NASCAR Cup Series at Dover Motor Speedway Preview and Predictions

Off of the road courses and back to our oval home, the NASCAR Cup Series is heading to Dover Motor Speedway for the Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400. Here is everything you need to know for Sunday’s race.

NASCAR Cup Series Autotrader EchoPark Auto 400 at Dover Preview

Finally, we head to a track where there is only one type of turn, a left one. While I enjoyed the road course dominance of Shane Van Gisbergen, it feels nice to get back to an oval.

Last time we were in Delaware at Dover, it was Denny Hamlin taking his second win at Dover, and third and final of 2024. Can Denny Hamlin break the tie between himself, SVG, Bell, and Larson, all at three wins, and get four wins? Or will we see someone else take the checkered flag and get into the 2025 NASCAR Playoffs?

Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 Mavis Tire Toyota, takes the checkered flag to win the NASCAR Cup Series Würth 400 at Dover International Speedway on April 28, 2024 in Dover, Delaware. (Photo by Logan Riely/Getty Images)
Race Preview:

The Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 at Dover Motor Speedway is a 400-mile, 400-lap race around the 1-mile Dover Motor Speedway. Stage cautions will be on laps 120 and 250, and the checkered flag will be displayed on the 400th lap. The prize purse for this race is a total of 11,055,250 dollars.

Goodyear is bringing a brand-new tire for this race. Teams will have 10 sets, one for practice, one for qualifying, which can be used during the race, and eight fresh sets.

The Track-Dover Motor Speedway:

Dover Motor Speedway, but known by the fanbase as “The Monster Mile,” is a 1-mile concrete oval in Dover, Delaware. Opened in 1969, it was originally both asphalt and concrete, but in 1995 it was completely covered in concrete, joining the few concrete ovals on the schedule. Its high banking makes it a tough track, further confirming the nickname “The Monster Mile”.

Richard Petty, driving a Ford, won the first race on July 6th, 1969. Jimmie Johnson holds the wins record with a staggering 11 wins. Kyle Busch holds the record for active drivers, with three. Chase Elliott set the lap record in 2019, running a 22.203-second lap.

Cup Series Point Standings:

Here are the point standings for the Cup Series following the race at Sonoma:

1. William Byron: 668
2. Chase Elliott: 654
3. Kyle Larson: 624
4. Tyler Reddick: 615
5. Denny Hamlin: 606
6. Christopher Bell: 597
7. Ryan Blaney: 545
8. Chase Briscoe: 526
9. Ross Chastain: 513
10. Chris Buescher: 500

In Season Challenge: Final Four Round

We are in the second-to-last round of the inaugural NASCAR In-Season Bracket Challenge, and we have had some exciting action to get us to these four drivers. Both of the brackets created by the LWOS NASCAR Seed have been busted, but we have some good drivers still left in the challenge. They are…

32nd seed: Ty Dillon versus 12th seed: John Hunter Nemechek

23rd seed: Tyler Reddick versus 6th seed: Ty Gibbs

*My picks are in bold

Drivers To Watch:

The only driver joining the field is JJ Yeley, driving the #44 Chevy for NY Racing.

For the Chevrolets, this track is Hendrick Motorsports’ playground. Jimmie Johnson dominated this place, Chase Elliott won the first Next-Gen race here, and Bowman led the team to a 1,2,3,4 finish in 2021. While Larson has not been himself for a while, it would not surprise me if we are talking about him rolling to his 4th win of the season, or even Chase Elliott getting his second win of the season. Keep your eye on Hendrick on Sunday.

The Toyotas are the second-best manufacturer here. Keep an eye on Denny Hamlin, the defending race winner, and Christopher Bell. They both have the best stats for Toyota here. But I would not count out Chase Briscoe; he has some momentum going into this weekend.

Dover is not Ford’s best racetrack. Kevin Harvick won the last race for Ford, and that was in 2020. Ryan Blaney has the best finish for Ford in the Next-Gen era, finishing third in 2023. A solid option for Ford, but I would not count out Buescher or Preece from RFK. They have been running extremely well this season.

How To Watch The Cup Series at Dover:

Here is the weekend schedule for the Cup Series at Dover Motor Speedway:

Saturday, July 19th:

Practice:

1:35 PM Eastern
Coverage is on TruTV, and radio coverage on SiriusXM

Qualifying:

2:45 PM Eastern
Coverage continues on TruTV and SiriusXM

Sunday, July 20th:

The Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400:

2:00 PM Eastern
Coverage is on TNT Sports and HBOMax. Radio Coverage is on SiriusXM courtesy of PRN.

Stay connected to Last Word On Motorsports for all the updates from the Cup Series weekend at Dover.

Main Photo: James Gilbert, Getty Images

Recording Date: 4/28/2024

NASCAR Cup Series at Dover Motor Speedway Preview and Predictions

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