Dover will always hold a special place in my heart. It’s where I attended my first NASCAR race in 1987. It’s where both my kids attended their first races. When the NASCAR schedule is released, it’s the second date I search for after the Daytona 500, and immediately goes on my Google calendar as a blocked off weekend from traveling to make sure I keep my tradition. I haven’t missed a Cup race at Dover since 2010 (with the exception of 2020 where fans were not permitted to attend) and always look forward to race weekend at the Monster Mile.
The weather forecast for race weekend was not looking favorable all week. A cold front was projected to move in on Friday, and rain was forecast from Friday morning through Sunday evening. The chances of getting any race in looked slim. On Friday, the forecast changed to rain Friday and Sunday, but mostly cloudy Saturday.
Due to my kids spring sport and school activities calendar, we haven’t attended the Saturday Xfinity race in several years. However, due to Friday’s rain, both kids had outdoor sports cancelled. Having a clear schedule, I decided to take my 6 year old to the Xfinity race. My 12 year old ended up having a conflict, so she was unable to attend with us.
We arrived Saturday morning and got our tickets. I decided to go with reserved seats. I was able to get two seats right before the start/finish line with a nice view of the entire track. We walked around the vendor displays, which were fewer than previous years. Dover’s “giant bounce house” was still closed from the rain, disappointing my 6 year old a bit. We then saw some Xfinity drivers were participating in an autograph session in the fan zone. We decided to get in line, but unfortunately the line was cut off before we made it through. I noticed where all the golf carts were parked, so we hung around that area. We got to chat briefly with drivers Sheldon Creed and C.J. McLaughlin. My son was excited to meet some drivers and talk to them!
We then headed to our seats to watch Cup practice and qualifying. Unfortunately right as qualifying was about to begin, rain came and qualifying was cancelled. Luckily the rain quit shortly after. We settled in and waited for the Xfinity race to begin.
The Xfinity race was dominated by Ryan Truex. What a car! My son kept asking at every caution how many laps were remaining, and would occasionally point to a car and say “he’s going fast!” Needless to say he was excited. We had a perfect view for Truex’s burnout and my son loved the smoke cloud that circled us.
Since the ARCA East series race was to follow, and the forecast for Sunday looked grim, we decided to stay. Between the two races, the two race emcees, Monica Palumbo and Jose Castillo, came up into the grandstands and were interacting with the fans. We went to say hello, and my son participated in the dance off they organized. They’ve always been friendly and we appreciate everything they do to keep the fans entertained!
The ARCA East race was certainly interesting. The difference in equipment in that race was very evident. There were only 15 starters, and by lap 30, I there were only 11 cars remaining on track. Some were getting lapped every 4-5 laps. But a late race caution set up a pretty amazing battle between Jake Finch and Landen Lewis. After a great day of racing, we headed home to prepare for the next day.
Sunday morning we awoke to light rain. The forecast looked like it was going to rain pretty hard in the morning, with a small afternoon window to get some racing in before picking up again late afternoon. We live about 90 minutes from Dover, and I had to decide if it seemed worth it to make the drive. We ended up going over and meeting some friends for breakfast around 8:30. After a good meal, the rain picked up and we headed to our vehicles to wait it out. At 10:15 AM the decision was made to postpone the race until Monday. The disappointment was evident, as everyone in our group but me had to go to either work or school Monday.
When the Cup race was postponed in 2022 due to weather, Dover had very limited concessions open on Monday, so when I returned to Dover on Monday I made sure to bring my own food/drinks. I’m glad I did, as there were no concessions open close to my seat. But I settled in, learned that a friend was at the race and had him join me in the stands, and we enjoyed a very competitive Cup race.
The crowd was definitely opinionated after Ross Chastain’s contact with Brennan Poole. I heard the phrase “He got Chastained!” more times than I could count.
William Byron, Ross Chastain, and Martin Truex Jr. had a heck of a battle all day. I thought Byron had things under control but his car faded in stage 3. It was nice to see tire wear, some differing strategies, and a very competitive top 5. The sprint to the finish was very exciting, and it was nice to see Truex break a very long winless streak.
It may not have been the best race of the season, but compared to several of the Gen-6 era races at Dover, this one delivered. I felt a sense of emptiness as I walked out of the stands towards my car Monday afternoon, knowing that the next time I visit Dover for a race will be next season. But I also took with me another fun weekend with friends and family, and I can’t wait to create even more memories!
Want To Be A Fan Reporter?
Submit a recap of your complete race weekend experience along with photos to fanreport@nexttimeby.com to be considered. All entries are due by the Tuesday following the race.