The 2020 Drydene 311 was a NASCAR Cup Series race that was originally scheduled to be held on May 3, 2020, but postponed to August 22, 2020, at Dover International Speedway in Dover, Delaware. Scheduled to be contested over 400 laps but shortened to 311 laps because of the 500-kilometer doubleheader format used on the 1-mile (1.6 km) concrete speedway, it was the 24th race of the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season. It was the first 300-mile Cup Series race since 1970 at Dover.
There were three stages, each ending at 70, 115 & 126.
Report
Background
Dover International Speedway is an oval race track in Dover, Delaware, United States that has held at least two NASCAR races since it opened in 1969. In addition to NASCAR, the track also hosted USAC and the NTT IndyCar Series. The track features one layout, a concrete oval, with 24° banking in the turns and 9° banking on the straights. The speedway is owned and operated by Dover Motorsports.
The track, nicknamed "The Monster Mile", was built in 1969 by Melvin Joseph of Melvin L. Joseph Construction Company, Inc., with an asphalt surface, but was replaced with concrete in 1995. Six years later in 2001, the track's capacity moved to 135,000 seats, making the track have the largest capacity of sports venue in the mid-Atlantic. In 2002, the name changed to Dover International Speedway from Dover Downs International Speedway after Dover Downs Gaming and Entertainment split, making Dover Motorsports. From 2007 to 2009, the speedway worked on an improvement project called "The Monster Makeover", which expanded facilities at the track and beautified the track. After the 2014 season, the track's capacity was reduced to 95,500 seats.
Entry list (R) denotes rookie driver. (i) denotes driver who are ineligible for series driver points.
Driver Team Manufacturer 00 Quin Houff (R) StarCom Racing Chevrolet 1 Kurt Busch Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 2 Brad Keselowski Team Penske Ford 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 6 Ryan Newman Roush Fenway Racing Ford 7 Garrett Smithley (i) Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet 8 Tyler Reddick (R) Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 10 Aric Almirola Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 13 Ty Dillon Germain Racing Chevrolet 14 Clint Bowyer Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 15 Brennan Poole (R) Premium Motorsports Chevrolet 17 Chris Buescher Roush Fenway Racing Ford 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 19 Martin Truex Jr. Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 20 Erik Jones Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 21 Matt DiBenedetto Wood Brothers Racing Ford 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 27 J. J. Yeley (i) Rick Ware Racing Ford 32 Corey LaJoie Go Fas Racing Ford 34 Michael McDowell Front Row Motorsports Ford 37 Ryan Preece JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 38 John Hunter Nemechek (R) Front Row Motorsports Ford 41 Cole Custer (R) Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 42 Matt Kenseth Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 43 Bubba Wallace Richard Petty Motorsports Chevrolet 47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 48 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 51 Joey Gase (i) Petty Ware Racing Ford 53 Josh Bilicki (i) Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet 66 Timmy Hill (i) MBM Motorsports Toyota 77 Reed Sorenson Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 78 B. J. McLeod (i) B. J. McLeod Motorsports Chevrolet 88 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 95 Christopher Bell (R) Leavine Family Racing Toyota 96 Daniel Suárez Gaunt Brothers Racing ToyotaOfficial entry list
Qualifying Chase Elliott was awarded the pole for the race as determined by competition-based formula.
Starting Lineup Pos Driver Team Manufacturer 1 9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 2 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 3 19 Martin Truex Jr. Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 4 14 Clint Bowyer Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 5 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 6 48 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 7 2 Brad Keselowski Team Penske Ford 8 24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 9 1 Kurt Busch Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 10 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 11 88 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 12 17 Chris Buescher Roush Fenway Racing Ford 13 20 Erik Jones Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 14 21 Matt DiBenedetto Wood Brothers Racing Ford 15 34 Michael McDowell Front Row Motorsports Ford 16 8 Tyler Reddick (R) Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 17 10 Aric Almirola Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 18 95 Christopher Bell (R) Leavine Family Racing Toyota 19 47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 20 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 21 41 Cole Custer (R) Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 22 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 23 6 Ryan Newman Roush Fenway Racing Ford 24 43 Bubba Wallace Richard Petty Motorsports Chevrolet 25 13 Ty Dillon Germain Racing Chevrolet 26 42 Matt Kenseth Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 27 37 Ryan Preece JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 28 96 Daniel Suárez Gaunt Brothers Racing Toyota 29 32 Corey LaJoie Go Fas Racing Ford 30 15 Brennan Poole (R) Premium Motorsports Chevrolet 31 38 John Hunter Nemechek (R) Front Row Motorsports Ford 32 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 33 66 Timmy Hill (i) MBM Motorsports Toyota 34 27 J. J. Yeley (i) Rick Ware Racing Ford 35 00 Quin Houff (R) StarCom Racing Chevrolet 36 77 Reed Sorenson Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 37 53 Josh Bilicki (i) Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet 38 51 Joey Gase (i) Petty Ware Racing Ford 39 7 Garrett Smithley (i) Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet 40 78 B. J. McLeod (i) B. J. McLeod Motorsports ChevroletOfficial starting lineup
Race
Stage Results
Stage One Laps: 70
Pos Driver Team Manufacturer Points1 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 102 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 93 2 Brad Keselowski Team Penske Ford 84 14 Clint Bowyer Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 75 19 Martin Truex Jr. Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 66 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 57 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 48 48 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 39 17 Chris Buescher Roush Fenway Racing Ford 210 10 Aric Almirola Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 1Official stage one results
Stage Two Laps: 115
Pos Driver Team Manufacturer Points1 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 102 19 Martin Truex Jr. Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 93 14 Clint Bowyer Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 84 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 75 2 Brad Keselowski Team Penske Ford 66 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 57 48 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 48 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 39 47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 210 9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 1Official stage two results
Final Stage Results
Stage Three Laps: 126
Pos Grid Driver Team Manufacturer Laps Points1 2 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 311 602 3 19 Martin Truex Jr. Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 311 503 22 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 311 414 10 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 311 425 1 9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 311 336 4 14 Clint Bowyer Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 311 467 6 48 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 311 378 5 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 311 379 7 2 Brad Keselowski Team Penske Ford 311 4210 19 47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 311 2911 21 41 Cole Custer (R) Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 311 2612 13 20 Erik Jones Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 311 2513 16 8 Tyler Reddick (R) Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 310 2414 20 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 310 2315 32 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 310 3116 12 17 Chris Buescher Roush Fenway Racing Ford 310 2317 17 10 Aric Almirola Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 309 2118 25 13 Ty Dillon Germain Racing Chevrolet 309 1919 23 6 Ryan Newman Roush Fenway Racing Ford 309 1820 14 21 Matt DiBenedetto Wood Brothers Racing Ford 309 1721 11 88 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 309 1622 18 95 Christopher Bell (R) Leavine Family Racing Toyota 309 1523 26 42 Matt Kenseth Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 309 1424 31 38 John Hunter Nemechek (R) Front Row Motorsports Ford 309 1325 27 37 Ryan Preece JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 309 1226 15 34 Michael McDowell Front Row Motorsports Ford 308 1127 24 43 Bubba Wallace Richard Petty Motorsports Chevrolet 308 1028 8 24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 308 929 29 32 Corey LaJoie Go Fas Racing Ford 308 830 28 96 Daniel Suárez Gaunt Brothers Racing Toyota 306 731 34 27 J. J. Yeley (i) Rick Ware Racing Ford 302 032 37 53 Josh Bilicki (i) Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet 299 033 35 00 Quin Houff (R) StarCom Racing Chevrolet 298 434 33 66 Timmy Hill (i) MBM Motorsports Toyota 298 035 38 51 Joey Gase (i) Petty Ware Racing Ford 293 036 30 15 Brennan Poole (R) Premium Motorsports Chevrolet 286 137 39 7 Garrett Smithley (i) Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet 241 038 40 78 B. J. McLeod (i) B. J. McLeod Motorsports Chevrolet 166 039 36 77 Reed Sorenson Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 83 140 9 1 Kurt Busch Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 6 1Official race results
Race statistics Lead changes: 15 among 10 different drivers Cautions/Laps: 4 for 21 Red flags: 0 Time of race: 2 hours, 30 minutes and 3 seconds Average speed:
Media
Television NBC Sports covered the race on the television side. Rick Allen, 2006 race winner Jeff Burton, Steve Letarte and 2001 race winner Dale Earnhardt Jr. covered the race from the booth at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Dave Burns, Parker Kligerman and Dillon Welch handled the pit road duties on site.
NBCSNBooth announcersPit reporters Lap-by-lap: Rick AllenColor-commentator: Jeff BurtonColor-commentator: Steve LetarteColor-commentator: Dale Earnhardt Jr. Dave BurnsParker KligermanDillon Welch
Radio MRN had the radio call for the race, which was also simulcast on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio.
MRN RadioBooth announcersTurn announcersPit reporters Lead announcer: Alex HaydenAnnouncer: Jeff Striegle Backstretch: Mike Bagley Steve PostKim Coon
Standings after the race
Drivers' Championship standings Pos Driver Points 1 Kevin Harvick 981 2 Denny Hamlin 881 (–100) 3 Brad Keselowski 845 (–136) 4 Chase Elliott 808 (–173) 2 5 Martin Truex Jr. 803 (–178) 6 Joey Logano 791 (–190) 2 7 Ryan Blaney 778 (–203) 8 Aric Almirola 703 (–278) 1 9 Kyle Busch 693 (–288) 1 10 Kurt Busch 674 (–307) 11 Clint Bowyer 664 (–317) 12 Alex Bowman 626 (–355) 13 Matt DiBenedetto 613 (–368) 1 14 Jimmie Johnson 589 (–392) 1 15 William Byron 586 (–395) 16 Erik Jones 567 (–414)Official driver's standings
Manufacturers' Championship standings Pos Manufacturer Points 1 Ford 893 2 Toyota 845 (–48) 3 Chevrolet 797 (–96)
Note: Only the first 16 positions are included for the driver standings. . – Driver has clinched a position in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs.
References