The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series heads to Delaware and the Dover International Speedway this week for the AAA 400 Drive For Autism. There will likely be a sigh of relief heading in to this week following the longest race of the season. Austin Dillon was the big winner at last week’s Coca-Cola 600 when he drove the vaunted No. 3 Chevrolet to Victory Lane for the first time since 2000. This week’s race should have a much different feel with the AAA 400 Drive For Autism being run at a distance of 400 miles.
Event Details
Event: AAA 400 Drive For Autism
Category: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
Date: Sunday June 4, 2017 – 1:00 PM ET
Location: Dover International Speedway, Dover, Delaware
Dillon benefited from the fact that Jimmie Johnson ran out of gas with two laps to go in Charlotte last week. Johnson seemed primed to cruise to a victory before he ran out of gas and that opened the door for Dillon to pick up his first win of the season. Johnson and the No. 48 team will be looking for redemption this week with a chance to bounce back at a track where they have had plenty of success in the past.
Past Five Winners
2016: Matt Kenseth
2015: Jimmie Johnson
2014: Jimmie Johnson
2013: Tony Stewart
2012: Jimmie Johnson
What To Know About The Track
Dover International Speedway is known as the Monster Mile for a reason. It is a demanding one-mile concrete track that will challenge the best drivers in the field. The high-banked corners produce a ton of speed and many of the drivers have said it makes it feel like their car goes airborne when they exit the corners on to the straightaway. Dover is definitely a rhythm track so experience will matter this week. Drivers will have a difficult time passing so track position will be extremely important in the AAA 400 Drive For Autism.
The Field
Johnson will definitely be the sports betting favorite to win at the Monster mile this week. Johnson has a series-high 10 wins at this track including most recently in 2015. Matt Kenseth enters this race as the defending champion but he will be in tough against the usual cast of contenders. Kyle Larson and Kevin Harvick in particular have been extremely consistent and should challenge for the outright victory this week. Meanwhile, don’t sleep on Martin Truex Jr or Kyle Busch as drivers that have the experience and talent to contend at Dover this weekend.
Taking a look at the updated standings heading into this race, Martin Truex Jr. is currently the leader of the Monster Cup Series as of the Cocal-Cola 600. He has overtaken Kyle Larson, who has been the leader for most of the year. Truex Jr. now has 491 points with two wins while Larson is just five points back while sitting on the one win. Brad Keselowski is in third place in his No. 2 car. He has 409 points on the season with a pair of wins. Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch round out the top five, but neither have won a race this season.
A Good Matchup To Bet: Kyle Larson over Matt Kenseth
Kenseth is the defending champion at the AAA 400 Drive For Autism but it might make sense to take a contrarian approach this week and bet against him with Larson. Kenseth has struggled with consistency this year while Larson has been the exact opposite as one of the top drivers in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. Larson has also been pretty good at the Monster Mile as he has finished in the top-11 in five of his six starts here including a runner-up finish to Kenseth a year ago.
Top-Five Pick: Jimmie Johnson
No driver has been better at Dover over the years than Johnson. Considering how last week’s race ended, he should be motivated to deliver a bounce back performance at one of his favorite tracks this week. Johnson has posted a series-best 10 wins at the Monster Mile and he has an average finishing position of 9.53. It won’t shock anybody when the No. 48 car bounces back this week and contends for the outright win in the AAA 400 Drive For Autism.
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