After rain postponed the Gander RV 400 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Dover International Speedway from Sunday to a Monday start, Martin Truex Jr. started in the back. But the 2017 Cup Series champion was up front for the checkered flag for his second win in three races. The win also was Truex’s third at Dover and Joe Gibbs Racing’s seventh of the season after 11 races.
“I promise; it wasn’t easy,” Truex said. “It was a lot of work. It was tough, but this race car was just incredible. Just thanks to everyone who makes this possible. I can’t believe it. Without Talladega, we would have had two in a row. It is special. New guys this year. Coach [Joe Gibbs, team owner] has put together a good bunch and Cole [Pearn, crew chief] and everybody. I am really, really proud to drive these Toyotas. They are awesome and I am a lucky guy.”
Alex Bowman finished second for the second-consecutive week after, like Truex, starting the race in the back. They were among four drivers who were forced to the back for the green flag after their cars twice failed pre-race inspection Sunday.
“I’m worn out. This is the physically hardest race of the year for me, for sure,” Bowman said. “We at least had a shot at it. That’s really all you can ask for. Congrats to Martin Truex Jr. Our Nationwide Small Business Chevy was really good.”
Kyle Larson and Kevin Harvick finished third and fourth, and Chase Elliott was fifth after leading a race-high 145 laps.
Bowman was inside the top-10 of the running order by the time the first stage, won by Joey Logano, ended on lap 120.
Truex took his first lead of the race by passing Bowman on lap 240, the final lap of the second stage. Truex and Bowman ran first and second for most of the remaining 160 laps, with the exception of laps during an extended cycle of green-flag pit stops between laps 320 and 346.
Elliott started on the pole and led the first 107 laps before Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron and Logano took only two tires during a lap-106 caution. After Logano managed to remain up front until the first stage ended, he and Byron were the only two drivers to pit between the first two stages. After their stops, they restarted outside the top-20
Brad Keselowski was the leader for the restart to begin stage two, but Elliott was up front after a cycle of green-flag stops that began on lap 182. Bowman got up to second to join Elliott in a Hendrick Motorsports one-two before taking the lead on lap 224.
Erik Jones finished sixth, Logano was seventh, Byron eighth, Clint Bowyer ninth and Kyle Busch finished 10th.
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