The opening race for the NASCAR Cup Series Round of 12 was hosted by Dover International Speedway for the Drydene 400. After a dramatic opening round in the playoffs, the intensity ramps up with the set of tracks for this round. Many teams were looking to set a solid foundation before the field heads down south to Talladega Superspeedway for the next track in this round.

Denny Hamlin kicked off the race on the pole, and jumped out to a solid lead. Meanwhile, Joey Logano was unable to complete the pace laps because of an axel failure. The team had to head to the garage for repairs before the race even started. The yellow flag waved on lap eight when Chase Elliott’s engine blew up. On the restart, Hamlin continued to lead the way and with his early speed unmatched. Hamlin was able to dominate the field for the win in first stage win.

Denny Hamlin then won the race off pit road, resuming the lead. Kevin Harvick followed closely in second place. The field began cycling through green-flag stops, and Hamlin cycled back into the lead. However, Hamlin caught himself in the mix of heavy traffic allowing Martin Truex Jr. to pass him for the lead on lap 229. Truex Jr. was able to weave through the lapped traffic to win the second stage at Dover.

Kyle Larson won the race off pit road, as it seemed like the momentum switched into his favor. Larson was running solid in the top-five for most of the day, but he picked up the pace in the final stage. Jumping out to a three-second lead over the field, Larson was able to log some laps. Once the field hit 100 laps remaining, Larson’s lead continued to grow to over five seconds. The field began pitting under the green flag, and Larson was able to cycle back to the front. Larson could not be matched in the final stage and snaps his 75-race winless streak at Dover.

It was a tough second-round opener for Chase Elliott and Joey Logano. After this race, both drivers sit below the cut line heading into Talladega next week. This is certainly not the position these two drivers wanted to be in, but there are some positives. Both Elliott and Logano run exceptionally well at Talladega Superspeedway. Elliott won the spring race this year, and Logano holds three wins and three top-five finishes in the last eight races at the superspeedway. Those are not bad stats, and top-five finishes for both drivers will put them in a better position heading into the elimination race at Kansas.

Kyle Larson proved a point to many critics on Sunday. Not having won a race since Richmond of 2017, Larson certainly still has the talent to win at any track on the schedule. Larson gave a dominant showing late in the race, and that is exactly what this Chip Ganassi Racing team needs moving forward. Now, they alone have the comfort of no worries at the wild card race at Talladega Superspeedway this coming weekend allowing them to focus on points to set up for the last race of this round at Kansas.