Mark Martin, Matt Kenseth Among Favorites at Dover
• Mark Martin (No. 01 U. S. Army Chevrolet) knows the way to Dover’s Victory Lane. He’s won there four times and leads all active drivers with 19 top-five finishes in 41 career starts. Mark Martin also leads all active drivers with four Bud Poles at Dover.
And despite running a part-time schedule for Ginn Racing this season, Mark Martin heads to one of his favorite tracks 14th in the standings, only 31 points out of 12th, the Chase cutoff spot.
Matt Kenseth (No. 17 DEWALT Tools Ford) is the defending Dover race winner who dominated the Monster Mile last season. Matt Kenseth was involved in two thrilling finishes in ’06, edging Roush Racing teammate Jamie McMurray (No. 26 Crown Royal Ford) in the spring event at Dover and finishing second to former teammate Jeff Burton (No. 31 AT&T Mobility Chevrolet) in the fall. Matt Kenseth also made his series debut at Dover in 1998, in relief of former series champion Bill Elliott (No. 21 Little Debbie Ford).
• Which leads back to Jeff Burton, who hasn’t slowed down since last fall’s Dover win. As the victor in the post-race “handshake heard ‘round the series” – Jeff Burton and Matt Kenseth stopped on the frontstretch after the checkered flag, clasping hands out of their car windows – Jeff Burton has re-assumed top-10 status in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup standings. Currently fifth, he’s won once this season, at Texas Motor Speedway, and has six top-five and 10 top-10 finishes at Dover.
• Several drivers certain to be in the Dover lineup have excelled there, including Mark Martin, Ricky Rudd (No. 88 Snickers Ford), standings leader Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet) and Elliott, who lead all active drivers with four wins each at Dover. Other candidates include reigning series champion Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet), who has three wins there, and Matt Kenseth. Rudd also is tied with Mark Martin with four poles at Dover and leads all active drivers with 26 top-10 Dover finishes in 55 career starts. Rudd has completed more miles there – 23,035 – than any driver.
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