Friday, June 1, 2012

Dover International Speedway:


Dover International Speedway:
History
·         The official opening of Dover International Speedway, then called Dover Downs International Speedway, was in 1969.
·         The first NASCAR Sprint Cup race was held on July 6, 1969.
·         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.
Notebook
·         There have been 84 NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Dover International Speedway since the track opened in 1969.
·         There was one race in 1969 and 1970. There has been two-a-year since 1971.
·         Richard Petty won the track’s first NASCAR Sprint Cup race.
·         There have been 35 different pole winners, led by David Pearson (six).
·         David Pearson won the first pole in July 1969.
·         Mark Martin, Jeff Gordon and Ryan Newman lead all active drivers, each with four poles.
·         33 different drivers have posted victories led by Bobby Allison and Richard Petty, each with seven.
·         Jimmie Johnson leads all active drivers, with six victories.
·         Hendrick Motorsports has a series-high 13 wins.
·         51 races at Dover have been won from a top-five starting position; 18 races have been won from a starting position outside the top 10.
·         13 drivers have won from the pole. The last to do so was Jimmie Johnson, in the 2010 September race.
·         The furthest back in the field a race winner started was 37th, by Kyle Petty in 1995.
·         Several active drivers had their first start at Dover: David Ragan (finished 42nd in 2006), Kurt Busch (18th in 2000), Matt Kenseth (sixth in 1998) and Bobby Labonte (34th in 1991).
·         In addition, Matt Kenseth (2002) and Michael Waltrip (1991) earned their first pole at Dover. Martin Truex Jr. won his first race there (2007).
·         Youngest NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Dover International Speedway winner: Kyle Busch (06/01/2008 – 23 years, 0 months, 30 days).
·         Oldest NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Dover International Speedway winner: Harry Gant (05/31/1992 – 52 years, 4 months, 21 days).
 

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