By Reid Spencer
Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service

1. Stewart rebounds. NASCAR's regular-season points leader got there by avoiding costly glitches, but a loose rear axle cap necessitated a lengthy pit stop and dropped him to 14th at New Hampshire. Stewart and crew chief Darian Grubb will make sure there aren't any snafus at Dover.

2. Gordon's last stand. Already 102 points behind Mark Martin, Jeff Gordon needs more than a problem-free weekend at Dover. He needs a solid top-five run at the track that bit him during qualifying in May if he wants to keep his hopes for a fifth title alive.

3. Double-file, chaos-style restarts. This is the first visit to Dover since NASCAR implemented double-file restarts. With its high banks and tight corners, the Monster Mile gives competitors little margin for error. Restarts late in the race—with positions and points at stake—are guaranteed to be intense, with the potential for major wrecks that could scramble the standings.

Track analysis by Michael Waltrip

"Dover is a mile in length, exactly like New Hampshire, but it's totally the opposite. It's really wide through the corners with all the banking. At Dover there's plenty of room to pass, so if it's a choice of pitting for new tires or staying out, you're probably going to opt for the tires." — Michael Waltrip

Past winners of Dover Chase races

2004: Ryan Newman
2005: Jimmie Johnson
2006: Jeff Burton
2007: Carl Edwards
2008: Greg Biffle

At Dover International Speedway:
History
• The official opening of Dover International Speedway, then called Dover Downs International Speedway, was in 1969.
• The first NASCAR Sprint Cup race was held on July 6, 1969.
• The first two races at Dover were 300 miles. The race length was changed to 500 miles in 1971.
• The track surface was changed to concrete in 1995.
• The race length was changed to 400 miles beginning with the second race in 1997.
• The track name was changed to Dover International Speedway in 2002.

Notebook
• There have been 79 NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Dover International Speedway since the track opened in 1969.
• There was one race in 1969 and 1970. There has been two-a-year since 1971.
• Richard Petty won the track’s first NASCAR Sprint Cup race.
• There have been 34 different pole winners, led by David Pearson (six). David Reutimann won his first Dover pole in this season’s May race
• David Pearson won the first NASCAR Sprint Cup pole in July 1969.
• Mark Martin, Jeff Gordon and Ryan Newman lead all active drivers, each with four poles.
• 32 different drivers have posted victories led by Bobby Allison and Richard Petty, each with seven.
• Bill Elliott, Jeff Gordon, Mark Martin and Jimmie Johnson lead all active drivers, each with four victories.
• Hendrick Motorsports has 11 wins, more than any other car owner.
• 47 races at Dover have been won from a top-five starting position; 17 races have been won from a starting position outside the top 10.
• The furthest back in the field a race winner started was 37th, by Kyle Petty in 1995.
• In his Dover win earlier this season, Jimmie Johnson scored a perfect Driver Rating of 150.0. He led 298 laps in May.
• Several active drivers had their first start at Dover, including Kurt Busch, Matt Kenseth, Bobby Labonte, David Ragan and Tony Raines.
• In addition, Matt Kenseth (2002) and Michael Waltrip (1991) earned their first pole at Dover. Martin Truex Jr. won his first race there (2007).
• Three of the last four races have ended with a margin of victory under one second.

NASCAR in Delaware
• There have been 79 NASCAR Sprint Cup races in Delaware, all at Dover International Speedway.
• Eight drivers in NASCAR’s three national series (all-time) have their home state recorded as Delaware, though none have posted victories.

Dover International Speedway Data

Race #: 28 of 36 (9-27-09)

Track Size: 1 mile

·     Banking/Corners: 24 degrees

·     Banking/Straights: 9 degrees

·     Frontstretch: 1,076 feet

·     Backstretch: 1,076 feet

Driver Rating at Dover 

Greg Biffle                    117.0

Matt Kenseth                113.9

Jimmie Johnson            108.2

Carl Edwards                106.6

Mark Martin                   100.6

Kyle Busch                   100.3

Ryan Newman               98.4

Martin Truex Jr.             94.3

Kurt Busch                    93.5

Clint Bowyer                  90.2

Note: Driver Rating compiled from 2005-2009 races (9 total) at Dover.

Qualifying/Race Data

2008 pole winner: Jeff Gordon (157.061 mph, 22.921 seconds)

2008 race winner: Greg Biffle (114.168 mph, 9-21-08)

Track qualifying record: Jeremy Mayfield (161.522 mph, 22.288 secs.,

6-4-04)

Track race record: Mark Martin (132.719 mph, 9-21-97)