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Shane van Gisbergen earns pole position for NASCAR All-Star Open

Qualifying on All-Star Race weekend is unique within NASCAR. Drivers will complete a full lap at speed before diving onto pit road for a four-tire pit stop in the middle of the second lap. At the end of that lap, the entire time it took from start to finish of the run is each driver’s […]

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Qualifying on All-Star Race weekend is unique within NASCAR. Drivers will complete a full lap at speed before diving onto pit road for a four-tire pit stop in the middle of the second lap. At the end of that lap, the entire time it took from start to finish of the run is each driver’s qualifying time — and yes, there are penalties for things such as loose wheels and speeding in the pit lane.

The first drivers on track were the 18 selected for the All-Star Open, which is the race to make the main event. The top-two finishers will advance into the All-Star Race with a third joining them as the Fan Vote recipient.

Well, one of the drivers currently ranked in the top five for the Fan Vote — Shane van Gisbergen — went out and put his No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet on pole position. SVG appeared to gain most of his time while braking into the pit lane, but having a fast pit crew helped as well.

“Yeah, I think we finally got all the things right,” said van Gisbergen, who had never even seen this track before today. “Qualifying has been a weakness. My lap was pretty good, coming in was good, pit stop guys were insane so really good for them. Thanks to WeatherTech, thanks to the Trackhouse pit crew, and we’re up front for tomorrow.

“I’ve never started at the front for an oval so I don’t know what to do there. I have to learn the rules and see how we go.”

 

In the Cup Series, the New Zealander’s best start on an oval is 17th, which came at Talladega Superspeedway last year. He will be joined on the front row by Spire Motorsports’ Carson Hocevar, who is also one of the top five drivers in the Fan Vote right now.

Noah Gragson qualified third, Michael McDowell fourth, and Ryan Preece fifth. Zane Smith, Justin Haley, John Hunter Nemechek, Ty Gibbs, and Ty Dillon filled out the remainder of the top ten.

Later on, Brad Keselowski earned pole position for the All-Star Race while McDowell’s pit crew won the Pit Crew Challenge. 

Photos from All-Star Race – Practice

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In this article

Nick DeGroot

NASCAR Cup

Shane van Gisbergen

Trackhouse Racing Team

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Judge denies 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports’ request to race with charters – Las Vegas Sun News

Published Thursday, July 17, 2025 | 4:05 p.m. CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — A federal judge on Thursday rejected a request from 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports to continue racing with charters while they battle NASCAR in court, meaning their six cars will race as open entries this weekend at Dover, next week at Indianapolis […]

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — A federal judge on Thursday rejected a request from 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports to continue racing with charters while they battle NASCAR in court, meaning their six cars will race as open entries this weekend at Dover, next week at Indianapolis and perhaps longer than that in a move the teams say would put them at risk of going out of business.

U.S. District Judge Kenneth Bell denied the teams’ bid for a temporary restraining order, saying they will make races over the next couple of weeks and they won’t lose their drivers or sponsors before his decision on a preliminary injunction.

Bell left open the possibility of reconsidering his decision if things change over the next two weeks.

After this weekend, the cars affected may need to qualify on speed if 41 entries are listed — a possibility now that starting spots have opened.

“We are disappointed that the court declined to grant 23XI and Front Row Motorsports a temporary restraining order to allow the teams to continue racing as chartered teams,” the teams’ attorney Jeffrey Kessler said in a statement. “We remain confident that our motion for a preliminary injunction is legally warranted and necessary, and we look forward to the court’s full review.”

23XI, which is co-owned by retired NBA great Michael Jordan, and FRM filed their federal suit against NASCAR last year after they were the only two organizations out of 15 to reject NASCAR’s extension offer on charters.

“We made the decision to bring this lawsuit to challenge NASCAR’s monopolistic practices and bullying tactics, and we are not going to let them push our teams – or others – out of the sport that they love,” Kessler’s statement said. “We are confident in the merits of our case and the teams remain focused on competing this weekend and continuing their playoff push.”

The case has a Dec. 1 trial date, but the two teams are fighting to be recognized as chartered for the current season, which has 16 races left. A charter guarantees one of the 40 spots in the field each week, but also a base amount of money paid out each week.

Jordan and FRM owner Bob Jenkins won an injunction to recognize 23XI and FRM as chartered for the season, but the ruling was overturned on appeal earlier this month, sending the case back to Bell.

Three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin co-owns 23XI with Jordan and said they were prepared to send Tyler Reddick, Bubba Wallace and Riley Herbst to the track each week as open teams. They sought the restraining order Monday, claiming that through discovery they learned NASCAR planned to immediately begin the process of selling the six charters which would put “plaintiffs in irreparable jeopardy of never getting their charters back and going out of business.”

“This is a fair and significant fear; however, NASCAR has agreed that it ‘will not sell any charters before the court can rule on plaintiffs’ motion for preliminary injunction,’” Ball wrote. “Similarly, plaintiffs worry that denying them guaranteed entry into the field for upcoming races could adversely impact their competitive standing, including their ability to earn a spot in the playoffs. Again, a legitimate, potentially irreparable harm. Yet, akin to the sale of charters, NASCAR represents to the court that all of plaintiffs’ cars will qualify (if they choose to race) for the races in Dover and Indianapolis that will take place during the next 14 days.”

Making the field won’t be an issue this weekend at Dover as fewer than the maximum 40 cars are entered. But should 41 cars show up anywhere this season, someone slow will be sent home and that means lost revenue and a lost chance to win points in the standings.

Reddick was last year’s regular-season champion and raced for the Cup Series championship in the season finale. But none of the six drivers affected by the court ruling are locked into this year’s playoffs.

___

AP auto racing:
https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing





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Another driver change shows results still trump paychecks in NASCAR

On the heels of yet another mid-season driver change in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, one has to wonder about the business model in modern-day NASCAR.  The premier stock-car racing organization in the world has always been commercialized and full of sponsors. Auto racing as a sport is too expensive to exist without the help of […]

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On the heels of yet another mid-season driver change in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, one has to wonder about the business model in modern-day NASCAR. 

The premier stock-car racing organization in the world has always been commercialized and full of sponsors. Auto racing as a sport is too expensive to exist without the help of dedicated sponsors and partners who are willing to shell out the big bucks. 

It’s the sheer quantity of money tied up in today’s NASCAR sponsorships that keeps the show running 38 weeks out of the year. 

But the business model of racing — and specifically, NASCAR — is far from perfect. In a sport that is incredibly expensive to get into in the first place, plenty of drivers find their way climbing the ranks thanks to sponsorship rather than merit. 

Every racecar driver in the country can turn a better lap than any average citizen on the street — there’s no debating that. Anyone and everyone in any professional racing organization has more driving talent in their pinky finger than the rest of the country combined. But that doesn’t mean anyone and everyone in a professional racing organization deserves to be there more than their peers at lower levels.

At a certain point, even when the big, shiny sponsorship checks still clear — and especially when they don’t — teams have to make decisions based on merit — aka results. 

Kris Wright, a 31-year-old driver from Wexford, PA., found that out this week when he and NASCAR Xfinity Series team Our Motorsports parted ways. 

Wright, who went through stints in sportscar and open-wheel racing prior to beginning his stock-car career in 2020, brought Our Motorsports — a family-owned team — the most important asset he could provide: sponsorship from FNB Corporation, which has supported Wright throughout his NASCAR career. 

But Wright’s 2025 season was an abject disaster, especially compared to Anthony Alfredo’s 2024 campaign with the No. 5 team, in which he gathered seven top-10 finishes and finished 15th in the standings. 

Wright, meanwhile, failed to qualify for the July 5 race at the Chicago Street Course and was last in the standings among full-time drivers. Kaz Grala will take over Wright’s No. 5 Chevrolet at Dover. 

Wright’s situation is similar to that of Hailie Deegan, who signed with AM Racing for the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series season. After Brett Moffitt delivered nine top-10 finishes and a 15th-place points finish with the team in 2023, hopes were high that Deegan — then coming off three relatively disappointing years in the NASCAR Truck Series — could finally have a breakout season in NASCAR competition. 

Like Wright, Deegan had dedicated sponsors. She also had plenty of hype and social media reach that few Cup Series drivers could boast. 

But like Wright, Deegan was booted from her ride in July. The No. 15 AM Racing Ford was split between several drivers throughout the rest of the season after Deegan scored zero top-10 results and was 27th in points 17 races into the season. Deegan is now a rookie in the Indy NXT Series.

Both Deegan and Wright are very talented race car drivers, but their results paled in comparison to their contemporaries. Both drivers boasted loyal partners with deep pockets, but their lack of results couldn’t be overcome by anymore blank checks. 

NASCAR’s business model may not be 100% merit-based or what anyone would consider completely “fair,” but at the end of the day, results still matter — and they trump any other factor in regard to the employment status of drivers. 





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Judge denies 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports’ request to race with charters

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — A federal judge on Thursday rejected a request from 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports to continue racing with charters while they battle NASCAR in court, meaning their six cars will race as open entries this weekend at Dover, next week at Indianapolis and perhaps longer than that in a move […]

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — A federal judge on Thursday rejected a request from 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports to continue racing with charters while they battle NASCAR in court, meaning their six cars will race as open entries this weekend at Dover, next week at Indianapolis and perhaps longer than that in a move the teams say would put them at risk of going out of business.

U.S. District Judge Kenneth Bell denied the teams’ bid for a temporary restraining order, saying they will make races over the next couple of weeks and they won’t lose their drivers or sponsors before his decision on a preliminary injunction.

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Bell left open the possibility of reconsidering his decision if things change over the next two weeks.

After this weekend, the cars affected may need to qualify on speed if 41 entries are listed — a possibility now that starting spots have opened.

“We are disappointed that the court declined to grant 23XI and Front Row Motorsports a temporary restraining order to allow the teams to continue racing as chartered teams,” the teams’ attorney Jeffrey Kessler said in a statement. “We remain confident that our motion for a preliminary injunction is legally warranted and necessary, and we look forward to the court’s full review.”

23XI, which is co-owned by retired NBA great Michael Jordan, and FRM filed their federal suit against NASCAR last year after they were the only two organizations out of 15 to reject NASCAR’s extension offer on charters.

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“We made the decision to bring this lawsuit to challenge NASCAR’s monopolistic practices and bullying tactics, and we are not going to let them push our teams – or others – out of the sport that they love,” Kessler’s statement said. “We are confident in the merits of our case and the teams remain focused on competing this weekend and continuing their playoff push.”

The case has a Dec. 1 trial date, but the two teams are fighting to be recognized as chartered for the current season, which has 16 races left. A charter guarantees one of the 40 spots in the field each week, but also a base amount of money paid out each week.

Jordan and FRM owner Bob Jenkins won an injunction to recognize 23XI and FRM as chartered for the season, but the ruling was overturned on appeal earlier this month, sending the case back to Bell.

Three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin co-owns 23XI with Jordan and said they were prepared to send Tyler Reddick, Bubba Wallace and Riley Herbst to the track each week as open teams. They sought the restraining order Monday, claiming that through discovery they learned NASCAR planned to immediately begin the process of selling the six charters which would put “plaintiffs in irreparable jeopardy of never getting their charters back and going out of business.”

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“This is a fair and significant fear; however, NASCAR has agreed that it ‘will not sell any charters before the court can rule on plaintiffs’ motion for preliminary injunction,’” Ball wrote. “Similarly, plaintiffs worry that denying them guaranteed entry into the field for upcoming races could adversely impact their competitive standing, including their ability to earn a spot in the playoffs. Again, a legitimate, potentially irreparable harm. Yet, akin to the sale of charters, NASCAR represents to the court that all of plaintiffs’ cars will qualify (if they choose to race) for the races in Dover and Indianapolis that will take place during the next 14 days.”

Making the field won’t be an issue this weekend at Dover as fewer than the maximum 40 cars are entered. But should 41 cars show up anywhere this season, someone slow will be sent home and that means lost revenue and a lost chance to win points in the standings.

Reddick was last year’s regular-season champion and raced for the Cup Series championship in the season finale. But none of the six drivers affected by the court ruling are locked into this year’s playoffs.

___

AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing



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23XI and Front Row to compete as open NASCAR Cup teams

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Two NASCAR Cup Series teams will race as open teams after a ruling in their lawsuit against the sanctioning body Thursday. Photo: Dominic Aragon/TRE Photo: Rian Voyles/TRE Judge Kenneth Bell denied a temporary restraining order 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports sought to protect their charter rights. As a result, the two […]

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Two NASCAR Cup Series teams will race as open teams after a ruling in their lawsuit against the sanctioning body Thursday.

Judge Kenneth Bell denied a temporary restraining order 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports sought to protect their charter rights. As a result, the two teams’ six cars will race as open teams July 20 at Dover Motor Speedway and July 27 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Fearing NASCAR selling their charters after Wednesday, the teams filed a motion for a temporary restraining order and a new injunction. They sought the TRO while the court hears a new injunction based on what the teams describe as new evidence discovered since December.

In response to the teams’ motion for the TRO and the new injunction, NASCAR stated they wouldn’t sell their charters until after the new injunction ruling. They also stated teams would be able to qualify for every race in the 14-day-span the order would cover — a concern teams had with not racing chartered.

Judge Bell sided with NASCAR’s points in striking down the TRO. Bell wrote the teams “failed to sufficiently establish irreparable harm” to support the need for a TRO. He also wrote the teams didn’t provide sufficient evidence they could lose their sponsors and drivers before a ruling on the new injunction.

While Thursday’s decision means the teams won’t race as chartered teams and won’t earn as much money from racing at Dover and Indy, at least, they could still get their chartered rights back if the judge grants them the new injunction.

Photo: Josiah Kopp/TRE

On his “Actions Detrimental” podcast, Denny Hamlin affirmed 23XI Racing will finish out the year no matter what. At this point, 23XI and FRM are focused on the ramifications the lawsuit may have on the 2026 season — based on the new motion for an injunction.

“Even if Plaintiffs prevail at trial, they would be left in the untenable position of scrambling for sponsors with just a few months before the 2026 season—after other teams have already locked in the top sponsors,” the team’s attorneys wrote.

NASCAR statement on the teams’ motion for a new injunction

“It is unfortunate that instead of respecting the clear rulings of the Fourth Circuit, 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports are now burdening the District Court with a third motion for another unnecessary and inappropriate preliminary injunction.

As both the Fourth Circuit and the District Court suggested, NASCAR has made multiple requests to 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports to present a proposal to resolve this litigation. We have yet to receive a proposal from 23XI or Front Row, as they have instead preferred to continue their damaging and distracting lawsuit.

We will defend NASCAR’s integrity from this baseless lawsuit forced upon the sport that threatens to divide the stakeholders committed to serving race fans everywhere. And we remain focused on collaborating with the 13 race teams that signed the 2025 charter agreements and share our mutual goal of delivering the best racing in the world each week, including this weekend in Dover.”

Jonathan Fjeld is the co-owner of the The Racing Experts, LLC. He has been with TRE since 2010.

A Twin Valley, MN, native, Fjeld became a motorsports fan at just three years old (first race was the 2002 Pennsylvania 500). He worked as a contributor and writer for TRE from 2010-18. Since then, he has stepped up and covered 24 NASCAR race weekends and taken on a larger role with TRE. He became the co-owner and managing editor in 2023 and has guided the site to massive growth in that time.

Fjeld has covered a wide array of stories and moments over the years, including Kevin Harvick’s final Cup Series season, the first NASCAR national series disqualification in over 50 years, Shane van Gisbergen’s stunning win in Chicago and the first Cup Series race at Road America in 66 years – as well as up-and-coming drivers’ stories and stories from inside the sport, like the tech it takes for Hendrick Motorsports to remain a top-tier team.

Currently, he resides in Albuquerque, N.M., where he works for KOB 4, an NBC station. He works as a digital producer and does on-air reports. He loves spending time with friends and family, playing and listening to music, exploring new places, being outdoors, reading books and writing among other activities. You can email him at fjeldjonathan@gmail.com



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NASCAR race weekend at Dover Motor Speedway: Tickets, parking, weather

Jeff Gordon reflects on how to grow NASCAR’s popularity Jeff Gordon discusses the popularity of NASCAR and how the sport can continue to grow. Sports Seriously NASCAR race weekend at Dover Motor Speedway starts July 18, building up to the main event July 20. See how to get to the track, where to park, tickets, […]

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  • NASCAR race weekend at Dover Motor Speedway starts July 18, building up to the main event July 20.
  • See how to get to the track, where to park, tickets, the costs and info on the free shuttle bus from the Christiana Mall.
  • Check out what items you can bring and what’s prohibited at the speedway.

If it’s your first time attending a NASCAR race at Dover Motor Speedway or you haven’t been in a while, here are the times for the races July 18 to 20, how to buy tickets, routes to the speedway, parking and shuttle bus service, what you can and can’t bring inside.

2025 NASCAR race schedule at Dover Motor Speedway

Races start on July 18, building up to the main event on July 20 at these times:

  • July 18 at 5 p.m., General Tire 150 ARCA Menards Series race, televised on Fox Sports 1
  • July 19 at 4:30 p.m., BetRivers 200 NASCAR Xfinity Series race, televised on The CW
  • July 20 at 2 p.m., Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400, televised on TNT

“We encourage folks to leave plenty of time for their Dover Motor Speedway visit so they can enjoy all the free Fan Zone activities before entering the grandstands for each day’s race,” said Mike Lewis, the speedway’s communications manager.

Watch on Sling: July 20 at 2 p.m., Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400, televised on TNT.

How do I buy tickets to the Dover NASCAR races?

Tickets are sold on the website, DoverMotorSpeedway.com, by phone at 800-444-RACE and at the ticket booths at the speedway this week.

Free tickets for children under 12 are available with a paying adult for the July 18 and July 19 races. For Sunday’s race, tickets for children under 12 start at $10.

For the July 18 race, adult tickets start at $39.40 for general admission on the website.

For July 19 race, adult prices start at $61.90 for general admission on the website.

For July 20 race, assigned section tickets for adults start at $90 on the website.

Discounts are available on multiday tickets. When you buy a July 20 race ticket, you can get a July 19 ticket for $30 plus fees, or tickets for July 18 and July 19 combined for $50 plus fees.

If bad weather postpones a NASCAR race held at a Speedway Motorsports venue and a ticket holder is unable to attend on the rescheduled date, the company’s weather guarantee provides a ticket credit toward a future NASCAR race at any Speedway Motorsports venue.

Here are the ticket booth hours during race week:

  • Route 13 ticket services, July 16 and 17, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.; July 18, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; July 19, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.; July 20, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
  • Fan Zone, July 16 and 17, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.; July 18, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; July 19, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.; July 20, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. 
  • Lock-in Your Tickets Lounge, July 18, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; July 19, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.; July 20, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
  • Gate 19/20, July 18, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; July 19, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.; July 20, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

What can you bring?

Dover Motor Speedway allows the following items:

  • Maximum of two bags per person that do not exceed 18-inches-by-18-inches-by-14-inches
  • One soft-sided cooler that does not exceed 14-inches-by-14-inches-by-14-inches
  • Sunscreen, hand sanitizer and bug spray in aerosol, gel or liquid
  • Prepackaged food and beverage items in bag or soft-sided cooler, including alcoholic beverages but no glass bottles or containers
  • Insulated cups, maximum 64 ounces
  • Seat cushions without armrests
  • Clothing and blankets
  • iPads, tablets and laptop computers
  • Approved flags attached to a pencil-sized wooden stick, but they must not obstruct another fan’s view
  • Service animals
  • Cameras, binoculars, scanners and headsets that can be worn over the neck, belt or carried in a bag. 

What can’t you bring?

In all areas at Dover Motor Speedway, you cannot bring:

  • Foam or hard-sided coolers
  • Glass or ceramic containers
  • Animals except for service animals
  • Any firearm
  • Laser pointers, noise makers and air horns
  • Knives longer than 3 inches when closed or longer than 6 inches when open
  • Seat cushions with armrests
  • Collapsible chairs except during movie night
  • Frisbees, balloons, beach balls or any other projectile
  • Confederate flag or any other offensive displays
  • Fireworks
  • Dry ice
  • Obscene or indecent clothing
  • Aerosol cans except for sunscreen, sun block, hand sanitizer and bug spray
  • Tripods and monopods
  • Illegal substances of any kind
  • Drones

Inside the area where race tickets are required for admission, you cannot bring:

  • Bicycles, skateboards, roller skates and scooters
  • Collapsible umbrella strollers
  • Selfie sticks
  • Umbrellas
  • Wagons

Smoking is allowed outside the track, but inside the area where tickets are required, smoking is allowed only on the mezzanine level.

What road do I take to Dover Motor Speedway and where do I park?

The address for Dover Motor Speedway is 1131 N. Dupont Highway (Route 13 north), Dover.

Parking is free on July 18 and 19 in speedway lots and starts at $20, cash only, on July 20. Lots open at 6 a.m.

From the north, here’s how to reach the racetrack:

On Route 13 south, pass the Dover Mall and look for the speedway on the left, 1131 N. Dupont Highway, next to Bally’s Dover Casino Resort, across from Delaware State University. Look for signs directing traffic to the parking areas.

On Route 1 south on July 18 and July 19, drivers can take exit 104 to Route 13 south and proceed to parking areas at and near the speedway.

On July 20, as the parking lot at the main entrance fills to capacity, exit 104 on Route 1 may be closed. Traffic is then rerouted 5.3 miles south to exit 95, the south Dover and Dover Air Force Base exit. Temporary signs on Route 1 will provide guidance. From exit 95, drivers go straight on Route 13 north to lot 1 off Route 13 at Jefferic Boulevard at Fairfield Inn and Suites north of Panera Bread. Signs will direct traffic to this lot. Jefferic Boulevard is less than a mile south of the speedway.

For those coming from the north who want to avoid the possible closing of exit 104 on the morning of July 20, take exit 114, the south Smyrna exit, to Route 13 south to the speedway.

From the south, on Route 1 north as you approach Dover Air Force Base, take exit 93 for Dover Air Force Base and Bay Road, the last exit before the toll. Stay on Bay Road north, which merges into Route 13, then stay on Route 13 to lot 1 at Jefferic Boulevard at Fairfield Inn and Suites north of Panera Bread, or continue north to the speedway at 1131 N. Dupont Highway (Route 13).

From the south on Route 13 north, go to lot 1 at Jefferic Boulevard at Fairfield Inn and Suites north of Panera Bread or continue north to the speedway at 1131 N. Dupont Highway (Route 13).

For people with disabilities, three lots are available: lot E, turn 3 and south. These lots are monitored by police to ensure that only persons with disabilities are in these lots. If you are transporting someone with a disability, their hang tag must be displayed on the vehicle.

Free shuttle bus to and from Christiana Mall on July 20

On July 20, a free shuttle bus is available starting at 8 a.m. at the Christiana Mall to Dover Motor Speedway. The “race express” bus will be near Nordstrom at the park-and-ride site. Seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

For more information and the bus schedule, call shuttle provider Advance Student Transportation at 302-998-6726.

What’s the weather forecast for NASCAR race weekend?

According to AccuWeather.com, as of July 15, here is the race weekend forecast for Dover:

  • July 18: Mostly sunny, humid, 33% chance of an afternoon thunderstorm, 55% chance of precipitation; high 88 degrees, low 72 degrees
  • July 19, Sun and clouds in the morning; in the afternoon, mostly cloudy and humid; high 86 degrees, low 74 degrees
  • July 20, Mostly cloudy and humid in the morning with a chance of a thunderstorm and a 55% chance of precipitation; in the afternoon, mostly cloudy and humid with a chance of a thunderstorm and a 57% chance of precipitation; high 86 degrees, low 73 degrees

Reach reporter Ben Mace at rmace@gannett.com.



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Cup Series Returns to a Familiar Oval as the In-Season Challenge Reaches its Final Four

DOVER, Del. – After back-to-back road course races, the NASCAR Cup Series returns to the bread-and-butter of its schedule with a visit to the famed one-mile Dover (Del.) Motor Speedway for Sunday’s Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 (2 p.m. ET on TNT, HBO Max, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Although Trackhouse Racing’s Shane van Gisbergen shows up […]

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DOVER, Del. – After back-to-back road course races, the NASCAR Cup Series returns to the bread-and-butter of its schedule with a visit to the famed one-mile Dover (Del.) Motor Speedway for Sunday’s Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 (2 p.m. ET on TNT, HBO Max, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Although Trackhouse Racing’s Shane van Gisbergen shows up at the Monster Mile fresh off two road course trophy hoists – in Chicago and Sonoma – it’s Hendrick Motorsports drivers who remain ranked one-two-three in the series championship driver standings.

What was more than a 60-point advantage for William Byron a month ago, however, is now only 14 points over teammate Chase Elliott as the series returns to its oval roots with this weekend’s race at the Dover mile, followed by the traditional summer-time visit to the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway next week and then the .875-mile Iowa Speedway on Aug. 3.

Elliott is a two-time Dover winner – one of four upcoming tracks where his championship NASCAR Cup Series resume includes multiple wins.

Byron is hoping the ovals restore his regular season championship run. He finished eighth at Sonoma last weekend, ending a season-worst streak of three finishes of 27th or worse. Although Byron hasn’t won previously at Dover, he has three fourth-place finishes in the last five races there and led 193 of the 400 laps in 2023.

Kyle Larson, who sits third in the standings – 44 points behind Byron – is similarly hoping to return to form. He led the championship standings in May, but has had only a single top-10 finish in the last five races (seventh at Mexico City). He is especially good at Dover, however. His 8.19 average finish is second all-time to only the great NASCAR Hall of Famer David Pearson (8.0). It stands as a good opportunity to regain his mojo.

“Our team could really use a good solid weekend to get back on track,” Larson said.

With only six races remaining before the Playoffs, four drivers remain in the 16-driver Playoff-eligible standings by virtue of points – last year’s regular season champ, 23XI Racing’s Tyler Reddick, RFK Racing’s Chris Buescher, Hendrick’s Alex Bowman and Reddick’s teammate Bubba Wallace, who holds only a slight three-point advantage over RFK Racing’s Ryan Preece for that last Playoff position entering this race weekend.

Among those four, only Bowman (2021) has a previous NASCAR Cup Series win at the Monster Mile. Buescher won an Xfinity Series race at the track in 2015 and Reddick won in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series that same year.

“Honestly, I like road courses, but I am happy about returning to an oval,” said Bowman driver of the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. “Dover has always been a place that fits my driving style. It’s fast, it’s technical, and it demands a lot from both the driver and the car. The transitions off the corners are intense, and the concrete surface makes it unlike anywhere else we go. That 2021 win is still one of my favorite moments with this team.”

2025 NCS In-Season Challenge Final 4 Bracket

Richard Childress Racing’s Kyle Busch, who is ranked just behind Preece in the standings (-37 points) is a three-time Dover winner, tops among current fulltime drivers. He has a track record five Xfinity Series and four NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series wins too. And Busch is the two-time defending NASCAR Cup Series race pole-winner with top-10 finishes in two of this last three races at Dover – leading 162 laps in that time.

Busch is coming off back-to-back top-10 finishes at the two road courses, but hasn’t led a lap since May 11 at Kansas Speedway.

Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin is the defending Dover race winner and the only multi-time winner in the track’s last seven races. He’s had top-four finishes in four of the season’s last six races, including a victory at Michigan in June; his third win of the season which ties him with Larson, his teammate Christopher Bell and Shane van Gisbergen for the most trophies on the year.

Of note. … three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, Team Penske’s Joey Logano, is hoping to claim his first “Monster” NASCAR Cup Series trophy in what will be his 600th career start in the series. The 34-year-old is the youngest person in the sport’s history to reach that milestone. He’s won an amazing four consecutive times in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Dover sweeping the 2012 and 2013 seasons.

The $1 million to-win TNT Sports In-Season Challenge features some odds-defying semifinal pairings this week. The longshot, 32nd ranked Ty Dillon is matched up against the 12th-seed John Hunter Nemechek. Kaulig Racing’s Dillon is looking for his first top-10 finish in what will be his 12th Dover start. Legacy Motor Club’s Nemechek has a best showing of 20th – twice – in three Dover starts.

Reddick and Ty Gibbs will go at it in an all-Toyota match-up on the other side of the bracket. The 23XI Racing’s Reddick has three finishes of 11th or better in his last four Dover races but has never led a lap at the track in the NASCAR Cup Series. He has a couple top-10 showings in the Xfinity Series at the Monster Mile and that 2015 truck series victory.

The Joe Gibbs Racing driver Gibbs has 13th and 10th-place showings in his only previous NASCAR Cup Series races at the track but has a fifth-place and third-place finish in two NASCAR Xfinity Series starts.

Winners from the two pairings will race for that million dollar check next week at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Practice at Dover is scheduled for 1:35 p.m. ET Saturday followed by Busch Light Pole Qualifying at 2:45 p.m. ET (TruTV, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).  Busch is the defending pole-winner.

Source: Holly Cain | NASCAR Wire Service



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