Triple Header at Dover International Speedway Offers Plenty of Storylines

By. Arianne Hegeman
June 2, 2008


The big story heading into the triple header at Dover International Speedway this weekend was rookie-sensation Joey "Sliced Bread" Logano's first start in the Nationwide series.  Eighteen year old Logano delivered a 6th place finish at one of the most challenging tracks on the NASCAR circuit but bigger headlines involved a monster-size mess on lap 17 in the Sprint series event and the possible Speedway Motorsports Incorporated (SMI) acquistion of Dover International Speedway.

Dover International Speedway is one of those tracks that drivers love to hate.  Much like Darlington and Bristol the Monster Mile presents a unique challenge to seasoned veterans as much as wet-behind-the-ears rookies.  Even the most talented of drivers fear the wrath of the tempramental, one-mile, concrete oval that sits in the middle of Delaware's capital city.  The city of Dover embraces racing year round and welcomes the 120,000 race fans who call the city home for two weeks per season.  But the future of Dover International Speedway is a bit of a mystery right now which makes a lot of racing enthusiasts uneasy. 

Race fans are not suffering alone. 

Everyone inside the infield expressed concern over Dover International's dates on the current schedule.  No one wants to see Dover lose a date to any track, whether it be Kentucky or Vegas.  Dover plays the role of racing heaven to more than one major markets; Phildalephia, Baltimore, New York and  Washington D.C.   The track is also in the middle of a multi-year improvement plan that will offer 135, 000 seats and fan-friendly activities for race fans of every age.  All of this makes Dover International Speedway a very inticing facility for racetrack guru and SMI president Bruton Smith.  As Dover representatives insist that the track is not officially on the market, it appears to be only a matter of time before some type of ownership change occurs.  

As soon as the 16th lap of the Best Buy 400 was in the record books, chatter moved from the SMI empire to mangled race cars and twisted tempers.  When Elliott Sadler moved down the race track in front of David Gilliland, the move forced Sadler towards the wall and then bounced the Best Buy Dodge into traffic.  The incident collected various Chase contenders such as Tony Stewart, Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin, Clint Bowyer, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kasey Kahne.  More drivers like Scott Riggs, Paul Menard,  Bobby Labonte, and Bill Elliott received significant damage.  Earnhardt Jr. made repairs within 10 laps of the accident while Stewart and Harvick stayed in the garage as their teams made repairs.  Both drivers returned to action much later; Harvick by lap 70 and Stewart by lap 100.  The incident ended Sadler and Hamlin's day.   Denny Hamlin came to Dover 4th in points but left the Monster Mile in 9th.  Stewart started the Best Buy 400 in 8th and now sits in the 11th spot.  Harvick is now 10th after formerly holding the 7th postition.  The Monster Mile is famous for its unforgiving nature; Sunday's pile-up will do wonders to enhance that reputation. 

Going back to the original top story, Joey Logano did his best to live up to the hype during his first stint in the Nationwide series on Saturday afternoon.  After an early issue on pit road, Logano managed to come from the back of pack in 28th to put the Gamestop Toyota in 6th place at the end of the day.  Logano showed the necessary agressiveness of a successful veteran while keeping his cool under pressure on a track known for its level of difficulty.   The Connecticut  native will run another 18 races in the Nationwide series and is poised to score a notch in the win column before November.

For more stories from Dover International Speedway, check Girlsgarage.com throughout the week.

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