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NASCAR.com's Pat DeCola ranks Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs drivers following the most recent race at New Hampshire as the series heads to Dover.
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Driver: Kasey Kahne
Rank: 16
Change: -2
Comment: Kahne likely had a better shot of a good finish this past Sunday at New Hampshire, given his history, but Dover could offer another solid opportunity to rebound. Kahne has an average finish of just 18.6 there, but he has three top-six finishes in the past five races at the 'Monster Mile.'
Rank: 16
Change: -2
Comment: Kahne likely had a better shot of a good finish this past Sunday at New Hampshire, given his history, but Dover could offer another solid opportunity to rebound. Kahne has an average finish of just 18.6 there, but he has three top-six finishes in the past five races at the 'Monster Mile.'
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Driver: Kurt Busch
Rank: 15
Change: -5
Comment: Mostly in do-or-die territory at Dover, the good news is that Busch won this race in 2011 -- but that was a few teams and manufacturers ago. Since that win, he has just one top-10 finish at the Delaware track.
Rank: 15
Change: -5
Comment: Mostly in do-or-die territory at Dover, the good news is that Busch won this race in 2011 -- but that was a few teams and manufacturers ago. Since that win, he has just one top-10 finish at the Delaware track.
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Driver: Austin Dillon
Rank: 14
Change: -1
Comment: Dillon is just slightly on the wrong side of the bubble via tie-breaker and needs to perform well at Dover. The track is a place he struggled at to begin his career (no finish higher than 20th in first six starts), but he has figured it out a bit more lately (finishes of 13th or better the last two times.)
Rank: 14
Change: -1
Comment: Dillon is just slightly on the wrong side of the bubble via tie-breaker and needs to perform well at Dover. The track is a place he struggled at to begin his career (no finish higher than 20th in first six starts), but he has figured it out a bit more lately (finishes of 13th or better the last two times.)
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Driver: Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Rank: 13
Change: 3
Comment: Stenhouse Jr. can't really afford another mediocre finish like he’s endured through the postseason's first two races, but Dover may not be the track at which he turns it around. In 10 career starts, he has just a single top-10 finish, though it did come in this race in 2015.
Rank: 13
Change: 3
Comment: Stenhouse Jr. can't really afford another mediocre finish like he’s endured through the postseason's first two races, but Dover may not be the track at which he turns it around. In 10 career starts, he has just a single top-10 finish, though it did come in this race in 2015.
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Driver: Ryan Newman
Rank: 12
Change: 3
Comment: Newman is tied with Matt Kenseth for second on the active list for most wins (three) and owns the most poles with four, but he hasn't had one of either since 2007.
Rank: 12
Change: 3
Comment: Newman is tied with Matt Kenseth for second on the active list for most wins (three) and owns the most poles with four, but he hasn't had one of either since 2007.
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Driver: Jamie McMurray
Rank: 11
Change: --
Comment: Dover is not historically one of McMurray’s better tracks, but the Chip Ganassi Racing driver does have three top-seven finishes in his last five starts.
Rank: 11
Change: --
Comment: Dover is not historically one of McMurray’s better tracks, but the Chip Ganassi Racing driver does have three top-seven finishes in his last five starts.
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Driver: Kevin Harvick
Rank: 10
Change: -6
Comment: In need of a rebound from a disastrous outing at New Hampshire, the 2015 winner of the fall Dover race could right the ship on Sunday.
Rank: 10
Change: -6
Comment: In need of a rebound from a disastrous outing at New Hampshire, the 2015 winner of the fall Dover race could right the ship on Sunday.
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Driver: Ryan Blaney
Rank: 9
Change: 3
Comment: While Blaney has only a small handful of starts at Dover, he joins Chase Elliott and Austin Dillon as the only playoffs drivers with no laps led at the Monster Mile. Luckily for the No. 21 team, Blaney likely won't need to win to advance; a solid finish should do.
Rank: 9
Change: 3
Comment: While Blaney has only a small handful of starts at Dover, he joins Chase Elliott and Austin Dillon as the only playoffs drivers with no laps led at the Monster Mile. Luckily for the No. 21 team, Blaney likely won't need to win to advance; a solid finish should do.
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Driver: Chase Elliott
Rank: 8
Change: -1
Comment: Elliott has been stellar at Dover in his early career, with a top-five finish in all three of his starts. The No. 24 car won this race in 2014, and it could be the site of the Hendrick Motorsports driver's first win.
Rank: 8
Change: -1
Comment: Elliott has been stellar at Dover in his early career, with a top-five finish in all three of his starts. The No. 24 car won this race in 2014, and it could be the site of the Hendrick Motorsports driver's first win.
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Driver: Jimmie Johnson
Rank: 7
Change: 1
Comment: The road to Victory Lane goes through the No. 48 and Johnson, the spring winner. He's the undisputed king of the track with 11 career wins.
Rank: 7
Change: 1
Comment: The road to Victory Lane goes through the No. 48 and Johnson, the spring winner. He's the undisputed king of the track with 11 career wins.
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Driver: Denny Hamlin
Rank: 6
Change: -3
Comment: Hamlin has had fast cars at Dover -- three career poles -- but that hasn't resulted in many great finishes. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver has just nine top-10 finishes in 23 'Monster Mile' starts.
Rank: 6
Change: -3
Comment: Hamlin has had fast cars at Dover -- three career poles -- but that hasn't resulted in many great finishes. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver has just nine top-10 finishes in 23 'Monster Mile' starts.
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Driver: Matt Kenseth
Rank: 5
Change: 4
Comment: Kenseth has a strong shot at continuing the string of good runs for Toyota lately, as the Joe Gibbs Racing driver is tied with Newman for second in most Dover wins (three) and has more top fives and top 10s than Johnson, the holder of most career wins in Dover.
Rank: 5
Change: 4
Comment: Kenseth has a strong shot at continuing the string of good runs for Toyota lately, as the Joe Gibbs Racing driver is tied with Newman for second in most Dover wins (three) and has more top fives and top 10s than Johnson, the holder of most career wins in Dover.
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Driver: Brad Keselowski
Rank: 4
Change: 1
Comment: Keselowski won this race en route to his first title in 2012 and rode the pole in last year's race to a fourth-place finish.
Rank: 4
Change: 1
Comment: Keselowski won this race en route to his first title in 2012 and rode the pole in last year's race to a fourth-place finish.
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Driver: Kyle Busch
Rank: 3
Change: 3
Comment: Busch has a great shot at popping off back-to-back victories, as one of five drivers with multiple Dover wins (all five are playoff drivers). He's second only to Johnson in laps led at the track (3,100 to 1,158).
Rank: 3
Change: 3
Comment: Busch has a great shot at popping off back-to-back victories, as one of five drivers with multiple Dover wins (all five are playoff drivers). He's second only to Johnson in laps led at the track (3,100 to 1,158).
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Driver: Kyle Larson
Rank: 2
Change: --
Comment: Larson tweeted Monday morning that Sunday at Loudon was his 17th second-place finish across all his racing. As the runner-up in two of the past three Dover races, there's a solid chance that trend continues.
Rank: 2
Change: --
Comment: Larson tweeted Monday morning that Sunday at Loudon was his 17th second-place finish across all his racing. As the runner-up in two of the past three Dover races, there's a solid chance that trend continues.
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Driver: Martin Truex Jr.
Rank: 1
Change: --
Comment: For as often as it seems the Furniture Row Racing driver lands in Victory Lane these days, Dover is one of just two tracks at which he has multiple wins. The defending race winner enters Sunday as the favorite to repeat.
Rank: 1
Change: --
Comment: For as often as it seems the Furniture Row Racing driver lands in Victory Lane these days, Dover is one of just two tracks at which he has multiple wins. The defending race winner enters Sunday as the favorite to repeat.