Logano Comes Full Circle at Dover

RADIO ANSWER: Dover Did You Know: Over the past 12 years in the spring race, there have been 12 different winners at this track.  The last repeat winner was in 1996, can you name that driver?  —Jeff Gordon

Raybestos Rookie of the Year candidate Joey Logano returns to the Monster Mile, site of his national-series debut last spring. He finished sixth in the NASCAR Nationwide Series event there.

Now, Logano, 19, is in his first NASCAR Sprint season for Joe Gibbs Racing. After a rough start, he’s logged two top-10 finishes in his last three races, including a ninth in Monday’s rain-shortened Coca-Cola 600.

That finish propelled him five spots in the NASCAR Sprint Cup standings, to 25th. He’s paired with veteran crew chief Greg Zipadelli, who guided Tony Stewart to two series titles.

Roush Fenway Racing A Dover Threat

Excepting Matt Kenseth’s back-to-back, season-opening wins, Roush Fenway Racing’s five NASCAR Sprint Cup teams are still searching for their stride. They may find it this week at Dover, where Jack Roush drivers have won five of the last 10 events.

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Greg Biffle has two of those wins, including last September’s event. He also was the runner-up to last spring’s Dover winner, Kyle Busch.

Biffle leads several important pre-race Loop Data categories for Dover – Driver Rating (116.6) Average Running Position (6.403), Fastest Laps Run (332), Fastest Late in a Run (140.445 mph) and Laps in the Top 15 (3,026).

Kenseth leads Laps Led (627), Fastest Drivers Early in a Run (144.877) and Fastest on Restarts (142.982 mph) at Dover since the inception of the statistics in 2005.

McGREW NAMED INTERIM CREW CHIEF OF NO. 88 SPRINT CUP TEAM

CONCORD, N.C. (May 28, 2009) – Hendrick Motorsports today named Lance McGrew as interim crew chief of the No. 88 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team of driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. beginning with the June 7 event at Pocono Raceway. Team manager Brian Whitesell will lead the team this weekend at Dover, Del.

“Our performance hasn’t been where it should be,” said Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports. “It’s impossible to pin that on any one factor, but a change is the right decision at this point. We have a plan in place, and we’re going to move forward with it.”

Continue reading “Official: Tony Eury Jr. out as Crew Chief of the 88”

Dover Pit-Road Improvements Complete
Thanks to winter construction, Dover now has a longer, safer pit wall.

The new 1,592-foot concrete wall extends from Turn 4 down the frontstretch and into Turn 1. It’s 432 feet longer than the old steel wall, and is wrapped with SAFER barrier.

The construction also allowed Dover Motorsports officials to widen and improve pit road – now four feet wider, supplying more passing room.  All 43 stalls are four feet longer – 32 feet compared to their previous length of 28 feet.

New apron space also was created at the entrance to pit road, allowing cars more room to slow down before crossing the commitment line.