NASCAR news and notes: Dover’s Monster Mile is this weekend

NASCAR All-Star Race format at North Wilkesboro Speedway announced

NASCAR and Speedway Motorsports announced this week the details for the 2024 NASCAR All-Star Race to be held on Sunday, May 19, for the second consecutive year at the newly paved North Wilkesboro Speedway. While the simplified format will return this season – featuring two heat races to set the All-Star Race starting lineup, a 100-lap All-Star Open, and a 200-lap main event – several new features will debut including a tire strategy element, a new Qualifying / Pit Crew Challenge format and pitting requirements. The spotlight will be on the stars of the sport as they take on these new challenges at the historic .625-mile track in the annual exhibition event for the grand prize of $1 million.

The signature new element in this season’s format centers around tire type and allotment. Potentially, three different tires will be utilized throughout the event weekend— a “prime tire” (the baseline tire assessed in last month’s Goodyear Tire Test at North Wilkesboro Speedway), an “option tire” (slick tires, but made with the same rubber as the wet weather tire, making it a softer tire with more grip and faster wear) and “wet weather” (the wet weather tire only used if the track is wet). The ‘Goodyear Eagle’ lettering will be yellow on the prime tires, red on the option tires, and white on the wet weather tires.

The particulars on the tires:

• Teams will be allotted nine sets of tires for the event weekend.
• For practice, qualifying, the heat races, and the Open, teams will be allotted three sets of prime tires and two sets of option tires.
• For the All-Star Race, teams will have two sets each of primes and options.
• All four tires on the car must be of the same type at all times.
• Only the prime tire will be used during both qualifying sessions.
• For practice, the heat races, and the NASCAR All-Star Open, teams will have the option to start on any type of tire.
• All teams will start on the option tire for the All-Star Race.

“After a successful return to North Wilkesboro Speedway last season, we are thrilled to bring the action back to one of NASCAR’s most iconic and storied tracks,” said John Probst, NASCAR Senior Vice President and Chief Racing Development Officer. “The spotlight will certainly be on the crew chiefs and drivers as they plan their tire strategy for this special race. In testing, the softer tires were significantly faster — but wore much quicker. Goodyear has been an incredible partner in this All-Star element, and it will be fascinating to watch how crew chiefs and drivers manage this unique challenge.”

The NASCAR All-Star Race will be 200 laps with two All-Star cautions at lap 100, and lap 150. At the lap 100 break, teams must perform a four-tire pit stop, using any tire of their choosing. All laps (caution and green flag) will count, and NASCAR Overtime rules will be in effect.

Sunday’s All-Star Open will give drivers who are not guaranteed a spot in the main event a chance to race their way into the All-Star Race. The 100-lap Open will have an All-Star caution at Lap 50, at which time teams must perform a four-tire pit stop. At the end, three Open drivers will advance to the All-Star Race – the top two race finishers and the Fan Vote Winner. NASCAR All-Star Race Fan Voting is now open on NASCAR.com/fanvote.

“This format will challenge drivers, crew chiefs and pit crews from Friday through Sunday, and strategy will play a huge part in who takes home the $1 million prize,” said Speedway Motorsports President and CEO Marcus Smith. “The All-Star Race has always been a place for innovation, from its very creation in 1985 to racing under the lights, unique paint schemes and double-file restarts. Now we have an old-school, short track format developed by Dale Jr. plus a new twist on tires courtesy of NASCAR and Goodyear. Kevin Harvick gave great input on stepping up the impact of qualifying. Throw it all together at North Wilkesboro and we’ve got something special for the 40^th running of the NASCAR All-Star Race.”

All-Star weekend festivities will begin Friday evening with the All-Star Open qualifying and All-Star qualifying / Pit Crew Challenge. While last season’s qualifying was based solely on the results of the Pit Crew Challenge, this season combines the traditional qualifying effort with the Pit Crew Challenge element. Drivers will take the green flag, run one full lap at speed, and on the second lap proceed to one of two NASCAR designated pit stalls for a four-tire stop with mock fuel delivery. When the pit stop is complete, the cars will exit pit road and race back to the checkered flag. The qualifying time will be the total elapsed time from green flag to checkered flag, and the pole sitter will start on the pole for Heat Race 1 and the All-Star.

The pit crew with the fastest stop during the All-Star qualifying attempt (no penalties) is the winner of the Pit Crew Challenge. Timing lines are established one box behind and one box ahead of the NASCAR designated pit stop boxes. Pit Crew Challenge results will determine pit picking order.

Saturday night will feature two 60-lap heat races that will determine the starting lineup for the All-Star Race among drivers already locked into the field. There will be an All-Star caution at lap 30 of each heat race; teams must perform a four-tire pit stop. The results of Heat 1 will establish the inside row, and the results of Heat 2 will establish the outside row. The action-packed weekend will conclude Sunday night with the All-Star Open and All-Star Race.

“The emphasis on tire strategy and returning to an old-school qualifying approach are both great moves to give the entire weekend more impact,” said Harvick, who will call his first NASCAR All-Star Race for FOX Sports. “Being able to walk away from qualifying with both a Pit Crew Challenge champion and a locked-in pole winner elevates the event for both the fans and the teams.”

Drivers eligible for the NASCAR All-Star Race include those who’ve won a points event in either 2023 or 2024, drivers who’ve won a NASCAR All-Star Race and compete fulltime, and drivers who’ve won a NASCAR Cup Series championship and compete fulltime.

Drivers who have already clinched an All-Star Race spot include: AJ Allmendinger, Christopher Bell, Ryan Blaney, Chris Buescher, Kyle Busch, William Byron, Ross Chastain, Chase Elliott, Denny Hamlin, Brad Keselowski, Kyle Larson, Joey Logano, Michael McDowell, Tyler Reddick, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Daniel Suárez, Martin Truex Jr., and Shane van Gisbergen.

The NASCAR All-Star Race will air live on FS1, MRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, with coverage beginning at 5 p.m. ET on Sunday, May 19.

NASCAR Announces Nominees for NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2025

NASCAR this week announced the 15 nominees for the NASCAR Hall of Fame’s Class of 2025 and the five nominees for the Landmark Award for Outstanding Contributions to NASCAR.

Greg Biffle, the first driver to win both the NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series championship joins the Modern Era ballot alongside legendary engine builder Randy Dorton and three-time NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series champion Jack Sprague. “Mr. Modified” Ray Hendrick and three-time Convertible Division champion Bob Welborn join the Pioneer ballot for the first time. In addition, Larry Phillips was nominated to the Pioneer ballot after appearing on the Modern Era ballot the maximum 10 times.

Two Modern Era candidates and one Pioneer candidate will be elected as the Class of 2025. The Pioneer ballot honors those whose careers began more than 60 years ago.

Dr. Dean Sickling, who invented the SAFER (Steel and Foam Energy Reduction) barrier which has saved countless lives, joins the Landmark Award ballot for the first time. The Landmark Award honors those who made significant contributions to the growth and esteem of NASCAR.

The NASCAR Hall of Fame Voting Panel will meet in person to discuss and vote for the Class of 2025 and Landmark Award on Tuesday, May 21. The winners of a NASCAR.com Fan Vote (www.nascar.com/halloffame) will comprise the final ballot tallied. The Fan Vote is currently open and will close on May 19 at 12 p.m. ET.

The Modern Era Ballot and Landmark Award nominees were selected by the Nomination Committee, which consists of representatives from NASCAR and the NASCAR Hall of Fame, track owners from major facilities and historic short tracks. The Honors Committee, largely comprised of all living Hall of Famers, Landmark Award winners and Squier-Hall Award winners, selected the Pioneer Ballot.

Following are the NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2025 nominees and Landmark Award nominees:

Modern Era Ballot

Greg Biffle, 2000 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series champion and 2002 Xfinity Series champion

Neil Bonnett, won 18 times in the NASCAR Cup Series including consecutive Coca-Cola 600 victories

Tim Brewer, two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion crew chief

Jeff Burton, won 21 times in the NASCAR Cup Series including the Southern 500 and two Coca-Cola 600s

Randy Dorton, built engines that won nine championships across NASCAR’s national series

Carl Edwards, winner of 28 NASCAR Cup Series races and 2007 Xfinity Series champion

Harry Gant, winner of 18 NASCAR Cup Series races, including two Southern 500 victories

Harry Hyde, 1970 NASCAR Cup Series championship crew chief

Ricky Rudd, won 23 times in NASCAR Cup Series, including the 1997 Brickyard 400

Jack Sprague, three-time NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series champion

Pioneer Ballot

Ray Hendrick, won over 700 times in NASCAR Modified and Late Model Sportsman

Banjo Matthews, built cars that won more than 250 NASCAR Cup Series races and three championships

Ralph Moody, two-time NASCAR Cup Series owner champion as mechanical genius of Holman-Moody

Larry Phillips, first five-time NASCAR weekly series national champion

Bob Welborn, three-time Convertible Division champion

Landmark Award

Alvin Hawkins, NASCAR’s first flagman; established NASCAR racing at Bowman Gray Stadium with Bill France Sr.

Lesa France Kennedy, NASCAR Executive Vice Chair and one of the most influential women in sports

Dr. Joseph Mattioli, founder of Pocono Raceway

Dr. Dean Sicking, inventor of the SAFER (Steel and Foam Energy Reduction) barrier

Les Richter, long-time NASCAR executive oversaw competition, helped grow the sport on the West Coast

Legacy Motor Club taps Corey Heim to replace an injured Erik Jones at Dover

After being involved in a multi-car incident at Talladega Superspeedway, Legacy Motor Club has announced driver Erik Jones will not race this weekend in the Würth 400 at Dover Motor Speedway due to a compression fracture in a lower vertebra in his back. In his stead, will be reserve driver Corey Heim piloting the famous No. 43 Toyota this weekend. Heim will collaborate with crew chief David Elenz. Legacy M.C. will request a medical waiver for Jones to remain eligible for the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs.

Although there has been no timeline set for Jones’s return behind the wheel, he will be in attendance in Dover to help call the race with his crew. Heim, 21, a native of Marietta, Ga., currently competes in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series for TRICON Garage and in the NASCAR Xfinity Series for Sam Hunt Racing.

“Erik’s long-term health is our number one priority,” said Jimmie Johnson, co-owner of Legacy M.C. “It will be great to see him at the track Sunday and we intend to give him the time it takes to recover properly. I know Corey will do a great job behind the wheel for the Club. In the meantime, our thoughts are with Erik and his wife Holly – they have our total support.”

On a limited schedule Jimmie Johnson returns to the Monster Mile

The only driver Miles The Monster ever bows to is NASCAR Hall of Famer Jimmie Johnson, who conquered the Dover-mile 11-times in his lustrous Cup career. Now, on a limited schedule driving for Legacy Motor Club, a team he has part-ownership in, he returns to take on the Monster one more time.

In 38 starts, Johnson has put up 11 wins, 18 top fives, 27 top 10s and three poles. His average finish of 8.656 is second-best among active drivers and he holds the series-best rank in the following pre-race loop categories Average Running Position (8.912), Driver Rating (112.0), and Laps in the Top 15 (10,684 laps, 84.5%).

In Johnson’s last three starts at Dover he has finished inside the top-10; including his last start there in 2020 where he finished third. But this weekend will be his first attempt at the Monster Mile in the Next Gen car.

 A quick Monster Mile rundown

Aptly nicknamed the Monster Mile, Dover Motor Speedway is a one-mile concrete paved oval located in Dover, Delaware, and will be the site of this weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series race.

Dover Motor Speedway, originally known as Dover Downs International Speedway, has hosted 105 NASCAR Cup Series races dating back to the inaugural event on July 6, 1969.

The first Dover Motor Speedway NASCAR Cup Series race on July 6, 1969 was a 300-mile event that was won by NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty driving a Petty Enterprises Ford (115.772 mph, 02:35:28). Petty actually won the first two Cup events at the track (1969, 1970).

In total, the 105 NASCAR Cup Series races at Dover Motor Speedway have produced 43 different pole winners and 39 different race winners.

Qualifying Rewind: Front row is the place to start at Dover

Of the 22 different starting positions on the grid that have led to victories at Dover Motor Speedway in the NASCAR Cup Series, the outside front row is the most proficient starting position in the field producing more winners (20 winners, 19.05%) than any other spot. And nine Cup Series drivers have won from the pole or first starting position for a total of 13 victories form the first starting spot at Dover Motor Speedway (12.38%).

The NASCAR Cup Series has produced 43 different pole winners at Dover Motor Speedway. NASCAR Hall of Famer David Pearson leads the Cup Series in poles at Dover Motor Speedway with six (1969, 1973 sweep, 1974, 1975, 1981). Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin leads all active series drivers in poles at Dover with four (2012, 2013, 2015, 2019). Eight of the 43 NASCAR Cup Series Dover Motor Speedway pole winners are active this weekend.

11-time victor Jimmie Johnson leads stable of winners at Dover

Legacy Motor Club’s owner/driver Jimmie Johnson holds the NASCAR Cup Series record for the most wins at Dover Motor Speedway with 11 victories (2002 sweep, 2005 Playoffs, 2009 sweep, 2010 Playoffs, Spring of 2012, 2013 Playoffs, Spring of 2014, Spring of 2015, and Spring of 2017) and he will be one of eight active winners in this weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series race.

Johnson is one of just five drivers to win 10 or more races at a single track, joining Richard Petty (15 wins at Martinsville and North Wilkesboro; 13 wins at Richmond; 11 wins at Rockingham and 10 wins at Daytona), Darrell Waltrip (12 wins at Bristol; 11 wins at Martinsville; 10 wins at North Wilkesboro), David Pearson (10 wins at Darlington), and Dale Earnhardt (10 wins at Talladega).

In total 39 different drivers have won in the Cup Series at Dover. Of the 39 different NASCAR Cup Series winners at Dover Motor Speedway, eight are active this weekend.

This weekend’s Würth 400 will be 400 laps (400 miles) and will be broken up into three stages. The first stage will be 120 laps, the second stage will be 130 laps and the final stage will be 150 laps.

All the NASCAR Cup Series on-track action begins on Saturday, April 28 with practice from 10:30 a.m. ET directly followed by Busch Light Pole Qualifying at 11:20 a.m. ET. Both will be televised on FS1.

Defending Dover winner Martin Truex Jr. is still looking for first win of 2024

Ranked second in the NASCAR Cup Series driver point standings following the 10th race of the season at Talladega Superspeedway, Martin Truex Jr. returns to Dover Motor Speedway looking for his first win of 2024. Just 15 points back from the driver standings lead, Truex is the only driver in the top five in the point standings without a win. But that could all change this weekend at the Monster Mile, because Truex is the defending winner of this race, and the one-mile concrete track has been particularly good to him over through the years.

Martin Truex Jr. is one of only two drivers all-time to earn their first NASCAR Cup Series career victory (June 6, 2007) at Dover Motor Speedway; he is joined by Jody Ridley (May 17, 1981).

Among active drivers Truex has the second-most wins at Dover Motor Speedway with four. In 33 career starts at Dover, Truex has also put up 10 top fives and 19 top 10s. His average finish at the track is 11.4.

Next Gen keeps delivering high-speed competition

The 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season is off to another highly competitive start and below are some of the statistics that the first 10 races of the season have produced.

This season is just the third-time the NASCAR Cup Series has produced 300+ lead changes (312) through the first 10 races of a season; joining the 2011 (343) and 2010 (329) seasons.

This year’s 31.2 average lead changes per race are the third-most in the series through 10 races; behind the 2011 (34.3), and 2010 (32.9) seasons.

This season the NASCAR Cup Series has produced 37 different lap leaders through the first 10 races of the season, the series-most different lap leaders since 2011 (39). This season is also averaging 12.9 lap leaders per race, the most since 2011 (13.9).

The average Margin of Victory of the NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway was 0.208-second, the second-closest Margin of Victory in the series this season, just behind the three-wide Atlanta Motor Speedway finish at 0.003-second. Six of the 10 Cup races this season have resulted with a Margin of Victory of less than a second.

The 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Talladega Superspeedway race produced 315 Green Flag Passes for the Lead – the series-most for the spring Talladega race and the second-most ever recorded since the inception of the Loop Data stat in 2005. Last season’s October Talladega Playoff Race holds the all-time single-event Cup Series record with 348 Green Flag Passes for the Lead.

The 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Talladega Superspeedway race produced 17,042 Total Green Flag Passes – the most for a race this season and the third-most in the spring Talladega race since the inception of the stat in 2005, behind the 2014 (19,742) and the 2016 (18,058) seasons.

Cup Playoff picture is coming through but still a little fuzzy

With 10 NASCAR Cup Series races in the books this season, the Playoff picture is somewhat taking shape. So far, seven drivers have earned their spot in the postseason by virtue of a win, leaving nine spots still up for grabs as the Cup Series heads to Dover Motor Speedway for the Würth 400 on Sunday, April 28 at 2 p.m. ET on FS1, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

The fast seven that have earned a spot in the Playoffs already this season on wins are William Byron (three wins), Denny Hamlin (two wins), Kyle Larson (one win), Chase Elliott (one win), Tyler Reddick (one win), Christopher Bell (one win), Daniel Suarez (one win).

At the other end of the Playoff outlook sits two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Joey Logano, currently 16th in the standings, tied in points with RFK Racing’s Chris Buescher in 17th – the first position outside the postseason cutoff. Just behind Buescher in the 18th spot is two-time Cup Series champion Kyle Busch, who is 11 points back from Logano and Buescher.

…