Former Champions Fight To Break Important Tie at Dover

Dover Motor Speedway tie
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Kevin Harvick (left) and Martin Truex Jr. (right) prepare for a race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

The NASCAR Cup Series heads to the Monster Mile to kick off the month of May, and three drivers are ready to break a tie with each other. Martin Truex Jr., Kevin Harvick, and Kyle Busch all have the most wins at Dover Motor Speedway among active drivers.

The former Cup Series champions have each reached Victory Lane three times at Dover Motor Speedway with Harvick securing the most recent win among the three drivers. They are also in a tie for the fifth-most wins at Dover with Dale Earnhardt Sr., Ryan Newman, Cale Yarborough, Rusty Wallace, Matt Kenseth, and Tony Stewart.

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Harvick, who will bring back the Hunt Brothers Pizza Ford, is the current active leader in laps led at Dover Motor Speedway. He has spent 1,666 laps at the front of the pack, which is 453 more laps than Busch’s 1,213. Truex, for comparison, has 996 laps led at the Monster Mile.

The trio will battle for bragging rights when they make their return to the one-mile track. They will suit up for the DuraMAX Drydene 400 presented by RelaDyne on Sunday, May 1. FS1 will provide coverage for the race, which takes place at 3 p.m. ET.

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A Seven-Time Champion Has an Untouchable Mark at Dover

While one of these former champions could break the tie with a win at Dover Motor Speedway, they won’t have enough opportunities to track down Mr. Seven-Time. Jimmie Johnson currently holds the all-time record for wins at the Monster Mile.

The seven-time Cup Series champion reached Victory Lane 11 times, which is a staggering 13.3% of his 83 career wins. The closest drivers to him are fellow seven-time champion Richard Petty and Bobby Allison, who both won seven times at the track.

Johnson made his debut at Dover during the 2002 season, and he swept both races at the one-mile track. He returned to Victory Lane in 2005 before sweeping the races in 2009. Johnson rounded out his reign of dominance with wins in 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2017.


The Trio Will Have to Battle Another Defending Winner

The trip to Dover will provide Harvick, Truex, and Busch with another opportunity to move up the all-time leaderboard. They will battle with each other to achieve this goal. They will also face off with the defending winner of a historic race.

Hendrick Motorsports driver Alex Bowman is the most recent winner at Dover Motor Speedway. The driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro captured the May 16 race during the 2021 season after taking the lead from teammate Kyle Larson on a pit stop. Bowman led the final 97 laps and captured the checkered flag while Larson finished second. Teammates Chase Elliott and William Byron rounded out the top four spots.

Bowman struggled at Dover early in his Cup Series career. He posted two DNFs in his first six starts at the track and never finished inside of the top 20. However, he made major strides starting in 2019. Bowman’s most recent five starts at the track have resulted in the win and three other top-fives. The lone exception is a 21st-place finish late in the 2020 season.

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Former Champions Fight To Break Important Tie at Dover

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