The NASCAR Cup Series race on Sunday has to clear a high bar thanks to what the Monster Mile has witnessed over the past two days.
The AAA 400 Drive for Autism is supposed to be the highlight of the spring race weekend at Dover International Speedway. It certainly will be in terms of big names and attendance, but it’s going to be hard for it to produce the most exciting conclusion of the three races the track is hosting.
That’s not a knock on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers or the show they could put on Sunday, but simply an acknowledgement of the fantastic finishes fans got to see on Friday and Saturday. The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race came down to a classic battle between youth and experience in the closing laps.
Noah Gragson and Johnny Sauter found themselves locked in mortal combat as the laps ticked down, dueling for about eight or nine laps without really settling things. Ultimately, they were side by side when Gragson decided to try to bump Sauter up the track, a decision that backfired when the young Kyle Busch Motorsports truck driver took the worst of the contact and ended up backing into the wall, ending his day and sending the JEGS 200 into overtime — where Sauter held on to win.
Saturday’s OneMain Financial 200 XFINITY Series race produced almost the exact same kind of drama, and with even higher stakes. JR Motorsports drivers Justin Allgaier and Elliott Sadler were racing for a win plus the $100,000 bonus that came with the final 2018 Dash 4 Cash race. Allgaier had the lead late, with Sadler getting close to him several times in the final 20 laps but never quite getting into position to pass him.
His opportunity finally came just before the final turn on the very last lap, when Sadler took the low line and tried just to nudge Allgaier up enough to nip him through Turn 4. But it was Sadler who lost the momentum, ultimately settling for second while his teammate got the trophy and the oversized check.
Could we get a third consecutive day of high drama in the AAA 400 Drive for Autism on Sunday afternoon? It’s certainly possible based on what the previous two races showed, which is that the Monster Mile is lending itself right now to drivers trying multiple grooves, especially through Turns 1 and 2. Both the Truck and XFINITY Series races had times when it was possible to run down the leader, so clean air isn’t making people running out front invincible.
A longer race could mean more chances for plot twists too. But it could also lead to more opportunities for long, green flag runs where the leader gets even further away. Add in the fact that the weather forecast for Dover on Sunday is not great and it’s possible we’ve already seen the best the track has to offer this weekend.
Next: Jimmie Johnson says he, 48 team victims of own success
That’s alright, though, because it rewarded fans who came to Dover to watch all three races. The first two were well worth the price of admission, and a hat trick on Sunday would just be the icing on the cake.
Add us as a preferred source on Google