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October 2, 2019 at 11:12 AM

Monster Energy Series Playoff Fast Facts Race No. 4: Dover International Speedway

  • This season marks the second time the fourth race in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs will be held at Dover International Speedway. Dover has participated in the Playoffs since its inception in 2004.
  • Dover International Speedway (2018-2019) is the fifth different track to host the fourth race in the Monster Energy Series Playoffs; joining Kansas Speedway (2004-2005, 2011, 2013, 2014), Talladega Superspeedway (2006-2008, 2012), Auto Club Speedway (2009, 2010) and Charlotte Motor Speedway (2016-2017).
  • Dover International Speedway previously held the third race of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoff’s from 2011 – 2017; then prior to that Dover was the second race of the Playoffs from 2004 – 2010.
  • A total of 12 different drivers have won the Playoff races at Dover International Speedway; five of the 12 are contenders in the 2019 Round of 12 heading into this weekend – Brad Keselowski, Kevin Harvick, Chase Elliott, Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. (each with one Playoff win).
  • Jimmie Johnson (four) is the only driver with multiple Playoff wins at Dover (2005, ‘09, ‘10, ‘13).   
  • When Dover was the second race of the Playoffs from 2004 – 2010, two times a driver won at Dover and then went on to win the title. 

o   In 2009, Jimmie Johnson won from the pole at Dover, and went on to win his fourth consecutive MENCS title. One of four Playoff wins for Johnson in 2009.

o   In 2010, Jimmie Johnson won from the pole position at Dover, and went on to win his fifth consecutive MENCS title. His only Playoff win in 2010.

  • When Dover moved to the third race in the Playoffs from 2011 – 2017, two drivers won the event and went on to win the title in the same season.

o   In 2012, Brad Keselowski won Dover’s Playoff race, and went on to win his first MENCS title. It was Keselowski’s lone win during the 2012 Playoffs. 

o   In 2013, Jimmie Johnson won Dover’s Playoff race, and went on to win his sixth MENCS title. One of two Playoff wins for Johnson in 2013.

  • Three times the winner of the fourth race in the Playoffs has gone on to win the title the same season – 2017 Charlotte (Martin Truex Jr.); 2016 Charlotte (Jimmie Johnson) and 2009 Auto Club Speedway (Jimmie Johnson).
  • The worst finish in a Playoff race at Dover by a driver that went on to win the title was 25th, by Tony Stewart in the 2011 Playoffs. Last season, Joey Logano finished third.
  • No non-Playoff driver has ever won the Playoff race at Dover International Speedway.
  • Twice a non-Playoff driver has won the fourth race in the Playoffs – Joe Nemechek won at Kansas in 2004 he was ranked 21st in points at the time; Brian Vickers won at Talladega in 2006 he was ranked 16th in points at the time.

Top 10 Driver Ratings at Dover
Jimmie Johnson…………………… 113.3
Chase Elliott……………………….. 108.3
Kyle Busch…………………………. 104.6
Kyle Larson………………………… 100.6
Martin Truex Jr……………………… 99.0
Kevin Harvick……………………….. 96.0
Brad Keselowski……………………. 92.9
Clint Bowyer…………………………. 90.1
Daniel Suarez……………………….. 89.9
Kurt Busch…………………………… 89.4
Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2019 races (29 total) among active drivers at Dover Motor Speedway.

Dover International Speedway:

History

  • The official opening of Dover International Speedway, then called Dover Downs International Speedway, was in 1969.
  • The first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Dover International Speedway was held on July 6, 1969 – won by NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty (Ford).
  • 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.
  • There have been 99 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races at Dover International Speedway, one race per year in 1969 and 1970, two races per year since 1971.

Starts

  • A total of 406 different drivers have competed in at least one Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Dover International Speedway; 297 drivers have competed in more than one.
  • Ricky Rudd leads the Monster Energy Series in starts at Dover International Speedway with 56; followed by NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin with 55.
  • Joe Nemechek leads all active drivers in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in starts at Dover with 39; followed by Kurt Busch (38) and Kevin Harvick with 37.
  • A total of 66 different drivers have made their first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series career start at Dover International Speedway; four of the 66 are currently active – Kurt Busch (09/24/00), David Ragan (09/24/06), Ross Chastain (06/04/17) and Ryan Sieg (06/04/17).
  • Bobby Isaac (five starts) leads the Monster Energy Series in average starting position at Dover with a 2.2.
  • Kyle Larson (11 starts) leads all active drivers in the series in average starting position at Dover with an 8.3.

Poles

  • A total of 42 different Monster Energy Series drivers have won Busch poles at Dover International Speedway; nine of 42 are active this weekend.
  • NASCAR Hall of Famer David Pearson leads the Monster Energy Series in poles at Dover with six poles (1969, 1973 sweep, 1974, 1975, 1981).
  • Ryan Newman leads all active series drivers in poles at Dover with four poles (2003, 2005, 2006, 2007)
  • David Pearson (Ford) won the inaugural Busch Pole Award at Dover in 1969 with a speed of 130.430 mph. 
  • 10 drivers have won consecutive poles at Dover: David Pearson (1973 sweep, spring 1974), Dave Marcis (fall 1975, spring 1976), Cale Yarborough (1980 sweep), Alan Kulwicki (fall 1987, spring 1988), Mark Martin (fall 1988, spring 1989), Bobby Labonte (fall 1996, spring 1997), Rusty Wallace (fall 1999, spring 2000), Jeremy Mayfield (2004 sweep), Ryan Newman (fall 2005, spring 2006), Denny Hamlin (fall 2012, spring 2013).
  • Youngest Dover pole winner: Chase Elliott (May 6, 2019 – 23 years, 5 months, 8 days).
  • Oldest Dover pole winner: Mark Martin (June 1, 2012 – 53 years, 4 months, 23 days).
  • Five drivers have posted their first career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Busch pole at Dover International Speedway – J.D. McDuffie (09/17/1978), Joe Ruttman (05/15/1983), Dick Trickle (06/031990), Michael Waltrip (06/03/1991), Matt Kenseth (06/02/02).
  • Nine different manufacturers have won the pole at Dover in the Monster Energy Series led by Ford with 29 poles; followed by Chevrolet (25), Dodge (12), Toyota (nine), Pontiac (six), Mercury (five), Buick (two), Oldsmobile (one) and Plymouth (one). 

Wins

  • A total of 36 different Monster Energy Series drivers have won at Dover International Speedway; eight of the 36 are active this weekend.
  • Jimmie Johnson leads the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in wins at Dover International Speedway with 11 victories (2002 sweep, 2005 Playoffs, 2009 sweep, 2010 Playoffs, Spring of 2012, 2013 Playoffs, Spring of 2014, Spring of 2015 and Spring of 2017). 
  • 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 race winner: Chase Elliott (October 7, 2018 – 22 years, 10 months, 0 days).
  • Oldest Dover race winner: Harry Gant (May 31, 1992 – 52 years, 4 months, 21 days).
  • 13 of the 99 (13.1%) Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races at Dover have been won from the Busch pole; the two most recent were by Jimmie Johnson in 2009 and 2010.
  • The second-place starting position is the most proficient starting position in the field, producing more winners (18) than any other starting position at Dover International Speedway.    
  • The deepest in the field that a race winner has started at Dover is 37th, by Kyle Petty in the spring of 1995.
  • The deepest in the field that an active race winner has started at Dover is 26th, by Martin Truex Jr. in the spring of 2007.
  • Two Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers have posted their first career win at Dover International Speedway: Martin Truex Jr. (06/04/07) and Jody Ridley (05/17/81).
  • Seven of the eight active Monster Energy NASCAR 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.     
  • Joe Nemechek (39), Clint Bowyer (27) and Denny Hamlin (27) lead the series among active drivers with the most starts at Dover without visiting Victory Lane.
  • A total of 27 different organizations have won in the Monster Energy Series at Dover International Speedway.
  • Hendrick Motorsports has the most wins at Dover in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series with 20 victories among six drivers: Jimmie Johnson (11), Jeff Gordon (five), Geoff Bodine (one), Ken Schrader (one), Ricky Rudd (one) and Chase Elliott (one). 
  • Nine different manufacturers have won in the Monster Energy Series at Dover; led by Chevrolet with 40 victories; followed by Ford with 26, Dodge (seven), Mercury (seven), Pontiac (six), Toyota (six), Buick (three), Oldsmobile (two) and Plymouth (two).

Additional Finishing Positions

  • A total of 53 different drivers have finished runner-up in the Monster Energy Series at Dover International Speedway.
  • NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin leads the series in runner-up finishes at Dover with eight second-place finishes.
  • Kyle Busch leads all active Monster Energy Series drivers in runner-up finishes at Dover with four.
  • A total of 95 different drivers have finished in the top-five in the Monster Energy Series at Dover International Speedway.
  • NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin leads the series in top-five finishes with 24 top fives.
  • Jimmie Johnson leads all active drivers in top-five finishes at Dover with 17.
  • A total of 157 different drivers have finished in the top-10 in the Monster Energy Series at Dover International Speedway.
  • NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin leads the series in top-10 finishes at Dover with 33 top 10s.
  • Jimmie Johnson leads all active series drivers in top-10 finishes at Dover with 24.
  •  Charlie Glotzbach (two starts) leads the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in average finishing position at Dover International Speedway with a 2.5.
  • Chase Elliott (seven starts) leads all active drivers in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in average finishing position at Dover with a 4.4.

Lap Leader Stats

  • A total of 115 different drivers have led at least one lap in the Monster Energy Series at Dover International Speedway.   
  • Jimmie Johnson leads all the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in laps led at Dover with 3,109 laps led in 35 starts – his 3,109 laps led are the 16th most laps led all-time at a single track.
  • The most laps led in a single Monster Energy Series race at Dover International Speedway by the race winner was 491 of the 500 scheduled laps (98.2%) by Richard Petty on September 15, 1974.
  • The most laps led in a single Monster Energy Series race at Dover International Speedway by a driver that did not win the race was 404 of the 500 scheduled laps (80.8%) by Neil Bonnett on May 17, 1981 – he finished the event 13th.
  • The fewest laps led by a race winner in the Monster Energy Series at Dover International Speedway were three laps led by Tony Stewart. He took the lead on Lap 398 of 400 and won the event – he started 22nd.

Track Specific Stats

  • Since the advent of electronic scoring, the closest Margin of Victory (MOV) in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series at Dover International Speedway was the September 25, 2005 race, won by Jimmie Johnson over Kyle Busch with a margin of victory of 0.080 second.
  • There have been four Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races resulting in NASCAR Overtime at Dover International Speedway.
  • None of the 99 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races at Dover International Speedway have been shortened due to weather conditions.
  • Qualifying has been cancelled due to weather conditions in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series at Dover International Speedway nine times: fall 1984, spring 2001, fall 2003, spring 2005, spring 2011, fall 2015, spring and fall of 2016, spring 2018.

Female Competitors

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

NASCAR In Delaware & Maryland

  • A total of 190 NASCAR national series races have been held in the state of Delaware – all at Dover International Speedway.
  • A total of 10 NASCAR national series races have been held in the state of Maryland – all at Beltsville Speedway.

Delaware & Maryland Drivers in NASCAR

  • A total of 10 different drivers in NASCAR national series history have their home state recorded as Delaware; none of the 10 have recorded a victory in NASCAR national series competition.
    68 drivers in NASCAR national series history have their home state recorded as Maryland; Elmo Langley (Landover) is the only driver of the 68 to win. He recorded two wins in the Monster Energy Series in 1966 at Piedmont Interstate Fairgrounds (Spartanburg) and Old Dominion Speedway (Manassas).

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