One of my favorite tracks is on deck this week at the Monster Mile. Dover International Speedway sits in the only state to not hold a National Park, but is nothing short of monumental in regards to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. The 2012 Chase for the Sprint Cup rolls on into Delaware on Sunday, and Dover can sometimes be the catalyst in many teams’ quest to take home NASCAR’s biggest prize. The concrete surface at The Monster Mile has been terrorizing stock car teams since 1995, and this weekend will be no different.
The Chase for the Sprint Cup is starting to take shape with two dramatic finishes already, and much to the show grin to the rest of The Chase field, the No. 48 team is starting to come alive. The six-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion displaced Brad Kesolowski as the front-runner for the top spot last week, with his second-consecutive runner-up finish. At a track where the guy from Michigan has historically struggled to put together solid finishes, Jimmie Johnson stands to increase his margin this week at a track that has historically been a strong point in the Hendrick stable.
New Hampshire Recap
Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner as they say in Vegas… After a year of struggling, I was able to put together a solid weeks of picks last week in New Hampshire.
Denny Hamlin was the guy I picked to win the Sylvania 300 last week at Loudon, and that’s exactly what he did. Starting 32nd, Hamlin wasted no time in showing his qualifying lap was far from the norm of his No. 11 FedEx Camry last week. There’s nothing more to say other than, I told you so about last week’s stanza in New Hampshire. Hamlin completely dominated the race last week in New England, and if it weren’t for a late-race caution flag on lap 272, Hamlin would have probably won the Sylvania 300 by 10-seconds over Jimmie Johnson.
Whenever a driver calls his win, I’m on board….
As for my Dark Horse, he faired just fine in the Sylvania 300, and finished just about where I projected. Sharing time in the No. 55 Aaron’s Dream Machine with Mark Martin, Brian Vickers has truly been a special mix for Michael Waltrip Racing this year, and last week’s top-ten finish just added to the banner year for the No. 55 team. Starting on the second row last week, Vickers had nothing but a good car all day. He was able to drive the Aaron’s Dream Machine to a ninth-place finish , and nabbed me a Dark Horse top-ten finish.
Dover Picks
Winner Pick
As mentioned above, it’s Jimmie Johnson who boasts the best record at Dover International Speedway amongst all active drivers, and its Jimmie Johnson who will take home his seventh Concrete Monster on Sunday. Again, he’s a guy who’s finished outside the top ten just once in the past nine races at Dover, and will be entering Sunday’s third race of the 2012 Chase for the Sprint Cup off two-consecutive runner-up finishes. The Chase is when the No. 48 team comes alive, and this weekend will be no different. He’ll start the 43rd Annual AAA 400 just outside the top ten in the eleventh spot, but based off his speed in Happy Hour, Johnson has all the car he needs to quickly move to the front of the pack on Sunday.
Dark Horse Pick
Why not take a look at Marcos Ambrose this week in Delaware? He enters Sunday’s AAA 400 riding a streak of three-consecutive top-ten finishes at the Monster Mile, including a tenth-place finish earlier this year in the FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks. The No. 9 DeWalt Ford was not fast in either of the two practice sessions at the Monster Mile this weekend, so there’s some work to be done before I can claim a solid pick this week.
Keep an eye on the No. 48 this week as he will make his statement for The Chase front-runner, and stay tuned next week as I make a stop in Syracuse, New York for this year’s Super Dirt Week XLI!
Until next time…You Stay Classy NASCAR NATION!
