AAA 400 Drive for Autism: 5 takeaways from NASCAR at Dover
As Jimmie Johnson tied Cale Yarbrough, what did we learn from the AAA 400 Drive for Autism? Here are our takeaways from NASCAR at Dover.
When reigning NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson won the AAA 400 Drive for Autism on Sunday, he also drove himself into the history books. His 83rd victory pulled the Hendrick Motorsports driver into a tie with Cale Yarbrough on the all-time wins list, adding to a lengthy resume that is just crazy at this point.
But Jimmie Johnson being the ruler of Dover International Speedway is just one of the things that NASCAR fans learned this weekend. Several other developments made the AAA 400 an event of big proportions (dare we say “monster”?). Whether it was Johnson’s big day or Kyle Busch’s small pit lane flub, there were a lot of talking points.
Here’s what we learned from the AAA 400:
1. Jimmie Johnson owns Dover
At this point, can we just rename Miles the Monster as the Jimmie Johnson Trophy? There’s no question that Johnson and the No. 48 team own Dover International Speedway. It’s the 11th time that Jimmie has driven onto Victory Lane. He has at least one victory at Dover in five of the last six years. It’s just insane, and it’s time we face reality and just give him his own space in the parking lot or something because he’s clearly the man in charge.
2. Kyle Larson is the real deal
Remember how for years we kept saying that Kyle Larson would be the next big thing in NASCAR? Well, 2017 has proven that Kyle Larson is the next big thing in NASCAR, and this weekend added more to his resume. Not only did the No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing driver finish a close second to Johnson in the Cup Series race, but he won the weekend’s Xfinity Series race. Larson is now just nine points away from reclaiming the NASCAR Cup Series points lead. Now it wouldn’t be too out of line to start saying that Kyle Larson will be champion someday.
3. Martin Truex Jr. loves stage racing
Fans are still making up their mind about NASCAR’s new stage racing, but someone whose life is much better for it is Martin Truex Jr. Truex won both Stage 1 and Stage 2 at Dover, giving him eight stage victories in 2017—the most of any Cup Series driver. Those stage wins also come with very valuable playoff points, of which Truex has 18. That’s three more than Jimmie Johnson. And with all those little victories, Truex is now the championship points leader. Stage racing has definitely worked out for him.
4. Always make sure your wheels are attached
What happened to you, Kyle Busch? You came into the AAA 400 with all of the momentum, from that big All-Star Race victory to being runner-up at Charlotte and earning the pole at Dover. But then you came into the pits and the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing team made a huge mistake. Your left rear tire wasn’t properly secured, so you got to roll around on three wheels for a few moments before having to come back for another stop. The devil’s in the details, and on Sunday, Kyle Busch got burned.
5. Danica Patrick is the most improved
Danica Patrick gets a lot of grief from certain segments of the NASCAR community, but she deserves some positive attention for her effort in the AAA 400. She started a dismal 31st and was able to climb up into a top-10 finish. It was her first top-10 of the season, in what’s been a very tough year for the No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing team. Will she be able to build upon that next Sunday at Pocono?
Next: Here's the side of Kyle Busch you don't see
Next up for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series is the Pocono 400 at Pocono Raceway on Sunday, June 11. For the latest news throughout NASCAR, follow along with the NASCAR category at FanSided here.