Dover International Speedway History and Notes

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

NASCAR Statistics