By Roy J. Akers – www.skyviewsports.net
SVG loves road courses and several other drivers like them very much. Denny Hamlin and others, not so much. That is why Dover is a welcome relief for many in the NASCAR world. We go to the manufacturer and team news.
Three Camrys make up Final Four of In-Season Challenge … With two rounds remaining in the NASCAR Cup Series’ In-Season Challenge, three of the four drivers remaining are Toyota Camry XSEs – Ty Gibbs, John Hunter Nemechek and Tyler Reddick. Gibbs and Reddick will face each other for the right to compete for the challenge title and the $1 million purse at Indianapolis Motor Speedway next weekend, while Nemechek will take on Ty Dillon in hopes of securing an all-Toyota finale.
Hamlin seeks Dover repeat … Denny Hamlin put on a masterclass in the spring of 2024 to capture his second win at Dover Motor Speedway last year. This weekend, he returns to the “Monster Mile” seeking his third triumph at the track and his fourth victory of the 2025 Cup Series season. Hamlin has garnered plenty of success at Dover with eight top-fives and 16 top-10s in 34 previous starts to go along with the two victories.
Reddick continuing strong finishes … Reddick and his No. 45 Toyota Camry XSE team enter this weekend at Dover Motor Speedway with three straight top-10s finishes, which came at Atlanta, Chicago and Sonoma. He looks to add a fourth consecutive top-10 this weekend at Dover where he’s accrued two top-10s previously. The recent surge by the No. 45 team has also put the 23XI Racing driver up to fourth in the Cup Series points standings, 149 points above the Playoff cutline.
LOGANO MAKING 600TH CUP STARTThree-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Joey Logano will add another milestone to his resume this weekend as he becomes the 34th driver to make at least 600 series starts. In that time, Logano has won 37 times, including 35 with Ford, which ties him for third on the manufacturer’s all-time list with Mark Martin. He’s won the most Cup Series races in a Mustang (16) and his 35 wins is the most for a Team Penske driver with Ford. BERRY RETURNS TO SITE OF CUP DEBUTJosh Berry made his NASCAR Cup Series debut at Dover Motor Speedway in 2021 when he drove the No. 77 car for Spire Motorsports and finished 30th. Since then, he has made 67 more starts and added a win to his resume, which came earlier this season at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He’s also had much better results at the Monster Mile since that initial start, finishing 10th in 2023 substituting for an injured Alex Bowman and 14th last season driving for Stewart-Haas Racing. In addition to his three Cup starts, Berry was dominant in three NASCAR Xfinity Series starts with one win (2022) and two runner-up finishes. |
 SMITH AND CINDRIC LOOKING TO ADD DOVER CUP WINZane Smith’s bid to advance to the semifinals of the inaugural In-Season Challenge was derailed last weekend by Ty Gibbs, but he’s hoping to put that behind him and focus on adding a second Miles the Monster trophy to his collection by winning Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race. Smith earned his first by capturing the KDI Office Technology 200 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event in 2020. On the other hand, Cindric went to Victory Lane at Dover in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2021 during the tour’s only visit that season. In three Cup starts, Cindric’s best finish is 15th, which came last year. |
Spire Motorsports – Dillon still in 1M Bracket Challenge
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 At Dover Motor Speedway:Ty Dillon will make his 12th Cup Series start at Dover Motor Speedway this Sunday for the AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400. In his previous 11 starts in the series, Dillon has led 28 laps and earned a best finish of 14th in 2017. Dillon has 10 starts in the Xfinity Series, where he has led 11 laps and had two top-five finishes, seven top-10 finishes, and a career-best finish of second in 2016. In the Craftsman Truck Series, Dillon has two starts with a career-best finish of sixth in 2012. This weekend at Dover Motor Speedway, Dillon will go head-to-head with John Hunter Nemechek in the In-Season Challenge for the chance to race for $1 million in the Championship Round at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. |
| “Dover is a track where I have had some highs and lows. In my rookie season with Germain Racing, we were leading inside 40 to go and were probably going to end up third or fourth, and the caution came out. Someone blew up off turn four and we had a big crash on a green-white-checkered while running fourth. I’ve always felt like opportunity given at the right time; we can really capitalize there. I’ve also had some really rough days and some decent days, so all over the map at Dover. |
| DENNY HAMLIN No. 11 Progressive Insurance Toyota Camry XSE HAMLIN AT DOVER: Denny Hamlin is a two-time NASCAR Cup Series winner at Dover Motor Speedway, including last April when he led a race-high 136 laps and fended off Kyle Larson down the stretch to secure the victory. Overall, the Virginia native has posted eight top-five finishes, 16 top-10s, four pole awards, and 818 laps led at the Monster Mile. Hamlin also owns two wins, four top-five finishes and seven top-10s in 11 NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Dover.SONOMA RECAP: The No. 11 team finished 20th in last weekend’s race at Sonoma Raceway. Throughout the event, Hamlin was searching for rear grip as he was mired outside the top 20 for most of the day. Following a late-race caution, he was able to regain lost track position and held on for a top-20 result. |
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| CHASE BRISCOE No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry XSE BRISCOE AT DOVER: Chase Briscoe has four NASCAR Cup Series starts at Dover Motor Speedway with a best finish of 13th in 2022. The Indiana native won the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at the Monster Mile in 2020 in addition to posting top-five finishes in both races at the track in 2019. In his lone NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series start, Briscoe claimed the pole award and finished 12th.SONOMA RECAP: Briscoe scored his seventh top-five finish of the season with a runner-up result last weekend at Sonoma Raceway. The No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry started second and ran in the top five for the majority of the race. With his second-place finish at Sonoma, Briscoe set a career-best for top-five finishes in a single season with seven. |
