOWN

TUCKER, GA. TEAM

MYATT

SNIDER HOMETOWN

CHARLOTTE, N.C. TEAM

DAVID

STARR HOMETOWN

HOUSTON, TEXAS TEAM

RSS RACING

RICHARD CHILDRESS RACING

HATTORI RACING ENTERPRISES

RYAN

KYLE

JOSH

VARGAS HOMETOWN

LA MIRADA, CALIF. TEAM

JD MOTORSPORTS

WEATHERMAN HOMETOWN

WENTZVILLE, MO. TEAM

MIKE HARMON RACING

WILLIAMS HOMETOWN

PORT CHARLOTTE, FLA. TEAM

DGM RACING

JJ

YELEY HOMETOWN

PHOENIX, ARIZ. TEAM

SS GREEN LIGHT RACING

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY

77

STORIES & 78

DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

TRACK QUALIFYING RECORD, 1 LAP 157.143 mph, Harrison Burton, Toyota, 10/5/18 RACE RECORD, 200 MILES 96.957 mph, Jimmy Spencer, Chevrolet, 7/18/98 RACE RECORD, 150 MILES 116.179 mph, Matt Kobyluck, Chevrolet, 9/20/02

MOST CAUTION LAPS 55, Sunoco 150, 9/22/2006 FEWEST CAUTION LAPS 8, 10/4/18, General Tire 125

FEWEST LEAD DRIVERS 2 (tie), 9/30/2016, Dover 125; 10/4/18, General Tire 125; 8/21/20, General Tire 125

MOST VICTORIES, CAR MAKE 12 by Chevrolet

MOST TOP-5 6 by Eddie MacDonald

RACE WINNER,

MOST TOP-10 7 by Eddie MacDonald

GREATEST IMPROVEMENT FROM STARTING POSITION

RACE RECORD, 125 MILES 127.407 mph, Sam Mayer, Chevrolet, 10/5/19 MOST CAUTIONS 9, Sunoco 150, 9/24/2010 FEWEST CAUTIONS 3 (tie), 9/20/2002, MBNA All-American Heroes 150; 10/4/18, General Tire 125; 8/21/20, General Tire 125

CLOSEST FINISHES MARGIN .022 second .172 second .378 second

DATE 9-23-05 9-21-07 9-21-01

Started 42nd, Jimmy Spencer, 7/18/1998 MOST LEAD CHANGES 14, MBNA RacePoints 150, 9/23/2005 FEWEST LEAD CHANGES 1 (tied), 9/30/2016, Dover 125; 8/21/20, General Tire 125

MOST CARS TO FINISH ON LEAD LAP 15, Drive Sober 150, 9/27/13 FEWEST CARS TO FINISH ON LEAD LAP (TIED) 6, Delaware 200, 7/18/1998 6, MBNA America 150, 9/24/2004 6, Sunoco 15, 9/25/2009

MOST LEAD DRIVERS 9, Sunoco 150, 9/19/2008

RACE EVENT MBNA RacePoints 150 Sunoco 150 MBNA e-commerce 150

WINNER Andy Santerre Sean Caisse Dale Shaw

SECOND PLACE Ryan Moore Joey Logano Bryan Wall

MOST POLES Bubba Wallace

2

MOST VICTORIES Sam Mayer Brett Moffitt Austin Hill

DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY

2 2 2

79

RACE

RECAP

SAM MAYER EARNS SECOND STRAIGHT TRIUMPH AT DOVER

IN ‘GENERAL TIRE 125’ ARCA MENARDS SERIES EAST RACE DOVER, Del. (Aug. 21, 2020) – Coming off last year’s visit to Dover when he celebrated a race victory and a series championship, Sam Mayer had confidence entering the Monster Mile on Friday.

A couple of hours later, Mayer fulfilled those expectations by winning the “General Tire 125” ARCA Menards Series East race for his second straight win at Dover.

“I had a really good feeling walking over the bridge today,” Mayer said. “I like race tracks where you can go hard in the paint.”

Mayer, driver of the No. 21 Chevrolet for GMS Racing, topped veteran David Gilliland by 2.330 seconds at the checkered

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DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY

flag for his second ARCA Menards Series East victory of the season, following a season-opening win at New Smyrna in February.

“We were really, really good all day long,” Mayer said. “The crew brought a great car here. Toward the end I was able to make it work and make it stick and it got us to Victory Lane.

“Now I have a regular Monster Trophy to go with the Golden Monster [from last year].”

Gilliland was second, followed by Mason Diaz in third, Max McLaughlin in fourth and Drew Dollar in fifth.

“It’s been a while since I’ve driven a

race,” said Gilliland, who has 333 career NASCAR Cup Series starts. “This is a tough track. I have a lot of respect for this place.

We were trying to play smart and be there at the end. We learned a lot and we’ll get better.”

Ty Gibbs, who started from the pole position and led a race-high 105 laps, was looking at a top finish until he suffered a hard crash exiting Turn 2 on Lap 110 while running second. Gibbs finished 12th in the 17-car field.

Mayer, 17, remains the points leader in the ARCA Menards Series East standings with a 13-point advantage over secondplace Gibbs.

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

RACE 2020 General Tire 125

REPORT Previous race results Tweet

ARCA Menards East Series race number 3 of 3 Friday, August 21, 2020 at Dover International Speedway, Dover, DE 125 laps on a 1.000 mile paved track (125.0 miles) Time of race: 1 Average speed: 116.219 mph Pole speed: 151.841 mph

Cautions: 3 for 11 laps Margin of victory: 2.33 sec Attendance: n/a Lead changes: 1

Glossary 2020 ARCA Menards East Series results / 2020 standings Fin St #

Driver

Sponsor / Owner

Laps

Status

Led Pts

Chevrolet

125

running

21 47

Ford

125

running

0 42

Drydene / Craftsman (Cathy Venturini)

Toyota

125

running

0 41

Mohawk Northeast (Shigeaki Hattori)

Toyota

125

running

0 40

Vince Lombardi Cancer Foundation (Maury Gallagher)

1 2 21

Sam Mayer

2 3 54

David Gilliland Frontline Enterprise Inc. (Bo LeMastus)

3 8 25

Mason Diaz *

4 6 1

Max McLaughlin

Car

5 7 15

Drew Dollar

Sunbelt Rentals (Bill Venturini)

Toyota

125

running

0 39

6 4 20

Corey Heim

Craftsman (Billy Venturini)

Toyota

125

running

0 38

Ponsse (Bruce Cook)

Toyota

125

running

0 37

Toyota

125

running

0 36

7 11 42

Parker Retzlaff *

8 9 4

Chase Cabre

Eibach Springs / Max Siegel Inc (Max Siegel)

9 5 17

Taylor Gray *

Ford Performance (David Gilliland)

Ford

125

running

0 35

Spring Drug (Charles Buchanon)

Ford

116

running

0 34

Chevrolet

116

running

0 33

10 16 87

Chuck Buchanan, Jr.

11 13 41

Kyle Sieg *

Independent Strapping (Bruce Cook)

12 1 18

Ty Gibbs *

Monster / Terrible Herbst / ORCA (Coy Gibbs)

Toyota

110

crash

13 18 11

Ed Pompa

Green Renewable Inc / Double H Ranch (Andy Hillenburg)

Toyota

66

running

Carroll Automotive (Terry Carroll)

Toyota

26 mechanical

0 30

Ford

19 electrical

0 29

Toyota

13 mechanical

0 28

Ford

12 mechanical

0 27

14 12 91 15 17 10

Justin S. Carroll * Jr.

Tommy Vigh,

Fast Track High Performance Racing (Andy Hillenburg)

16 10 6

Nick Sanchez * UTI / NTI (Max Siegel)

17 14 74

Joe Graf, Jr.

Bucked Up Energy Drink / EventTone Wireless / (Marie Visconti)

104 35 0 31

Rookie drivers are denoted with an asterisk.

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY

81

ARCA MENARDS SERIES TONI

BREIDINGER HOMETOWN

CARUTH HOMETOWN

DREW

DOLLAR HOMETOWN

HILLSBOROUGH, CALIF.

WASHINGTON, D.C

ATLANTA, GA.

TEAM

TEAM

TEAM

YOUNG’S MOTORSPORTS

REV RACING

VENTURINI MOTORSPORTS

DANIEL

RICHARD

TY

DYE

HOMETOWN

GARVIE HOMETOWN

DELAND, FLA.

MINNEOLA, FLA.

TEAM

TEAM

GIBBS HOMETOWN

CHARLOTTE, N.C. TEAM

BEN KENNEDY RACING

FAST TRACK RACING

JOE GIBBS RACING

TAYLOR

MAX

COREY

GRAY HOMETOWN

GUTIERREZ HOMETOWN

HEIM HOMETOWN

ARTESIA, N.M.

MEXICO CITY, MEXICO

MARIETTA, GA.

TEAM

TEAM

TEAM

DAVID GILLILAND RACING

82

RAJAH

DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY

RETTE JONES RACING

VENTURINI MOTORSPORTS

PHOTOGRAPHY: ARCA

DRIVER PROFILES

JOEY

LEST HOMETOWN

MADERA, CALIF. TEAM

THAD

MOFFITT HOMETOWN

TRINITY, N.C. TEAM

PARKER

RETZLAFF HOMETOWN

RHINELANDER, WISC. TEAM

DAVID GILLILAND RACING

DAVID GILLILAND RACING

COOK-FINLEY RACING

TIM

NICK

KYLE

RICHMOND HOMETOWN

SANCHEZ HOMETOWN

SIEG HOMETOWN

OTTAWA, ILL.

MIAMI, FLA.

TUCKER, GA.

TEAM

TEAM

TEAM

RICHMOND CLUBB MOTORSPORTS

REV RACING

REV RACING

SAMMY

GRACIE

JACK

SMITH HOMETOWN

JOHNSTON, IOWA TEAM

JOE GIBBS RACING

TROTTER HOMETOWN

DENVER, N.C. TEAM

VENTURINI MOTORSPORTS

PHOTOGRAPHY: ARCA

WOOD HOMETOWN

LOOMIS, CALIF. TEAM

GMS RACING DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY

83

Monster Mile

SECRETS OF THE

CONCRETE

BY MICHAEL LEWIS, MANAGER OF COMMUNICATIONS, DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY

84

DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

Journal American sports cathedrals all have hid-

den gems to share.

Every track, ballpark and stadium have small nooks and special places that give a glimpse back into history and the special moments that have taken place within their gates.

Dover International Speedway is no different. You just have to know where to look.

Marking its 27th year in 2021, the concrete at Dover International Speedway is one of the oldest racing surfaces in NASCAR. When the concrete was first spread in the fall of 1994, workers were playing beat the clock.

At Dover, a dirt bridge is built over a portion of the track’s backstretch every fall before Dover Downs Hotel & Casino’s annual fall and winter harness racing meet, putting a deadline on the original efforts.

“It was a hectic time and an interesting project,” recalled Jerry Dunning, who supervised the project and retired recently as the Speedway’s senior vice president and general manager. “We had about six or seven days to work on it before the harness racing season started.”

For those who enjoy the Monster Mile’s TRACKSIDE ACCESS pass, be on the lookout for these hidden gems on your next visit.

MLJ 1994 Next to the outside wall, just before the start-finish line and directly underneath the flagman’s stand, three initials and a year are permanently entrenched in caulk on Dover’s concrete surface.

The initials, MLJ, stand for Melvin L. Joseph, one of the Monster Mile’s founding fathers and owner of a construction company based in Sussex County, Delaware, that built the Speedway in the late 1960s.

Later, when the track was resurfaced from asphalt to concrete, Joseph’s firm was involved again.

That transformation took place in the winter of 1994, prior to the 1995 racing season. Before the work was complete, Joseph’s initials were added to the surface as permanent marker to his Dover contributions.

R.T. MADDEN CO. 1994 Just steps from the initials MLJ initials, closer to pit road, this mark at the bottom of the frontstretch near the start-finish line represents a Marylandbased firm which placed the concrete on the world’s fastest one-mile oval at an average depth of six inches.

Madden also contributed to building Del. 1, the main north-south toll road in Delaware which sits just beyond the Dover’s frontstretch grandstands.

“Our engineers at the time said there was no reason you shouldn’t be able to get 30 years out of the surface,” Dunning said.

As the Monster Mile’s famed concrete nears that milestone, the next time they are available, be sure to grab a TRACKSIDE ACCESS pass to check out these secrets of the concrete.

49 CIRCLES More Melvin Joseph marks are located on top of the concrete retaining walls between the track surface and pit road.

The circles mark Joseph’s birth and death year (1921-2005), along with his lucky number 49.

1949 was the year Joseph began his first construction firm, and he used No. 49 on his racing cars through the years, including the No. 49 Mustang that his friend Bobby Allison drove to victory in the 1971 Myers Brothers 250 at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, N.C. The identical circles can be found on top of the retaining walls directly in front of pit stalls No. 15 and 16.

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

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CUP SERIES STARS RECALL

TOP DOVER MEMORIES As America’s best drivers tackle the 2021

“For me, winning in the Xfinity Series. It was a track I always wanted to win at. I was close a lot of times.

To finally win there meant a ton. It’s the coolest trophy you can win with the Monster.

It’s a track that every driver wants to check off their list.”

season, the NASCAR Cup Series’ trip to Dover International Speedway still looms top of mind. The weekend includes the “Drydene 400” NASCAR Cup Series race on Sunday, May 16, the 103rd Cup Series event at the Monster Mile. See below on some top drivers’ memories from Dover as they get ready to challenge the world’s fastest one-mile oval.

-COLE CUSTER

“The last couple times we’ve gone there we’ve been really strong. In 2019 we started last and finished second – that was pretty cool.

It’s just a really fun, really fast race track.”

-ALEX BOWMAN “I broke the track

record in the K&N Series. That was neat. Then I hopped in the Xfinity Series car for the first time ever at Dover – which is the most treacherous race track we go to. It was Denny Hamlin’s car to make some laps at practice and I crashed it.

It sucked but it was also a good reality check to make sure you respect that race track. It is extremely difficult.

That’s why they call it the Monster Mile.”

“The first time I even got to drive a car there.

I’ll never forget that. Driving the car in the corner in practice that first time, plopping down in the corner, feeling the G-forces. An incredible rush.”

-BRAD KESELOWSKI “I love going to that place. It’s so fast. It’s up on the wheel. You have to on your game the whole time. The feeling you get dropping in the corner – it’s unlike anywhere else we go. It’s so fun to go there. It’s one of my favorite racetracks.

To have the casino on the back straightaway, the grandstands all the way around … it’s just a unique place and you don’t have that environment at a lot of different tracks. At the track I enjoy it and off the race track I enjoy the area as well.”

-CHASE BRISCOE

-MATT DIBENEDETTO

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PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

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ALFREDO’S VIRTUAL VICTORY EDITOR’S NOTE

HONORS LOCAL FAMILY On May 2, 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Anthony Alfredo earned the checkered flag in the eNASCAR iRacing Saturday Night Thunder 125-lap race at virtual Dover International Speedway.

The victory came with some local flavor, as longtime Dover resident Wally Yocum’s name was represented on the hood and the name of his wife Rose was featured on the back bumper with the phrase “Sweet Rose.”

“The most important thing is to have Wally Yocum’s name on this

Q

racecar,” said Alfredo in an interview on NASCAR.com immediately after the race. “It’s painted just like the aircraft he piloted.”

Yocum passed away in 2016, but his son, Eric, was kind enough to sit down with Dover International Speedway for a Q&A on how the No. 33 Tribute to a Hero – Wally Yocum Chevrolet Camaro was created for one of our virtual races last spring.

This conversation has been edited for clarity and space considerations.

Q: TELL US ABOUT YOUR FAMILY, INCLUDING YOUR MOM AND DAD. WHERE WAS YOUR FATHER STATIONED DURING HIS MILITARY CAREER? CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHAT THE ‘SWEET ROSE’ DECAL MEANS? A: Wally Yocum Jr. joined the U.S. Air Force in 1952 after graduating from high school in Mount Carmel, Pennsylvania. In nearly the same period, he met Rose Portaro in Marion Heights, a nearby town. He would date and carry his love for Rose through his Air Force training at Sampson Air Force Base in New York, Amarillo Air Force Base in Texas and then Shaw Air Force Base in South Carolina. He would travel back and forth from Shaw to Pennsylvania on the weekends just to see Rose. For NASCAR fans, this is more than 625 miles oneway. That is like running the Coca-Cola 600 back-to-back each weekend.

After Wally completed his training, he was assigned to the troopship USS General J. C. Breckinridge during the Korean War, where he would be become crew chief for a F86-F fighter-interceptor jet. He was assigned to the 336th Rocketeers of the 4th Fighter Group. As crew chief, he added his love’s name “Sweet Rose” on his side of the F-86-F jet in red.

Wally and Rose married in the fall of 1955. With Wally stationed at Dover Air Force Base, they decided to move to Camden, Delaware and quickly had a son, Ken. After 1956, Wally left the Air Force at the rank of Airman First Class. He put his family first and decided to work at the Dover Air Force base as a civilian with the 436th Field Maintenance Squadron, allowing his family to stay in Delaware. A few years later, they had a second son, Steve. Wally and Rose moved to Dover in 1962. Once construction of Dover International Speedway was complete in 1969, the track ended up being only four miles from their home. They eventually had two

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more sons, Tom and myself (Eric). They would spend the rest of their lives at that residence.

Q: HOW DID YOUR FAMILY GET INTO NASCAR? HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN COMING TO DOVER RACES AND WHERE DID YOU USUALLY SIT? A: Dover International Speedway has always been a second home to our family. It began when Wally attended the first NASCAR race there in 1969 and saw Richard Petty cross the finish line for the win. It quickly became a tradition to visit the track every year with his kids. My parents reserved seating near the start/finish line. My brothers Ken and Steve would take photos of the track through the fence.

My brother Tom would ride his bike and run go-carts around the track. He also used to go up into the flagstand to watch practice sessions in early 1970s. One of Tom’s finest memories is when Wally got him into Victory Lane after Richard Petty’s win in 1974.

Our family continues to go to the track every year since its opening and my late brother Steve was actually married at the start-finish line in November 1991. My father usually attended the races, and if not he would attend the off-track festivities with his grandchildren on Fridays and Saturdays.

•• Wally Yocum

Jr. was a crew chief on a F86-F fighterinterceptor jet and added his love’s name “Sweet Rose” on the side of the plane.

•• Yocum was assigned to the troopship USS General J. C. Breckinridge during the Korean War •• Wally and Rose Yocum married in the fall of 1955.

Q: WHAT WAS WALLY YOCUM’S BACKGROUND WITH AIRPLANE ENGINES? A: Wally worked on all kinds of fighter aircraft. He worked on B-26 bombers, F9F Panthers, F86 Sabre Mig Killers, F100 Super Sabers, F94 Starfires, F105 Thunderchiefs, F80 Shooting Stars, F84 Thunderjets and eventually even cargo planes such as the C-141 Starlifter and the C5 Galaxy. He became an expert with Pratt & Whitney and GE engines. GE even would consult with Wally on engine upgrades and reliability improvements.

Q: HOW DID WALLY YOCUM’S NAME END UP ON A VIRTUAL RACE CAR? WHAT’S YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH ANTHONY ALFREDO? A: A couple years ago, my brother Tom was a crew chief for a Whelen Series NASCAR team. He would get to go to a few tracks with the team, set up the car and talk strategy.

The second year he was involved, Tom decided to sponsor his driver Justin Snow. He sponsored the car as a Tribute to a Hero – Wally Yocum race car. He sketched out an idea for the logo to me, and asked me if I could help put his idea

into a digital form to replicate on the car. I took his sketch, which was a mocked up 336th Rocketeers logo (which represented my father’s division in Korea, 1954), and drew up that logo with Tom’s customization words and “Sweet Rose.” I accomplished this by using Macromedia Flash and Fireworks software. The logo turned out great! He then asked to update the gold around the 336th logo to a bright yellow, and thus, the logo was born.

Tom went out and ran a few races with that logo in 2018.

He then parted from the team late 2018. In 2019, he tried having the logo added to a top-level NASCAR team for one race, with little success. This year, I sketched up a full paint scheme showing top, front, back and side views. This sketch was to help him show racing teams his ideas and what he would like to accomplish as far as sponsorship. I felt I reached my potential for Tom with the software applications I had – because none of them would allow me to show what a car could look like in 3-D, or even how the design can flow around the shapes and curves of the car.

I looked toward iRacing, and the paint software those drivers were using. In order to use that, you would need to join an online board while having iRacing membership. I spent a lot of time thinking if it would be worth pursuing for the sponsorship. I felt yes, but decided to see what other people could do to help me produce the Tribute to a Hero paint scheme. I sent a few people messages on tradingpaints.com. I looked over all of their artwork, so I know I was picking the ones that I felt were best to produce the vibe of the car.

It ended up being Liam Betterton from Phoenix Designs that took the task. I had him do a car in the paint scheme from my computer sketches and artwork, and later challenged him to design the car using the 1954 F-86F USAF sabre as an influence. I tried many times on how that could look, and I never just got it right.

Liam came up with it, and the scheme was beautiful! He incorporated the Tribute to a Hero Wally Yocum paint scheme with the paint scheme reflecting the colors of my father’s F-86 in Korea.

In the meantime, iRacing had started to pick up momentum as it joined TV on Sundays. As I watched the races on TV with my kids, I kept envisioning the Tribute of a Hero paint scheme on one of the cars. I watched and researched the drivers. I had a few in mind and had email communication with them. Then virtual Richmond DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY

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comes along, a track I love going to, and I was glued to Anthony Alfredo’s all white No. 33 Chevrolet. A driver that good needed us on the hood. I felt he was an excellent opportunity. He had been doing great with the series, and something felt special about contacting him.

I emailed him and Anthony forwarded my email to his team. Team Dillon Management emailed me back, with questions of what I wanted to accomplish. I contacted my brother, who I know had experience talking to teams, if he would not mind talking to them. I really felt bad at that time because my brother had a broken leg, but I thought this would cure some of that discomfort. Tom was focused on getting a deal on the real racecar; I was just looking to settle for this iRacing car for the moment. The iRacing is what was big at this time with COVID-19. I felt we had a great driver and a huge shot to pull this off (win). Besides, my father enjoyed watching Harry Gant race the No. 33 – it just felt like this was going to be a great experience.

Team Dillon Management did a wonderful job in working with us, and got their new paint scheme from our current references designed by John Dragonetti. They worked with NASCAR to get the paint scheme approved. Anthony raced at virtual Talladega the weekend after we contacted his team and almost won it. I was feeling good for Dover coming up. I watched Anthony on Twitter in the evenings, and know he put a ton of effort into just trying to win one of these virtual races. He kept saying he felt good about his chances, and that energy made me feel good that he was our driver.

Anthony mentioned the car many times in interviews, and spoke many about wanting to win this car for our family.

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•• On May 2, 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Anthony Alfredo (below) earned the checkered flag in the eNASCAR iRacing Saturday Night Thunder 125-lap race at virtual Dover International Speedway with this car (above).

Q: WHAT WERE YOUR FEELINGS WHEN YOU SAW THAT CAR CROSS THE VIRTUAL START-FINISH LINE FIRST AT DOVER? A: The virtual NASCAR Dover International Speedway Saturday Night Thunder was an exciting race! I was keeping tabs with the top drivers, and felt like it was our family’s night once Donny Lia got the penalty for speeding on pit lane. I just needed Anthony to pace himself to the leader and pass him cleanly. Once Anthony took the lead late, I was super excited. I felt my heart beating faster, as I was craving that ultimate win. Anthony got loose and lost the lead with less than 10 laps to go, but he got it back. After he got it back and started to pull away, I started to feel like it was going to happen. I was all smiles until the final curve, his car started to drift half-sideways. I yelled “No!” I thought he was going to spin out on the final turn of the final lap, but he got it straight and continued to cross the line first. I still watch that virtual race every week. It is just as good as the first time!

Q: WHAT OTHER TRACKS HAVE YOU VISITED ASIDE FROM DOVER? A: I think most of our family combined have seen most of the tracks on the circuit. I enjoy visiting Richmond due to its close proximity to Delaware.

It is a second home track to my family. I tend to like the smaller tracks. With Wally, we watched races at Richmond, Martinsville, and Pocono in 1992 when Davey Allison had a bad flip. We experienced the track tours of Bristol and Daytona as well.

Q: HOW DID THE VIRTUAL RACES DURING THE PANDEMIC BRING YOUR FAMILY TOGETHER? A: COVID-19 has been rough on everyone. We all want to get back to the life we knew. I am fortunate enough to work every day. I, like everybody else, had to adjust to the current role we live in. The virtual racing on the weekends was something I looked forward to watching. It allowed multiple drivers to feel the competitive drive we all crave every week.

The virtual world also allowed our families to talk about racing during a time when we all were asked to stay home. As during real racing, Thursdays were always special to me to see what new paint schemes were out.

Once I saw our Tribute to a Hero Wally Yocum paint scheme on NASCAR. com, it drew instant excitement. The articles and support from Richard Childress Racing was amazing that week. When something new came out about the Tribute to a Hero car, we would share it. All of the virtual racing was exciting, but having a car on the NASCAR website and RCR’s website was huge to my family. And after we won, the car was almost listed everywhere in the sports world. It was an incredible experience to go through. It was a week that we as a family enjoyed the memory of our father, and we witnessed a dream come true.

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

Dover International Speedway • DoverSpeedway.com

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TOGETHER WE CAN, TOGETHER WE WILL Speedway Vaccination Events Serve More Than 60,000

T

he race to get Delaware residents vaccinated against

COVID-19 kept Dover International Speedway’s parking lot abuzz throughout the late winter and spring months.

The first vaccination event on Feb. 21-27 featured federal and state personnel eager to serve and help Delaware residents. Since that first event, many weekends in March and April found vehicles filing behind the Monster Mile’s grandstands with drivers and passengers eager to receive a vaccination shot.

“Dover International Speedway is pleased to have hosted this vaccination event,” said Mike Tatoian, Dover International Speedway president and CEO. “We know how much COVID-19 has impacted this community, and the nation as a whole, and it is crucial that we all do our part to boost our public health numbers.

“We thank all of the personnel who managed and executed the drive-thru lines carefully, efficiently and in a very friendly manner throughout this process. The collaboration and coordination that took place between the various agencies is a model that should be emulated throughout our country – it was simply impressive!”

The location opened on Sunday, Feb. 21, as the first federally run vaccination site in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Region 3. In partnership with the state of Delaware, residents in need of second dosages of the Moderna or Pfizer COVID vaccine enjoyed the luxury of a drive-thru site.

The selection of Dover International Speedway for this unprecedented mission had everything to do with need, speed, efficiency, and proximity. Centrally located, travel to the site could be completed in just over an hour from anyplace in the state.

“We are extremely grateful for this partnership with FEMA, Delaware Emergency Management (DEMA), Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) and Dover International Speedway enabling us to provide second doses to thousands of Delawareans and first doses to childcare providers,” said Delaware Division of Public Health Director Dr. Karyl Rattay.

“I want to thank the commitment and professionalism all of those who have spent countless hours supporting Delaware this past week, in making the experience for our residents so positive. Even as more people are vaccinated in the coming months, we urge residents not to let your guards down. Keep masking up, staying distant, washing your hands, and getting

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tested on a regular basis.”

“FEMA is very proud of what we’ve accomplished here in Dover,” added Tim Pheil, Region 3 Deputy Federal Coordinating Officer.

“With over 200 personnel deployed to support this mission, we were able to vaccinate 15,840 individuals [in the February event].

This number is a positive step toward ending this pandemic and a direct reflection of the collaboration needed to achieve it.”

“Multiple sectors worked together to create a well-executed event,” said Delaware Emergency Management Agency Director A.J. Schall. “We extend our thanks to all the partners that assisted with this weeklong event; a small step closer to beating COVID-19.”

All told since late February, vaccination events at Dover International Speedway have served more than 60,000 Delaware residents.

“It is the strong partnerships with our State counterparts and other federal partners that elevated the success of the COVID-19 vaccination site in Delaware,” said Janice Barlow, acting regional administrator for FEMA Region 3. “Although FEMA trains and prepares daily for catastrophic events, manmade and natural disasters, we understand nothing takes the place of meaningful partnerships.

I’m grateful for the AmeriCorps volunteers who graciously gave of their time, our other federal partners, our state partners, and the community. Without their help, we could not have done this. Together, we will continue to overcome this pandemic, while working toward building a better future.”

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

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R U O Y S S E R P X E O T W O H

R A C S A N M O D N A F Want to prove you’re a serious

and passionate NASCAR fan? It’s not all that difficult, really. But it is probably going to require more than just watching a race on TV once a month or attending one race a decade.

Yes, to show the world you’re truly sold out to the sport you love, it’s a good idea to go the extra mile – even if it costs you a little money, time and effort along the way.

The truth is, if you’re really devoted to NASCAR and making sure your fandom is

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on full display, you won’t mind being a little inconvenienced because, well, that’s all part of the fun.

Following are several sure ways to wear your fandom on your sleeve and let everyone in your world know just how devoted you are to the guys and gals who drive fast stock cars and turn left – and sometimes right – for your entertainment.

BY JARED TURNER & AARON BURNS

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

Collect NASCAR Diecasts

O

ne of the most revealing signs

of a diehard NASCAR fan is often found in the display cases in his or her home. That’s where diecast collectibles – usually dozens and sometimes hundreds, if not thousands, of them – tend to be.

In short, there’s no better or more tangible way to show your allegiance to your favorite driver or the sport in general than by buying 1:64 and 1:24 scale diecasts.

“We’ve always believed the diecast car in our sport is sort of the jersey of the sport,” said Howard Hitchcock, the CEO of Lionel Racing, the Official Diecast of NASCAR. “In traditional stick-and-ball sports, folks collect jerseys or wear jerseys to sort of symbolize their fandom for a particular team or player.

In our case, there’s certainly driver uniform-type stuff, but the reality is the car oftentimes is as big of a star as the driver is in terms of the way people sort of connect to the sport. … So, us having authentic replications of the car is a very, very important piece of it.”

The most devoted fans tend to purchase diecast collectibles not only of their favorite driver’s primary paint scheme but of other paint schemes their driver might campaign during a season. With Lionel Racing, fans can even purchase diecasts designed to mirror the exact way their favorite driver’s car looked just moments after winning a race.

Although the larger 1:24 scale cars are more expensive than the smaller 1:64, it’s worth it to purchase the biggest and most realistic version of the car you can possibly find.

PHOTOGRAPHY: LIONEL

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Visit the NASCAR Hall of Fame

P

aying a visit to the

NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, North Carolina, is typically a bucket-list item for even the most casual NASCAR fan – much less those who are truly sold out to the sport.

Located in the heart of Charlotte’s “Uptown” area, this head-turning 93,000-square-foot museum serves as the ultimate shrine to the history, heritage and future of NASCAR. With more than 50 interactive fan experiences, which include no fewer than 15 iRacing simulators along with opportunities to

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simulate pit stops and more, visitors can engage in a true race-day experience from the unique perspective of the drivers and crew members they cheer for on Sunday afternoons.

Of course, the Hall isn’t just a place to play games; it’s a place to carefully study and soak up the history of the sport. One of the best ways to do this is stopping by the Hall of Honor where personally selected artifacts are on display paying tribute to the 55 legends currently enshrined in the Hall.

Another can’t-miss stop here is the

High Octane Theater, a 278-seat, stateof-the-art auditorium featuring a roughly 15-minute film designed to serve as an introduction to the history of NASCAR. Perhaps the Hall’s most popular and well-known attraction is Glory Road, a signature exhibit on the first floor featuring a banked ramp leading to the second floor. The display showcases 18 historic cars and 43 current and historic tracks with two ways for fans to walk up and experience race track banking of 14 and 33 degrees, respectively.

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

Support NASCAR Partners & Sponsors

“

Win on Sunday, sell on Mon-

day.” That’s an old adage in NASCAR, which refers to the idea that an automaker – Chevrolet, Ford or Toyota – sells more vehicles soon after one of its cars wins a race.

Of course, strategically buying the same kind of vehicle that your favorite driver races on Sunday afternoon or, in rare instances, Saturday night is just one of many examples of ways fans can express their fandom by the things they purchase.

After all, every NASCAR Cup Series driver has a primary sponsor, and these days, most drivers and teams have several primary sponsors since it has become increasingly difficult in recent times for a single sponsor to bear the financial load that comes with being a primary backer for a full

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

36-race season.

Now to the crux of the matter: If you’re a true Chase Elliott fan, why would you consider going anywhere but NAPA – Elliott’s main primary sponsor – for your auto parts? If you’re a Kyle Busch fan, it would serve you well – and solidify your fanhood – to go and buy a pack of M&M’s every day or at least a couple of times a week. You can make Busch proud and satisfy your sweet tooth at the same time.

In addition to purchasing the product associated with your driver’s primary sponsors, you can also show love for NASCAR itself by buying from or shopping at businesses tied to NASCAR’s official corporate partners, which include but are not limited to Coca-Cola, GEICO, Monster Energy, Visa, Goodyear and Advance Auto Parts.

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Name Someone After Your Favorite Driver Naming someone after a

driver leaves a lasting legacy – and can be a very flattering honor for the subject.

Aaron White, the quality engineer for ECR Engines, collaborated with his wife, Leslie, on a special name for their son: Rex, after Rex White, the 1960 NASCAR Cup Series champion.

“Little Rex” was born on Dec. 15 of last year.

“I’m a huge supporter of not forgetting our history in NASCAR and having the last name ‘White’ presented an opportunity that just couldn’t be missed,” Aaron White said. “We were looking for a simple, easy-to-say but also not an overly common name. (My wife) liked it because it checked the boxes. I liked it

MY D

by Je s

R IVE

se C .

, Sal t

because I knew the significance and my dad knows Rex personally.

“I think it’s great that we can tie in our son’s name to not only NASCAR history, but history in general. Roots are important to me and it’s great to remember the people who came before us. I’m looking forward to putting a No. 4 on the side of little Rex’s first Power Wheels car.”

For his part, the original Rex White – now 90 years old – loved it.

“In all my years, I’ve never had anyone named after me,” White, a NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee, said. “I have to say it is such an honor to have my name passed down to someone else. My hope for little Rex is to always be happy, healthy, find his direction in life and make a lot of money.”

•• Little Rex White

RS

Lake

City,

UT

Follow a Driver in Each NASCAR Series Want to really boost your

CUP: TRUC William B K: Zan yron e Smit , XFINI h, ARC TY: Au A: Gra stin Cin cie Tr otterdric,

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•• NASCAR’s Rex White

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bona fides as a NASCAR fan? Support at least one driver in all three major series – the NASCAR Cup Series, the NASCAR Xfinity Series and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series – as well as the NASCARsanctioned ARCA Menards Series.

Now, doing this is going to take some real time, research and commitment since it can be hard to block out just the 3-4 hours a week required to watch a Cup Series race, much less a race in one of the other series. But if you want to be the quintessential NASCAR fan, you will educate yourself on all four series enough to know who’s who in terms of personalities, driving style and background in the sport.

Of course, picking a favorite driver in four series isn’t as hard as it might seem.

Consider, for example, that Joe Gibbs Racing has a heavy presence in both the NASCAR Cup Series and the NASCAR Xfinity Series. On top of that, one of JGR’s Cup Series drivers – Kyle Busch – is a preeminent team owner in the Camping World Truck Series. Meanwhile, team owner Joe Gibbs has a grandson, Ty Gibbs, who has competed in the ARCA Menards Series the past two years.

So, if you’re a fan of one of JGR’s Cup drivers, it might not be a bad idea to go ahead and support a JGR Xfinity Series driver, one of Busch’s Camping World Truck Series drivers, and Ty Gibbs in ARCA. And, if there’s no natural connection among your favorite drivers from one series to the next, that’s OK, too; if anything, it may mean you’re just an even more dedicated NASCAR fan.

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

HIGH PERFORMANCE ON THE TRACK, AND IN YOUR HOME

State Water Heaters knows all about high performance that’s why we designed our Proline water heaters to tough commercial-grade standards. We are excited to parter with Jeb Burton and the Crossroads with the Burton’s outdoor TV show to help deliver that performance message to homeowners around the United States.

Wear NASCAR Stuff

O

ne of the easiest ways to

prove you’re a NASCAR fan is to wear merchandise supporting your favorite driver or team. While it’s not as permanent as getting a tattoo, it’s probably a more affordable method for new fans looking to showcase their support.

Fanatics.com and NASCAR.com offer fans a plethora of merchandise options, from the traditional shirts and hats to loungewear, hoodies and jackets, visors and bandanas. Polo shirts and button-downs are also easily available if you’re more interested in what pairs well with a work outfit.

In addition to traditional retailers, race tracks and race team shops also offer lots of swag for fans to wear at the track, in the living room or in the office.

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If you’re a Chase Elliott fan, you’ve got lots of options for new apparel featuring the defending NASCAR Cup Series champion – but you’d be well-served to move quickly.

Some of Elliott’s hats sold out on his website’s store soon after they went on sale late last season, prompting a slew of fans to request a warpspeed restocking. He’s the most in-demand of all active NASCAR drivers, but if you fancy one of the sport’s underdogs, don’t worry. There are shirts and hats for pretty much every driver in the field if you’re into the newest gear.

If you’re more like Ryan Blaney – or, you just like Ryan Blaney – go with the old-school option and check out throwback merchandise on eBay. After all, a Tim Richmond hat looks good on any fan.

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

Support a Driver’s Charity Long thought of as a

way for NASCAR drivers to give back to important causes, driver charities are another avenue for fans to show how much they’re invested in the sport. It’s also an impactful way to influence society.

Some high-profile examples of charities include: •• The Kyle Busch Foundation’s “Bundle of Joy” fund advocates infertility education, awareness and grants to give opportunities to couples needing financial assistance to have their own bundle of joy.

The group began its journey with the REACH (Reproductive Endocrinology Associates of Charlotte) infertility clinic.

•• The Dale Jr. Foundation is dedicated to improving the lives of underprivileged individuals, with a focus on youth, by providing the resources to improve their confidence and education and the opportunity to achieve extraordinary goals.

TDJF frequently partners with organizations including Blessings in a Backpack, Make-A-Wish and the Nationwide Children’s Hospital.

In some cases, driver charities were borne of drivers’ families experiencing the difficulties their charities work to overcome.

“We knew this was our calling and we knew that there weren’t many groups out there supporting IVF financially for couples,” said Samantha Busch, Kyle Busch’s wife and the co-founder of the Bundle of Joy fund. “We really felt like we always prayed about it and God was like, ‘You’re going through this journey for a reason.’

“Seeing the couple (who received a grant) – it was like a visible weight was lifted off their shoulders when we told them that we would be paying for their treatment. We started working really hard for that.”

Join the Official NASCAR Members Club

Passionate NASCAR fans can

express their fandom by joining the Official NASCAR Members Club. Members receive a slew of benefits, including: DISCOUNTS AT THE MEMBERS ONLY STORE Save up to 70% on NASCAR and driver products on the ONMC online store, which is exclusive to members. Get exclusive first looks at deals. The Official NASCAR Members Club can offer the best prices on memorabilia due to its partnerships with manufacturers and suppliers of products and services.

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

VIP EXPERIENCES While this comes with a big asterisk for 2021 (*depending on track safety protocols due to the COVID-19 pandemic), the VIP experiences are the perks that most ONMC members rave about. These experiences include NASCAR Cup Series garage tours, entry to driver meetings, the opportunity to high-five drivers at introductions, and entry to the Winner’s Circle post-race. Future plans include providing ONMC members the opportunity to wave the green flag during practice and joining the parade laps during driver introductions.

A SOCIAL OUTLET Many ONMC members become lifelong friends after meeting at tracks and sharing their love for NASCAR. From a social media perspective, members can stay up to date on NASCAR news as it happens and gain access to content from NASCAR’s most respected writers and insiders.

CONSTANT SUPPORT If a member has a question before heading to the track, he or she is encouraged to reach out to ONMC Member Services for guidance and peace of mind.

ONMC staff will respond to emails or calls between Monday and Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (EST).

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Get a NASCAR Driver Tattoo

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uying a driver’s shirt or hat

shows off your fandom whenever you wear it, but a tattoo lasts forever (unless the driver’s number changes – then you’ve got a conundrum on your hands).

Fans have gotten driver, car and number tattoos for decades, but as the tattoo industry continues to expand, the number of fans who’ve inked up their arms and legs with NASCAR tattoos has likewise grown.

Scott McNew, a NASCAR fan from Monroe, Michigan, has followed the sport since the mid-1990s.

McNew has an Earnhardt sleeve, with ornate tattoos of Dale Earnhardt’s No. 3 car and Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s No. 88 machine along with each driver’s signature, likeness and even logos of the Brickyard 400 and the Pepsi 400 covering an entire arm.

“I’ve always been an Earnhardt fan, so I thought getting the No. 3 on my upper arm looked really cool,” McNew said. “I decided to add his signature on there and then I figured, why not just turn it into a whole sleeve with Dale Sr. on the upper arm and Dale Jr. on the lower arm?”

Talk about being expressive!

“Getting a driver tattoo shows how passionate you are about your favorite drivers and it shows that you’ll stick with them through thick and thin,” McNew added. “If there are fans out there thinking about getting a driver tattoo, I say ‘Go for it.’

“It may not be cheap and it will take time to get done, but in the end, it is most definitely worth it.”

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PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

Plan to Visit Every Cup Series Track

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It’s going to require some

time, travel, money and, yes, patience, but if you really want to show how sold out you are to the sport of NASCAR, it would be well worth attempting to visit every NASCAR Cup Series track at some point in your lifetime.

Forty years ago, this would have been much easier, of course. That’s because back then, most all tracks were located in the Southeast corner of the United States and therefore a drivable distance from each other. Not so anymore. These days, you’ll find NASCAR Cup Series tracks all the way from California to North Carolina and from New Hampshire to South Florida.

If you’re not into air travel, visiting every race track is going to be tough, but let’s assume you’re good with flying. Since there are

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just over 20 tracks, maybe plan on visiting one a year if you’re under the age of 45. If you’re over 45, it might not be a bad idea to hit at least a couple of tracks every year, just in case you’re not as excited about traveling in your later years.

However, regardless of how and when you do it, it’s worth every NASCAR fan’s time to visit every track at some point. Not only will you get to experience different parts of the country and see what makes each track unique, but you will make sweet memories with family and perhaps friends while doing it – especially if you go in your RV or motorhome so you can arrive a couple of days early and enjoy the full fan experience.

Be a Force on Social Media

There are numerous ways NASCAR fans can showcase their

passion for America’s fastest sport. Perhaps the easiest is to be actively involved and engaged on social media, where NASCAR’s foremost drivers, team owners and personalities frequently interact.

Twitter has become the de facto location for NASCAR’s elite competitors to speak to and hear from their ardent supporters, and it’s been a beehive of activity since the 2012 Daytona 500 – when Brad Keselowski snapped a cellphone photo from his cockpit during a red flag.

Keselowski’s impromptu photo provided that year’s eventual champion with two things: a PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

threefold increase in Twitter followers, and a $25,000 fine from NASCAR for tweeting during a race.

Despite the lightened wallet, Keselowski’s “transgression” gave other drivers the green light to become more involved on Twitter. Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Chase Elliott and Joey Logano are but a handful of drivers who frequently post on Twitter after – but not during – their races.

Jumping in the conversation can give any fan the platform needed to jumpstart a new conversation, or in some cases, a new opportunity. It’s where many social media influencers, including “Out of the Groove” host Eric Estepp, build a base of followers who flock to Estepp’s Twitter and YouTube pages for the latest news and informed takes on what’s happening in NASCAR. Fans seeking to show off their photos, opinions, memorabilia collections and marriage proposals can enjoy the same benefits of increased enjoyment and social media engagement without worrying about a $25,000 fine. Sounds like a good deal!

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Play Fantasy NASCAR Fantasy football has be-

come a staple of late-summer football season preparation, much like how fantasy baseball has been a popular springtime go-to for decades.

Why not try the four-wheeled version?

Fantasy NASCAR has grown by leaps and bounds over the last 10 years, with NASCAR.com, FanDuel and DraftKings serving as de facto stops for fans to assemble a lineup of drivers for every race weekend. The format is similar to other fantasy sports: Pick a team of drivers and “start” the ones most likely to compete for the checkered flag every week.

NASCAR Fantasy Live, a free service on NASCAR.com, enables fans to play the role of team owner by selecting five drivers per race for their lineup.

Each driver is given points based on

their finishing position, place differential, pass differential, laps led and fastest laps.

If you had Kevin Harvick last year, you probably had a pretty fun season – even more so if Harvick and Chase Elliott were in your lineup.

Fantasy NASCAR is a phenomenal way for fans to not only show off their strategic skill and NASCAR knowledge, but to also make friends (and enemies) by joining leagues, winning races and trash-talking like they’re in Victory Lane with their driver.

Most leagues offer prizes for winners, so there’s often more at stake than simply your reputation as a team-builder.

Being an expert fantasy owner can also lead to raking in some cash, as places like DraftKings pay big money to the most skilled and active players.

Support a Local Track Many of the biggest names

in NASCAR cut their teeth at short tracks across the country. In addition to catching all of the NASCAR Cup Series races on television – or, at the track – fans can do their part to support the sport’s future by attending races at local short tracks.

Fans who attend local Saturday-night short-track races will also get to see some of NASCAR’s up-and-comers before they reach the big time.

And, who knows? Depending on which tracks are closest to you, you may find an unexpected name in the Late Model lineup. Kyle Busch and Chase Elliott are two of NASCAR’s biggest stars who not only support their roots in racing, but they go one further by going to short tracks to compete against the quickest

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hot-shoes in town.

While he’s a proud Georgian who’s raced on bullrings like Watermelon Capital Speedway in his home state, Elliott is also a devout Late-Model fanatic who’s spent plenty of time on short tracks throughout the Southeast.

Last December, Elliott nearly became a three-time winner of the prestigious Snowball Derby at Florida’s Five Flags Speedway, a track that has also seen Busch, Darrell Waltrip and Donnie Allison enjoy the thrill of victory.

“It’s important to support short-track racing in places like Pensacola (home of the Snowball Derby),” Elliott said.

“Getting to know the crowd growing up there and the crowd getting to know me, it makes it special to not only win but to return as often as I can.”

•• Bowman Gray Stadium (Winston-Salem, N.C.)

•• Madison International Speedway (Oregon, Wis.)

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

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THE FUTURES 9 DRIVERS WHO FANS WILL HEAR FROM ON A REGULAR BASIS

T

hey’re the talk of the town if you reside in NASCAR Country. As America’s

most-watched form of motorsports ushers in a new era of young stars, a collection of hot-shoes with unlimited potential are rising up NASCAR’s ladder.

These are The Futures: Ten drivers who fans will hear from on a regular basis throughout this season. Some, like Christopher Bell, Tyler Reddick and Cole Custer, are second-year NASCAR Cup Series drivers with plenty of promise. Others are recent ARCA Menards Series or Camping World Truck Series call-ups who haven’t yet reached the sport’s summit.

With apologies to William Byron, The Futures list captures drivers with one or fewer years of accrued Cup Series experience, so some of the sport’s popular 20-somethings didn’t make the cut.

From “Dirt Princess” to the son of “The Mayor,” however, there are plenty of personalities in this assortment of pedal-mashing prodigies.

-BY AARON BURNS

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PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

CHRISTOPHER

BELL OWNER JOE GIBBS TEAM JOE GIBBS RACING MANUFACTURER TOYOTA CREW CHIEF ADAM STEVENS

C

20

hristopher Bell is the real deal.

From sprint cars and midgets to asphalt late models, trucks and stock cars, there’s nothing the 26-year-old wheelman can’t drive.

Bell debuted in the NASCAR Cup Series last season with Leavine Family Racing, piloting the team’s No. 95 Toyota Camry to a 20th-place finish in points on the strength of seven top-10 finishes. It marked the 10-year-old team’s best result in the standings, but the results didn’t match Bell’s aspirations.

“For the most part, we weren’t as competitive as we wanted to be,” Bell said. “We had some days, like at Texas (in October, where Bell finished third), where we were really competitive and we had a shot at winning the race, but those days were few and far between.”

He won’t have to worry about infrequent successes anymore.

Bell excels when he’s given competitive equipment—and this year, he’s driving Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 20 car, a machine previously piloted by Cup Series champions Tony Stewart and Joey Logano.

Bell earned the job on merit and quickly proved to be worthy of the appointment by going to Victory Lane in the season’s second race, held on the Daytona International Speedway road course.

Driving his Rheem-sponsored Toyota, Bell sped past Logano for the lead with two laps remaining and pulled away to a 2.12-second win on the challenging 3.61-mile course.

A longtime member of Toyota Racing’s driver development program, Bell’s sterling résumé includes a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship in 2017 and 16 NASCAR Xfinity Series wins in only 74 starts.

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

PLEASE PASS THE CHILI IN 2019, Christopher Bell secured his third victory in the prestigious Chili Bowl Nationals, a prominent indoor midget car race in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Bell did it in style, too – winning the race in three consecutive years. Only Kevin Swindell – who won four straight from 2010-’13 – topped Bell’s magical run from 2017-’19.

It’s a big deal in the racing world.

“For me, the Chili Bowl is bigger than the Daytona 500,” Kyle Larson said in 2018.

There are plenty of reasons to believe Bell will add to the No. 20 car’s legacy in short order. For one, the Norman, Oklahoma, native will spend his second season at NASCAR’s highest level with a two-time Cup Series champion calling the shots from pit road.

Adam Stevens claimed Cup Series titles with Kyle Busch in 2015 and ’19 before Gibbs shuffled Stevens and most of the No. 18 car’s engineers to Bell’s No. 20 operation.

“Ever since (Joe Gibbs Racing) said I was essentially getting the No. 18 guys for 2021, I’ve been very thankful to get such a proven group,” Bell said. “It’s in my hands now. The whole team has proven themselves to be a championship-caliber team.

“I’ve been focusing hard in just being around the new No. 20 group and I’ve spent a lot of time with Adam, just trying to build that relationship with him. It’s been good so far. I feel like we have a ways to go, but once you’re in the thick of racing, it becomes much easier. The offseason has just been us hanging out and being around each other. Hopefully, we can start off on the same page when we get to racing. I was sad to leave Jason (Ratcliff, Bell’s former crew chief), but I’m thrilled for the opportunity to get put in a winning situation and get to prove myself.”

A jump from a mid-pack team to one of NASCAR’s elite operations won’t be much of an adjustment for Bell. He raced for JGR on a full-time basis in the Xfinity Series from 2018-’19, so he’s not going to get lost on the way to work.

Stevens, however, might be in for a culture change.

“Adam’s entire Cup Series career has been with Kyle (Busch) and just from the outside looking in, Adam seems like a fiery person – which you have to be to work with Kyle Busch,” Bell said. “I told Adam, ‘I can promise you; I’m going to be a change of pace from Kyle. You’re not going to hear me voicing my opinion in the car the way Kyle does.’

“Kyle’s more of a leader at this point than I am. I’m not going to be as outspoken as he is in the car. I’m more of a soft-spoken guy in general.”

Bell lets his driving do the talking. This year, it will speak volumes about his skill.

“It’s a high-pressure environment,” Bell said of his new workplace. “If you look at 2020 as a whole, it was definitely a down year for JGR compared to 2019, which was a really good year. I don’t expect 2021 to be like 2020. I think Joe Gibbs Racing is a powerhouse team and they’re focused on getting back to where they were in 2019.

“Ultimately, if we just keep putting ourselves in position, we’re fast enough, we have a good enough pit crew and we don’t make mistakes, that’s all you can ask for, whether we win one time or we win eight times.”

Given Bell’s present situation, it’s only a matter of time before he’s regularly atop the scoring pylon.

“Expectations are high,” Bell said. “We need to win.”

Look for it to happen early and often.

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COLE CUSTER

GIVE NO QUARTER COLE CUSTER’S NO

41

stranger to the “young gun” label.

The 23-year-old cut his teeth racing quarter midgets, where he enjoyed considerable success after starting out when he was just 4 years old. In 2011, Custer won the USAC National Focus Young Guns

OWNERS TONY STEWART & GENE HAAS TEAM STEWART-HAAS RACING CREW CHIEF MIKE SHIPLETT MANUFACTURER FORD

HAILIE DEEGAN

Championship. A year later, he moved to late model racing and by the end of 2014 – as a 16-yearold – he’d already won his first NASCAR Camping World Talk about a fast learner.

SUMMER RUBBIN’ NICKNAMED “DIRT reason to believe Hailie Deegan had the goods to succeed on dirt for as long as she wanted.

Once Deegan tried Legend Car racing at Charlotte Motor Speedway’s Summer Shootout in June of 2016, however, asphalt became the

OWNER DAVID GILLILAND TEAM DAVID GILLILAND RACING

new target.

“I learned a lot racing in the Summer Shootout, just as far as car control and how

CREW CHIEF MIKE HILLMAN JR.

to race beside

MANUFACTURER FORD

different than

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reigning rookie of the year. He’s already got one Cup Series victory under his belt, he’s driving for one of NASCAR’s most accomplished teams and he’s got as bright a future as anyone in the sport.

Think of 2021 as Custer’s first stand – expectations will be higher with Custer having a year of Cup Series experience, but there’s plenty of reason to believe the results will top last year’s effort of one win and seven top-10 finishes.

“Not having practice, not having testing and not having qualifying definitely meant it wasn’t easier to be a rookie (last season),” Custer said. “From our standpoint, to have a race win and to make the playoffs, I think we can call that a success. Did we want to run better a lot of the time? Yeah, for sure, but we made huge strides in making more consistent runs. I think it’s just a matter of taking it to the next level and consistently making it to the next group of cars.”

Armed with tremendous equipment and more confidence than ever, Custer has the potential to deliver multiple wins this season. It doesn’t hurt that the second-year Custer and rookie teammate Chase Briscoe have Kevin Harvick – who won nine races last year – in the same shop.

“For me to get to learn more, I think it’s going to be huge,” Custer said. “Having more time and another year to run through all the races will definitely help out.”

Truck Series race.

Princess,” there was

1

C

ole Custer is the NASCAR Cup Series’

people,” Deegan said. “It’s definitely racing on dirt.”

T

he daughter of freestyle motocross

legend Brian Deegan, Hailie Deegan began her racing career on dirt – but it’s her skill on pavement that makes the 19-year-old one of NASCAR’s can’t-miss prospects.

The Temecula, California, native spent last year competing full time in the ARCA Menards Series, where she posted four top-five finishes and 17 top-10 results en route to a third-place finish in points. Deegan also debuted in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series last October at Kansas Speedway, finishing 16th in a No. 17 Ford owned by David Gilliland.

Deegan reprises her role in Gilliland’s truck on a full-time basis this season.

Her skill behind the wheel – developed after years of Trophy Truck races on dirt – gives Deegan a great chance to add to DGR’s victory tally before the year is over.

The team enters this season with one win, a 2019 triumph at Kentucky Speedway with Tyler Ankrum at the controls.

With another young star in his stable, Gilliland is sure to help amplify Deegan’s potential.

“I’ve enjoyed watching Hailie progress in the ARCA Menards Series and prepare for the next step in her racing career, moving up to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series,” Gilliland said last fall.

“I’m happy DGR can be part of her learning process as she transitions to the next level of competition.”

Deegan’s dynamic personality won her a legion of fans before she’d even left high school.

If she can compete for wins at NASCAR’s third-highest level, it’ll boost her popularity to new heights.

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

CHASE BRISCOE

CHASING HISTORY WHILE NO DRIVER IN NASCAR’s modern era won in their

14

debut Cup Series race, Jamie McMurray in 2002 and Trevor Bayne in 2011 triumphed in their second starts.

Chase Briscoe’s first Cup Series start was the Daytona 500.

Stewart-Haas

OWNERS TONY STEWART & GENE HAAS TEAM STEWART-HAAS RACING

Racing won 10 races last year, so Briscoe has a great car at his disposal to help him acclimate to

CREW CHIEF JOHNNY KLAUSMEIER

the Cup Series.

MANUFACTURER FORD

track, he’ll take full

SHELDON CREED

Whether it’s at Daytona or another advantage of it.

YOUNG SHELDON FOR A COLLEGEaged driver, Sheldon Creed has already

2

competed in and won races across many divisions on dirt and asphalt.

Upon claiming his first Camping World Truck Series crown, he likened his experiences to being a student.

“It’s like we’re in college right now

OWNER MAURY GALLAGHER TEAM GMS RACING CREW CHIEF JEFF STANKIEWICZ MANUFACTURER CHEVROLET PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

and you’re in class every day (at the track),” Creed said.

“I’m racing against my teammates for rides and they’re all incredibly talented.

You’re racing everybody for that next chance in Cup.”

C

hase Briscoe’s nine NASCAR Xfinity

Series victories last year weren’t enough to claim the series title, but the Indiana native’s consolation prize was stellar nonetheless.

Briscoe fills the void left by Clint Bowyer in Stewart-Haas Racing’s No. 14 Ford entry in the NASCAR Cup Series. It’s the realization of a dream for Briscoe, who, like Stewart, comes from a sprint car racing background.

At 13, Briscoe became the youngest driver to ever win a 410 sprint car race, topping NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon by a year.

While Briscoe is by no means the youngest Cup Series newcomer, he’s still only 26 years old and preparing to reach the zenith of NASCAR competition with a championship-winning team.

It’s a far cry from where Briscoe was in 2014, when he moved to North Carolina in hopes of securing any opportunity in the sport.

“When I moved to North Carolina, the first shop I volunteered at was Brian and Bob Keselowski’s,” Briscoe said late last year.

“I still talk to Brad (Keselowski, Briscoe’s 2017 team owner in the Truck Series), especially if I’m going to a race track where I might feel like I’d struggle. I don’t talk to him as much as (Kevin) Harvick or someone in my organization, but I’ll reach out to him.

He told me last year that the Xfinity Series was wide open and for me to go and take it.”

Briscoe no longer needs to be told to take a series by storm.

Now, he’s got experience in it.

O

ne of Chevrolet’s top development

drivers, Sheldon Creed offers GMS Racing a phenomenal mixture of natural skill and versatility.

The man known as “The Showstopper” put on a dazzling display of dominance in last year’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series playoffs, winning two of the season’s final three races and roaring to his first series championship in his second year of fulltime competition.

Championships are not a new concept to Creed. The Californian claimed the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series’ Pro Lite Unlimited crown in 2014 and the Stadium Super Trucks titles in 2015 and ’16.

A move to stock cars brought – what else? – the ARCA Menards Series championship in 2018. Oh, and he’s a two-time X Games gold medalist.

Suffice it to say, Creed has more than justified Chevrolet’s investment in a driver who won’t even turn 24 until Sept. 30. He’s back in the Camping World Truck Series this year, seeking to become the first driver since Matt Crafton in 2014 to claim backto-back series titles.

Creed’s growth as a driver has coincided with improvement from those who work with him.

“GMS Racing has so many tools and resources and I feel like Chevy’s (Truck Series program) is always getting better,” Creed said. “I can only go as fast as I can with the truck that I have, and our trucks have been incredibly fast.

“What you’re driving matters a lot in how you run.”

Talent doesn’t hurt, though – and Creed has plenty to offer.

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TYLER REDDICK

BEAU MY! TYLER REDDICK WON more than the NASCAR Xfinity Series championship

8

when he crossed the finish line at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Nov. 16, 2019.

The spoils of victory included naming the son Reddick and his girlfriend, Alexa De Leon, were having.

De Leon wanted his

OWNER RICHARD CHILDRESS TEAM RICHARD CHILDRESS RACING

name to be “Ryker,” but Reddick was set on “Beau.”

The two agreed that if Reddick won the title, “Beau” was the

CREW CHIEF RANDALL BURNETT

name – so, naturally,

MANUFACTURER CHEVROLET

the championship

HARRISON BURTON

Reddick yelled out “Baby Beau!” once was his.

ARCA BREAKS HARRISON BURTON was only 11 years old

20

when he captured his first pole in a late model car at North Carolina’s Ace Speedway. A year later, he had two late model wins under his belt and, by 15, Burton broke into the ARCA Menards Series East.

Proving the spotlight was never

OWNER JOE GIBBS TEAM JOE GIBBS RACING CREW CHIEF JASON RATCLIFF MANUFACTURER TOYOTA

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too bright, Burton won the series championship in 2017 – besting Todd Gilliland by a scant eight points thanks to a win in the season finale.

A

native of Corning, California, Tyler

Reddick’s path to the NASCAR Cup Series was forged on dirt – the same surface which brought champions like Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart to the sport’s highest level.

Reddick moved to pavement after becoming the youngest pole winner for Eldora Speedway’s World 100 dirt late model race, the youngest winning driver in the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series and the youngest driver to qualify for a World of Outlaws Late Model Series feature.

The second-year Cup Series pilot has more than enough talent to enjoy a long career on asphalt, as his back-to-back NASCAR Xfinity Series championships attest. The 2018 and ’19 champion jumped to the Cup Series last year with Richard Childress Racing, the same team that turned Xfinity Series champion Kevin Harvick into a week-in, week-out Cup Series contender in the early 2000s.

Reddick didn’t quite post Harvick-like numbers, but a nearwin at Texas Motor Speedway coupled with a stage win and three top-five finishes showed his potential. Another season with Childress should go a long way in determining how stage 1 of Reddick’s Cup Series career will unfold.

“I’m proud of the effort everyone on the No. 8 team put in for my rookie season,” Reddick said. “We had highs and lows, like any race team, but ultimately put together a strong year and laid some good groundwork to build on.”

Reddick’s challenge this year is to improve his best finish by one spot – and watch his stock rise even higher.

H

arrison Burton has all the tools to be a

NASCAR Cup Series superstar in the near future.

He’s got the right pedigree – father, Jeff, and uncle, Ward, won 26 Cup Series races – and he’s with the right team: Joe Gibbs Racing, winners of five Cup Series championships.

Burton’s no slouch behind the wheel, either. The secondgeneration driver bagged four wins over the course of last year’s NASCAR Xfinity Series season, rising to the occasion with two victories in the playoffs on his way to rookie-of-the-year honors.

While an eighth-place finish in points didn’t accurately portray the gains that Burton made as a driver, it’s overwhelmingly likely that the 20-year-old from Huntersville, North Carolina, will finish much better this season.

Gibbs’ Xfinity Series cars are arguably the most desired in the series, because they come equipped with the necessary resources to regularly visit Victory Lane.

With a year under his belt, there’s some pressure on Burton to maximize his potential this year.

If his recent exploits are any indication, Burton will be a Championship 4 contender and a solid pick to claim the series title – something his father and uncle never accomplished in their impressive careers.

Burton also gets to enjoy the benefits of staying with the same team.

“Harrison’s never really had two or three years to sit back and spend two or three years doing something,” Jeff Burton said last season. “I think it’s made him appreciate opportunities and it’s put him in situations where he’s had to learn.”

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

AUSTIN CINDRIC

SEAT TIME AUSTIN CINDRIC isn’t joking when he

22

says he’s driven a lot of race cars.

Legend Cars, U.S. F2000 openwheel cars, Global Rallycross Championship cars and IMSA sports cars are a sampling of the machinery Cindric has mastered since his racing career began.

Cindric can already

OWNER ROGER PENSKE TEAM TEAM PENSKE

boast of having raced in the Rolex 24 At Daytona and the Bathurst 12-Hour endurance race in

CREW CHIEF BRIAN WILSON

Australia.

MANUFACTURER FORD

makes him feel like

SAM MAYER

So, forgive him if the Daytona 500 he’s taking a half-

PREPPED AND READY SAM MAYER WAS moment.

Before a 2019 ARCA Menards Series East

OWNERS DALE EARNHARDT JR., KELLEY EARNHARDT MILLER AND RICK HENDRICK TEAM JR MOTORSPORTS

race at Bristol Motor Speedway, Mayer walked through the infield with a handful of hero cards and Sharpies as fans approached him for autographs.

“You’ve got to be prepared,” Mayer told an acquaintance as he switched from black to silver Sharpie.

Mayer had everything under

CREW CHIEF TAYLOR MOYER

control.

MANUFACTURER CHEVROLET

pole, led all 150 laps

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

ful 2021 season.

Winning races and championships tend to shorten a driver’s off days, but the 22-year-old Columbus, Ohio, native doesn’t mind one bit.

Cindric romped to the NASCAR Xfinity Series championship last season aboard Team Penske’s No. 22 Ford, which pulled into Victory Lane on six occasions, including five in a six-race span.

Cindric’s reward is another season in NASCAR’s second-highest series and a limited slate of races with Penske’s NASCAR Cup Series team.

Poised to join Wood Brothers Racing’s Cup Series team in 2022, Cindric’s year in waiting should include plenty of Xfinity Series trophies and a crash course – hopefully, not literally – in Cup Series competition.

For his part, Cindric can’t seem to believe his good fortune.

The accomplished road racer has burst on NASCAR’s scene in recent years, ascending to the Xfinity Series title and showcasing an innate ability to match aggression with patience.

“I’ve driven a lot of cars at a lot of different race tracks. I’ve been exposed to a lot and it’s taught me a lot,” Cindric said. “I feel like that perspective has helped me look at things clearly and I usually don’t make the same mistakes twice because of that.

“With this not being a data-driven sport, I think that puts a lot of (pressure) on me and what I can do to help the team develop our cars. I feel like I’ve learned the right things to have a good foundation for that.”

day at work.

made for the

8

A

ustin Cindric figures to have an event-

He signed every autograph, won the

I

t’s not easy to drive a race car at speed

against competitors who will stop at nothing to win. Sam Mayer simply makes it look easy.

The son of road racing expert Scott Mayer, Sam Mayer – at the ripe, old age of 17 – has a résumé few can match and many can envy.

Mayer won his first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race last year in only his seventh start. He claimed the 2019 and ’20 ARCA Menards Series East championships. At 14, Mayer won the Young Lions division of Charlotte Motor Speedway’s Summer Shootout in 2017, his first year in a Legend Car – oh, and a month later, Mayer won a Midwest Truck Series race at Wisconsin’s Dells Raceway Park in his series debut.

Get used to hearing “Sam Mayer wins,” because it’s going to become a regular occurrence very soon in NASCAR’s top two series.

He’s won in everything he’s tried and it’s unwise to assume the streak won’t continue now that Mayer is driving the No. 8 JR Motorsports Chevrolet for Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

Josh Berry, who’ll drive the No. 8 for the first half of the year before Mayer takes the reins in the second half, has also coached Mayer as a driver and watched him grow.

The teacher and the pupil get to work alongside one another this year.

“He’s young, but he’s already accomplished a lot,” Berry said.

“I know he’s itching to get in the Xfinity Series and show off his talent.”

and won the race.

DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY

111

SPEEDWAY SUDOKU Each row, column and group of nine must contain each number (1-9). Find the solution at polepositionmag.com/2021-sudoku-answers/

112

DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

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