2012 Dover AAA 400 Odds & Ends

At 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 85 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.

·         33 different drivers have posted victories led by Jimmie Johnson, Bobby Allison and Richard Petty, each with seven. Johnson leads all active drivers.

·         David Pearson won the first pole in July 1969.

·         There have been 35 different pole winners, led by David Pearson (six).

·         Mark Martin leads all active drivers with five poles.

·         Hendrick Motorsports has a series-high 14 wins.

·         52 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 has started was 37th, by Kyle Petty in 1995.

·         Several active drivers had their first start at Dover, including three past champions: 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 (6/01/2008 – 23 years, 0 months, 30 days).

·         Oldest NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Dover International Speedway winner: Harry Gant (5/31/1992 – 52 years, 4 months, 21 days).

 

NASCAR in Delaware

·         There have been 85 NASCAR Sprint Cup races in Delaware, all at Dover International Speedway.

·         Eight drivers in NASCAR’s three national series (all-time) have their home state recorded as Delaware, though none have posted victories.

 

Dover International Speedway Data

Chase Race #: 3 of 10

Season Race #: 29 of 36 (9-30-12)

Track Size: 1-mile

Banking/Turns: 24 degrees

Banking/Straights: 9 degrees

Frontstretch Length: 1,076 feet

Backstretch Length: 1,076 feet

Race Length: 400 laps / 400 miles

 

Top 12 Driver Rating at Dover

Jimmie Johnson........................ 120.6

Matt Kenseth............................ 110.5

Carl Edwards............................ 104.8

Greg Biffle................................ 104.2

Kyle Busch.............................. 101.6

Mark Martin............................... 96.9

Kurt Busch................................ 95.4

Aric Almirola............................. 94.8

Jeff Gordon............................... 91.1

Ryan Newman.......................... 90.4

Clint Bowyer............................. 89.7

Jeff Burton................................ 89.1

Note: Driver Rating compiled from 2005-2012 races (15 total) at Dover.

 

Qualifying/Race Data

2011 pole winner:

Martin Truex Jr., Toyota (159.004 mph, 22.641 sec., 9-30-11)

 

2011 race winner:

Kurt Busch, Dodge (119.413 mph, 3:30:59, 10-02-11)

 

Track qualifying record:

Jeremy Mayfield, Dodge (161.522 mph, 22.288 sec., 6-04-04)

 

Track race record:

Mark Martin, Ford (132.719 mph, (3:00:50), 9-21-97)