This weekend NASCAR heads to Dover International Speedway. The 1-mile, high-banked oval has been dubbed the "The Monster Mile" for the challenge it presents to drivers.
Dover is one of three concrete tracks used in NASCAR's three top-tier series (the other two are Bristol Motor Speedway and Nashville Superspeedway). It has one of the most well-known mascots in the sport, Miles, a monster made out of concrete like the track's surface. Miles appears on the winner's trophy as well as a 46-foot-high Monster Monument that greets visitors to the speedway.
The track has 24-degree banking in the turns and 9-degree banking in the straightaways. Drivers feel like they're driving "down" into the turns and driving "up" upon exit. The best way to get around Dover is to use the breaks lightly when getting into the corners and lightly again upon exit. Sudden break movements can lead to an unwanted encounter with "The Monster Mile."
All three series, Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Camping World Trucks, will be in action this weekend at Dover. In Sprint Cup, Jimmie Johnson swept both races at Dover last year. Coming off a DNF at Darlington, can he find himself back in Victory Lane at the Monster Mile? In Nationwide, Brad Keselowski is the defending spring race winner and Clint Bowyer the fall race winner. Brian Scott won last year's Truck Series race.
The following is a schedule of this weekend's track events and television coverage at Dover International Speedway. All times are in Eastern Standard Time. (Notes: Thursday's Truck practices will be not be televised. Saturday's Nationwide race will be broadcast on ABC and rerun later that evening on ESPN2).
Thursday, May 13:
2:30 p.m. Truck practice
4:15 p.m. Truck final practice
Friday, May 14:
9:30 a.m. NASCAR Live, SPEED
10:00 a.m. Truck qualifying, SPEED (reruns at 4:30 p.m.)
11:30 a.m. Sprint Cup practice, SPEED
1:00 p.m. Nationwide final practice, ESPN2
3:00 p.m. Sprint Cup qualifying, SPEED (reruns at 1:00 a.m.)
7:00 p.m. Trackside, SPEED. Guests: Martin Truex Jr., Kevin Harvick and NASCAR Hall of Fame guest. (reruns at 12 a.m.)
8:00 p.m. Truck SetUp, SPEED
8:30 p.m. Truck race: Dover 200, SPEED. (Note: Tape delayed. Race being run live at 4:30 p.m., but will not be televised until 8:30 p.m.)
Saturday, May 15:
10 a.m. Nationwide qualifying, ESPN2
11:30 a.m. Sprint Cup practice, SPEED
12:30 p.m. Sprint Cup final practice, SPEED
2:00 p.m. Nationwide countdown, ABC
2:30 p.m. Nationwide race: Heluva Good! 200, ABC. Green flag: 2:45 p.m. (reruns at 3 a.m. ESPN2)
6:00 p.m. NASCAR Performance, SPEED
6:30 p.m. NASCAR Smarts, SPEED
Sunday, May 16:
9:00 a.m. NASCAR Now, ESPN2
10:00 a.m. NASCAR RaceDay, SPEED
12 noon Sprint Cup pre-race show, FOX
1:00 p.m. Sprint Cup race: Autism Speaks 400 presented by Hershey's Milk & Milkshakes, FOX. Green flag: 1:15 p.m.
8:00 p.m. NASCAR Victory Lane, SPEED (reruns at 2 a.m. and 9 a.m. Monday)
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Photo: Jimmie Johnson with the Miles the Monster trophy last year at Dover. (NASCAR Media)
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