NASCAR is heading to Dover Motor Speedway after an exciting weekend of racing at Talladega Superspeedway. The venue only hosts one date after NASCAR decreased it from two after the 2020 season. Previously, Martin Truex Jr. won at Dover, with Ross Chastain and Ryan Blaney rounding out the top 3 spots.

It is time for a mini-preview as NASCAR prepares for the race weekend in Dover, Delaware. Which active Cup Series drivers have been the best at Dover since the NextGen car debuted in 2022? Below, you can check out the top 5 drivers in each statistical category at Dover over the two four races!

NASCAR driver statistics: Dover Motor Speedway

Wins

1. No. 19 Martin Truex Jr.: 1
2. No. 9 Chase Elliott: 1

Top-5 Finishes

1. No. 1 Ross Chastain: 2
2. No. 19 Martin Truex Jr.: 1
3. No. 9 Chase Elliott: 1
4. No. 20 Christopher Bell: 1
5. No. 11 Denny Hamlin: 1

Top-10 Finishes

1. No. 1 Ross Chastain: 2
2. No. 20 Christopher Bell: 2
3. No. 17 Chris Buescher: 2
4. No. 19 Martin Truex Jr.: 1
5. No. 9 Chase Elliott: 1

Laps Led

1. No. 24 William Byron: 193
2. No. 1 Ross Chastain: 184
3. No. 8 Kyle Busch: 128
4. No. 19 Martin Truex Jr.: 73
5. No. 9 Chase Elliott: 73

Average Finishing Position

1. No. 1 Ross Chastain: 2.5
2. No. 20 Christopher Bell: 5.0
3. No. 48 Alex Bowman: 5.5
4. No. 9 Chase Elliott: 6.0
5. No. 19 Martin Truex Jr.: 6.5

Points

1. No. 1 Ross Chastain: 97
2. No. 19 Martin Truex Jr.: 87
3. No. 9 Chase Elliott: 78
4. No. 20 Christopher Bell: 77
5. No. 11 Denny Hamlin: 73

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The NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway was similar to the Daytona 500 in a sense that fuel saving was a major priority. For the first two stages, the drivers were tasked with saving fuel, which allowed a third line to develop. However, it was nearly impossible to pass in the Final Stage with no third line due to drivers not worrying about fuel.

Following the event, several drivers complained about the fuel saving and brought up changes, such as a fourth stage, to combat the issue. Later, Elton Sawyer, NASCAR Vice President of Competition, went on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio and was asked about the possibility of adding a fourth stage.

“I don’t think there’s anything that’s off the table,” Sawyer said. “We look at it as do we want to take fuel mileage completely out of the event? And sure, we could do that, with where we put stage breaks.”

TYLER REDDICK WINS AT TALLADEGA https://t.co/6dIqLzXhqq pic.twitter.com/R0pg9qmwei

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) April 21, 2024

“But does that add to the entertainment value of superspeedways? Does that take away from it? I’m sure there are fans that for the most part enjoyed what they saw on Sunday and there are those who have a different view. That’s what fans enjoy about our sport, and our passionate fans about what they do and don’t want to see and it’s our job to put all of that together and put the best product out there.”

After escaping the weather at Talladega Superspeedway, NASCAR will start the weekend at Dover Motor Speedway soon. The forecast at Talladega looked very bad last Thursday but cleared up for an exciting event on Sunday. Now, the NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series head to Dover, which saw Sunday’s race moved to Monday in 2023. This time, the weather looks much better.

According to Weather.com, the weather forecast at Dover Motor Speedway calls for a high of 80° and a 10% chance of rain on Sunday. This will be much different from Saturday, which calls for a high of 58° and a 15% chance of rain. That is a 22° increase from Saturday to Sunday, which will be pretty drastic for the race track.

If the forecast stays the same, it could make Sunday’s Cup Series race very unpredictable. The race track will undergo massive changes, with drivers and teams prepared for the different conditions. Luckily, the only thing NASCAR has to deal with at Dover is the change in temperatures. After the last two Dover races were postponed, it comes as a massive relief.

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