By John Schutt –
NASCAR Monster Energy Series, Gander RV 400, Dover International Speedway, Dover, Del., May 5 and May 6.
A full-day rain-delay did not stop Martin Truex, Jr. from winning the Golden Monster Trophy for the third time in his career! Following Truex, Jr. was Alex Bowman in second place, Kyle Larson third, Kevin Harvick fourth, and Chase Elliot fifth.
With an all-Chevy front row, Elliott in the pole position, led for a while until the Fords of Team Penske drivers, Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski, had it out.
With a few laps to go in the first stage, Ricky Stenhouse, Jr.’s car hit the wall and Logano edged out Keselowski for the first stage victory.
Keselowski and Alex Bowman led most of stage two. At the last lap of the stage Bowman was in the lead until Truex, Jr. passed him for the second stage victory. There were at least seven cautions, most caused by tires giving out on the only all-concrete race track on Nascar Cup circuit.
In third stage Truex, Jr. got out in front and stayed there to ahead of Alex Bowman, who finished in second place.
NASCAR Monster Energy, Geico 500, Taladaga Superspeedway, Talladaga, Ala., Sunday, April 28.
It was all Chevrolets, all day when pole-winner Elliot came back in the third stage to win the race. In second place was Alex Bowman, Ryan Preese in third, Daniel Emerick in fourth, and Aric Amarillo in fifth.
It was a restrictor race, but teams were given special packages that increased their horsepower from last year. Maybe that and different rules for aerodynamics may have prevented the big wreck from occurring.
The first-time first-stage winner was Ty Dillon in a Richard Childress Chevrolet.
Stage two was won by Chase Elliott followed by two other Hendrick Motorsports Chevys.
With 35 laps to go the Fords of Logano and Stenhouse were in the lead.
During a pitstop with 33 laps, Keselowski’s brakes locked up and he went into the pits spinning and came to a stop backwards in his pit stall. They changed his tires and put fuel in the car and he performed a U-turn to get out of the pits.
With seven laps to go Matt Benadito, Truex, Jr., Chriss Beucher, and a few others were involved in a wreck which caused a red-flag situation.
On the last lap David Ragan hit William Byron’s car into Kyle Larson’s car which slid towards the inside wall and became airborne and flipped in the air. Luckily the rest of the pack evaded the mayhem and a possible second big one.
Elliott stayed in the lead for the victory.