Best Buy 400 News and Notes

David Ragan darts way into NASCAR's top echelon

The Roush Fenway driver has become a contender for the Cup Series title in his second full season.

CONCORD, N.C. -- David Ragan's NASCAR Sprint Cup career started inauspiciously in late 2006, when he crashed in two races and was called "a dart without feathers" by veteran Tony Stewart.

But Ragan persevered and, now in his second full season on the Cup circuit, the Roush Fenway Racing driver quietly has moved into NASCAR's upper-crust neighborhood with the sport's biggest stars.

The Georgia native has yet to win a Cup race, but he's 13th in the point standings. And it's the top 12 drivers after 26 races that get to compete for the Chase for the Cup championship during the final 10 races of the year.

Ragan had been 12th in points until Sunday's Coca-Cola 600, when a combination of Kasey Kahne's victory and a misjudged pit-stop call on Ragan's No. 6 Ford enabled Kahne to climb into the 12th spot, 56 points above Ragan.

Even so, Ragan turned in another strong performance at Lowe's Motor Speedway. After qualifying fifth, he ran in the top 10 for much of the long race before finishing 12th. He also led a lap to gain five bonus points.

A lanky and unassuming 22-year-old, Ragan displays none of the bravado of, say, Kyle Busch, who already has three wins this season.

Yet Ragan said he was gradually earning the respect of Busch, Stewart and his other rivals.

"I do get a little more respect out there," he said. "I've certainly got a long ways to go, but we're on the right track."

Ragan started the year poorly, with a next-to-last finish at the Daytona 500. But with a team led by crew chief Jimmy Fennig, he has finished in the top 15 in nearly every race since, including a fourth at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway and a fifth at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway two weeks ago.

"Anything your second time around is a lot easier," he said of this season. "We've been qualifying a lot better, so we've had better track position, better pit-stall selection, so everything has seemed to happen a little easier and a little smoother."

Ragan is the son of former NASCAR driver Ken Ragan, who made 50 starts in the Cup series in the 1980s. David Ragan made his 50th start Sunday.

Under Ken's guidance, David began driving small so-called Bandolero race cars at age 11 and eventually cut his teeth in the ARCA developmental stock-car series and NASCAR's Craftsman Truck and Nationwide series.

He secured the truck ride in 2005 by winning an audition with Roush Fenway, then was tapped to step into the No. 6 Ford Sprint Cup car that had been driven for years by the popular Mark Martin.

Martin now drives part-time for Dale Earnhardt Inc.

"Going into the 6 car, I never really took the attitude of, 'Hey, here I am trying to replace Mark Martin,' " Ragan said. "I've just tried to do the best job that I can and keep the sponsors happy and try to keep the fans excited about the No. 6 car."

And while Ragan's under-the-radar style isn't prompting observers to give him nicknames, like they do with "Wild Thing" Kyle Busch, comments such as the one Stewart made two years ago aren't popping up any longer, either.

"I've certainly got a long ways to go, but we're on the right track," Ragan said. "We've just got to keep doing the right things and eventually we'll be where we need to be."

latimes.com

Kenseth deems Dover one of his favorite tracks, ready for Best Buy 400

Matt Kenseth loves Dover International Speedway. It was the site of his NASCAR Cup series debut, the place where he first won a pole and a track on which the Roush Fenway Racing driver has won.

What’s not to love?

Kenseth debuted at the track in 1998, filling in for Bill Elliott, who left the track for personal reasons. In 2002, he returned as a driver in his third full season for the team now known as Roush Fenway Racing and scored his first career Cup pole.

This weekend, Kenseth is making his 18th start at the track where he has a win, 10 top-10 and five top-five finishes. He enters the Best Buy 400 with a resume that includes completing 6,925 of 7,204 (96.1 percent) laps attempted at the track and an average finish of 15.3.

“Dover is probably my favorite track for a lot of different reasons,” Kenseth said. “My first Cup race was there, plus we’ve won a couple times there in the Nationwide Series. Then we got our first Cup win there last year, so we’ve had a lot of good times at Dover. The track is so fast and challenging.”

That’s strong support from a driver who led 192 laps there last fall – while in the Chase For The Nextel Cup – and ended up blowing an engine and finishing 35th.

He admits, though, that this is also a track where luck has played a role for him from time to time.

“It seems every time we go to Dover it’s either all or nothing,” says Kenseth, who has four top-10 finishes and two of 35th in the last six races there. “We either run really well and finish well, or something crazy happens, and we don’t end up with a good finish. We had a really good car there in September and could have won the race if it weren’t for mechanical troubles.”

Obviously, he hopes that those issues don’t dog his team once more. A strong finish in Sunday’s Best Buy 400 could vault Kenseth even higher in the Sprint Cup standings as he works to battle his way back into contention for the championship this season. Kenseth climbed four spots to 16th in the standings with his seventh-place finish last Sunday at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. That puts him 190 points behind the 12th-place team, but there’s plenty of time to make up ground. The series has 14 races before the field is set for the Chase For The NASCAR Sprint Cup.

Adding to his potential this weekend is his team’s desire to avenge the win that it felt slipped away last time it was there.

“Team 17 has had some success at Dover in the past, but we’ve also had our share of heartache as well,” said crew chief Chip Bolin, who was with the group in a different role last season. “The last time we raced there we led almost half of the race and looked to be on our way to victory lane, and our engine expired. So I guess you could say this time we’re looking for a little redemption there. We are bringing a good car that Matt has been fairly consistent in this year, so hopefully we’ll get the setup right and be able to go out there and compete for the win.”

scenedaily.com

Best Buy 400 PreQ

Once again the #8 DEI Chevrolet driven by Mark Martin ranks atop the PreQ forecast – one of these times Martin has to get to victory lane. Martin should have had a better run in the Coca-Cola 600 last weekend although he did end the day with a 15th place finish. He runs even better on the speedways, such as at Dover International Speedway, where he is averaging a 9th place finish over the last 27 speedway starts recording one win and 15 top 10s. Martin is averaging an 11th place finish in his last 20 starts at Dover including three wins and 14 top 10s. The savvy veteran continues to run up front on a steady basis and should be in store for a good day this Sunday afternoon.

One of Martin’s former teammates at Roush Fenway Racing, Carl Edwards, has been running just as well at Martin at Dover. In seven career starts at the track Edwards have one win and four top 10s with an average finish of 9th place. He does not have a finish outside the top 20 at the track. Although he has won three races already this season Edwards had had some unfortunate times posting a pair of finishes of 40th place or worse. He has since rebounded nicely recording three consecutive top 10 finishes and will be looking to add to his win total. Don’t count the #99 Office Depot Ford out in the Best Buy 400.

Although Kyle Busch is the point standings leader Jeff Burton may be the best driver this season so far. Through the first 12 races Burton has finished each event in the top 15 recording a win at Bristol to go with eight top 10s. The ever consistent Burton is looking good to win his first point series championship if he can continue his streak of top 20 finishes – something almost impossible to accomplish. Still, Burton has the skill to do so and should come out of the Best Buy 400 with yet another top 10 finish. He is averaging a 6th place finish in the last four races at Dover with an average finish of 11th place in is last 30 speedway starts. The #31 AT&T Chevrolet will once again display his consistency and be among the top finishers at the end of the day.

It was over 50 races since Kasey Kahne has been to victory lane before he won the Coca-Cola 600. It will likely not be that long again but don’t expect much from him at Dover where he has ran very poorly in his career. In eight career starts Kahne has just one top 10 at the track with five finishes outside the top 20 for an average finish of 25th place. Kahne does not run well on the speedways in general averaging just a 19th place finish in his last 30 starts. It would be a good move to drop Kahne from your roster for this race.

It has been a long season already for J.J. Yeley and his Hall of Fame Racing #96 DLP HDTV Toyota team. Yeley has yet to finish better than 25th place this season and is currently sitting outside the top 35 in the point standings. With so much focus on just making the race the team looks to be placing a ton of pressure on them during race day, which leads to problems. Yeley must once again battle his way into the race and Dover is a track where he has very little luck. In five career starts he is averaging just a 33rd place with zero top 20 finishes. Yeley has missed one race already this season and it would not be much of a surprise if he were sitting at home again this weekend.

profantasysports.com

Dover preview
May 27, 2008
By Micah Roberts
VegasInsider.com

This Sunday, on the first day of June, the NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers will attempt to tackle the Monster Mile of Dover. It’s no easy task either. The concrete mile track, with 24 degrees of banking in each of the turns, has proved to be difficult for many. Conversely, there are a few drivers who have really found their niche on the track and they’ll again be the drivers to focus on.

It may come as no surprise that the favorites to win this week based on their current reign and past Dover history is Carl Edwards, Kyle Busch, and Jimmie Johnson. The odds won’t be too great on those three and in all probability one of them will win the race.

What we want to do this week is find a few good reasons to justify taking a chance on some legitimate long shots, taking a page from last season’s first race at Dover where the top 3 cars during the race all came in with odds of 20/1 or higher. Martin Truex Jr won that race leading the most laps and paid out at a closing price of 40/1. Ryan Newman led the second most laps and finished second. Newman closed out with a 20/1 price. The third place car was Carl Edwards who would have paid out at 24/1. Subsequently, Edwards went on to win the fall race but paid out at odds of only 10/1, because the cat was out of the bag at that point; Everyone knew all three of those drivers were going to be good again therefore the market price was considerably lower than the spring.

It’s possible that the same equation will take place this year and that is why identifying the candidates early, before they attempt one practice session, could present a great opportunity for high returns. Edwards, Busch, and Johnson will be formidable opponents, but the equalizer for the possibilities lies with the track.

Last season was the first season using the Car of Tomorrow. It was almost assumed by all that the Hendrick COT program that was abusing the rest of NASCAR would continue to do the same at Dover. And why wouldn’t everyone, Hendrick drivers had won all 5 COT races up to that point. The Fords only had three top 5 finishes in those five races and the Dodges had only come with two. Again, the big difference was the track. It was configured like no other track and it gave several teams a chance to catch up to Hendrick.

This season has been a little different because the teams are running at both Superspeedway plate races and the high banked 1.5 to 2 mile tracks. Some of the weight placement philosophy that has been successful for those teams that did well on the 1.5 mile tracks may benefit them, but it won’t be the exact mix. In years past, Jimmie Johnson and Ryan Newman had been exceptional on those type of tracks and also captured three Dover wins each during their dominating runs. Greg Biffle was in a similar position in 2005 when he won 6 times with wins that included California, Texas, Michigan, Miami, and of course Dover.

It would appear using that formula that after Kasey Kahne’s recent success the last two weeks at Charlotte that he could be a nice candidate. His odds will surely be in the 12/1 range, but his team obviously found something in their set up that is likely to carry over at a few more tracks this season. Carl Edwards success at California, Las Vegas, and Texas make him a prime candidate, but its hard to go for the favorite at 5/1. The same can be said for Kyle Busch at 6/1 who took won in Atlanta.

In the mid-price range, good cases could be made for both Mark Martin and Martin Truex Jr. Martin has won in Dover four times in his career and finished in the top 10 in both races last season. Both drivers can be found in the 18/1 range.

A driver who can fetch odds just a bit higher is Jeff Burton who will be in the 30/1 range. All this guy does is finish well. He is the model of consistency, but to win, you may need for some strange things to happen like at Bristol.

Two drivers that kind of fit the criteria we’re looking for, but haven’t cashed in yet are Tony Stewart and Greg Biffle. Both are former winners on the track and both have debatably been the fastest cars on the track the last couple of weeks. Stewart has multiple Cup wins at Dover and even sat on the pole there during his Indy racing days. Biffle has been getting extremely close to claiming victory for the last three weeks but just can’t seem to seal the deal.

There may not be the same type of bombs waiting to explode as last season, but there definitely a few drivers out there in the mid-low price range that will give Busch, Edwards, and Johnson a run for your money.

Top 5 Finish prediction:

1) #20 Tony Stewart (11/1)
2) #16 Greg Biffle (11/1)
3) #18 Kyle Busch (6/1)
4) #9 Kasey Kahne (12/1)
5) #48 Jimmie Johnson (6/1)

Driver Highlights - Dover
VegasInsider.com

Note: All driver statistics that follow are from Dover International Speedway. The Loop Data statistics – Driver Rating, Average Running Position, etc. – in this release, however, cover the last five races at New Hampshire. NASCAR’s scoring loops began collecting data for statistical purposes in 2005.

Greg Biffle (No. 16 3M Ford) 12/1

One win, three top fives, six top 10s
Average finish of 12.9
Series-best Average Running Position of 7.0
Series-best Driver Rating of 113.7
190 Fastest Laps Run, second-most
Average Green Flag Speed of 142.061, second-fastest
Series-high 2,251 (93.6%) Laps in the Top 15
180 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the Top 15 while under green), second-most

Clint Bowyer (No. 07 Jack Daniel’s Chevrolet) 28/1

Two top 10s
Average finish of 11.3
Average Running Position of 10.7, sixth-best
Driver Rating of 93.6, 10th-best
1,265 (79.1%) Laps in the Top 15, sixth-best percentage
119 Quality Passes (average of 29.8 per race), third-best percentage

Kyle Busch (No. 18 M&M’s Toyota) 6/1

Four top fives
Average finish of 11.8
Average Running Position of 13.6, 10th-best
Driver Rating of 101.5, fifth-best
104 Fastest Laps Run, eighth-most
243 Green Flag Passes, sixth-most
Average Green Flag Speed of 141.925, third-fastest
1,659 (69.0%) Laps in the Top 15, sixth-most
137 Quality Passes, sixth-most

Kurt Busch (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge) 22/1

Two top fives, four top 10s
20.7 average finish
Average Running Position of 9.6, fifth-best
Driver Rating of 98.6, ninth-best
94 Fastest Laps Run, ninth-most
Average Green Flag Speed of 141.743 mph, seventh-most
1,925 (80.1%) Laps in the Top 15, fifth-most
146 Quality Passes, third-most

Carl Edwards (No. 99 Office Depot Ford) 5/1

One win, four top fives, seven top 10s
Average finish of 15.8
Average Running Position of 11.6, eighth-best
Driver Rating of 98.9, eighth-best
158 Fastest Laps Run, fifth-most
226 Green Flag Passes, tied for 10th-most
144 Quality Passes, fourth-most

Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet) 7/1

Three wins, four top fives, seven top 10s; one pole
Average finish of 11.9
Average Running Position of 13.0, ninth-best
Driver Rating of 101.5, fourth-best
168 Fastest Laps Run, fourth-best
262 Green Flag Passes, third-most
1,651 (68.7%) Laps in the Top 15, seventh-most

Matt Kenseth (No. 17 DEWALT Ford) 12/1

One win, five top fives, 10 top 10s
15.3 average finish
Average Running Position of 7.2, second-best
Driver Rating of 111.9, second-best
Series-high 222 Fastest Laps Run
Fastest Green Flag Speed of 142.122
2,188 (91.0%) Laps in the Top 15, second-most
Series-high 186 Quality Passes

Mark Martin (No. 8 U.S. Army Chevrolet) 18/1

Four wins, 20 top fives, 27 top 10s
12.7 average finish
Average Running Position of 8.4, fourth-best
Driver Rating of 104.4, third-best
174 Fastest Laps Run, third-most
Average Green Flag Speed of 141.907, fourth-fastest
2,062 (85.8%) Laps in the Top 15, third-most
140 Quality Passes, seventh-most

Martin Truex Jr. (No. 1 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet) 18/1

One win, two top 10s
10.5 average finish
Average Running Position of 11.0, seventh-best
Driver Rating of 100.2, seventh-best
129 Fastest Laps Run, sixth-most
1,186 (74.1%) Laps in the Top 15, seventh-best percentage
113 Quality Passes (average of 28.3 per race), fourth-best average

Odds and Ends - Dover
VegasInsider.com

Dover International Speedway

History

The first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race was held on July 5, 1969.
The first two races at Dover were 300 miles. The race length was changed to 500 miles in 1971.
The first NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Dover was May 15, 1982.
The track surface was changed to concrete in 1995.
The race length was changed to 400 miles beginning with the second race in 1997.
The first NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race was held in September 2000. Notebook
There have been 76 NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Dover International Speedway since the track opened in 1969.
There was one race in 1969 and 1970. There has been two-a-year since 1971.
There have been 32 different pole winners at Dover led by David Pearson (six).
David Pearson won the first NASCAR Sprint Cup pole at Dover in July 1969.
Mark Martin and Ryan Newman lead all active drivers, each with four poles at Dover.
31 different drivers have posted victories at Dover led by Bobby Allison and Richard Petty, each with seven.
Richard Petty won the first NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Dover.
Bill Elliott, Jeff Gordon and Mark Martin lead all active drivers, each with four victories at Dover.
Hendrick Motorsports has won 10 races at Dover, more than any other organization.
44 races at Dover have been won from a top-five starting position while only 17 races, including the past four, have been won from a starting position outside the top 10.
The furthest back in the field that a Dover race winner started was 37th,by Kyle Petty in 1995.
Ryan Newman won at Dover in June 2003 – the first victory for Dodge there since 1975. Newman repeated as the race winner in the fall race, the first time Dodge posted consecutive victories at Dover. Newman then won again in the fall of 2004, giving Dodge three of their five Dover victories in the four-race span.

NASCAR in Delaware

There have been 76 NASCAR Sprint Cup races in Delaware – all at Dover International Speedway.
Eight NASCAR drivers (all-time) have their home state recorded as Delaware – none have posted victories.
Dover International Speedway Data

Race #: 13 of 36 (6-1-08)

Track Size: 1 mile
Banking/Corners: 24 degrees
Banking/Straights: 9 degrees
Frontstretch: 1,076 feet
Backstretch: 1,076 feet

Driver Rating at Dover

Greg Biffle 113.7
Matt Kenseth 111.9
Mark Martin 104.4
Jimmie Johnson 101.5
Kyle Busch 101.5
Ryan Newman 101.0
Martin Truex Jr. 100.2
Carl Edwards 98.9
Kurt Busch 98.6
Clint Bowyer 93.6

Note: Driver Rating compiled from 2005-2007 races (6 total) at Dover.

Qualifying/Race Data
2007 pole winner: Ryan Newman (152.925 mph, 23.541 seconds)
2007 race winner: Martin Truex Jr. (118.959 mph, 6-4-07)
Track qualifying record: Jeremy Mayfield (161.522 mph, 22.288 secs., 6-4-04)
Track race record: Mark Martin (132.719 mph, 9-21-97)

Estimated Pit Window: Every 72-78 laps, based on fuel mileage.

NASCAR Weekly Notes

One Final Look

Autism Awareness: This Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event at Dover is far from your ordinary race. The “Best Buy 400 benefiting Student Clubs for Autism Speaks” benefits a worthy cause in raising autism awareness. Elliott Sadler (No. 19 Best Buy Dodge), fresh off of a solid 8th-place finish at the Coca-Cola 600, will sport an Autism Speaks themed car this weekend.

Triple Header: Kyle Busch, who has already posted nine victories across the three national series this season, will pull triple duty this weekend at Dover. The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points leader will compete in all three of the national series events — Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Busch has three wins at the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series level, four NASCAR Nationwide Series wins, and two NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series victories on the season.

NASCAR Foundation Track Walk: Fans will have the opportunity to participate in the NASCAR Foundation Walk on Saturday, May 31 at Dover. Several NASCAR drivers and personalities will be involved with this charitable event and proceeds will benefit participating driver charities and the Autism Society of Delaware. Fans can sign up for the walk at the track near the entrance to the FanZone on race weekend.

This And That: Juan Pablo Montoya (No. 42 Texaco Havoline Dodge) will be competing in his 50th career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race this Sunday at Dover … Montoya’s teammate, Dario Franchitti (No. 40 Wii Fit Dodge) is entered in this week’s race at Dover. Franchitti has been sidelined the past four weekends while recovering from a fractured ankle he suffered during the NASCAR Nationwide race April 26 at Talladega Superspeedway. The No. 40 Dodge is currently 38th in owners’ points and must qualify on time at Dover.

Best Buy 400 Driver Rating

Greg Biffle must feel right at home at Dover. He has four consecutive top 10s at the Monster Mile and has been in the top 15 in 93.6% of the laps run over the last six races. Last season’s 2nd place finish in the September race helped tremendously in building momentum for the 2008 season. With an average finish of 5.8 over that same span, Biffle is a very solid fantasy option for this weekend.

Matt Kenseth has been the hands down frontrunner at Dover over the last six races. He has led an incredible 490 laps during that stretch, twice as many as any other driver. Biffle is 2nd in the category, leading 229. “Dover is probably my favorite track for a lot of different reasons,” Kenseth said. “My first Cup race was there, plus we’ve won a couple times there in the Nationwide Series. Then we got our first Cup win there last year, so we’ve had a lot of good times at Dover. The track is so fast and challenging.” Kenseth has reeled off three consecutive top 10s, including a 7th place last weekend Charlotte. He should grab his 4th this Saturday.

Mark Martin ranks atop our PreQ forecast for good reason. As we said yesterday, Martin is averaging an 11th place finish in his last 20 starts at Dover including three wins and 14 top 10s. Beyond that, he is behind only Biffle with an average finish of 6.8 over the past six races at Dover. He hasn’t led a ton of laps at Dover, but is always near the front. 85.8% of his laps have been within the top 15. The veteran is bound to win another race before he retires, and this could very well be the weekend he does it.

profantasysports.com

RacingOne Power Rankings
RacingOne.com

Season-to-Date Driver Ratings

Kyle Busch can't seem to get knocked out of the top spot in the Power Rankings as he heads to Dover with a 94 point lead over Jeff Burton. RacingOne's rankings are based on a combination of season-to-date loop data, season standings and staff selections by Jeff Wackerlin and Rachael West.

1. Kyle Busch: Busch continues to hold the top spot in the RacingOne power rankings after scoring a third-place finish in the Coca-Cola 600. With that, his eighth top-five finish of the season, Busch gained 15 more points on his lead over Jeff Burton. Busch heads to Dover holding down the best driver rating of the season of 113.1. He has an average finish of 11.8 after posting four top fives in six starts at Dover in the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevy. In his debut there in 2005 and the following event there in the fall, Busch posted back-to-back second-place finishes.

Last Week's Rank: First

2. Dale Earnhardt Jr: Junior continues to remain consistent this season posting his fifth top-five finish of the season in Sunday's 600-mile race. He remains in the third spot in the standings and has both a pretty comfortable lead over fourth place Denny Hamlin and a pretty sizeable margin behind points leader Busch. Although he's a former Dover winner, it's been awhile and he hasn't been that successful in the last few years with only two top-10 finishes over the last three years.

Last Week's Rank: Second

3. Jeff Burton: Burton is another driver who has maintained a healthy level of consistency this season. After 12 races, he still has yet to finish outside the top 13. And in the years he's raced at Dover for Richard Childress, he's been pretty consistent as well. In seven starts there with RCR, he's only posted one finish outside the top 12 - his first with the team in 2004. He won there in the fall of 2006.

Last Week's Rank: Sixth

4. Jeff Gordon: Gordon managed to stay within the top 10 in the points after posting his third straight top-10 finish - a fourth - in Sunday's race. Despite being a four-time winner at Dover, he's outside the top 10 in the pre-race driver rating with only a rating of 84.9. His last four starts at the track have been within the top 12 though and in this race in 2006, he led 81 laps to a 12-place finish.

Last Week's Rank: Seventh

5. Greg Biffle: Biffle has the best driver rating of all drivers at Dover of 113.7. He's struggled a bit this season but was able to post a season high second-place finish in Sunday's Coca-Cola 600. Since winning this event in 2005 at Dover, Biffle has posted five finishes of 13th or better. He's led a total of 229 laps in his last six starts there and has an average finish of 12.9.

Last Week's Rank: 11th

6. Tony Stewart: Stewart was close to winning Charlotte's 600-mile race Sunday, but instead posted his sixth finish outside the top 10 this season with an 18th-place result. He hasn't had much better luck at Dover in recent years. In five of his last six starts there, Stewart has posted finishes of 15th or worse. He crashed in two straight races - the fall 2006 race and following spring race. And as a result of his recent visits, holds the worst pre-race driver rating of all the current Chase contenders (67.7). Prior to this trouble, Stewart posted 12 straight top-11 finishes including two victories in 2000 and nine top-five finishes.

Last Week's Rank: Eighth

7. Carl Edwards: Edwards is coming off his eighth top 10 of the season and heads to Dover sixth in the standings, 322 points behind Busch. He has the best average finish of the Chase contenders at Dover of 9.1 in seven starts. Edwards won the last Cup race at Dover in the fall and finished third in the spring.

Last Week's Rank: Third

8. David Ragan: Ragan got pushed out of the top 12 in the points after posting a 12th-place finish in Sunday's race. He's raced three times at Dover, posting a best 14th in this event last year.

Last Week's Rank: 10th

9. Kevin Harvick: Harvick remains ninth in the rankings after a 14th-place finish at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. The results put his overall average finish of the season to 13.5. In hopes of scoring his first top 10 at Dover since 2006, Harvick will be back in the same car that finished second at another concrete track in Bristol.

Last Week's Rank: Ninth

10. Kasey Kahne: Kahne jumps back into the rankings for the seventh time this season after winning the All-Star Race and the Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. Kahne hopes the momentum will lead to a good finish at Dover where he has only finished in the top 10 once in eight attempts.

Last Week's Rank: N/R

11. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin has now finished 24th in two of the last three events. He still remains fourth in the point standings, but has lost nearly 100 points to the leader in that span. In the last race at Dover, Hamlin’s average finish dropped from 8.0 to 15.5 after finishing 38th.

Last Week's Rank: Fourth

12. Clint Bowyer: Bowyer was able to maintain his fifth-place position in the points standings even after finishing 25th at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. The finish was his worst performance of the season since Las Vegas in March. Bowyer should be able to jump back up the rankings at Dover where he has posted a solid average finish of 11.2 in four starts.

Last Week's Rank: Fifth

13. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth climbs one spot in the rankings after gaining four positions in the point standings to 16th as he makes his quest to make The Chase. Now Kenseth will look to make up even more ground at Dover, which is the track he made his Cup Series debut at back in 1998. In the last six races at the 1-mile track Kenseth leads all drivers in laps led (490) and 186 quality passes (Passing a car running in the Top 15 while under a green flag).

Last Week's Rank: 14th

14. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson was in contention for his second win of the season at Lowe's Motor Speedway up until he lost the motor with a little more than 50 laps to go. The 39th-place finish equaled his worst since the Brickyard 400 last year. The finish also dropped him in the rankings and in the points standings. Johnson will look to rebound this weekend when he climbs into a car that has finished second, twice, in three of the events he has raced it in. Since switching to the new car, Johnson has posted an average finish of 14.5 at Dover.

Last Week's Rank: 12th

15. Elliott Sadler: Sadler makes his second appearance in the rankings after scoring his second top 10 of the season. His eighth-place finish at Lowe's Motor Speedway snapped a streak of five consecutive races in which he finished 20th or worse. This weekend Sadler will look to keep things going in a positive direction when he races the Best Buy car in the Best Buy 400.

Last Week's Rank: N/R

Haas-CNC Handed Big Penalty
RacingOne.com

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – NASCAR has issued penalties, fines and suspensions to the No. 66 and No. 70 teams in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

The No. 66 car driven by Scott Riggs and the No. 70 car driven by Johnny Sauter were found to be in violation of Sections 12-4-A (actions detrimental to stock car racing) and 20-3.1.3A (wing mounting locations were not as specified by the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Rule Book). The infractions were discovered May 24 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.

As a result, Riggs and No. 66 car owner Joe Custer have been penalized 150 championship driver and 150 championship owner points, respectively, as have Sauter and No. 70 car owner Margaret Haas. Both the crew chiefs and the car chiefs for the two cars – Bootie Barker and Derick Jennings for the No. 66 and Dave Skog and Thomas Harris for the No. 70 – have been suspended from the next six NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events, suspended from NASCAR until July 9 and placed on NASCAR probation until Dec. 31. Additionally, Barker and Skog have each been fined $100,000 apiece.

The penalty also includes NASCAR’s confiscation of team 66 Serial Number HMS 12 06 415 race car and team 70 Serial Number HMS 0
4 08 507 race car.

NASCAR: Best Buy 400

Coming off a back-to-back wins in the Coca-Cola 600 and the All-Star race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, Kasey Kahne will try to keep his hot streak going this weekend when he leads the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series field into Dover International Speedway for the Best Buy 400.

Kahne’s win last week was his first in a Cup Series race since 2006, ending a long drought. The win also moved Kahne into the Race for the Chase, elevating him into 12th place in the driver standings. Still leading the driver standings is Kyle Busch, who recorded his eighth Top 5 finish of the season last week after placing third in the Coca-Cola 600. Busch increased his lead in the standings to 94 points over second-place Jeff Burton. If either Kahne or Busch does win this weekend, it will be their first career victory at Dover.

When NASCAR rolled into Dover last season for this race – then known as the Autism Speaks 400 – Martin Truex Jr. crossed the finish line first to post his only win of the season. Truex Jr. could really use a repeat performance this weekend, as he has gone winless with only one Top 5 finish so far this season to sit 15th in the driver standings.

From this weekend’s race field, the leaders in career wins at Dover are Mark Martin and Jeff Gordon with four apiece. Martin’s last win at Dover came in this race back in 2004, and he also won the formerly-named MBNA 400 three years in a row from 1997 to 1999. Gordon last claimed the checkered flag at Dover in 2001, and he won three straight races at Dover during the 1995 and 1996 seasons.

Trailing Martin and Gordon on the career wins list at Dover are Jimmie Johnson and Ryan Newman, with three wins each on the track. Johnson last won at Dover in 2005 and swept both races on the track in 2002, while Newman swept both races the following year in 2003 and also won once in 2004.

Sprint Cup: News And Notes- Dover International Speedway

Dover Region Features Variety Of NSCS Race Team Members

The region surrounding Dover International Speedway features a wide variety of key race team members in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

Ty Norris, Vice President and General Manager of Michael Waltrip Racing, is a native of Smyrna, Del.

Roy McCauley, crew chief of the No. 12 Alltel Dodge, hails from nearby Davidsonville, Md. Rick Viers, crew chief of the No. 84 Red Bull Toyota, is from Darlington, Md.

Bill and Cindy Lewis (Kinkwood and Secretary, Md.) drive the No. 2 transporter for Kurt Busch’s Miller Lite Dodge. Kevin White (Pittsville, Md.) is a mechanic on the No. 9 Budweiser Dodge team that just won last week’s Coca-Cola 600.

Two members of the No. 96 DLP HDTV Toyota are from the Dover region, including John Fuller (Fallston, Md.), who works as the catch can man, and Chris Meyers (Olney, Md.), who works as a mechanic. Daniel Blizzard (Mt. Airy, Md.) is the front-tire changer for the No. 31 AT&T Mobility Chevrolet driven by Jeff Burton.

Martin Truex Jr., is the lone NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver from the Dover region. Truex grew up in Mayetta, N.J., which is located approximately 2 1/2 hours from The Monster Mile. Truex earned his first and so far only NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory at Dover a year ago.

Kahne’s Victory Marks Dodge’s Second Win Of Season

Kasey Kahne’s dramatic victory at last Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 was his first points win of the season and the second time on the year and first time since the Daytona 500 that a Dodge car visited Victory Lane

Dodge’s triumph at Lowe’s now means that all four manufacturers have multiple victories this season.

Toyota maintains its lead in the Manufacturers’ Championship race, outpointing Chevrolet 73-71. Ford is a close third with 67 points, while Dodge closed the gap a bit and is fourth with 53 points.

Toyota leads the way with four wins on the year. Kyle Busch tops the charts with three victories, while Denny Hamlin has one. Chevrolet’s three wins are spread among three drivers — Jeff Burton, Jimmie Johnson and Clint Bowyer — with one win apiece. Ford’s three victories have all come from Carl Edwards.

Dodge’s two wins have certainly been significant — as Ryan Newman won the season-opening Daytona 500 — and Kahne captured the series’ longest race — a 600-miler.

It’s all a reflection of this year ’s mix of winners and close competition.

Chevrolet drivers have won 28 times at Dover, including last June’s victory by Martin Truex Jr. Ford drivers have visited Victory Lane 23 times at The Monster Mile. Dodge has captured five wins there, including three victories by Newman.

NASCAR’s 60th Anniversary: Dover Has Its Share Of “Monster” Memories

This season marks NASCAR’s 60th anniversary and in Dover’s 76-race history, many “Monster” memories have been made.

Three active champions look back at Dover and remember their first ever NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start. Bobby Labonte (No. 43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge), the 2000 series champion, finished 34th at Dover in his first start in 1991. Matt Kenseth, the 2003 champion, started only one race in 1998 — at Dover. The result was a foreshadow of an incredibly consistent future. Kenseth, starting 16th in the No. 94 Ford, finished sixth that day. Finally, Kurt Busch (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge), the 2004 champion, finished 18th at Dover in his first career race in 2000. He then drove the No. 97 Ford for Roush Fenway Racing.

But it just might be the list of winners that paints the perfect Dover picture. From the very first race in 1969 through the two races in 1980, every Dover race winner is a member of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers List. The list of Dover winners since then isn’t too shabby either. Since 1980, 27 of the Dover race winners have won a list includes such legendary names like Richard Petty, Bobby Allison, Dale Earnhardt and Darrell Waltrip. But also current stars like Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Kenseth and Jimmie Johnson. And, it includes young stars like Carl Edwards and Martin Truex Jr. who have won NASCAR Nationwide Series titles.

Who will add their name to the list of legendary Dover winners? Well, if the trend continues, it could be a new name. Truex earned his first career victory last year at Dover and there have been nine different winners in the last nine races at Dover.

The Top 35: The No. 22 And No. 55 Toyotas Trade Spots

The No. 22 Caterpillar Toyota, driven by Dave Blaney and owned by Bill Davis and the No. 55 NAPA Toyota, driven and owned by Michael Waltrip, exchanged positions this past week in the battle to stay in the top 35 in owners points. The No. 22 Toyota, 35th a week ago, inched up two spots to 33rd, thanks to its 17th- place finish at the Coca-Cola 600. Following its 27th place showing at Lowe’s, the No. 55 Toyota dropped two positions and is now 35th, the cutoff spot entering this week’s race at Dover.

Each week, the top 35 teams are guaranteed starting spots, with those outside the top 35 required to qualify on time

The No. 00 Waltrip Racing Toyota, driven by Michael McDowell and owned by Rob Kauffman, finished 32nd at Lowe’s, and fell from 30th to 32nd. The No. 44 UPS Toyota, driven by David Reutimann and owned by Michael Waltrip, inched up a spot from 30th to 29th after posting a solid 10th-place finish at Lowe’s.

Competition has really heated up between spots 30 and 36 in this week’s owners’ points standings. Only 50 points separate 30th place (No. 7 Jim Beam Dodge driven and owned by Robby Gordon) and 36th place (the No. 77 Penske Truck Rental Dodge driven by Sam Hornish Jr. and owned by Roger Penske).

One Final Look

Autism Awareness: This Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event at Dover is far from your ordinary race. The “Best Buy 400 benefiting Student Clubs for Autism Speaks” benefits a worthy cause in raising autism awareness. Elliott Sadler (No. 19 Best Buy Dodge), fresh off of a solid 8th-place finish at the Coca-Cola 600, will sport an Autism Speaks themed car this weekend.

Triple Header: Kyle Busch, who has already posted nine victories across the three national series this season, will pull triple duty this weekend at Dover. The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points leader will compete in all three of the national series events — Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Busch has three wins at the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series level, four NASCAR Nationwide Series wins, and two NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series victories on the season.

NASCAR Foundation Track Walk: Fans will have the opportunity to participate in the NASCAR Foundation Walk on Saturday, May 31 at Dover. Several NASCAR drivers and personalities will be involved with this charitable event and proceeds will benefit participating driver charities and the Autism Society of Delaware. Fans can sign up for the walk at the track near the entrance to the FanZone on race weekend.

This And That: Juan Pablo Montoya (No. 42 Texaco Havoline Dodge) will be competing in his 50th career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race this Sunday at Dover … Montoya’s teammate, Dario Franchitti (No. 40 Wii Fit Dodge) is entered in this week’s race at Dover. Franchitti has been sidelined the past four weekends while recovering from a fractured ankle he suffered during the NASCAR Nationwide race April 26 at Talladega Superspeedway. The No. 40 Dodge is currently 38th in owners’ points and must qualify on time at Dover.

Up Next: The Pocono 500 At Pocono Raceway

Next on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule is the Pocono 500, Sunday, June 8 at Pocono Raceway. Teams are hopeful that the two-day NASCAR Sprint Cup Series test at the 2.5-mile triangular layout will pay dividends for this event.

Jeff Gordon is the defending race champion, while Ryan Newman was last year’s pole winner. Gordon is a four-time winner at Pocono, most among active drivers.

Rick Hendrick claims the most victories (11) among team owners, while Roger Penske is second with eight.

autoracingdaily.com

Best Buy 400 HOT! Sheet

It’s kind of hard to believe that when you look at the list of winners so far this season, the name Jeff Gordon is not there. However, that doesn’t mean he hasn’t been running up front. As you can see on our chart, in his last 3 races he has an average finish of about 5th. At Richmond he came from 28th up to 9th. He led 24 laps at Darlington before settling for 3rd. In the 600, he wound up 4th. That elusive first trip to victory lane might come this Sunday.

There are plenty of reasons why Kyle Busch is soaring high atop the standings. Just look at the numbers. He has finished outside the top 10 only three times this season. Included in there are three checkered flags. You almost can’t do better than what he’s done in the last four events as he finished 1st, 2nd, 1st, and 3rd. Barring any mechanical failures, like what happened in the All-Star event, we don’t see him slowing down. He’s a must have.

He may not be driving the entire season schedule, but when he does enter Mark Martin is nearly a must have, too. Despite sitting out a few events, he still is listed in the top 25 in the standings. Over the course of his last 6 events, the part-time driver of the #8 car has an average finish inside the top 10. He has finished 4th or better in five of his last eight trips to the Monster Mile. That should be enough to convince you to add him to your roster.

At the very bottom of the list this week is Kevin Harvick. The #29 team is safely inside the top 10 right now in the standings, however it’s been spiraling downward recently. They have only one top 10 in the last seven races (8th at Richmond). That was followed up with a 39th place showing at Darlington and then 14th this past Sunday night. Until he starts to turn things around again, we’d shy away.

Right by him on the chart is Brian Vickers. He has really taken a dive all the way down to 20th in the standings. The #83 car has finished inside the top 20 only twice in the last eight races. His average finish in the last three events is about 31st. The accident he was involved in at Charlotte didn’t help things as he went from a 3rd place start to a 42nd place finish. In his last four trips to Dover, he hasn’t finished on the lead lap, so he doesn’t belong on your team this week.

profantasysports.com

Gordon, Busch may not have put mini-feud behind them

The two exchanged heated words at the Coca-Cola 600.

1 NASCAR's Sprint Cup Series races at Dover (Del.) International Speedway on Sunday, and it remains to be seen whether Kyle Busch and Jeff Gordon have put their recent mini-feud behind them.

Gordon is a four-time winner at Dover, a high-banked, concrete track known as "the Monster Mile" where Martin Truex Jr. is the defending race winner.

As Kasey Kahne was celebrating his win at last Sunday's Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway near Charlotte, Busch and Gordon -- who finished third and fourth, respectively -- had heated words on pit road about how closely they raced each other.

"I guess [Busch] doesn't like people to race him," Gordon said. "But I raced him hard tonight just like I did everybody.

"He's got an issue because he gave me the finger," continued Gordon, a four-time champion. "That's not necessary for a guy, he just didn't like racing him the way I did."

When Busch was asked about the exchange, he replied: "That conversation will remain between Jeff and I. Thank you."

2 Kahne won the race when Tony Stewart, who had a comfortable lead, suffered a flat tire with only three laps left in the 400-lap race.

"It's so hard to take," Stewart said on his Sirius Satellite Radio show.

"It's such a long day and you go 397 laps and go 595 miles and sit there and have a tire go down and lose a race because of that," the two-time Cup champion said. "That's something that makes it real difficult to swallow."

3 Speaking of frustration, Danica Patrick and the rest of the IndyCar Series heads to the Milwaukee Mile in West Allis, Wis., for its next race Sunday.

Patrick's car was knocked out of last weekend's Indianapolis 500 when she collided with Ryan Briscoe coming out of pit road late in the race.

"I'm looking forward to getting back in the car this weekend, especially after last weekend's disappointing finish," said Patrick, who this year became the first woman to win an Indy car race. "I have something to prove this weekend."

Meanwhile, the IndyCar Series said it added a race July 26 in Edmonton, in Alberta, Canada, expanding this season's schedule to 17 races.

4 Drag racing's Powerade Series is in Topeka, Kan., for this weekend's O'Reilly NHRA Summer Nationals, the halfway point of its regular season that leads into its Countdown to the Championship playoff.

Brandon Bernstein and Mike Ashley are the defending winners in top fuel and funny cars, respectively.

Reigning top-fuel champion Tony Schumacher leads the points again this season and Tim Wilkerson tops the standings in funny cars.

5 In local racing Saturday night, late-model stock cars and super trucks head a multi-race program at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale.

The Los Angeles Concours d'Elegance, featuring vintage and exotic race cars and passenger vehicles, is Sunday at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. Tickets are $30 and proceeds benefit the Assistance League of Southern California.

latimes.com

Driver Handicaps: Dover

This weekend the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads to Dover Int'l Speedway for Sunday's Best Buy 400. To help you make your fantasy racing picks, RacingOne brings you our weekly detailed look at some of the field for the 400-lap event.

Who's HOT at Dover
• Greg Biffle holds the best driver rating (113.7) over the last six races.
• Dover is Ryan Newman's best oval on the circuit based on his 10.0 finishing average.
• Kyle Busch has finished in the top five in four of his six starts.
• Four-time winner Mark Martin leads all drivers with 20 top fives at Dover.
• Jimmie Johnson has three wins and seven top 10s in 12 starts at Dover.
• Martin Truex Jr. is the defending race winner.
• Four-time winner Jeff Gordon leads all drivers with 2,198 laps led at Dover.
• Carl Edwards is the latest winner.

Keep an Eye on at Dover
• Kevin Harvick will be racing the same car that finished second at Bristol.
• Dale Earnhardt Jr. has one win and seven top-10 finishes at Dover.
• Jeff Burton has a 7.8 average finish in his last six races at Dover.
• Kasey Kahne will looks to use his winning momentum to get over multiple DNFs at Dover.
• Matt Kenseth has the second-best average running position (7.2) in the last six Dover races.
• Tony Stewart has the best average finish (10.6) among all drivers that have made 13 or more starts at Dover.

Dover Rookie Report
None of the Raybestos Rookie of the Year candidates have made a Sprint Cup Series start at Dover International Speedway. In fact, Regan Smith is the only rookie that has raced in NASCAR competition (Sprint Cup and Nationwide) at the 1-mile track. his best finish in seven combine starts was a 16th in the NNS in 2003. Rookie Standings

Qualifying Tidbits
Jimmie Johnson, Ryan Newman, Jeff Gordon and Jeremy Mayfield are the only drivers that have won a pole at Dover International Speedway since 2003. Mayfield, who will sub for Dario Franchitti this weekend, holds the track record. Four years ago in the this event, Mayfield established the new track qualifying record of 161.522 mph when he drove the No. 19 Dodge for Evernham Motorsports. Qualifying in June of 2005 was rained out along with the 2003 fall race. Rusty Wallace was the last driver to win a pole in a Ford, which came in the fall of 2002. Gordon and Johnson's poles in the last two fall races were the first by a Chevrolet since 1996 when Bobby Labonte took the top spot. Only 17 of 76 races have been won from a starting position outside the top 10, most recently coming in the last four races with Matt Kenseth, Jeff Burton, Martin Truex Jr. and Carl Edwards.

RacingOne Staff Picks

Jeff Wackerlin: Matt Kenseth
Pete Pistone: Denny Hamlin
Rachael West: Jeff Gordon
Kym Opalenik: Greg Biffle

Top 20 Driver Notes - Ordered by Current Standings

1. Kyle Busch: Busch has finished in the top five in four of the six races he has competed in at Dover International Speedway. Busch's best finishes, a pair of seconds, came in his first two Cup starts at the track in 2005. His overall finishing average fell to 11.8 in the 2006 fall race after losing an engine when he was driving for Hendrick Motorsports. This weekend he will be making his first start at the "Monster Mile" with Joe Gibbs Racing.

2. Jeff Burton: Burton scored his best finishes with Richard Childress Racing in seven races at Dover International Speedway in 2006 after finishing fourth in June and winning the fall race. The victory ended a 175 Sprint Cup race winless drought. Last year, he finished 12th and seventh to put his overall finish in 28 starts to 16.9. Prior to his Dover races with RCR, Burton captured eight top 10s with Roush Racing dating back to 1996. This weekend Burton will climb into the same car (chassis No. 243) that started 35th and finished sixth at Texas in April.

3. Dale Earnhardt Jr: Earnhardt Jr. is making his 17th appearance at Dover International Speedway. He won his only race at the track in September 2001. In addition to his win, Dale Jr. has four top fives and seven top 10s at the one-mile track. He has led in eight races for 366 laps. In the 2003 fall race he started second - after rain cancelled qualifying - and then went on to lead 48 laps before posting his only Dover DNF. After qualifying fourth in the 2005 fall race, a loose wheel in the beginning of the race ruined Junior's chance of a good finish. After finishing third last fall, Earnhardt Jr. will now make his first track start with Hendrick Motorsports. The car (chassis No. 421) he will be driving this weekend is the same one that finished fifth at Bristol in March.

4. Denny Hamlin: Last fall, Hamlin ended a streak of two consecutive top 10s after being involved in a lap 308 incident with Kyle Petty, which relegated him to a 38th-place finish. Hamlin's only other finish outside the top 10 came in 2006 when he battled back after falling a lap down because of a tangle with Jeremy Mayfield on pit road. He was able to make the lap up and was one of 21 drivers to finish on the lead lap. This weekend Hamlin will drive the same car (chassis No. 189) that most recently finished 23rd in the All-Star race.

5. Clint Bowyer: Bowyer, who will turn 29 on Friday, will look to celebrate his birthday by scoring his third top 10 finish at Dover International Speedway. His best finish in four starts at the track is a pair of eighth-place finishes. This weekend Bowyer will be piloting the same car (chassis No. 192) that finished third at Bristol Motor Speedway in March.

6. Carl Edwards: Edwards is coming off his first victory, and third consecutive top five, at Dover International Speedway. He led 95 laps from the 15th starting position en route to the win. Edwards currently leads all drivers with a 9.1 finishing average at DIS. This weekend he will make his eighth start at the 1-mile track in a brand new car (chassis No. 596)

7. Kevin Harvick: In the 2006 June race, Harvick captured his best finish (third) at Dover International Speedway after a gas only pit stop late in the race. The finish was his fifth top 10 at "The Monster Mile." Harvick's only other top-five finish came in the fall race in 2003 when he led 133 laps en route to a fourth-place finish. That event marked the only time Harvick has led in 14 starts at Dover. This weekend Harvick will be back behind the wheel of the same car (chassis No. 235) that finished second at Bristol.

8. Tony Stewart: Last fall, Stewart snapped a streak of five finishes of 15th worse at Dover International Speedway with a ninth-place finish. In the two races prior, crashes have taken Stewart out of the race, including a 40th-place finish in this event last year. In the 2006 June race, Stewart was credited with a 25th-place finish after Ricky Rudd relieved him under the first caution on lap 38. Stewart was unable to compete in the demanding race after he fractured his right scapula the weekend prior in Charlotte. Prior to 2005, Stewart posted two wins (both in 2000), nine top-five and 11 top-10 finishes. Stewart's average finish (10.6) is the fourth among all active drivers and he is fourth in laps led with 1,066.

9. Jimmie Johnson: In his first two starts at Dover International Speedway in 2002, Johnson swept the season after leading a combined total of 358 laps. He captured his third win at the track in the 2005 fall race after leading 134 laps from the fifth starting position. In the 2006 June event, Johnson had an eventful weekend after multiple incidents that started with a spin in qualifying. In the race, he started 42nd and quickly found himself a lap down after a mid-race accident. In the end Johnson was able to rally back to finish sixth - his seventh top 10 in 12 starts at Dover. This weekend Johnson will race the same car (chassis No. 465) that has finished second twice in the three races it has competed in.

10. Jeff Gordon: Gordon will be making his 31st start at Dover International Speedway on Sunday. With four wins at the track, he is tied with Mark Martin and Bill Elliott for the most wins among active drivers at the track. He last won on June 3, 2001 after leading 381 laps in the race. Gordon leads all active drivers with the most laps led at "The Monster Mile" with 2,198. Overall, Gordon has finished in the top five 13 times and the top 10 18 times and has started on the pole three times. Since recording two DNFs in 2005, Gordon has gone on to post two top 10s, including a ninth-place run last year in this event.

11. Greg Biffle: Biffle scored his only win at Dover International Speedway in the 2005 June race. In that event he started second on points and led for the first time at Dover for a total of 150 laps. Since the victory, Biffle has finished 13th or better, including four consecutive top 10s. He qualified a best fifth in his first outing at the track in the 2002 fall race. Biffle, who also has two Nationwide Series wins at Dover, will be racing the same car (chassis No. RK-566) that finished ninth at Phoenix.

12. Kasey Kahne: Kahne heads to Dover International Speedway 12th in the point standings after last weekend's win. Sunday will mark his ninth start at the 1-mile track. His average finish of 25.2 is hindered by four crashes and one mechanical problem. Kahne's lone top 10 came in this event back in 2006 when he finished seventh.

13. David Ragan: Ragan has competed in three races at Dover International Speedway and has posted an average finish of 27.0. This weekend he will be racing a new chassis (No. RK-477) in the Best Buy 400.

14. Ryan Newman: Newman has put together a pretty impressive record in his 12 starts at Dover International Speedway. In the last 10 races, Newman has captured three wins and has led 807 laps. His last and eighth top 10 came last year in this event when he led 135 laps en route to a second-place finish. Three of Newman's four Dover poles have come in the last five events. Newman's last win at Dover came in the 2004 fall race when he dominated the race leading 325 laps on his way to his only win in The Chase. This weekend Newman will be driving the same chassis (PRS-519) that finished 14th at Atlanta.

15. Martin Truex Jr: Truex Jr's win in this event last year at Dover International Speedway marked the first of his Sprint Cup career. He won the event after leading 216 laps from the 26th starting position. The finish was his second top 10 in four starts at the track.

16. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth captured his first win at Dover International Speedway in the 2006 June race after leading 83 laps from the 19th starting position. Sunday will mark Kenseth's 19th start at the one-mile oval dating back to 1998 when he made his first Sprint Cup start after stepping in for Bill Elliott. Along with his victory, Kenseth has recorded 10 top-10 finishes and one pole, which was the first of his career. This weekend Kenseth will return in the same car (chassis RK-473) that most recently finished third in the All-Star race.

17. Juan Pablo Montoya: Last fall, Montoya recorded a top-10 finish in his second start at Dover International Speedway. This weekend he will compete in the same chassis (No. 744) that finished 19th at Las Vegas and Texas.

18. Bobby Labonte: Labonte made his first Sprint Cup Series start at Dover International Speedway on June 2, 1991. Since then, Labonte has competed in 31 more races at "The Monster Mile" capturing one win (1999), three poles, 11 top-five and 14 top-10 finishes. The last time Labonte led a lap was in the June event back in 2003 when he led 34 circuits of a track total 143. His best finish in four track starts with Petty Enterprises came in the 2006 fall event when he came home seventh. Last year in this event, he started third and finished 18th.

19. Travis Kvapil: Kvapil will be making his first start at Dover International Speedway in a Yates Racing Ford. His previous best finish at the track in four starts was a 17th in the No. 77 Dodge for Penske Racing. This weekend he will be driving the same car (chassis No. 464) that finished eighth at Darlington.

20. Brian Vickers: Vickers qualified for both races at Dover International Speedway with the Red Bull Racing Team. His best finish out of the two starts came last fall when he came home 16th. Vickers' previous six starts all came with Hendrick Motorsports where he posted one top 10 finish (sixth) in 2005.

Racingone.com