This Sunday, NASCAR returns to Dover for the AAA 400. Four Drivers will be eliminated as NASCAR goes from 16 drivers to 12 after this week.
This week will be the end of the line for four drivers this season. It is the first round of eliminations in the chase this Sunday, at the AAA 400 at Dover. Not only will it be the biggest race of the season to date, some championship contenders could be seeing their chances at a championship come to an end.
Last week at New Hampshire, Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch left with thoughts of what could have been. For Kyle Busch, it was a wreck that knocked him out of a sure spot into the second round of the chase, all the way into the bottom four after hit the wall.
Sitting in 13th place in the standings, Busch is just one point behind Dale Earnhardt Jr. in 12th and two points behind Jamie McMurray in 11th. Essentially, Busch has to finish top-5 and hope that one of those two drivers has a really poor day at the track. It’s a manageable climb for Busch.
The climb isn’t as manageable for Kevin Harvick. Sitting in the 15th spot, it’s win or go home. Last week, Kevin Harvick looked like he was going to win and make a miraculous comeback to stave off elimination. Instead, a bad pit road strategy cost him the race as he had to pit with two laps left and once again, he has to win at the AAA 400 or he will not be defending his championship.
If that wasn’t compelling enough, Hurricane Joaqin could very well make landfall and cause major problems for the track. Hopefully the race will be able to run. However, a hurricane is much different than a normal rain out in NASCAR. They are proceeding with caution as they work toward completing this weekend’s events.
Race Notes
Track: Dover International Speedway
Date/Time: Sunday, October 4, 2015 2:30 p.m. ET
TV: NBC Sports
Laps: 400
Most Wins: Jimmie Johnson (5)
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