Dover 101: Trends to watch, rule changes, tire info
One week after tackling the behemoth of Talladega Superspeedway, the NASCAR Cup Series travels up to the Mid-Atlantic to take on the “Monster Mile” of Dover Motor Speedway.
Before the green flag drops for Monday’s Würth 400 (noon ET, FS1, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), prepare for 400 laps in “The First State” with trends to watch for Dover, notable moments at the “Monster Mile,” rule changes and tire notes for the race.
RELATED: See paint schemes for Dover | Dover’s historical impact on NASCAR
ALEX BOWMAN TO MISS MONDAY’S RACE
The 2021 Dover winner is expected to miss 3-4 weeks after suffering a fractured vertebra after a wreck in a sprint car race in West Burlington, Iowa, Tuesday.
Bowman currently sits ninth in the Cup Series standings with six top 10s and three top fives through 10 races in 2023.
Josh Berry will pilot the No. 48 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports as Bowman recovers. Berry recently piloted the No. 9 for five races as Chase Elliott recovered from his leg injury. The Xfinity Series regular scored an eye-opening second-place finish at Richmond earlier this month.
MORE: Cup Series standings
📉 TRENDS TO WATCH 📈
— The last six Dover races were won by different drivers.
— Hendrick Motorsports owns 22 wins at Dover, more than double any other organization.
— Chevrolet is the only manufacturer with multi-time winners in 2023 (Kyle Larson, William Byron, Kyle Busch).
— Kevin Harvick, Martin Truex Jr. and Busch lead active drivers in wins at Dover with three each.
NOTABLE MOMENTS 🎥
2001: Dale Jr. wins first race after 9/11 | WATCH
2007: Martin Truex Jr. scores first career Cup Series victory at Dover | WATCH
Spring 2017: Jimmie Johnson scores 83rd and final Cup victory | WATCH
Fall 2017: Kyle Busch passes Chase Elliott with two to go to steal Dover win | WATCH
ON-TRACK SCHEDULE 🗓️
Saturday, April 29
— 10:35 a.m. ET: Practice (FS2, moves to FS1 at 11 a.m., PRN)
— 11:20 a.m. ET: Qualifying (FS1, PRN) (CANCELED)
Monday, May 1
— Noon ET: Würth 400 (FS1, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
MORE: Full weekend schedule at Dover
RULE CHANGES/GOODYEAR TIRE NOTES 🛞
NOTE: The updated short-track package will not be utilized at Dover Motor Speedway. Its next usage will be for the All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway on May 21.
The GEICO Restart Zone returned to its 2022 dimensions after being extended for this season’s first five races.
The Cup Series will run the same tire code that was used at Dover last season. Teams will be issued one set of tires for practice, one set for qualifying and an additional eight sets for Monday’s race.
In the event of a lost wheel that is contained to pit road, the offending team will be subject to a pass-through penalty under green-flag conditions. If the infraction occurs during a caution period, the offending team will restart at the tail end of the field.
If the wheel breaks free outside of pit road, the new rules guidelines mandate a two-lap penalty, plus a two-race suspension for two crew members. Each penalty is series-specific: Violations in one series will not impact those crew members‘ eligibility to participate in other series.
RELATED: See rules changes for 2023
FAN REWARDS 🫵
Fans can get in on the action all season long with NASCAR Fan Rewards, a free program that rewards fans for participating in the action when they watch races and play NASCAR Fantasy.
There‘s no cost to join. Fans must be 18 years or older to participate in the program.
Earn points by checking into a race from home or at the track, setting your Fantasy Live lineup, making purchases on the NASCAR.com shop and more. Points can be redeemed for race tickets, merchandise and VIP experiences at the track, including pace car rides and waving the green flag at qualifying.
FOLLOW THE RACE 📲
NASCAR Mobile has now added support for fans to “Follow the Race” and access live leaderboard and race information from Live Activities in the current app release (v13.2.0), available now. Android users, we didn‘t forget you — the same functionality has been custom-built for Android devices, as well.
How to access Live Activities on iPhones:
Make sure your iOS device has been updated to 16.1 or higher.
Available on the leaderboard of all NASCAR Series races.
Click on the three-dot menu near the top right of screen.
Select “Follow the Race.”
Swipe up to access the home screen and you will see the Live Activities at the top.
Lock the device and you will see Live Activities on the Lock Screen.
To turn off, simply visit the leaderboard, click the three-dot menu and “Unfollow the Race.”
FANTASY LIVE 🏆
Want to manage a team and race your way to the top of the leaderboards? Check out NASCAR Fantasy Live, which is open now. The free-to-play game lets you choose your drivers each week and show off your crew-chief instincts by garaging a driver by the end of Stage 2, and there is a $25,000 prize for the winner.
How to play: Fantasy Live | Set up a team today!
ALSO ON NASCAR.COM 💻
Get additional camera views by logging on to NASCAR Drive, where each week, in-car cameras will be available — as well as a battle cam and an overhead look.
NASCAR has partnered with LiveLike to add fan engagement to the NASCAR Mobile App. Log in to the mobile app during the race for polls, quizzes, the cheer meter and more — and see instant results from NASCAR fans like you.
