Truex Jr Tuned for Dover Cup Pole

Photo Credit: Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR

Taking on the Monster Mile, NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers and teams are set to compete on one of only two all-concrete track surfaces in the stock car racing tour. The third race in the 2011 Chase for the Sprint Cup, focus on the top-12 drivers has dominated the past two NASCAR events aided by the wins of Tony Stewart. However, with 43 cars in a Sprint Cup Series race, Dover International Speedway was one of the final 8 races to obtain glory for any driver.

In NASCAR Sprint Cup qualifying for the AAA 400, the #56 NAPA Toyota driven by Martin Truex Jr emerged as pole sitter on Saturday. Cutting a lap around the 1-mile track in 22.641 seconds, the Michael Waltrip Racing-owned stock car averaged 159.004 miles per hour. Stepping over Kurt Busch's #22 Dodge for the premium front row position, Truex Jr was a mere 0.003 seconds faster around the Dover oval. In 2009, Martin Truex Jr claimed his first and only NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Dover International Speedway's spring event with #1 Chevrolet fielded by Dale Earnhardt Incorporated.

Assembling the top-5 behind Martin Truex Jr and Kurt Busch for Sunday's AAA 400 at Dover is Paul Menard, Carl Edwards and Kyle Busch. With only 4 Chase contending drivers in the top-10 after qualifying (Jimmie Johnson in 6th joins the before-mentioned Kurt Busch, Carl Edwards and Kyle Busch), many of the championship fighters for the 2011 Sprint Cup will start deep in the field. Most notably in 28th place is current Chase championship points leader Tony Stewart. His immediate rivals were not entirely able to capitalize on Stewart's stumble in qualifying. Brad Keselowski starts 15th while Kevin Harvick (who trails the #14 car driver/owner by 7 points after 2 races) will launch 22nd tomorrow.

Starting at 2 PM eastern time, the AAA 400 at Dover International Speedway is committed to run Sunday. Chance of showers is predicted for the event but is rated around a 30-40 percent probability.   

2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup
AAA 400
Dover International Speedway
Starting Line-up

Pos # | Car # | Driver | Sponsor | Car Make

1. 56 Martin Truex Jr. NAPA Auto Parts Toyota
2. 22 Kurt Busch Shell Pennzoil Dodge
3. 27 Paul Menard Pittsburgh Paints / Menards Chevrolet
4. 99 Carl Edwards Aflac Ford
5. 18 Kyle Busch Interstate Batteries Toyota
6. 48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe's / Kobalt Tools Chevrolet
7. 43 A J Allmendinger Best Buy Ford
8. 47 Bobby Labonte grilling.com / Kingsford Toyota
9. 4 Kasey Kahne Red Bull Toyota
10. 16 Greg Biffle 3M / Cubitron Ford
11. 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Office Toyota
12. 9 Marcos Ambrose Stanley Ford
13. 31 Jeff Burton Caterpillar Chevrolet
14. 0 David Reutimann Aaron's Dream Machine Toyota
15. 2 Brad Keselowski Miller Lite Dodge
16. 78 Regan Smith Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet
17. 5 Mark Martin GoDaddy.com Chevrolet
18. 17 Matt Kenseth Crown Royal Ford
19. 6 David Ragan UPS Ford
20. 39 Ryan Newman US Army ROTC Chevrolet
21. 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. National Guard / AMP Energy Chevrolet
22. 29 Kevin Harvick Rheem Chasing the Cure Chevrolet
23. 1 Jamie McMurray McDonald's Chevrolet
24. 42 Juan Pablo Montoya Target Chevrolet
25. 51 Landon Cassill Phoenix Construction / Thank A Teacher
26. 37 Josh Wise MaxQ Motorsports Ford
27. 33 Clint Bowyer Cheerios / Hamburger Helper Chevrolet
28. 14 Tony Stewart Office Depot / Mobil 1 Chevrolet
29. 46 Scott Speed Red Line Oil / International Ford
30. 83 Brian Vickers Red Bull Toyota
31. 30 David Stremme Inception Motorsports Chevrolet
32. 55 Travis Kvapil Front Row Motorsports Ford
33. 20 Joey Logano The Home Depot Toyota
34. 24 Jeff Gordon Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet
35. 66 Michael McDowell HP Racing Toyota
36. 34 David Gilliland Front Row Motorsports Ford
37. 71 Andy Lally Interstate Moving Services Ford
38. 7 Reed Sorenson SPEED Energy / MAPEI / Menards Dodge
39. 13 Casey Mears GEICO Toyota
40. 32 Mike Bliss Street King Ford
41. 36 Dave Blaney Golden Corral Chevrolet
42. 87 Joe Nemechek AM FM Energy Toyota
43. 38 J J Yeley Drive Sober. Arrive Alive Ford

Kyle Busch Propers After Johnson's Pit Road Blunder for Dover Win

Photo Credit: Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR

Entering the 12th race of the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup season, the Autism Speaks 400 at Dover International Speedway started Sunday on the 1-mile concrete oval on a date prior to the two-week Charlotte extravaganza.

Swiping the lead from pole sitting #56 NAPA Toyota of Martin Truex Jr on the start, Kasey Kahne in the #9 Budweiser Ford led the opening 21 laps at Dover International Speedway. Kahne's 1st place would be challenged by his future Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jimmie Johnson. Upon taking the lead, Johnson's early race pace in the #48 Chevrolet Impala echoed as a doomsday signal to the rest of the NASCAR Sprint Cup field.

The only car able to hold a candle to the #48 Hendrick Motorsport was unsurprisingly a member of the Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota team. Kyle Busch in the #18 M&M Toyota Camry would first take the lead of the race during pit stops made under the first yellow flag of the Autism Speaks 400. Holding the top position since the lap 58 restart under green, the long-run stamina of the #48 Lowes Chevrolet proved too much for Busch as Johnson blasted by the Toyota on lap 84.



Photo Credit: Todd Warshaw/Getty Images

With only 5 cautions for 24 laps during the Autism Speaks 400 at Dover, drivers and teams who prepped for long runs possessed a competitive edge for the event. Vehicles dealing with handling issues such as the #88 Chevrolet of Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Red Bull Racing's #83 car wheeled by Casey Mears had a long 400 mile race ahead of them. Of the 5 cautions, 4 were dedicated to single car incidents involving either the #47 Toyota of Marcus Ambrose or the #77 Dodge driven by Sam Hornish Jr. As Hornish brought out the first caution on lap 55, Ambrose brush with the turn 3 wall for the second caution 110 laps later.

Finding trouble moving into the top 20 after a 27th place start, Dale Earnhardt Jr's problems in the #88 Chevrolet approached an unusual turn for the worse when the Hendrick Motorsport driver reported issues turning left his race car. After 6 laps of inspection by the #88 pit crew, Dale Earnhardt Jr returned to the 1 mile race track. Following the extended stay on pit road, there was no report for a reason why Earnhardt Jr's #88 car experienced steering problem.

Leading 225 of 362 laps entering into the final round of race pit stops, Jimmie Johnson had just snatched the lead from Kyle Busch once again 7 laps prior to his stop for tires and fuel. Pitting alongside with 2nd place Kyle Busch, the Hendrick Motorsport and Joe Gibbs Racing crews were in a potential showdown for the race win at Dover. With Busch having already attended pit road for an outstanding stop from his Joe Gibbs Racing crew, Johnson's #48 Chevrolet was dropped off the jack in a near side-by-side drag race with the #18 Toyota. While Jimmie Johnson prevailed over Kyle Busch initially, NASCAR quickly identified the #48 car sped leaving pit road. With Johnson required to serve a drive-through penalty, Kyle Busch went uncontested for the final 35 laps to win the 2010 Autism Speaks 400 at Dover International Speedway. Kyle Busch's 2nd victory of the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup season, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver is sitting 3rd in the overall series points.

Richard Childress Racing's #31 Chevrolet of Jeff Burton finished 2nd at Dover for his 3rd consecutive top-10 result. Matt Kenseth in the #17 Ford rode a long road from 21th place start to can the 3rd place finisher of the Autism Speaks 400. Denny Hamlin and David Reutimann completed the top-5 in the finishing order at Dover International Speedway.

Serving a costly pit road penalty, Jimmie Johnson would be forced to finish 16th losing more points in the Sprint Cup championship points to leader Kevin Harvick. Losing the race to Kyle Busch, Johnson would also lose his 2nd place spot in points to the driver of the #18 Toyota.

Turning to Charlotte Motor Speedway for the two weeks, the upcoming race is the Sprint All-Star Race on Saturday night of May 22nd, the next points race for the NASCAR Sprint Cup series will be the Coke 600 on Sunday May 30th.


2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup
Autism Speaks 400
Race Results

Pos # | Car # | Driver | Sponsor/Car Make

1) 18 Kyle Busch M&M's Toyota
2)      31 Jeff Burton Caterpillar Chevrolet
3)      17 Matt Kenseth Crown Royal Black Ford
4)      11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Freight Toyota
5)      00 David Reutimann Aaron's Dream Machine Toyota
6)      16 Greg Biffle 3M Ford 
7)      29 Kevin Harvick Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet
8)      99 Carl Edwards Aflac Ford
9)      14 Tony Stewart Office Depot/Old Spice Chevrolet
10)     20 Joey Logano Home Depot Toyota 
11) 24 Jeff Gordon DuPont Chevrolet
12) 56 Martin Truex Jr. NAPA Toyota
13) 39 Ryan Newman U.S. Army Chevrolet
14) 43 A J Allmendinger Richard Petty Hall of Fame Ford
15) 5 Mark Martin GoDaddy.com Chevrolet 
16) 48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe's Chevrolet
17) 33 Clint Bowyer Cheerios/Hamburger Helper Chevrolet
18) 12 Brad Keselowski No. 12 Penske Dodge Dodge
19) 2 Kurt Busch Miller Lite Dodge
20) 9 Kasey Kahne Budweiser Ford
21) 98 Paul Menard Zecol/Menards Ford
22) 83 Casey Mears Red Bull Toyota
23) 82 Scott Speed Red Bull Toyota 
24) 78 Regan Smith Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet
25) 38 David Gilliland Taco Bell Ford 395 88 
26) 6 David Ragan UPS Ford
27) 26 David Stremme Air National Guard Ford 
28) 19 Elliott Sadler Stanley Ford
29) 34 Travis Kvapil Long John Silver's-Baja Fish Taco Ford
30) 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. AMP Energy/National Guard Chevrolet
31) 7 Robby Gordon BAMVIP/James Otto/Whitney Duncan Toyota
32) 1 Jamie McMurray Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Chevrolet
33) 37 Kevin Conway # Extenze Ford 
34) 77 Sam Hornish Jr. Mobil 1 Dodge
35) 42 Juan Pablo Montoya Target Chevrolet
36) 47 Marcos Ambrose A&P/MDA Toyota
37) 46 J J Yeley Whitney Motorsports Dodge
38) 87 Joe Nemechek NEMCO Motorsports Toyota
39) 71 Bobby Labonte TRG Motorsports Chevrolet
40) 09 Mike Bliss Phoenix Construction/Graceway Chevrolet 
41) 66 Dave Blaney PRISM Motorsports Toyota
42) 55 Michael McDowell PRISM Motorsports Toyota
43) 36 Johnny Sauter Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet

Jimmie Johnson to lead AAA 400 at Dover to green

During Friday qualifying, the #48 Lowes Chevrolet piloted by Jimmie Johnson posted top spot for the AAA 400 at Dover International Speedway. Focused on the big picture of four straight NASCAR Sprint Cup championships, Jimmie Johnson returns to the location of his second ever Sprint Cup win ready to launch for the point lead occupied by Hendrick Motorsports teammate Mark Martin.

Starting alongside Johnson is the hungry Juan Pablo Montoya and the #42 Chevrolet. Ryan Newman set third fastest time placing a trio of Chevrolets in the first three positions for the green flag on Sunday. Rough Fenway driver Greg Biffle qualified fourth anxious to repeat last year's finish in victory lane.

Driving the top qualifying Toyota, David Reutimann can be claim the honour of being the AAA 400's highest starting non-chase driver.

Kasey Kahne posted a fast time during final practice on Saturday and appears ready to vanish the misadventures of the #9 Richard Petty Motorsports team at last week's opening round of New Hampshire for the 2009 Chase for the Cup. Completing the complexion of the top 10 for the AAA 400 at Dover are Jeff Gordon, Saturday's Nationwide race winner Clint Bowyer, Sam Hornish Jr., and Paul Menard.

Many of the remaining Chase for the Sprint Cup contenders ran times within the upper half of the AAA 400's starting lineup. The #99 Ford of Carl Edwards starts in the basement of the grid with final practice failing to dramatically change the outlook. Based on the final practice, keep an eye on Juan Montoya, Joey Lagono, and Mark Martin as strong prospects for top finishes this afternoon alongside Kahne. Johnson was also fast in that session so prepare for another sleep-inducing path of dominance at the NASCAR Sprint Cup race of Dover.


AAA 400 at Dover International Speedway Starting Lineup

1. Jimmie Johnson- #48 Chevrolet (C)
2. Juan Pablo Montoya- #42 Chevrolet (C)
3. Ryan Newman- #39 Chevrolet (C)
4. Greg Biffle- #16 Ford (C)
5. David Reutimann- #00 Toyota (C)
6. Kasey Kahne- #9 Dodge (C)
7. Jeff Gordon- #24 Chevrolet (C)
8. Clint Bowyer- #33 Chevrolet
9. Sam Hornish Jr.- #77 Dodge
10. Paul Menard- #98 Ford

12. Brian Vickers- #83 Toyota (C)
13. Denny Hamlin- #11 Toyota (C)
14. Mark Martin- #5 Chevrolet (C)
15. Kyle Busch- #18 Toyota
16. Kurt Busch- #2 Dodge (C)
22. Tony Stewart- #14 Chevrolet (C)
24. Dale Earnhardt Jr.- #88 Chevrolet
30. Carl Edwards- #99 Ford (C)