Fresh off a win on the Daytona International Speedway road course, Chase Elliott will start on the pole for the first race of a Dover International Speedway doubleheader weekend for the NASCAR Cup Series — Saturday’s Drydene 311.
“To me, doubleheaders mean that there are a lot of points on the line in a short matter of time,” Elliott said. “Thankfully, for our good run at the Daytona road course and this new qualifying format, we will get to start up front on Saturday at Dover. Having that first pit box is also a huge thing for us this weekend.”
As a result of NASCAR’s new formula for determining race starting grid using statistics that include previous race finish and fastest lap and car owner points, the starting grid for Saturday’s race at Dover mirrors the top-three finishers of the Aug. 16 race at Daytona, with Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr. in second and third.
“Dover is a track that I like and one that I’ve been close to winning at but just haven’t been able to put all the pieces together to get the win,” Hamlin said. “The last time we were at Dover, we won the pole and led laps, but once we lost the lead and got out of the clean air, we kind of lost the handling of our FedEx Camry and couldn’t get back to the front and get the win. I have no doubt I have everything I need to get the win. With Chris [Gabehart, crew chief] and this team bringing cars every week that can contend right off the truck, I think we’ll be in good shape this weekend to get two wins and continue the strong run we have going this season.”
Clint Bowyer will start fourth Saturday, joining Truex in the second row. Joey Logano will start fifth, sharing row three with 11-time Dover winner Jimmie Johnson, one of Elliott’s Hendrick Motorsports teammates.
Kevin Harvick, the winningest driver, so far, in 2020 with six wins will start 10th after a 17th-place finish the previous weekend on the Daytona road course.
“For a number of years, it was my worst track,” Harvick said. “And the biggest key to solving the Monster Mile is having the right stuff. Rodney Childers [crew chief] and everyone on my team has done a great job of bringing fast race cars, and it’s really become one of our best race tracks. It’s going to be a tough weekend running two races in one weekend. That’s one of our more physical race tracks. To go there and run both of those events back-to-back will be something you’ll have to be prepared for. It’s one of my favorite race tracks, just because you have to drive the car really hard every lap in order to make good lap times. Going back with the low-downforce package this year is something I’m looking forward to. It’ll be a lot of fun, and the expectations will be high.”
Other top-10 starters include Brad Keselowski in seventh, William byron in eighth and Kurt Busch in ninth.
Reigning Cup Series champion Kyle Busch, after struggling and then retiring from the Daytona race a few laps shy of the finish, will start outside the top-20 in the 22nd position at Dover on Saturday.
