Most race fans know Dover as the Monster Mile. Reminiscent of a big Bristol, it’s one mile of high banked concrete that’s intense, sticky, and so fast that you shouldn’t forget it’s other nickname: White Lightning. Dover has hosted two Cup races every year since 1971, and with 24-degree banking in the turns and 9 degrees on the straights, the cars really stick to the track. Drivers drive into the turns hard, and out of them hard—there’s no floating the cars into the corners here,it’s hard charging all the way.
Once the race is underway at Dover, drivers enjoy at least two grooves and good side by side racing, although it’s easy to loose spots if you get out of position.
Dover is notoriously tough on both cars and drivers,and back in the days when the races were 500 miles, they’re 400 now, you’d see a lot of engines expire. Even today, the high rpms still take their toll with a telltale puff of smoke as the result. Cars that can drive deep into the corners before heading down to the bottom of the track tend to run well at Dover. If you don’t handle well in the corners, a late exit push can lead to a wreck—and suck up 4 or 5 other cars too.
If you’re looking for action, keep your eyes on the turns, especially late in the race when the Monster takes its toll on the drivers time and time again. Jeff Burton calls Dover 'one of the most demanding tracks on the circuit.'
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