By Jared Turner Ricky Stenhouse Jr. didn’t have a really great car on Sunday at Dover, but a stroke of luck propelled him into the Round of 12. One of several drivers who hadn’t pitted during a round of green flag stops in the race’s first stage, Stenhouse caught a big break when the caution flag waved and trapped most of the field one lap down. As a result, Stenhouse finished fourth in the first stage and in so doing earned seven championship points — which later proved to be the difference between advancing and not advancing. Not surprisingly, Stenhouse — who ultimately…

By Joseph Wolkin Kevin Harvick is leading the charge for Stewart-Haas Racing once again this year. With the move to Ford, he hopes to bring the team another championship. It’s been a solid season thus far for you guys after the move to Ford. How would you evaluate your year? “It could’ve been a season to forget, for sure, but we’ve been fortunate to be competitive. Obviously, we would always like to win more races, get into Victory Lane and be in contention by doing all the things we’ve done all year. It makes me really proud of all the great people…

By Ben White Former NASCAR driver and team owner Ellington began racing in 1968. Over a 20-year period, he fielded cars for a “Who’s Who” list of drivers that helped to make NASCAR incredibly popular. All told, there were five wins, 53 top-fives, 92 top-10s and seven pole positions in 264 starts through 1988. Ellington’s driver in 1976 was Indy Car legend A.J. Foyt, having amassed 14 starts dating back to 1974. Ellington wanted to field two cars in 1976 and had the chance to hire NASCAR legend Donnie Allison for his second car. As fate would have it, Allison was the…

By Jared Turner There’s a reason Jimmie Johnson is NASCAR’s all-time wins leader at Dover, with 11 victories. He’s simply darn good at the Monster Mile. If there’s one driver who seems equipped to challenge Jimmie Johnson’s Dover supremacy, it’s Martin Truex Jr. — this season’s top overall performer and last fall’s winner at the 1-mile Delaware oval. Matt Kenseth owns three wins at Dover, the most recent coming in the spring of 2016. Kyle Larson has yet to win at Dover, but the Chip Ganassi Racing driver led a race-high 241 laps here in June. A win on Sunday would be…

By Jared Turner For four Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers, Sunday’s elimination race at Dover International Speedway is little more than a tune-up for the next round of the playoffs. That’s because Martin Truex Jr., Kyle Busch, Kyle Larson and Brad Keselowski are moving on to the Round of 12 no matter what happens. However, for the 12 drivers battling it out for the remaining eight positions in the Round 12, it’s game on. That’s particularly true for Kurt Busch and Kasey Kahne, who are saddled 15th and 16th, respectively, among the 16 championship-eligible drivers. To reach the Round of 12,…