Tag Archives: AAA 400

Kevin Harvick Dominates Dover to Preserve Sprint Cup Title Hopes

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By Jove, he’s done it again!

Forced to win at Dover International Speedway to keep his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship hopes alive Sunday, Kevin Harvick did just that, dominating Sunday’s AAA 400 to stave off elimination from the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

In a virtual carbon copy of last year’s Chase race at Phoenix, where the 2014 premier series champion had to win to advance to the Championship Round at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Harvick led 355 of 400 laps – a career best at any track – in winning for the third time this year and the 31st time in his career.

“I think we’re better than we were last year, just because of the experiences and things that we’ve had,” Harvick said after the race. “I think when we look at everything that’s gone on over the last couple of years, it’s just been a lot of fun.

“So, it’s just that never-quit attitude. That’s what (team co-owner) Tony Stewart said when we went to Homestead last year. He said, ‘Whatever you do, do not quit until they throw that checkered flag.’”

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NASCAR Sprint Cup Series AAA 400 at Dover Preview

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NASCAR Sprint Cup Series

Next Race: AAA 400

The Place: Dover International Speedway

The Date: Sunday, Oct. 4

The Time: 2:30 p.m. (ET)

TV: NBCSN, 2 p.m. (ET)

Radio: MRN, SiriusXM Ch. 90

Distance: 400 miles (400 laps)

 

Harvick on the Ropes Heading into Dover

Defending champion Kevin Harvick has two options heading into Sunday’s AAA 400 at Dover International Speedway – the first cutoff race of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup – win or go home.

The No. 4 Chevrolet driver ranks 15th out of 16 drivers on the Chase Grid and sits 23 points below 12th-place Dale Earnhardt Jr. on the cutoff line. He mathematically can still make the Contender Round on points, but it would be a tough task, requiring him to jump three drivers.

Basically, if Harvick doesn’t visit Victory Lane, he is out of NASCAR’s playoffs as one of the four winless drivers lowest in points. Continue reading →

Gordon Makes a Statement in Final Challenger Round Race at Dover

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Jeff Gordon took the checkered flag in Sunday’s AAA 400 at Dover International Speedway, but four other drivers got the axe in the first Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup elimination race in the history of the sport.

AJ Allmendinger, 2004 series champion Kurt Busch, Greg Biffle and Aric Almirola missed the cut for the next round of the Chase, paring the field  from 16 drivers to 12 after the third and last Challenger Round race. Continue reading →

Sprint Cup Series AAA 400 at Dover Preview

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2-For-2: Penske Proves It’s Contender Round Material

How quickly the tide can turn.

All summer it looked like a Hendrick Motorsports driver would take the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, but now a new team has seized the title of favorite.

With victories in four of the past five races, including the last three in a row, Team Penske drivers Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano have asserted the racing outfit as the organization to beat moving forward in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Keselowski (5) and Logano (4) lead the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in wins and have each locked themselves into the Contender Round with victories in the first two Chase races. On top of their hefty win totals, the duo also tops the series with 12 top-five finishes apiece. Continue reading →

Johnson Dominates Dover

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Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe's / Kobalt Tools Chevrolet, celebrates in victory lane following the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series AAA 400 at Dover International Speedway on September 29, 2013 Photo - Justin Heiman/Getty Images

Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe’s / Kobalt Tools Chevrolet, celebrates in victory lane after the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series AAA 400 at Dover International Speedway on September 29, 2013
Photo – Justin Heiman/Getty Images

Jimmie Johnson’s quest for a sixth-championship went into full-effect Sunday afternoon at Dover. Johnson paced the field throughout the day to come away with the victory. It was his fifth win of the season, but more importantly his eighth at Dover making him the all-time leader of victories at the Monster Mile. Passing two legends in Bobby Allison and Richard Petty.

The race may not have begun well for Johnson, but he worked his Dover magic to make the outcome a favorable one for the No.48 team. His teammate, Dale Earnhardt Jr., began the day on the pole and led many laps in the early going. This race looked very promising for an Earnhardt Jr. victory, but the move that likely cost him the victory occurred under the first round of green-flag pit stops when he missed pit road. By carrying too much speed on his approach to the pits, he missed the entrance costing him valuable time. That misfortune was beneficial for Johnson who assumed the lead after the round of stops. Continue reading →