FORD PERFORMANCE NASCAR: DOVER PLAYOFF ADVANCE
The first elimination race of the 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs is set for Sunday afternoon at Dover International Speedway. Brad Keselowski, Ryan Blaney and Kevin Harvick are currently in transfer positions while Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Kurt Busch are on the bubble. Here’s a look at Ford’s history at The Monster Mile.
FORD DRIVERS IN THE PLAYOFF STANDINGS
4th – Brad Keselowski (+62 points ahead of 13th-place)
8th – Ryan Blaney (+26 points)
10th – Kevin Harvick (+25 points)
12th – Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (0 points, tied with Austin Dillon)
15th – Kurt Busch (-17 points)
CHASING ROUSH FENWAY
The last time Roush Fenway Racing finished 1-2-3 in a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race was on Sept. 21, 2008 at Dover International Speedway when Greg Biffle edged Matt Kenseth and Carl Edwards to the checkered flag. The three Jack Roush Fusions battled each other over the closing laps with Biffle making the decisive pass on the outside of leader Kenseth coming off turn four with only nine circuits remaining. The victory was Biffle’s second straight to open the 2008 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup after winning the opener at New Hampshire Motor Speedway the previous week.
ANOTHER FIRST FOR THE KING
Ford won the inaugural Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Dover International Raceway in 1969 when Richard Petty drove to victory lane on July 6. That marked the only year in which The King drove a Ford and was the fourth of nine wins for him that season, and it came in dominating fashion as he led half of the 300 laps, including the final 109. It was a Ford day all-around as the Blue Oval led every lap in the race with Lee Roy Yarbrough (124) and David Pearson (26) combining to lead the ones Petty didn’t, and had nine of the top 11 finishers.
WHEN JUNIE LOVED MAY
Dover proved to be magical for the late Junie Donlavey, who won the only Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race of his career at Dover on May 17, 1981 in the Mason-Dixon 500 when driver Jody Ridley took the checkered flag. Ridley had a good car that day, but it was even more reliable and that proved the difference. Neil Bonnett was the dominant driver as he led 404 of the first 459 laps, but he blew an engine that ended his day. Cale Yarborough appeared to be the main beneficiary as he inherited the lead, but the same fate befell him 20 laps from the finish and sent him to the garage. That left Ridley to assume the top spot and he held on from there to register his first and only Cup win. It also ended up being Donlavey’s only trip to victory lane. The Richmond native made 863 starts and fielded strictly Ford products from 1965-2002 in NASCAR’s top series that featured names like LeeRoy Yarbrough, Fred Lorenzen, Harry Gant, Ricky Rudd, Ken Schrader and Dick Trickle.
FROM 500 TO 400
In 1997 Ford swept both Dover events, but it’s remembered for historical reasons because when Ricky Rudd won the spring event on June 1, 1997 it marked the speedway’s final 500-mile event. Rudd took advantage of being in the right place at the right time after leader Ernie Irvan was involved in an accident with 29 laps remaining. Rudd took over the lead and held off Mark Martin over the final few laps to lead a Ford sweep of the top four spots. Martin bounced back a few months later by winning the fall event, which marked the inaugural 400-mile race at the track. That started a streak that saw him win three straight fall events at the Monster Mile.
FORD MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES DOVER WINNERS
1969 – Richard Petty
1978 – Bobby Allison (2)
1980 – Bobby Allison (1)
1981 – Jody Ridley and Neil Bonnett
1985 – Bill Elliott
1986 – Ricky Rudd (2)
1987 – Davey Allison and Ricky Rudd
1988 – Bill Elliott (Sweep)
1990 – Bill Elliott (2)
1994 – Rusty Wallace (Sweep)
1997 – Ricky Rudd and Mark Martin
1998 – Dale Jarrett and Mark Martin
1999 – Mark Martin (2)
2004 – Mark Martin (1)
2005 – Greg Biffle (1)
2006 – Matt Kenseth (1)
2007 – Carl Edwards (2)
2008 – Greg Biffle (2)
2011 – Matt Kenseth (1)
