Since the inception of the Chase for the Sprint Cup in 2004, championship contenders have dominated the win column in the fall race at Dover International Raceway. Each year since its implementation, a Chase driver has been to Victory Lane at the ‘Monster Mile’ in Dover, Del.
NASCAR At Dover: Chase Drivers Known To Dominate Victory Lane
Chase drivers have dominated Victory Lane since the inception of the Chase in 2004, but non-Chase drivers have also been strong contenders.
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The past two seasons, that driver has been five-time defending NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson.
Putting on dominant performances in both races, Dover has been a strong jumping off point for Johnson’s title run. Now sitting the lowest he has ever been in the Chase standings, this weekend’s race is a crucial step in Johnson’s pursuit of his sixth-consecutive championship.
Also a perennial favorite at Dover are the Roush Fenway Racing cars. Greg Biffle and Carl Edwards scored Chase victories in 2008 and 2009, respectively, and this year Edwards and teammate Matt Kenseth should once again be among the favorites heading into Sunday’s race. Kenseth was victorious in the May event at Dover, and Edwards led 117 of the 400 laps.
While it has been Chase teams that have found victory lane in Dover’s Chase race, non-Chase drivers can also be a threat.
In last year’s Chase race, AJ Allmendinger led 143 laps, while Joey Logano, Paul Menard and Ryan Newman all finished inside the top-10. Earlier this year, non-Chase drivers Mark Martin, Macros Ambrose, Brian Vickers, Clint Bowyer and Martin Truex Jr. also finished in the top-10.
Not exempt from the fuel mileage strategy, do not be surprised if Sunday’s race at Dover becomes yet another gas-saving duel to the checkered flag. Given the statistics, it would be no surprise if it was a Chase driver hoisting the trophy at the end of the day either.
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