• Thursday, April 25th, 2024
• NASCAR Wire Service - Holly Cain

Several Cup drivers head to Dover hoping to score their first win of 2024

Going from the massive 2.66-mile Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway high banks to this week’s Monster Mile at Dover (Del.) Motor Speedway’s high banks is a huge change of venue, but not of spirit.

Certainly, that’s the case for defending race winner Martin Truex Jr., who has been close to a trophy several times this year but is still looking for his first victory of 2024 in Sunday’s Wurth 400 (2 p.m. ET on FS1, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Dover is a special venue for the New Jersey native, who considers it his “home track.” It is where he earned his first NASCAR Cup Series victory in 2007 and his four wins are most among the fulltime competitors in Sunday’s field.

The historical significance is important for the 2017 series champion, but 10 races into the season, Truex wants to win now and thinks Dover is set up to be just the place. He is currently second in the standings, trailing leader Kyle Larson by 15 points, but Truex is the only driver ranked among the top six in the driver standings that hasn’t won a race yet.

“Just build on what we learned last year and so far this year,” said Truex, driver of the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. “And I think it’s important we qualify well, so hopefully we will do that. Generally, when you qualify well there, you get a good pit stall, and it sets you up for a smoother day. Staying out front all day long is very important and track position is very important since it’s hard to pass.”

Certainly, this will be a big weekend for several drivers wanting – and needing – to get on track with the All-Star break and summer stretch approaching.

Ford is still racing for its first win of the season. RFK Racing owner-driver Brad Keselowski is the only current Ford driver with a past NASCAR Cup Series win at Dover – his 2012 NASCAR Cup Series championship season. He brings two consecutive runner-up finishes (at Texas and Talladega, Ala.) to Dover. Two-time series champion Joey Logano, who drives a Ford Mustang for Team Penske, has four Xfinity Series wins at the Monster Mile.

Logano’s Penske teammate, reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion Ryan Blaney is ranked seventh – highest among the Ford contingent. He won a Xfinity Series race at Dover in 2017.

Richard Childress Racing’s Kyle Busch is another veteran racing for his first victory of 2024. The driver of the No. 8 RCR Chevrolet has won in all three of NASCAR’s premier series at Dover, including three times at the NASCAR Cup Series level.

This week marks the return to the grid for seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and 11-time Dover winner Jimmie Johnson, now an owner-driver racing part-time in the series.

Johnson’s Legacy Motor Club driver Erik Jones will miss this week’s race after suffering a compression fracture in his back in an accident at Talladega on Sunday. The team has announced that NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series championship contender Corey Heim will drive the No. 43 Toyota for Jones this week.

Current championship leader Larson brings impressive season statistics to Dover with a series best 531 laps led. His five stage wins is more than double that of any other driver. He’s won both Xfinity Series (2017) and NASCAR Cup Series (2019) races at the Monster Mile and would like to rebound from back-to-back 21st-place finishes in the season’s last two races.

Practice sessions will be held Saturday at 10:30 a.m. ET, followed by a two-round Busch Light Qualifying session at 11:20 a.m. ET. – both televised live on FS1. Earning a front row start has been key at Dover, where the outside polesitter has produced more winners (20) than any other starting position.

• W?rth 400
• Busch Pole Award Pole Winner: Kyle Busch
• Age: 38
• Team : No 8 - FICO Chevrolet
• Owner: Richard Childress
• Crew Chief: Randall Burnett
• Kyle Busch won the Pole Award for the W?rth 400 with a lap of 22196 seconds, 162191 mph
• This is his 34th pole in 689 NASCAR Cup Series races
• This is his first pole and third top-10 start in 2024
• This is his second pole in 36 races at Dover Motor Speedway
• Ryan Blaney (second) posted his fifth top-10 start of 2024 and his seventh in 14 races at Dover Motor Speedway
• William Byron (third) posted his sixth top-10 start at Dover Motor Speedway It is his sixth in 11 races this season
• Josh Berry (12th) was the fastest qualifying rookie

• Drivers Entered: 37
• Laps Scheduled: 400
• Margin of Victory: 0.256 Seconds
• Time of Race: 3 Hours 20 Minutes 57 Seconds
• Average Speed: 119.433
• Cautions: 5 for 42 laps
• Lead Changes: 12
• Green Flag Passes: 1,858 (5.2 passes per green flag lap)

• Wurth 400
• Race Winner: Denny Hamlin
• Age: 43
• Team : No 11 - Mavis Tire Toyota
• Owner: Joe Gibbs Racing
• Crew Chief: Christopher Gabehart
• Denny Hamlin won the W?rth 400, his 54th victory in 661 NASCAR Cup Series races
• This is his third victory and fourth top-10 finish in 2024
• This is his second victory and 16th top-10 finish in 34 races at Dover Motor Speedway
• Kyle Larson (second) posted his 12th top-10 finish in 16 races at Dover Motor Speedway It is his fifth top-10 finish in 2024
• Martin Truex Jr (third) posted his 20th top-10 finish in 34 races at Dover Motor Speedway
• Josh Berry (14th) was the highest finishing rookie
• Kyle Larson leads the point standings by 15 points over Martin Truex Jr