Sunday at Dover Motor Speedway would have been a wonderful race if it weren’t weighted by the expectations of the All-Star Race title.
This was the primary race at The Monster Mile with the elevated horsepower and lowered downforce package deal. Mixed with a lightweight utility of resin from high to backside and the usage of a tire dragon all weekend, this was the perfect racing product at Dover within the five-year historical past of the NextGen automobile.
That may get misplaced within the shuffle as a result of NASCAR and Speedway Motorsports wanted to pigeon-hole the All-Star Race someplace at the very least for a 12 months after giving North Wilkesboro Speedway a factors race.
The top consequence was an All-Star Race that didn’t remotely really feel like an All-Star Race throughout the day in Delaware with a full area taking the inexperienced flag earlier than eliminations and inversions. The dynamic was finest summed up by runner-up Chase Briscoe.
“Possibly it was as a result of it was throughout the day,” Briscoe surmised. “I don’t know. All weekend it didn’t really feel like an All-Star Race. It felt like a traditional factors race. We had apply, which was cool. I’ve by no means pushed out of the storage in my profession in order that was distinctive, having the ability to apply that means once more.
“That positively didn’t really feel like an All-Star Race simply because it was new. It positively didn’t really feel like one for no matter motive. Now, the reward for successful positively appears like an All-Star Race however the race itself — it was so lengthy.
“All-Star Races usually are just like the shortest race of the 12 months. I felt prefer it was a Coke 600 or one thing or the Southern 500. It took eternally. Like, you’ll have that feeling subsequent weekend or the subsequent, that come lap 100 or 200, man, we’re solely 1 / 4 of the way in which or midway into the race. We acquired previous each 75 lap runs and it was like ‘man, we have now one other 200 laps?’ It was only a lengthy race.”
It was an extended race as a result of NASCAR and SMI didn’t wish to take laps away from those that attend races at Dover yearly. To simulate an ‘open race’ dynamic, the primary half featured a full area with an invert and eliminations.
Principally, it was The Open and All-Star Heats mixed, and race winner Denny Hamlin doesn’t even know when the race technically started – with the primary lap or the ultimate section at Lap 150.
Learn Additionally:
“When y’all print off a sheet, is it going to have 36 automobiles, or is it going to have 26,” Hamlin requested NASCAR officers, referencing the eliminations.
26.
“Yeah, so I believe we must always know when the All-Star Race begins,” Hamlin stated with fun. “Let’s begin there first.”
Hamlin thought the racing was good at Dover at present too as a result of there was no scarcity of passing throughout the inversions.
“You had the additional horsepower too,” Hamlin stated. “So you are going within the nook at a slower fee of velocity, so the tires are the one which has to make up the distinction for grip you’ve got misplaced. You then’re making use of extra energy. Whenever you put the throttle down, it makes the automobile additional uncontrolled.
“As you would see, we have been working all around the racetrack. I believed NASCAR and the entire staff did a fantastic job making ready the monitor pretty much as good as they presumably may. Yeah, it is pretty much as good as you will get.”
So, the final word conclusion right here is that the racing at Dover was made higher, however this isn’t the long-term residence for the All-Star Race, as finest summed up by Hamlin.
“Very first thing is let’s give Dover their factors race again after which let’s determine the place we will go, after which determine the format,” Hamlin stated. “Let’s begin there.”
We wish your opinion!
What would you wish to see on Motorsport.com?
– The Motorsport.com Staff
