NASCAR Continues On To Track Number Two In One Mile Double Header

It’s week three in the 2012 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup as the season rolls on into the Monster Mile at Dover, the next one-mile track.

Heading into the race weekend at Dover International Speedway, NASCAR heads into the next track of the double header in one-mile oval tracks. It’s round two of the double header considering that last weekend’s race at New Hampshire was held on a mile track as well.

Last weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway was the first of the mile tracks but also one of the shortest races of the year. New Hampshire was also a track where championship contenders have performed well over the past.

For Denny Hamlin, New Hampshire was a rebound from his performance at the chase opener but he performs better at New Hampshire than Dover. In his career Hamlin had an average finish of 8.5 at New Hampshire, prior to the race last weekend. At Dover his average finish is around the top 20 with 20.5.

New Hampshire second place finisher Jimmie Johnson now heads into the Monster Mile as the points leader and as the spring winner at Dover. Just last year in the chase race at Dover, Johnson finished second behind winner Kurt Busch. At New Hampshire Johnson averaged a 9.9 finish against an 8.9 at Dover.

Hamlin went in as the chaser with the better finish at New Hampshire, meanwhile Johnson leads the championship contenders with a better finish at Dover.

Fellow championship contenders Brad Keselowski, Tony Stewart, Kasey Kahne, Clint Bowyer, and Dale Earnhardt Jr average at within the top 25 as well heading into Dover. Keselowski 17.0, Stewart 13.4, Kahne 21.8, Bowyer 13.5, and Earnhardt 17.5. Kevin Harvick averages 16.0, Greg Biffle 12.2, Martin Truex Jr. 16.4, Matt Kenseth 11.8 and Jeff Gordon 12.3.

All drivers’ ratings for Dover differ from New Hampshire, as most drivers averaged a top 15 finish at New Hampshire.

Dover will be stop number three on the 2012 chase and the final one-mile oval track race of the year.

Christy Valdez is a member of the NASCAR Media. Follow her on Twitter @Knowursports and on Facebook at On The Sidelines With Christy

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