Statistical Advance: Analyzing The Sunoco 150 at Dover
Daytona Beach, FL — The 2009 NASCAR Camping World Series East champion will be crowned in the Sunoco 150 this Friday, Sept. 25 at Dover (Del.) International Speedway.
At Dover International Speedway:
History
• Dover International Speedway opened in 1969.
• The first NASCAR event at the facility was a Sprint Cup Series race on July 6, 1969.
• The first NASCAR Camping World Series East race was held on July 18, 1998.
• DIS is the only concrete racing surface on which the NCWSE will compete in 2009.
• DIS held 10 NASCAR Nationwide Series–NCWSE combination races from 1987-92.
Notebook
• There have been eight previous NCWSE races at DIS.
• Of those eight previous events, there have been eight different race winners and seven different pole winners with qualifying cancelled one year.
• Of the eight previous winners, only Matt Kobyluck and Dale Shaw are expected to enter this race.
• Sean Caisse set the qualifying record of 23.563 seconds in 2006.
Dover International Speedway Data
Race: #11 of 11
Track Layout: 1-mile concrete oval
Banking: Nine degrees in the straight-aways, 24 degrees in the turns
Race Length: 150 laps/150 miles
Qualifying/Race Data
2008 pole winner: Brian Ickler (152.620 mph, 23.588 sec.)
2008 race winner: Aric Almirola (90.833 mph, 1:39.05)
Track qualifying record: Sean Caisse (152.782 mph, 23.563 sec., 9-22-06)
NCWSE Pole Winners at DIS
7/18/98 … Tom Carey
9/21/01 … none
9/27/02 … Paul Wolfe
9/29/04 … Tim Andrews
9/23/05 … Ryan Moore
9/22/06 … Sean Caisse
9/21/07 … Jeffrey Earnhardt
9/19/08 … Brian Ickler
NCWSE Race Winners at DIS
7/18/98 … Jimmy Spencer
9/21/01 … Dale Shaw
9/27/02 … Matt Kobyluck
9/29/04 … Dale Quarterly
9/23/05 … Andy Santerre
9/22/06 … Tim Andrews
9/21/07 … Sean Caisse
9/19/08 … Aric Almirola
Up to Speed:
• Brian Ickler won the NASCAR Camping World Series East season-opener at Greenville (S.C.) Pickens Speedway on April 11 … Rookie Brett Moffitt became the youngest driver in NCWSE history to earn a 21 Means 21 Pole Award presented by Coors Light at the event.
• Matt DiBenedetto was victorious on April 25 at Tri-County Motor Speedway in Hudson, N.C., in just his second start … Rookie Alan Tardiff earned his first career Coors Light Pole Award at the event.
• Kyle Busch made his NCWS debut in the East/West combination race at Iowa Speedway on May 17 in Newton, Iowa … He set the series’ track qualifying record and went on to lead 168 of 200 laps to capture the race win.
• Moffitt became the youngest race winner in series history at South Boston (Va.) Speedway on May 30 … Ryan Truex also earned his first 21 Means 21 Pole Award presented by Coors Light.
• Truex earned his first career win at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International on June 6 … DiBenedetto earned his first career 21 Means 21 Pole Award presented by Coors Light … Both accomplished those feats in their first road course events.
• DiBenedetto emerged victorious at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, N.H., on June 26 from a last-lap battle with Truex for his second win in just four starts … Truex captured his second 21 Means 21 Pole Award presented by Coors Light on the year.
• Truex won at Thompson (Conn.) International Speedway on July 11 … With the win, he took the points lead for the first time this year … Steve Park earned his first NCWSE career Coors Light Pole Award at TIS.
• Park drove to Victory Lane at Adirondack International Speedway in Lowville, N.Y. … It was his first NCWSE win since 1996, and third overall … Eddie MacDonald earned his first career Coors Light Pole Award prior to the race.
• Truex recorded the road course sweep by winning at Lime Rock Park … DiBenedetto earned the pole for the race.
• MacDonald captured the pole and the win last time out at NHMS.
Championship Scenarios (based on 30 cars entered):
• Ryan Truex eliminates Matt Kobyluck, Brett Moffitt and Steve Park by starting the race.
• Truex eliminates Jody Lavender by: A) finishing 25th or better, B) finishing 26th or better and leading a lap, C) finishing 27th or better and leading the most laps.
• Truex eliminates Eddie MacDonald by finishing: A) 4th or better, B) 5th or better and leading a lap, C) 6th or better and leading the most laps.
• To catch Truex, MacDonald must finish: A) 19th or better, B) 21st or better and lead a lap, C) 23rd or better an lead the most laps.
• To catch Truex, Lavender must: A) win, B) finish second and leads the most laps.
Selected Driver Highlights:
Matt DiBenedetto (No. 18 Toyota)
• First-year driver for Joe Gibbs Racing that splits time in the car with Max Gresham.
• Has top-10 finishes in five of his six starts, including two wins and four top fives.
• Has wins at Tri-County Motor Speedway and New Hampshire Motor Speedway with poles at Watkins Glen International and Lime Rock Park.
• Plans to make his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut at Memphis Motorsports Park in October.
Ryan Gifford (No. 29 Chevrolet)
• A Richard Childress Racing development driver … Is a teammate to Austin and Ty Dillon at Team Dillon Racing on the dirt circuit.
•Finished 17th in his NCWSE debut at TCMS and crossed the line second at South Boston Speedway … Finished fourth in his third start of the season at NHMS.
Jesus Hernandez (No. 12 Dodge)
• Has made eight starts in 2009 with a best finish of fourth at Adirondack International Speedway.
• Has 13 top fives and 19 top 10s in 33 career NCWSE starts.
• Finished 17th at Dover International Speedway in 2008.
Matt Kobyluck (No. 40 Chevrolet)
• The 2008 NCWSE champion … Has seven poles, 16 wins and 91 top 10s in 167 career NCWSE starts … Has won at 11 different tracks, including DIS in 2002.
• Has three top fives and seven top 10s in 10 2009 starts and is fourth in points.
• Finished third and clinched his first NCWSE title at DIS in 2008.
Corey LaJoie (No. 07 Ford)
• Made NCWSE debut at TIS in July and finished 19th … Finished 31st at NHMS last time out.
• Notable career wins include an Aaron’s Pro Challenge Series triumph at Bristol Motor Speedway in 2007 and a UARA win at Rockingham Speedway this past April.
• Son of Randy LaJoie, two-time NASCAR Nationwide Series champion.
Jody Lavender (No. 88 Chevrolet)
• Has 12 top 10s in 22 career NCWSE starts, including six in 10 2009 outings.
• Has previously held the points lead this year … Is currently third, 102 points behind Ryan Truex.
• Registered best career finish of second in the season opener at Greenville Pickens Speedway.
• Finished eighth at DIS in 2008.
Eddie MacDonald (No. 71 Chevrolet)
• Has six wins and 48 top 10s in 120 career NCWSE starts.
• Is currently second in points, 30 behind leader Ryan Truex … Has registered a series-high nine top 10s in 10 starts and has completed all but two laps.
• Has won three of the last four races at NHMS, including last week when he won from the pole.
• Finished 20th at DIS in 2008 … Best finish at the track was third in 2004.
• Won the prestigious TD Banknorth Oxford 250 – an open Late Model race – on July 19 and the inaugural American-Canadian Tour race at NHMS on Sept. 19.
• Plans to run the NNS race at Memphis Motorsports Park in October.
David Mayhew (No. 19 Chevrolet)
• Made NCWSE debut with a 27th place finish last week at NHMS … Led 25 laps in the race.
• Has two wins, 13 top fives and 20 top 10s in 32 career NASCAR Camping World Series West starts … Is fourth in the 2009 standings with two wins at Iowa – the first as the highest-finishing West driver in the May combination race and the second in the September stand-alone event.
Brett Moffitt (No. 44 Chevrolet)
• Has eight top 10s in 10 starts in his rookie season … Is fifth in overall points and second in the Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings.
• Became youngest driver in NCWSE history – surpassing Joey Logano – to earn a pole when he accomplished the feat in the season opener at GPS … Also surpassed Logano by becoming the youngest race winner in series history at SBS.
Steve Park (No. 35 Chevrolet)
• Has three wins and 22 top 10s in 36 career NCWSE starts.
• Earned first career NCWSE pole at TIS and was the AIS race winner.
• Has wins and poles in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Nationwide Series, Camping World Truck Series and Whelen Modified Tour in addition to the NCWSE.
• Finished fourth at DIS in 2008 and eighth in 2007.
Dale Quarterly (No. 32 Chevrolet)
• Will attempt to make his first NCWSE start since 2007 at DIS.
• Has six wins and 64 top 10s in 141 career starts … Won at DIS in 2004.
Josh Richards (No. 03 Chevrolet)
• Finished fourth in his NCWSE debut at GPS in the season-opener.
• Ran as high as third last time out at NHMS before finishing 18th in his second series start.
• Is second in World of Outlaws Late Model points with seven wins and 31 top 10s.
• Has ARCA starts this year at Kentucky Speedway and DuQuoin State Fairgrounds.
Kevin Swindell (No. 9 Dodge)
• Has four career NCWSE starts … Finished 13th at Mansfield Motorsports Park and 16th at Stafford Motor Speedway in 2008 … Was third at NHMS in June and 10th there last week.
• Has competed in USAC Sprint and Midget races this year … Won Midget race at Knoxville Raceway in May and Sprint race at Calistoga Speedway on September 5.
• Is the son of three-time National Sprint Car Champion Sammy Swindell.
Alan Tardiff (No. 38 Chevrolet)
• Has seven top 10s in 13 career NCWSE starts.
• All seven top 10s have come in nine 2009 starts … Is eighth in points despite missing WGI.
• Earned first career Coors Light Pole Award at TCMS.
Ryan Truex (No. 00 Toyota)
• Has 11 career NCWSE starts … Made his series debut at Stafford Motor Speedway in 2008.
• Is a Michael Waltrip Racing development driver.
• Took the overall points lead for the first time at TIS and currently leads Eddie MacDonald by 30 … Has seven-straight top-three finishes … Is also leading in Sunoco Rookie of the Year points.
• Has wins at WGI, TIS and LRP with poles at SBS and the June NHMS race.
• Father, Martin Sr., and brother, Martin Jr., also have NCWSE career wins.
Sources: NASCAR PR