The network announced during Sunday’s Cup Series race at Dover Motor Speedway that Richard Petty, Bobby Labonte and Bill Elliott will join the booth for next weekend’s Goodyear 400 (Sunday, 3:30 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM) at Darlington Raceway. Petty is set to join the broadcast during Stage 1, Labonte will be a guest in Stage 2, and Elliott will slot alongside lead announcer Mike Joy and analyst Clint Bowyer in Stage 3.
FOX Sports announced the star-studded booth lineup during Stage 1 of the DuraMAX Drydene 400 at Dover Motor Speedway (set to resume at noon ET on Monday on FS1).
All three are former Darlington winners. Elliott was a five-time winner at the historic 1.366-mile track, including three Southern 500 victories and a season sweep of its events in 1985. Petty won there three times, claiming the Southern 500 trophy as part of his 1967 sweep. Labonte has one Darlington win, securing the Southern 500 laurels in 2000.
Persistent rain has pushed Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Dover Motor Speedway to a Monday finish.
The field had completed just 78 of the 400 scheduled laps in the DuraMAX Drydene 400 when afternoon rain pelted the 1-mile track. The race was red-flagged and cars were covered on pit road.
Track-drying efforts were hampered by continued showers, and NASCAR competition officials opted to postpone the remainder of the race. The event is set to resume Monday at noon ET, airing on FS1, MRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
Defending Cup Series champion Kyle Larson was scored as the leader in the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. Teammate Chase Elliott was second with Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney in third.
Stage 1 was scheduled to end at Lap 125 with Stage 2 set to conclude at Lap 250. The race would need to cross the halfway point to be considered official.
Denny Hamlin had led the most laps (55) before the stoppage, but his No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota was scored eighth after he made a pit stop just before the red flag. That handed the lead to Larson for five caution laps before the cars were stopped.
Hendrick Motorsports’ Alex Bowman, who will re-start from the ninth position, is the defending race winner. The Hendrick team scored a 1-2-3-4 finish in the 2021 race – a four-driver team sweep accomplished only four times in series history.
Many within the NASCAR industry believed Dover would be the last true test for the Next Gen car, and Saturday’s practice session didn’t disappoint. With a handful of incidents, it brought back Fontana moments from two months ago. Throughout the day there were a few surprises, which could play a factor in which drivers you put in your lineup for Monday’s DuraMAX Drydene 400 presented by RelaDyne (noon ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
Dustin Albino’s race-day lineup:
Starter 1: Kyle Larson
Starter 2: Chase Elliott
Starter 3: Alex Bowman
Starter 4: Denny Hamlin
Starter 5: Daniel Suárez
Garage pick: Kevin Harvick
NEXT IN LINE: Chris Buescher, Kyle Busch, Ross Chastain, Bubba Wallace.
RISING: As you may remember, earlier this week I said to stay away from Denny Hamlin. But after a solid Saturday in Dover, the No. 11 team will start the race from second position. Of late, Hamlin has figured out how to get around Dover, so despite his struggles in 2022, I have him in my lineup.
For the first time in Chris Buescher’s NASCAR career, he’s won a pole award. Surprising? Sure, but the Texan has gotten around Dover well in the past, winning an Xfinity Series race at the “Monster Mile” in 2015. This is the first pole for RFK Racing on a non-superspeedway in nearly nine years (Texas-2, 2013).
If you want to go off the beaten path, Ryan Preece has been consistent throughout the weekend. Competing in his first Cup points-paying race of the season, his No. 15 Rick Ware Racing car will line up 13th for the race, and he was sixth in practice. Not too shabby for not sitting in a Cup car since The Clash in early February.
FALLING: It’s been a mediocre start to the 2022 season for Martin Truex Jr., but wherever he’s had success in the past he’s performed well with the Next Gen car. This weekend, eh, not the same thus far, as the No. 19 Toyota was 19th in practice and will start the race 18th. Last year at Dover, Truex struggled as well, dropping quickly from the pole. But knowing how to get around the “Monster Mile,” it wouldn’t be a shocker should he improve into Monday’s race.
Entering the weekend, William Byron was one of the pre-race favorites, but it didn’t take long for the No. 24 Chevrolet to get into the wall in practice, forcing the team to go to a backup car. With no laps in the car, don’t risk putting Byron on your team this week, despite his consistent speed all year long.
FEATURED MATCHUPS
Ross Chastain vs. Kyle Larson: Chastain enters Dover with a boatload of momentum, winning two of the last five Cup Series races. But don’t overthink this one: Larson is one of the best drivers in the field at Dover, with 10 top-10 finishes in 13 starts. And his first start at Dover with Hendrick Motorsports? He led a lofty 263 laps.
Alex Bowman vs. William Byron: Despite having to start from the rear in a backup car, one would think that Byron will contend for at the very least a top-10 position. However, Bowman is the defending winner at Dover and will start from sixth position. Go with the No. 48 Chevrolet in this teammate duel.
Kevin Harvick vs. Martin Truex Jr.: Not too long ago, Harvick and Truex were duking it out for victories at Dover. Though starting 11th, Harvick says he still thinks his car will perform well on Monday while Truex is mired back in 18th at the start. In a bit of a surprise, the No. 19 team struggled on Saturday. I’d give the slight nod to Harvick, as I have him in my garage.
Chase Elliott vs. Tyler Reddick: When talking to media on Saturday, Reddick was uncertain he will even make it through 400 miles at Dover due to the unpredictability of his No. 8 car in practice. After all, he spun multiple times. Meanwhile, Elliott was consistent and starts third. On top of that, HMS is the team to beat on Sunday.
The starting lineup is set for today’s DuraMAX Drydene 400 at Dover Motor Speedway (3 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
If the race is anything like the practice session just before qualifying, we’re in for a wild affair. Five cars suffered incidents in practice. Some, like Tyler Reddick, simply spun and moved on.
Four other drivers weren’t so lucky. William Byron, Todd Gilliland, Harrison Burton, and Josh Bilicki all made contact with the wall in practice, and will start the race at the rear of the field.
With the potential for spins and chaos at the Monster Mile, I’m looking toward one extremely consistent driver for today’s best bet.
NASCAR at Dover Picks
*Odds as of Sunday morning
Kevin Harvick +475 to Finish as Top Ford
The NASCAR Cup Series has raced at five traditional ovals so far in 2022. By that, I mean the non-drafting and non-dirt ovals, like the series visits this weekend at Dover.
Of those five ovals, the least similar to Dover is Martinsville. The half-mile flat track simply doesn’t match the speeds we traditionally see at Dover. Meanwhile, the other four tracks all average green-flag speeds within 30 miles per hour of Dover.
In those four races, Kevin Harvick finished among the top three Fords every single time. That included two second-place finishes among the blue ovals, as well as one finish as the best Ford driver.
Just looking at Dover, Harvick has finished as the top Ford driver in five of the last seven races, with no finish worse than third.
This consistency has been a staple of the latter part of Harvick’s career.
The 2014 champion has not had a DNF at a traditional oval since Bristol in 2019.
In a race where mayhem might occur, it helps to have a driver with the experience and consistency that Harvick has.
Noah Gragson admitted a smidge of jealousy in seeing JR Motorsports teammate Josh Berry’s Miles the Monster trophy Saturday afternoon at Dover Motor Speedway.
“I don’t deserve it,” he said of wanting to snatch away the winner’s laurels, “but that thing’s so cool.”
The next-best thing came in the form of an oversized check and a six-figure Dash 4 Cash payday that rewarded his fourth-place finish in Saturday’s A-GAME 200.
“I feel like Happy Gilmore with these things,” Gragson said of his check-like placard, referencing the 1996 Adam Sandler comedy that was released two years before he was born. “This is awesome.”
Gragson was part of a dominant day for JR Motorsports’ four-car fleet, which led 140 of the 200 laps. Berry edged teammate Justin Allgaier for the victory, and Gragson’s fourth-place finish was bookended by Joe Gibbs Racing’s Ty Gibbs in third and JRM’s Sam Mayer in fifth.
The 200-miler marked the last event in the four-race Dash 4 Cash program for 2022. Four drivers were eligible for the payout at Dover, and Gragson claimed it as the top finisher over AJ Allmendinger (sixth place), Ryan Sieg (10th) and Landon Cassill (12th). Allmendinger snared two Dash 4 Cash bonuses this season, and Gragson and Mayer won one each.
Gragson has won the Dash 4 Cash prize five times in his career, claiming three bonuses last season and one each in 2020 and 2022. As in the past, he indicated he intends to split his share up among the crew on his No. 9 Chevrolet team.
“They’re all happy because they get beer,” Gragson joked. “No, I mean, the percentage that I get, I divide it up and give it back to the pit-crew guys and the mechanics and everybody on the No. 9 team. It’s just, maybe Christmas money or whatever it could be. They sacrifice so much, these guys, going on the road every weekend. I mean, they’re missing softball games and their kids’ baseball games and stuff like that to be able to help me chase my dream. This is the least I could do for them is that.”
The Dash 4 Cash initiative for the NASCAR Xfinity Series awarded its fourth and final $100,000 prize of the 2022 campaign Saturday at Dover Motor Speedway.
The program opened with a qualifying race March 26 at Circuit of The Americas, and the first money race followed April 2 at Richmond Raceway. The Dash 4 Cash event continued April 8 at Martinsville and again on April 23 at Talladega Superspeedway. The competition wrapped on April 30 at Dover.
How it works is the first of the four eligible Dash 4 Cash competitors to finish in a race in the program will win the $100,000 bonus. The winner and the next three highest finishing Xfinity Series drivers (who have declared for points in that series) will qualify for the next event.
In addition to the payout to drivers, Comcast is committed to helping people access the transformative power of the internet and to closing the digital divide. Once again, the company is leveraging the NASCAR Xfinity Series Dash 4 Cash platform to continue to make an impact. Since 2018, the company has donated both laptops and more than $200,000 of funding to racing communities. Comcast has also installed free WiFi inside community centers, as part of its Lift Zones program, in markets where the popular and highly competitive four-race series takes place.
2022 Dash 4 Cash recaps
At Dover: Noah Gragson’s fourth-place result led him to the fourth and final $100,000 bonus of 2022, as all four JR Motorsports cars finished in the top five. The only outlier was Ty Gibbs in third for Joe Gibbs Racing. Josh Berry ultimately won. Gragson’s Dash 4 Cash competitors were sixth-finishing AJ Allmendinger, 10th-place Ryan Sieg and Landon Cassill in 12th.
At Talladega: Another third-place result handed AJ Allmendinger his second consecutive $100,000 payday, this time after multiple overtimes at Talladega. The Kaulig Racing driver led six of the 124 laps in the Ag-Pro 300, and he outdistanced teammate Landon Cassill, Austin Hill and Brandon Jones in the Dash 4 Cash field. Cassill finish fifth, but race-long dominator Hill (27th) and Brandon Jones (26th) each crashed out.
Qualifiers for Dover: Noah Gragson, Landon Cassill, AJ Allmendinger, Ryan Sieg
At Martinsville: AJ Allmendinger’s third-place finish secured him the $100,000 bonus among the four Dash 4 Cash contenders. Sam Mayer looked to be the victor, but a run-in during overtime with Ty Gibbs ruined both their chances — and led to a pit-road fight. Mayer ended up fifth, Gibbs eighth. Riley Herbst, the fourth competitor this week, placed sixth.
Qualifiers for Talladega: Brandon Jones, Landon Cassill, AJ Allmendinger, Austin Hill
At Richmond: Sam Mayer was the highest finisher of the four eligible Dash 4 Cash drivers and took home the $100,000 prize. He finished third behind Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Ty Gibbs and John Hunter Nemechek. Mayer slid past AJ Allmendinger in the closing laps to secure third place and the highest finish among eligible drivers. Allmendinger finished right behind him in fourth, with Hill 18th and Gragson 21st.
Qualifiers for Martinsville: AJ Allmendinger, Ty Gibbs, Riley Herbst, Sam Mayer
At COTA: The top four finishing Xfinity Series regulars at Circuit of The Americas were eligible for the $100,000 prize at Richmond. No prize was given out at COTA, but it did set the Dash 4 Cash participants for “The Action Track”
Qualifiers for Richmond: AJ Allmendinger, Noah Gragson, Austin Hill, Sam Mayer
Josh Berry answered a runner-up finish last year at Dover Motor Speedway with a victory Saturday in the A-GAME 200 NASCAR Xfinity Series race at the track– holding off his JR Motorsports teammate Justin Allgaier by 0.604 seconds.
Berry led the final 55 laps of the 200-lap race to claim his first win of 2022 and the third of his Xfinity Series career. His JR Motorsports team claimed four of the race’s top-five positions – the first time any team has done so since 2013. Joe Gibbs Racing’s Ty Gibbs was third followed by JRM drivers Noah Gragson and Sam Mayer.
“We just kept our head down and kept working every week and trying to fix any of our mistakes,” said Berry, who ended a five-race drought without a top-five finish. “And we knew that if we did that, and we kept bringing fast cars, we would have the speed to finally win. At the end of the day, you know this deal, it really doesn’t pay to be on fire at the beginning of the season. I mean, we saw that last year with the (eventual champion Daniel Hemric). So we just got to keep moving, I need on keep getting better every week and be there when it counts at the end of the season.”
Allgaier led a race-best 67 laps but was passed by Berry’s No. 8 JR Motorsports Chevrolet with 55 laps remaining. He rallied to his ultimate second-place finish after suffering a setback on a slow final pit stop. Berry returned to track with the lead on that restart, and Allgaier had to race forward from fourth place, getting as high as second but never having a true chance to make a pass for the win.
“I struggled a lot on the bottom on the restarts and just kept trying to work to get better. It’s just credit to these guys, the pit crew did a phenomenal job today, they executed when we needed it,’’ said the 31-year-old Tennessee native, Berry. “And we were there when it counted.
“I went toe-to-toe with Justin Allgaier and he’s so freaking good here. Gosh, I thought he was kind of out of it after that pit stop and then he was right back to second and I thought, ‘here we go again.’”
Sean Gardner | Getty Images
Allgaier, 35, a perennial championship contender, is looking for his first win since Darlington Raceway last May. This marked his fifth runner-up finish in that time – but is his best showing of 2022.
“Proud of our team, we wanted to get the car in victory lane but with the string of bad luck, I feel like today was a good day, just a little bit short,’’ said Allgaier, who had finished 20th or worse in four of the five races leading into Dover.
Gragson’s fourth-place finish marked a solid end to a challenging day for the 23-year-old and earned him his $100,000 bonus check in the Dash 4 Cash program.
“What a day for the entire company, four cars in the top-five, and congratulations to Josh Berry for his win,’’ said Gragson, who added with a smile holding up the giant $100,000 cardboard Dash 4 Cash winner’s check, “My car was as fast as the Xfinity internet.’’
AJ Allmendinger finished sixth but retains the championship lead by 43 points over both two-race winner Gragson and three-race winner Gibbs.
Mayer’s fifth-place finish was impressive considering his eventful day. He won Stage 1 and then had a pit stop situation during the ensuing stop. His JR Motorsports Chevrolet lost a left-rear tire, and he ended up having to make an extra stop and eventually dropping back as far as 19th place before making his way forward again.
Saturday’s polesitter, Brandon Jones, rallied to a seventh-place finish after pit issues as well.
Richard Childress Racing’s Sheldon Creed was eighth – the highest finishing rookie with Riley Herbst and Ryan Sieg rounding out the top-10.
The series races next week at the historic Darlington Raceway in the Mahindra ROXOR 200 (Saturday, 1:30 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Allgaier is the defending race winner.
NOTE: There were no issues in the NASCAR Xfinity Series post-race inspection, confirming Berry as the winner. Allmendinger’s No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet had one lug nut not safe and secure.
DuraMAX Drydene 400 at Dover Motor Speedway
(⏰ Noon ET | 📺 FS1 | 📻 MRN, SiriusXM)
Everything you need to know for Monday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at newly-renamed Dover Motor Speedway, the 11th regular-season event of the 2022 campaign.
Not many surprises in Saturday morning’s qualifying session, with Hendrick Motorsports and Trackhouse Racing sharing most of the success. Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson, Alex Bowman, Ross Chastain and Daniel Suárez each flashed Chevrolet’s speed and will start in the top 10 on Sunday. However, the biggest and boldest surprise was Chris Buescher’s dash to the top of the leaderboard. The No. 17 Ford driver claimed his first career pole and first for RFK Racing’s newly-formed operation. Ford counterpart Ryan Blaney qualified fifth. Toyota drivers Denny Hamlin (second), Bubba Wallace (ninth) and Kyle Busch (10th) rounded out the top 10 quickest lap times. William Byron, the only Hendrick Motorsports driver who didn’t qualify, suffered a heavy hit during practice, forcing the No. 24 camp to a backup car. | See Byron’s wrecked Chevrolet | Full practice and qualifying recap
Big story line
After putting on a clinic at Dover in 2021, Hendrick Motorsports could very well do it again this year. Though we have seen reasonable parity to this point, William Byron (twice), Alex Bowman and Kyle Larson have still each reached Victory Lane. And Chase Elliott has to be champing at the bit to join his teammates in the win column. Each of the four sits top-seven in the NASCAR Cup Series standings, meaning they’ve still been quietly the team to beat every week. At a technical track like Dover, they could very well set themselves apart from the field as they did in last year’s historic 1-2-3-4 finish. But if anyone can slow their momentum at the “Monster Mile,” it is Kevin Harvick. The No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing driver is the only multi-time winner in the previous seven races here and has seven consecutive top-six finishes. Will we see the usual Dover dominators set the pace on Monday? Or will in-form drivers such as Ross Chastain, arguably the hottest driver on the planet, and Austin Dillon, the leader of the underdogs, continue to charge up the standings? | Who has the best odds for Monday’s race?
Who’s hot? Who’s not?
If Ross Chastain can win on Monday, it would be his series-leading third victory of the season at a third different track type. He enters this weekend as winner of two of the last five races (Circuit of The Americas and Talladega Superspeedway), boasting a career-best 13.5 average finish. However, Dover has historically been his Achilles heel. In seven Cup Series starts, Chastain has never finished better than 15th and has led zero laps. Time will tell if his 2022 magic will continue at the “Monster Mile.” On the other hand, Cole Custer has gotten off to a rocky start overall, racking up three DNFs in the first 11 races this season. Custer and the No. 41 team have 10 straight finishes of 11th or worse to start 2022. But he has been historically successful at Dover, with back-to-back top-10 finishes and a 10.3 average finish here. Look for Custer and company to turn their season around this weekend.
Driving under the radar
Cool, calm and collected. That has been the mantra for Alex Bowman as he has quietly become a weekly contender at almost every track. The No. 48 wheelman has five top 10s in the last six races, has scored stage points in eight of the 20 stages this season and already has the Las Vegas Motor Speedway win under his belt. It makes sense to put more focus on Bowman this weekend. He is the defending race winner and led 98 laps here last spring. 12-1 odds, while still very great, place him at the bottom of the Hendrick Motorsports camp. So keep an eye out for him Monday. It is always when you least expect it that Bowman rises to the occasion.
Getty Images
Race-day staples ✅
Our biggest pieces of the week — get covered for race day from all angles.
• Paint Scheme Preview: Dazzling schemes for Dover | See them here
• Power Rankings: Austin Dillon continues string of RCR top-three finishes | Where does he rank?
• Fantasy Fastlane: Can Hendrick Motorsports repeat Dover performance from 2021? | Top plays, sleepers
• NASCAR betting: Odds for Monday’s Cup race at Dover | BetMGM odds
• Backseat Drivers: At what point does 23XI hit the panic button? | Listen to the analysis
Catch the pack 💨
Read up on the top headlines from the week leading up to Monday’s race.
• Analysis: Ross Chastain is smashing his way through 2022 | Read more
• NASCAR Salutes: Military-support initiative returns this season | More details
• Finding his groove: Cole Custer is primed for a breakout at Dover | Full story
• Next Gen era: Kevin Harvick aims to keep clicking this week at the “Monster Mile” | Read more
• eNASCAR: Nick Ottinger gets 19th win in Coca-Cola iRacing Series | Final laps
• Penalties: NASCAR penalizes No. 78 Live Fast Motorsports team for loose wheel at Talladega | Full report
• Driver action: Denny Hamlin required to complete sensitivity training for tweet | More details
• Texas two-step: 2022 Cup Series All-Star Race format announced | Learn more
• Dirt track goes clean: Knoxville Truck Series race named Clean Harbors 150 | Press release
Get in on the action 💰
Think you know NASCAR? Put your mettle to the test with gaming, fantasy.
• The Action Network: How to bet William Byron vs. Alex Bowman | Full analysis
• Backseat Bets: Who will win head-to-head at Dover? | Hear who the experts think
• Play it LIVE: Full guide to 2022 NASCAR Fantasy Live game | Get the FAQ
• BetMGM: Is Hendrick poised to dominate again at Dover? | Expert insight
• Fantasy picks: Kevin Harvick is an easy play for Dover |Video breakdown • Going all the way: NASCAR betting: 2022 Cup Series championship odds | See them here
Memorable ‘Monster Mile’ moments 🧟♂️
Take a look back at some important track history before the Cup Series returns on Monday.
• Back in time: Memorable moments at Dover | Which is your favorite?
• Winner, winner: All-time wins at Dover Motor Speedway (spring) | See the list
• Last year: Bowman wins, Hendrick finishes 1-2-3-4 | Full race recap
• An impossible save: Jimmie Johnson’s qualifying spin at Dover in 2006 |Watch it here
Fast facts ⏩
Hard-hitting, race-relevant statistics, brought to you by the experts at Racing Insights.
• Dover has hosted a Cup race every season since 1969 and two races from 1971-2020. There is just one on the schedule this season. • The last six Dover races were won by different drivers. • There was a green-flag stretch of 80 laps or more in the last eight Dover races and 119 or more in five of those eight races. • The race winner started outside the top 10 in three of the last five Dover races. • Hendrick Motorsports has 21 Dover wins, more than double any other organization.
Say what? 🎙
Notable quotes from the stars of the sport heading into Monday’s race.
Logan Riely | Getty Images
• “It’s going to be a challenge for sure. Dover is so different from anything we have raced so far and really different from anywhere that we go all year. So that practice is going to be very important. It’s a hard track to get right anyways but throw in the new car and limited track time, it’s going to be difficult. I love going there though, so I’m really looking forward to it.” — Martin Truex Jr., No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
• “Even though we’ve had some good runs the last couple weeks I don’t feel like we’re where we need to be, but I feel like there’s the potential to get to where we need to be, so I’m not discouraged by where we’re at, but it’s not gone as well as we’d hoped, but, at the same time, we’re learning this new car and learning these new packages and there have been places we just haven’t hit it yet, so as long as we can start stringing together like we have the last few weeks, some good results, and keep building the momentum, but what’s important is having a shot at winning a race, so we are continuing to work towards that to where we can be closer to the front to give yourself that opportunity. We’re not there yet, but I feel like we have all the things that we need to get there. We just haven’t gotten there yet.” — Michael McDowell, No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford
• “I want to win just as much as everyone else, if not more. I always want to win, and I always have an expectation of myself to want to go and perform. That expectation is the only one that matters to me, and I want to do the job to the best of my ability always, whether you have a win in the bank or not. For me, that doesn’t make me try any harder.” — Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
See where your favorite driver will pit for Monday’s NASCAR Cup Series DuraMAX Drydene 400 presented by RelaDyne (noon ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) at Dover Motor Speedway.
Buescher set the pace in the final 10-driver group, posting a best lap of 160.149 mph in the No. 17 RFK Racing Ford. He scored the organization’s first pole in nearly five years, dating back to May 2017 at Talladega Superspeedway, and he became the fourth first-time pole winner so far this season in the Cup Series.
“I guess it is not something that I have ever had a whole lot of emphasis on,” Buescher said of his qualifying effort. “At the end of the day it is all about that checkered flag at the end of the race. It is really cool, though. I have been really close here at Dover on the Xfinity side and this is a place I have loved coming to forever. I love watching it on TV. It is cool to get it here. I still have one of the smaller Miles The Monster trophies from the Xfinity side in the office at home. It is a special place for me and it is cool to get our first pole here.
“It has been a long time coming. Heck of a start for us.”
Denny Hamlin’s No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota started second in Sunday’s portion of the DuraMAX Drydene 400 presented by RelaDyne (postponed to Monday; will resume at noon ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Hendrick Motorsports teammates Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott were fourth and fifth, respectively, and Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney wrapped up the top five.
Ross Chastain, last week’s winner at Talladega Superspeedway, was the leader in the first group of qualifying and started seventh Sunday. Elliott was fastest in qualifying’s Group B. The top five from each group formed the 10-driver field that ran for the pole on the 1-mile concrete track.
Cindric, Kurt Busch top eventful practice sessions
Austin Cindric and Kurt Busch set the pace in each practice group Saturday morning at Dover, avoiding the multiple spins and crashes that plagued others.
Torey Fox | NASCAR Digital Media
Cindric, this year’s Daytona 500 winner, was fastest overall at 157.846 mph in the No. 2 Team Penske Ford. The Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidate was followed by a pair of Kaulig Racing teammates — AJ Allmendinger (157.805 mph) and Justin Haley (157.694). Denny Hamlin registered the fourth-best lap on the combined speed chart, and Busch — fastest in Group B — was fifth overall in the 36-car field.
The divided practice sessions were marked by several pitfalls, the heaviest hits snaring the primary cars of William Byron and Josh Bilicki. Both Byron’s Hendrick Motorsports team and Bilicki’s Spire Motorsports group unloaded backup cars to prep for Monday’s 400-miler.
“Just hate it for our guys more than anything,’’ said Byron, who is ranked third in the championship standings. “Have to pull out a backup car obviously. The primary was probably going to be really fast and I know our back-up car can be just as fast and we can still go and try to win on (Monday). But just a little bit over-confident on my end (in the accident).’’
Tyler Reddick’s No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet was involved in a pair of scrapes in Group B. Rookies Todd Gilliland (Group A) and Harrison Burton (Group B) also sustained damage in separate single-car incidents.
