Chase Notebook: Trend Points To New Dover Winner From Chase Field
Dover marks the second race in the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup – and the second consecutive at which a driver competing in the Chase has won all three previous Chase races. Jeff Burton (No. 31 AT&T Mobility Chevrolet) is the defending winner, Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet) won in 2005 and Ryan Newman (No. 12 Alltel Dodge) won in 2004.
In addition, Dover has seen seven consecutive different race winners, the longest such streak for the track. Since 2004, no driver has been able to win twice at Dover. That feat is noteworthy considering the two Dover races were swept by the same driver three times between 2000 and 2003 – by Tony Stewart (No. 20 Home Depot Chevrolet) (2000), Johnson, (2002) and Newman (2003).
Going by the current trend, odds are against recent winners and Chase competitors Martin Truex Jr., Burton, Matt Kenseth (No. 17 DEWALT Ford), and Johnson.
Other notes of interest:
* Clint Bowyer became the 18th different driver to win a race in all three national series. He has five NASCAR Busch Series victories and one NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series win.
* Every car that started the second race at New Hampshire International Speedway was running at the finish – the first time since the mandated 43-car field (1998) that all cars were running at the end of a race. It is just the fourth time in NASCAR history that the entire field was running at the finish. The others were Nashville – May 24, 1959 (12 cars), North Wilkesboro – Oct. 1, 1995 (36 cars) and North Wilkesboro – Sept. 29, 1996 (37 cars).
* Sam Hornish Jr. (No. 06 Penske Truck Rental Dodge) is trying for the second time to make his NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series debut. Hornish just missed qualifying for the New Hampshire race last week. He has competed in eight NASCAR Busch Series events.
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