Statistical Advance: Analyzing the doubleheader at Dover

Top 10 Dover Driver Ratings
Jimmie Johnson………………….. 112.9
Matt Kenseth………………………. 105.8
Kyle Busch…………………………. 104.3
Martin Truex Jr……………………… 99.8
Chase Elliott…………………………. 98.2
Kevin Harvick……………………….. 96.6
Brad Keselowski……………………. 92.4
Clint Bowyer…………………………. 89.8
Kurt Busch…………………………… 89.4
Daniel Suarez……………………….. 87.5
Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2019 races (30 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 NASCAR Cup Series race at Dover International Speedway was held on July 6, 1969 and 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 100 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 407 different drivers have competed in at least one NASCAR Cup Series race at Dover International Speedway; 300 drivers have competed in more than one.
• Ricky Rudd leads the series in starts at Dover International Speedway with 56; followed by NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin with 55.
• Kurt Busch and Matt Kenseth lead all active series drivers in starts at Dover with 39 each.
• A total of 66 different drivers have made their first NASCAR Cup Series career start at Dover International Speedway; two of the 66 are currently active in the series: Matt Kenseth – Sept. 20, 1998; Kurt Busch – Sept. 24, 2000

Average Starting Position

• Bobby Isaac (five starts) leads the series in average starting position at Dover with a 2.2.
• Daniel Suarez (five starts) leads all active drivers in the series in average starting position at Dover with an 8.5.

Top 10 in Average Starting Position at Dover (All-Time & Active)

POLES

• A total of 42 different NASCAR Cup Series drivers have won the pole at Dover International Speedway; eight of 41 are active this weekend.
• NASCAR Hall of Famer David Pearson leads the NASCAR Cup Series in poles at Dover with six poles (1969, 1973 sweep, 1974, 1975, 1981).
• Ryan Newman (2003, 2005, 2006, 2007) and Denny Hamlin (2012, 2013, 2015, 2019) lead all active series drivers in poles at Dover with four poles each.
• David Pearson (Ford) won the inaugural pole at Dover in 1969 with a speed of 130.430 mph.
• Youngest series Dover pole winner: Chase Elliott (May 3, 2019 – 23 years, 5 months, 8 days).
• Oldest series Dover pole winner: Mark Martin (June 1, 2012 – 53 years, 4 months, 23 days).
• 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).

• Five drivers have posted their first career NASCAR Cup Series 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),
  • att Kenseth (06/02/02).

WINS

• A total of 37 different NASCAR Cup Series drivers have won at Dover International Speedway; nine of the 37 are active this weekend.
• Jimmie Johnson leads the 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).
• The first NASCAR Cup Series race at Dover International Speedway was held on July 6, 1969 and won by NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty (Ford).
• 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 100 (13%) NASCAR Cup Series races at Dover have been won from the pole position; 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 (19) than any other starting position at Dover International Speedway – the most recent was Kyle Larson (Oct. 2019).

NASCAR Cup Series Wins by Starting Positions 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 NASCAR Cup Series drivers have posted their first career win at Dover International Speedway: Martin Truex Jr. (06/04/07) and Jody Ridley (5/17/81).
• Seven of the nine active 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.
• Among the nine active series Dover winners, Kevin Harvick (29) and Kurt Busch (22) made 10 or more attempts before their first win.
• Clint Bowyer and Denny Hamlin lead the series among active drivers with the most starts at Dover without visiting Victory Lane at 28 each.
• A total of 27 different organizations have won in the NASCAR Cup Series at Dover International Speedway.
• Hendrick Motorsports has the most wins at Dover in the 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 NASCAR Cup Series at Dover; led by Chevrolet with 41 victories; followed by Ford with 26, Dodge (seven), Mercury (seven), Pontiac (six), Toyota (five), Buick (three), Oldsmobile (two) and Plymouth (two).

ADDITIONAL FINISHING POSITIONS

Runner-Up Finishes:

• A total of 54 different drivers have finished runner-up in the 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 NASCAR Cup Series drivers in runner-up finishes at Dover with four.

Top Five in Runner-Up Finishes at Dover (All-Time & Active)

Top-Five Finishes:

• A total of 95 different drivers have finished in the top-five in the NASCAR Cup Series at Dover International Speedway.
• NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin leads the series in top-five finishes with 24 top fives.
• Jimmie Johnson and Matt Kenseth lead all active drivers in top-five finishes at Dover with 17 each.

Top Five in Top-Five Finishes at Dover International Speedway (All-Time & Active)

Top-10 Finishes:

• A total of 158 different drivers have finished in the top-10 in the NASCAR Cup 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 25.

Top Five in Top-10 Finishes at Dover International Speedway (All-Time & Active)

Average Finish:

• Charlie Glotzbach (two starts) leads the NASCAR Cup Series in average finishing position at Dover International Speedway with a 2.5.
• Chase Elliott (10 starts) leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series in average finishing position at Dover with a 8.6.

Top 10 in Average Finishing Position at Dover (All-Time & Active)

LAP LEADERS

• A total of 116 different drivers have led at least one lap in the NASCAR Cup Series at Dover International Speedway.
• Jimmie Johnson leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series in laps led at Dover with 3,105 laps led in 36 starts.

Top 10 in Laps Led at Dover International Speedway (All-Time & Active)

TRACK/EVENT SPECIFIC STATS

• Since the advent of electronic scoring, the closest Margin of Victory (MOV) in the 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.

Top Five Closest Margin of Victories at Dover International Speedway (NCS):

• There have been four NASCAR Cup Series races resulting in NASCAR Overtime at Dover International Speedway:

• None of the 100 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 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 195 NASCAR national series races have been held in the state of Delaware – all at Dover International Speedway.

Delaware Drivers in NASCAR

• Ten 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.

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