NASCAR has three races in two days on this weekend's schedule. Two races and all the attention are at the Monster Mile, Dover International Speedway. It's Week Two of the Chase for the Sprint Cup, the AAA 400, Sunday at 1 p.m. (ABC).
They call it the Monster Mile for a reason. DIS is exactly one mile long with high banking (24° in the turns and 9° on the 1076-feet straightaways), which leads to higher speeds. The cars get good grip on the concrete surface, which leads drivers to push the issue, but the surface is bumpy, which can lead to trouble, especially with the new double-file restarts. The confines are tight -- a single-car spin can quickly turn into a multi-car accident that can cause problems with twelve drivers racing for a championship.
In Friday qualifying, Jimmie Johnson captured the pole with a lap of 22.878 seconds (157.356 mph). It was his second pole of the season. Juan Montoya will be beside Johnson on the front row after a lap of 156.699 mph. Chase drivers took six of the first seven starting spots. Ryan Newman and Greg Biffle start on Row Two. Kasey Kahne and Jeff Gordon start in sixth and seventh respectively. Carl Edwards has the best average finish among active drivers at Dover, but he has his work cut out for him Sunday. He qualified 30th, worst among the Chasers. (Race lineup)
Mark Martin comes into Dover with a 35-point lead over Johnson and Denny Hamlin. Nine drivers are separated by less than 100 points. Jeff Gordon is in tenth, 102 points back. Kasey Kahne trails the Chase field, he's 161 points behind Martin after just one Chase race.
Showing posts with label Kyle Busch. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kyle Busch. Show all posts
Friday, September 25, 2009
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