History

·        The official opening of Dover International Speedway, then called Dover Downs International Speedway, was in 1969.

·        The first NASCAR Sprint Cup race was held on July 6, 1969 – won by Richard Petty.

·        The first two races at Dover were 300 miles. The race length was changed to 500 miles in 1971.

·        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 track name was changed to Dover International Speedway in 2002.

Dover International Speedway Data

Season Race #: 28 of 36 (9-29-13)

Chase Race #: 3

Track Size: 1-mile

Banking/Turn 1 & 2: 24 degrees

Banking/Turn 3 & 4: 24 degrees

Banking/Frontstretch: 9 degree

Banking/Backstretch: 9 degree

Frontstretch Length:  1,076 feet

Backstretch Length:  1,076 feet

Race Length: 400 laps / 400 miles

 

Top 13 Driver Rating at Dover

Jimmie Johnson................. 119.6

Matt Kenseth...................... 107.3

Kurt Busch......................... 105.6

Carl Edwards...................... 102.9

Greg Biffle.......................... 101.4

Mark Martin.......................... 97.3

Kurt Busch........................... 93.6

Jeff Gordon.......................... 92.7

Clint Bowyer......................... 91.1

Martin Truex Jr.................... 89.9

Ryan Newman...................... 88.4

Jeff Burton........................... 86.4

Brad Keselowski................... 85.3

Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2013 races (17 total) among active drivers at Dover Motor Speedway.

 

Qualifying/Race Data

2012 pole winner: Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 159.299 mph, 22.599 secs. 9-28-12

 

2012 race winner: Brad Keselowski, 125.076 mph, (03:11:53), 9-30-12

 

Track qualifying record: Jeremy Mayfield, Dodge, 161.522 mph, 22.288 secs. 6-4-04

 

Track race record: Mark Martin, Ford, 132.719 mph, (03:00:50), 9-21-97

 

Notebook

·        There have been 87 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Dover International Speedway, one race in 1969 and 1970, two races per year since 1971.

·        373 drivers have competed in at least one NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Dover International Speedway; 270 in more than one.

·        Ricky Rudd leads the series in starts at Dover with 56. Mark Martin leads all active drivers with 54 starts; followed by Terry Labonte with 52.

·        David Pearson won the inaugural Coors Light pole at Dover in 1969 with a speed of 130.430 mph.

·        36 drivers have Coors Light poles at Dover, led by David Pearson with six. Mark Martin leads all active drivers in poles, with five, followed by Jeff Gordon and Ryan Newman with four each.

·        Nine drivers have won consecutive Coors Light poles at Dover. David Pearson holds the record for most consecutive poles at Dover with three; from 1973 to the spring race of 1974.

·        Four active drivers have posted consecutive Coors Light poles at Dover: Mark Martin (fall 1988 and spring 1989), Bobby Labonte (fall 1996 and spring 1997), Ryan Newman (fall 2005 and spring 2006), and Denny Hamlin (fall 2012 and spring 2013).

·        Youngest Dover pole winner: Jeff Gordon (6/4/1995 – 23 years, 10 months, 0 days).

·        Oldest Dover pole winner: Mark Martin (6/1/2012 – 53 years, 4 months, 23 days).

·        34 different drivers have won at Dover International Speedway, led by Richard Petty, Bobby Allison and Jimmie Johnson with seven wins each.

·        12 drivers have posted consecutive wins at Dover International Speedway, including three consecutive by David Pearson (fall 1972 and 1973 sweep), Rusty Wallace (fall 1993 and 1994 sweep) and Jeff Gordon (fall 1995 and 1996 sweep).

·        Youngest Dover winner: Kyle Busch (6/1/2008 – 23 years, 0 months, 30 days).

·        Oldest Dover winner: Harry Gant (5/31/1992 – 52 years, 4 months, 21 days).

·        Hendrick Motorsports has the most wins at Dover in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with 14: Jimmie Johnson (seven), Jeff Gordon (four), Geoff Bodine (one), Ken Schrader (one) and Ricky Rudd (one).

·        Nine different manufacturers have won in the NSCS at Dover; led by Chevrolet with 33 victories; followed by Ford with 25.

·        13 of the 87 (14.9%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Dover have been won from the Coors Light pole; the two most recent were Jimmie Johnson in 2009 and 2010.

·        The second-place starting position is the most proficient starting position in the field, producing more winners (15) than any other starting position at Dover International Speedway.

·        28 of the 87 (32.1%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Dover have been won from the front row: 13 from the pole and 15 from second-place.

·        68 of the 87 (78.1%) NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Dover have been won from a top-10 starting position.

·        Five of the 87 (5.7%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Dover have been won from a starting position outside the top 20 – most recently: Tony Stewart, spring 2013 (22nd-place starting position).

·        The deepest in the field that a race winner has started at Dover was 37th, by Kyle Petty in the spring of 1995.

·        Mark Martin leads the series in runner-up finishes at Dover with eight; followed by Dale Earnhardt with five.

·        Mark Martin leads the series in top-five finishes at Dover with 24; followed by Dale Earnhardt with 19.

·        Mark Martin leads the series in top-10 finishes at Dover with 33; followed by Richard Petty and Ricky Rudd with 26 each.

·        Ryan Newman leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in average starting position at Dover with a 9.304.

·        Carl Edwards leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in average finishing position at Dover with an 8.611; Jimmie Johnson (9.000) is the only other active driver with an average finish in the top 10.

·        15 of the 16 active NASCAR Sprint Cup Series winners at Dover International Speedway participated in at least one or more races before visiting Victory Lane. Jimmie Johnson won at Dover in his first two appearances.

·        Jeff Burton competed at Dover International Speedway 25 times before winning in the fall of 2006; the longest span of any the 16 active NASCAR Sprint Cup Series winners.

·        Among the 16 active NSCS Dover winners Jeff Burton (25), Kurt Busch (22), Mark Martin (22), Matt Kenseth (14), Bobby Labonte (13) and Ken Schrader (12) all made 10 or more attempts before their first win.

·        Joe Nemechek leads the series among active drivers with the most NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Dover without visiting Victory Lane at 38; followed by Kevin Harvick with 25.

·        Since the advent of electronic scoring the closest margin of victory (MOV) in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Dover International Speedway was the September 25, 2005 race won by Jimmie Johnson over Kyle Busch with a MOV of 0.08 second.

·        There has been one NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race resulting with a green-white-checkered finish at Dover International Speedway (Scheduled No. of Laps/Actual No. of Laps): fall of 2005 (400/404).

·        Not one of the 87 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Dover International Speedway has been shortened due to weather conditions.

·        Qualifying has been cancelled due to weather conditions in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Dover International Speedway five times: fall of 1984, spring of 2001, fall of 2003, spring of 2005 and spring of 2011.

·        Four NASCAR Sprint Cup Series active drivers have made their first career start at Dover International Speedway: Bobby Labonte (6/3/91), Matt Kenseth (9/20/98), Kurt Busch (9/24/00) and David Ragan (9/24/06).

·        Two active drivers have posted their first career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coors Light pole at Dover International Speedway: Matt Kenseth (06/02/02) and Michael Waltrip (6/3/1991).

·        One active NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver has posted his first career win at Dover International Speedway: Martin Truex Jr. (6/4/07).

·        Jimmie Johnson leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in laps led at Dover with 2,461 laps led in 23 starts.

·        Two female drivers have competed at Dover International Speedway in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series: Janet Guthrie and Danica Patrick.

Driver	Starting Position	Finishing Position	Date
Janet Guthrie	11	33	9/19/1976
Janet Guthrie	15	11	9/18/1977
Danica Patrick	38	28	9/30/2012
Danica Patrick	39	24	6/2/2013

NASCAR in Delaware

·        There have been 87 NASCAR Sprint Cup races in Delaware all at Dover International Speedway.

Track Name	City	NSCS
Dover International Speedway	Dover	87

·       Eight drivers in NASCAR national series history have their home state recorded as Delaware; none of the eight have recorded a victory in NASCAR national series competition.

Chase For The NASCAR Sprint Cup: Dover International Speedway

·        Dover International Speedway has been one of the 10 tracks of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup since the playoff’s inception in 2004.

·        Dover International Speedway hosted the second race of the 10-race Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup from 2004 – 2010. 2011 marked the first season Dover has hosted the third race of the Chase.

·        Three times the winner of the Dover International Speedway Chase race has gone on to win the championship. Twice when Dover was the second Chase race: Jimmie Johnson (2009, 2010); and also when it has hosted the third Chase race: Brad Keselowski (2012).

·        Jimmie Johnson has won the most Chase races (three) at Dover International Speedway: 2005, 2009 and 2010.

·        The worst finish by the eventual champion at Dover International Speedway was Tony Stewart in 2011 (25th).

·        Chase Contenders have won eight of the nine Chase races at Dover International Speedway. The only Chase race not won by a Chase Contender at Dover was the 2006 event won by Jeff Burton.

·        Chase Contenders have won eight of the nine Coors Light poles for the Chase races at Dover. The only Coors Light pole not won by Chase Contender during a Chase event at Dover was 2011 when Martin Truex Jr. won the pole.

·        Nine of the 2013 Chase Contenders are former NASCAR Sprint Cup race winners at Dover International Speedway: Jimmie Johnson (7), Jeff Gordon (4), Ryan Newman (3), Greg Biffle (2), Matt Kenseth (2), Kyle Busch (2), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (1), Carl Edwards (1) and Kurt Busch (1). 

·        Chevrolet leads the series in Chase wins at Dover International Speedway with four followed by Dodge with three and Ford with two.

·        Three times drivers have won the first two races in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup: Greg Biffle (2008), Tony Stewart (2011) and Matt Kenseth (2013). Biffle went on to finish third in the final 2008 Chase standings; Stewart won the 2011 championship.

 

Chase For The NASCAR Sprint Cup:

Eventual champion’s points position and point deficit to the standings leader following the second Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup race:

Season	Champion	Points Back From Leader	Points Position Following Second Chase Race
2004	Kurt Busch	-1	2nd
2005	Tony Stewart	-23	5th
2006	Jimmie Johnson	-136	8th
2007	Jimmie Johnson	-4	3rd
2008	Jimmie Johnson	-10	2nd
2009	Jimmie Johnson	-10	2nd
2010	Jimmie Johnson	-35	2nd
2011	Tony Stewart	0	1st
2012	Brad Keselowski	-1	2nd

*Note: 2011 and 2012 are under the current points per finish system

 

 

DOVER-SPECIFIC STATISTICS

 

1 - Matt Kenseth (No. 20 Home Depot Husky Toyota)

·        Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 110.8

2013 Rundown

·        Seven wins, eight top fives, 15 top 10s; two poles

·        Average finish of 13.0

·        Led 19 races for 1,344 laps

Dover International Speedway Outlook:

·        Two wins, 13 top fives, 18 top 10s; one pole

·        Average finish of 13.6 in 29 races

·        Average Running Position of 9.4, second-best

·        Driver Rating of 107.3, second-best

·        409 Fastest Laps Run, fourth-most

·        5,429 Laps in the Top 15 (79.8%), second-most

·        449 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 under green), fourth-most

 

2 - Kyle Busch (No. 18 Interstate Batteries Toyota)

·        Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 103.5

2013 Rundown

·        Four wins, 13 top fives, 17 top 10s; three poles

·        Average finish of 13.1

·        Led 14 races for 1,169 laps

Dover International Speedway Outlook:

·        Two wins, eight top fives, 11 top 10s

·        Average finish of 13.3 in 17 races

·        Average Running Position of 11.2, sixth-best

·        Driver Rating of 105.6, third-best

·        363 Fastest Laps Run, fifth-most

·        5,174 Laps in the Top 15 (76.0%), fourth-most

·        432 Quality Passes, fifth-most

 

3 - Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe's / KOBALT Tools Chevrolet)

·        Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 105.5

2013 Rundown

·        Four wins, 11 top fives, 17 top 10s; two poles

·        Average finish of 12.3

·        Led 16 races for 1,180 laps

Dover International Speedway Outlook:

·        Seven wins, 11 top fives, 16 top 10s; three poles

·        Average finish of 9.0 in 23 races

·        Series-best Average Running Position of 7.1

·        Series-best Driver Rating of 119.6

·        Series-high 923 Fastest Laps Run

·        Series-best Average Green Flag Speed of 144.091 mph

·        Series-high 5,862 Laps in the Top 15 (86.2%)

 

4 - Carl Edwards (No. 99 Fastenal Ford)

·        Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 93.9

2013 Rundown

·        Two wins, eight top fives, 14 top 10s; one pole

·        Average finish of 12.1

·        Led 12 races for 448 laps

Dover International Speedway Outlook:

·        One win, eight top fives, 12 top 10s

·        Average finish of 8.6 in 18 races

·        Average Running Position of 10.3, third-best

·        Driver Rating of 102.9, fourth-best

·        487 Fastest Laps Run, second-most

·        Average Green Flag Speed of 143.588 mph, fifth-fastest

·        4,912 Laps in the Top 15 (72.2%), seventh-most

·        Series-high 469 Quality Passes

 

5 - Greg Biffle (No. 16 Filtrete Ford)

·        Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 83.3

2013 Rundown

·        One win, four top fives, 11 top 10s

·        Average finish of 14.7

·        Led 4 races for 117 laps

Dover International Speedway Outlook:

·        Two wins, six top fives, 10 top 10s; one pole

·        Average finish of 12.5 in 22 races

·        Average Running Position of 10.7, fifth-best

·        Driver Rating of 101.4, fifth-best

·        432 Fastest Laps Run, third-most

·        723 Green Flag Passes, fourth-most

·        Average Green Flag Speed of 143.654 mph, fourth-fastest

·        5,109 Laps in the Top 15 (75.1%), fifth-most

·        464 Quality Passes, second-most

 

6 - Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet)

·        Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 92.7

2013 Rundown

·        Two wins, seven top fives, 14 top 10s

·        Average finish of 12.6

·        Led 9 races for 53 laps

Dover International Speedway Outlook:

·        Three top fives, 11 top 10s

·        Average finish of 15.6 in 25 races

·        Average Running Position of 16.0, 14th-best

·        Driver Rating of 83.1, 14th-best

·        749 Green Flag Passes, third-most

·        4,009 Laps in the Top 15 (58.9%), 11th-most

·        348 Quality Passes, 10th-most

 

7 - Kurt Busch (No. 78 Furniture Row/Denver Mattress Chevrolet)

·        Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 94.9

2013 Rundown

·        Nine top fives, 14 top 10s; one pole

·        Average finish of 14.8

·        Led 13 races for 441 laps

Dover International Speedway Outlook:

·        One win, six top fives, eight top 10s

·        Average finish of 18.1 in 26 races

·        Average Running Position of 12.7, eighth-best

·        Driver Rating of 93.6, seventh-best

·        267 Fastest Laps Run, eighth-most

·        714 Green Flag Passes, fifth-most

·        Average Green Flag Speed of 143.373 mph, ninth-fastest

·        4,265 Laps in the Top 15 (62.7%), 10th-most

·        393 Quality Passes, seventh-most

 

8 - Jeff Gordon (No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet)

·        Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 90.2

2013 Rundown

·        Five top fives, 13 top 10s; one pole

·        Average finish of 15.2

·        Led 12 races for 275 laps

Dover International Speedway Outlook:

·        Four wins, 16 top fives, 23 top 10s; four poles

·        Average finish of 11.8 in 41 races

·        Average Running Position of 12.8, ninth-best

·        Driver Rating of 92.7, eighth-best

·        711 Green Flag Passes, sixth-most

·        Average Green Flag Speed of 143.546 mph, seventh-fastest

·        5,016 Laps in the Top 15 (73.7%), sixth-most

·        458 Quality Passes, third-most

 

9 - Ryan Newman (No. 39 State Water Heaters Chevrolet)

·        Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 81.5

2013 Rundown

·        One win, six top fives, 13 top 10s; two poles

·        Average finish of 15.8

·        Led 12 races for 87 laps

Dover International Speedway Outlook:

·        Three wins, six top fives, 11 top 10s; four poles

·        Average finish of 13.1 in 23 races

·        Average Running Position of 12.7, seventh-best

·        Driver Rating of 88.4, 11th-best

·        Average Green Flag Speed of 143.134 mph, 11th-fastest

·        4,492 Laps in the Top 15 (66.0%), eighth-most

·        338 Quality Passes, 13th-most

 

10 - Clint Bowyer (No. 15 Raspberry 5-Hour ENERGY Benefiting Living Beyond Breast Cancer Toyota

·        Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 93.5

2013 Rundown

·        Eight top fives, 14 top 10s

·        Average finish of 12.4

·        Led 7 races for 290 laps

Dover International Speedway Outlook:

·        One top five, eight top 10s

·        Average finish of 12.7 in 15 races

·        Average Running Position of 12.8, 10th-best

·        Driver Rating of 91.1, ninth-best

·        169 Fastest Laps Run, 12th-most

·        Average Green Flag Speed of 143.398 mph, eighth-fastest

·        4,293 Laps in the Top 15 (71.6%), ninth-most

·        353 Quality Passes, ninth-most

 

11 - Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 88 National Guard Chevrolet)

·        Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 93.8

2013 Rundown

·        Five top fives, 15 top 10s; one pole

·        Average finish of 14.7

·        Led 9 races for 165 laps

Dover International Speedway Outlook:

·        One win, five top fives, nine top 10s

·        Average finish of 17.0 in 27 races

·        Average Running Position of 18.8, 20th-best

·        Driver Rating of 78.7, 17th-best

·        159 Fastest Laps Run, 13th-most

·        681 Green Flag Passes, 11th-most

 

12 - Joey Logano (No. 22 Shell Pennzoil Ford)

·        Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 89.6

2013 Rundown

·        One win, eight top fives, 14 top 10s; two poles

·        Average finish of 15.5

·        Led 11 races for 249 laps

Dover International Speedway Outlook:

·        One top five, five top 10s

·        Average finish of 16.8 in nine races

·        Average Running Position of 19.0, 21st-best

·        Driver Rating of 76.2, 21st-best

 

13 - Kasey Kahne (No. 5 Farmers Insurance Chevrolet)

·        Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 98.2

2013 Rundown

·        Two wins, eight top fives, 11 top 10s

·        Average finish of 16.8

·        Led 7 races for 497 laps

Dover International Speedway Outlook:

·        One top five, five top 10s

·        Average finish of 21.5 in 19 races

·        Average Running Position of 16.9, 16th-best

·        Driver Rating of 80.2, 16th-best

·        293 Fastest Laps Run, seventh-most

·        695 Green Flag Passes, ninth-most

 

Chase Contenders

The Top 13

Following Race 28 of 36 / Chase Race #2

                                                                                Rank          Season

                                                                                                    Last            Driver

Driver                                    Points    Wins       Poles         Week         Rating

1. Matt Kenseth            2,111       7           2              1           110.8

2. Kyle Busch               2,097       4           3               2           103.5

3. Jimmie Johnson       2,093       4           2              3           105.5

4. Carl Edwards            2,075       2           1               5             93.9

5. Greg Biffle               2,073       1           0             11             83.3

6. Kevin Harvick           2,072       2           0               4            92.7

7. Kurt Busch               2,071       0           1               6             94.9

8. Jeff Gordon             2,069       0           1              7             90.2

9. Ryan Newman           2,064       1           2               8             81.5

10. Clint Bowyer             2,063       0           0              9             93.5

11. Dale Earnhardt Jr.     2,049       0           1            13             93.8

12. Joey Logano            2,042       1           2            12             89.6

13. Kasey Kahne            2,040       2           0            10             98.2

    ___________________________________________________________

 

ADDITIONAL DRIVERS

14. Brad Keselowski                792          34. David Stremme          362

15. Jamie McMurray                786          35. AJ Allmendinger         360

16. Martin Truex Jr.                  752          36. Bobby Labonte           347

17. Paul Menard                       742          37. Timmy Hill                   145

18. Aric Almirola                       719          38. Michael McDowell      137

19. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.          700          39. Michael Waltrip           102

20. Jeff Burton                          694          40. Scott Speed                   99

21. Juan Pablo Montoya         693          41. Ken Schrader                92

22. Marcos Ambrose               693          42. Terry Labonte                77

23. Tony Stewart                      594          43. Boris Said                       48

24. Casey Mears                      577          44. Ron Fellows                   31

25. Denny Hamlin                    528          45. Alex Kennedy                21

26. David Ragan                      523          46. Justin Marks                   14

27. Danica Patrick                    514          47. Victor Gonzalez Jr        11

28. Mark Martin                         505          48. Scott Riggs                     10

29. David Gilliland                   483          49. Brian Keselowski            9

30. Dave Blaney                       430          50. Tomy Drissi                      8

31. Travis Kvapil                       388          51. Jacques Villeneuve        3

32. David Reutimann              379          52. Jason Leffler                    1

33. JJ Yeley                               372                                                                                                   

Note: The first 26 races of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season determine which 12 drivers qualify for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, contested over the final 10 races of the season. After race No. 26, the top 10 earn a berth in the Chase. Spots 11 and 12 – the Wild Cards – will go to those drivers outside the top 10 with the most wins, provided they are in the top 20.

 

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series 2013 Top 13 at Dover International Speedway

Rank	Driver	Races	Poles	Wins	Top Fives	Top 10s	DNFs	Average Finish	Driver Rating
1	Matt Kenseth	29	1	2	13	18	5	13.6	107.3
2	Kyle Busch	17	0	2	8	11	3	13.3	105.6
3	Jimmie Johnson	23	3	7	11	16	2	9.0	119.6
4	Carl Edwards	18	0	1	8	12	0	8.6	102.9
5	Greg Biffle	22	1	2	6	10	1	12.5	101.4
6	Kevin Harvick	25	0	0	3	11	1	15.6	83.1
7	Kurt Busch	26	0	1	6	8	6	18.1	93.6
8	Jeff Gordon	41	4	4	16	23	5	11.8	92.7
9	Ryan Newman	23	4	3	6	11	2	13.1	88.4
10	Clint Bowyer	15	0	0	1	8	0	12.7	91.1
11	Dale Earnhardt Jr.	27	0	1	5	9	1	17.0	78.7
12	Joey Logano	9	0	0	1	5	1	16.8	76.2
13	Kasey Kahne	19	0	0	1	5	6	21.5	80.2

* – Based on last 17 races at Dover International Speedway.