Viewer's Guide: Dover

The first race of the Chase is in the books and now the series shifts to the Monster Mile known as Dover International Speedway.

Dover used to host two strenuous 500-mile races a year, but in September 1997 the race was shortened to 400 miles and it has been that length ever since. ESPN/ABC analyst and three-time winner at the track Rusty Wallace says shortening the race has really helped the drivers in the year's since.

"One of the reasons the drivers don't get as worn out is because it is less distance to race than in the past. It went from 500 miles to 400 miles and that has helped a lot with the fatigue experienced by the drivers," Wallace said. "Also, with the technology in racing, you now have seats that are molded to the driver's body and it holds your shape better. In the past, we did not have head supports or cool helmets and now you have all of these aids to help you while you're in the seat. But, without a doubt, the biggest difference is the race becoming shorter."

Wallace says Dover is a track where the race will start on the bottom, but by the time the night is over you will see grooves all up-and-down the track, including up by the wall. Set-ups are again key, as the concrete track will go through some changes as the race goes on.

"In practice and qualifying you're going to drive hard down on the bottom of the racetrack. You'll peel around the bottom and it's crucial getting off the corners," Wallace said. "You can get real loose off Turns 2 and 4. To accommodate the transitions, you have to set the car up to be loose in both of those exits. The groove will also start to move up on the racetrack and you'll move higher and higher on race day but not in practice and qualifying."

ABC will have live coverage of the Dodge Dealers 400 from Dover International Speedway, beginning at 1 p.m. ET Sunday, with the pre-race NASCAR Countdown program.

On Saturday, ESPN2 continues its season-long coverage of the Busch Series with live coverage of the RoadLoans.com 200 at Dover. The telecast begins at 3 p.m. ET with NASCAR Countdown.

The Craftsman Truck Series is back in action with the Las Vegas 350 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Saturday. SPEED will have green-to-checkered coverage beginning at 8:30 p.m. ET with NCTS Setup.