NASCAR
Martin Truex Jr. Earns 3rd Dover Victory in Monday Rainout Race
After rain delayed the Gander RV 400 from Sunday to Monday, it was Martin Truex Jr. taking home the win. This Monday rainout win marks Truex’s 3rd at Dover, his 2nd of 2019, and 21st of his career. However, it was far from an easy win for Truex. The Jersey driver had to start from the rear for inspection failures, and would not lead until lap 240.
Chase Continues Momentum Early On
Besides being the return of single-car qualifying, the main Cup Series storyline from Friday at Dover was Hendrick Motorsports. Of their 4 cars, 3 would qualify in the top 5. These Chevrolets would be led by Chase Elliott, who was still riding the wave of last week’s Talladega win. Elliott was the class of the field early on, regardless of the Monday rainout conditions. The 9 would lead the first 107 laps, going for the Stage 1 win.
Late Lead Change for Stage 1 Win
Under a caution late in Stage 1 for Ricky Stenhouse Jr. hitting the wall, the lead would change on pit road. After leading the entire race up until that point, Chase Elliott lost ground to Joey Logano and William Byron. Both drivers took just 2 tires to get ahead of the 9. The 22 Shell/Pennzoil Ford would be in prime position for the sprint to end Stage 1. Despite only leading 10 laps in his prior career at Dover, Logano would lead 16 laps in addition to the Stage win. The 2-tire call would put the 22 and the 24 off sequence for much of the day, as they both had to pit again for more tires under the Stage break.
One driver who started the day in the rear would rally throughout Stage 1 to get into the top 10 by lap 120, Alex Bowman. After also failing inspection, the Nationwide 88 started the day from the back of the pack, but he had a rocket-fast car. Bowman would get all the way up to 7th by the first Stage break.
Pit Strategy, Last-Lap Pass Shake Up Stage 2 Results
Stage 2 in the Dover Monday rainout race would be divided in half by a green flag pit stop cycle. The first to come in for service was Martin Truex Jr. on lap 180. The rest of the front runners would follow Truex in, with Chase Elliott cycling back to the lead 10 laps later. However, the 9 car’s time out front for Stage 2 would be short-lived.
With the laps winding down in Stage 2, the 88 of Bowman finally took the lead on lap 224. He appeared to be pulling away from Elliott and Kevin Harvick, until the 19 of Martin Truex Jr. came roaring up through the field. Truex passed Harvick for 2nd with 4 laps left in the Stage, and set his eyes on the lead. Coming into turn 1 on the last lap, Bowman drove in too wide, opening the door for Truex. The 19 Toyota would hold on to win Stage 2 by just a car length over Bowman.
Bad Day Gets Worse For Hamlin
After starting in the 8th position, the day looked to be an opportunity for Denny Hamlin. Hamlin, who is still searching for his first Dover win, came into the Monday rainout with some confidence following qualifying. However, the day was off from the start for the 11 team. By the end of Stage 1, Hamlin was a lap down after struggling in the first run. On lap 266, Denny would bring out the only caution for the final Stage when his tire went flat.
Final Stage Total Domination for Truex
Minus the last cycle of green flag pit stops, Martin Truex Jr. led the way for much of the last Stage. Ever since his last-lap blunder in Stage 2, Alex Bowman was trying to chase Truex back down. For awhile, the 88 held the 19 within a reasonable margin. However, Truex’s lead kept growing and growing. By the last lap, Martin’s lead was 9.5 seconds over Bowman.
Dover’s Moday rainout race is Martin Truex Jr.’s 3rd career win at the Monster Mile, and first since 2016. Oddly enough, his first career win came at the concrete mile, and it was also a Monday rainout race back in 2007. Any win at Dover is special for Truex, as it is the home track for the New Jersey driver.
Other Notables in the Top 10
The top 10 finishers from Dover’s Monday rainout were Martin Truex Jr., Alex Bowman, Kyle Larson, Kevin Harvick, Chase Elliott, Erik Jones, Joey Logano, William Byron, Clint Bowyer, and Kyle Busch.
For Larson, his 3rd place finish is a momentum-builder after several weeks of bad finishes. Alex Bowman now has runner-up results in back-to-back weeks after Talladega, marking his best career finishes. Kyle Busch’s 10th place result also ties a NASCAR record for most top-10s to open a year with 11. Busch is now tied with Morgan Shepherd’s hot start from 1990.
How to Watch the Next Race
Up next for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series is the Digital Ally 400 from Kansas Speedway. Coming this Saturday night, the sport’s best will take to the 1.5 mile speedway in the heartland for a 400-mile battle. Coverage will begin at 7:30 PM EST on FS1, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. This race a year ago marked Kevin Harvick’s 5th win of the season, but he has yet to win in 2019. Can ‘The Closer’ close out another race in Kansas? Tune in Saturday night to find out.
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Written by Peter Stratta
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Photo credit to Noah Lewis via TSJ101Sports.
