2 years agoWilliam Byron hit the wall hard on Saturday at qualifying. So, to the backup car he went and a 33rd-place start. All is not lost. That backup car is likely as good or even better than the regular No. 24 Chevy. Expect Byron to get a good head of steam up the field as the race begins. The Hendricks Motorsports Racing driver could easily be in the top ten sometime by Stage 2 or sooner. His utility rate DFS-wise will be off the charts even with his "dominator" price". That matters little as he still could garner a top-five result on Sunday at Dover.
--Chris Wassel - RotoBallerSource: NASCAR.com
2 years agoErik Jones had a poor qualifying run by his standards at Dover on Saturday and will start 25th on Sunday. However, do not be too alarmed. Jones has shown solid place differential on tracks like the Monster Mile the past three seasons. Jones has an average track position of 15.4 and one top-ten. If not for a few unfortunate incidents, that number would be even better. This kept his place differential minimal to negative the past few times out. He does have a car that practiced pretty well.
--Chris Wassel - RotoBallerSource: NASCAR.com
2 years agoJoey Logano starts outside the top twenty on Sunday at Dover and could move up the field enough to make an impact DFS-wise. The Team Penske Ford had some later speed as the laps ticked down. The problem was qualifying where he placed just 22nd. That did raise some eyebrows in the garages and Logano make a few more miscalculations than usual. At Dover, those little bobbles bleed your time quickly. However, in 15 and 20-lap runs, Logano seemed to smooth those out. While he may not win the race, those four top-tens in his last five appearances loom significantly.
--Chris Wassel - RotoBallerSource: NASCAR.com
2 years agoOne never thought to put consistency issues with a Martin Truex Jr. car at Dover but here we are. The Next-Gen has been a love-hate relationship for the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing driver. Truex Jr. carries a ton of pedigree here with a recent win, four top-five, and four top-ten results. However, he starts 18th for a reason on Sunday and that has not been lost on anyone based on last Spring where Truex Jr. lost speed from the beginning and struggled after a cut and ultimately blown tire. He can get to the front better than anyone but can Truex stay there? That is the big question.
--Chris Wassel - RotoBallerSource: NASCAR.com
2 years agoKurt Busch did not have the best of qualifying and practice on Saturday at Dover. He does start 16th and does have one top-ten result in his last five races. Other than that, the No. 45 car has not been much of a factor more toward the front of these races. The fact that his Toyota car was not tested beyond ten laps lends some credence that this may not be the week for him. There was a several tenths drop-off early and it seemed to be getting slower and slower. It may be wise to look elsewhere and other than the Busch's this week.
--Chris Wassel - RotoBallerSource: NASCAR.com
2 years agoIt has been a rough season for Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and JTG Daugherty Racing. Not much is likely to change this week at Dover for the No. 47 Chevy. Stenhouse has finished outside the top-20 since that result at Fontana. It does not matter how fast his car has been. There always has been some issue. Despite that, his spirits are good even with the several DNF's. Three crashes in ten races does not inspire much hope this week either.
--Chris Wassel - RotoBallerSource: NASCAR.com
2 years agoJustin Haley looked like he might factor into things at Dover but will start Sunday only in 14th position. However, he was one of those Chevy drivers that was carrying speed and acceleration well. Again, it boils down to getting that car up the field. Pit strategy and positioning will be vital along with some drafting. The Kaulig Racing driver has been knocking at the top-ten door lately with four top-15 results in his last six races? Is this the week? It might be.
--Chris Wassel - RotoBallerSource: NASCAR.com
2 years agoRyan Preece starts 13th on Sunday and the Rick Ware Racing Ford did show unexpected quickness around the Dover track. He was trimming time off most of the contenders except for a few bobbles that cost him. His intervals were more level than most Ford cars as well. When a car only drops off that gradually, it is noticed. That was around three tenths of a second in practice from 0-20 laps. Even Joey Logano was in that range so maybe some of the Fords are a bit faster than previously believed. It may be something to watch out for later on Sunday.
--Chris Wassel - RotoBallerSource: NASCAR.com
2 years agoAustin Cindric could learn a lot of good information at Dover this weekend. He starts 12th on Sunday and one of the best Fords in Kevin Harvick is right in front of him. Cindric might look for a few pointers on the track as Harvick is one of the most consistent drivers at the Monster Mile. Period. Cindric's No. 12 Team Penske car is fast but it trailed off in 15-20 lap averages toward about 23.6 seconds. It was not the worst drop-off but it was noticeable. Do those extra tenths keep Cindric and his car out of contention? Barring a change, they might.
--Chris Wassel - RotoBallerSource: NASCAR.com
2 years agoFew drivers can create some chaos at Dover quite like Kevin Harvick. The Stewart-Haas Racing driver may start 11th but he is almost a virtual lock for the top-ten. Besides winning one race here in his last five, Harvick is the only active driver who has finished every one of the last three years in the top ten. Four times he was in the top five. The No. 4 Ford seems to pick up speed and acceleration around the turns as the race wears on. It will be interesting to see how Harvick maximizes opportunity on Sunday. After all, his wisdom can pick him up some tenths of a second and track position.
--Chris Wassel - RotoBallerSource: NASCAR.com
2 years agoKyle Busch sneaked into the top ten during qualifying on Saturday. His outside Row 5 start is not bad but not the most optimal given track history. However, when has that ever rattled the younger Busch? Exactly. He has not won here in his last five races but does have at top-five result and three top-tens. Busch has barely led any laps because he has not been close enough to the front in order to make a difference there. That may happen again on Sunday. He could have the speed but not enough grip and other factors to move up enough.
--Chris Wassel - RotoBallerSource: NASCAR.com
2 years agoBubba Wallace may not be on the radar and this could prove to be nothing. However, the No. 23 car from 23XI Racing was fast and accelerated well on the Dover track. He qualified ninth but a turn here or there could have easily placed him into the top five. Wallace did not seem to slow dramatically like a Denny Hamlin either in his Toyota. That is something to keep in mind. Is he as fast as the Hendricks and some of the other Chevy's? Now, that may seem to be a no. Wallace may not win on Sunday but he could place well in the right circumstances.
--Chris Wassel - RotoBallerSource: NASCAR.com
2 years agoDaniel Suarez starts from the outside of Row 4 on Sunday at Dover. The "Monster Mile" has a way of humbling drivers and Suarez has already had enough bad luck this season. His car had been running very well the last two weeks (64 and 28 laps led) but two circumstances hindered his races. At Bristol, the rain hurt and last week, the dreaded DVP got him. Hopefully, he has better luck this week at Dover. The TrackHouse Chevy is fast and again it comes down that racing near the front. One has to get up there to win it on this track.
--Chris Wassel - RotoBallerSource: NASCAR.com
2 years agoRoss Chastain starts just behind the three Hendricks Motorsports cars in seventh on Sunday. The TrackHouse Racing car was fast yet again in qualifying. Practice may be a bit more unknown but it will come down how his No. 1 car fares as the laps tick down. Longer runs tend to happen at Dover and cars that get out front tend to stay in front. That will be key for Chastain. Can he get close enough to make a difference later in the race? If he does, is there a repeat of last week perhaps? Maybe. However, the chances of this happening are lower than expected.
--Chris Wassel - RotoBallerSource: NASCAR.com
2 years agoAlex Bowman was a surprise winner last year at Dover but a deeper look suggests not so much. He was able to stay out front due to a great pit stop with 97 laps to go. Bowman never looked back as he guided the No. 48 Hendricks Motorsports car to victory. This was not a fluke as Bowman has four top-five finishes in his last five appearances at Dover. Could this be a fifth in six? There is little reason (other than unforeseen) to suggest otherwise. The Hendricks tested great in loop data and that was in the Next-Gen car.
--Chris Wassel - RotoBallerSource: NASCAR.com
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