The NASCAR Cup Series continues today with the 2021 Drydene 400 at Dover International Speedway. Read on below to see my prediction for who will win the race, as well as my top 10, dark horse, and driver to fade predictions.
Winner: Martin Truex Jr.- Truex has quickly become the driver to beat at Dover, with 3 career wins at the track, 8 top 5 finishes in his last 9 starts, and 3 consecutive runner-up finishes at the track. Truex has 3 wins this season already, including last week at Darlington. Truex is a heavy favorite to win the championship this year and I believe he will strengthen his chances and bring home his 4th win of the year today.
Top 10: Kevin Harvick- Harvick has been pretty stellar at Dover of late, with 2 wins and 5 top 5’s in his last 6 starts. Harvick was in a slump for a few weeks, but his car has come alive recently, finishing in the top 6 each of the last 3 weeks. Harvick will certainly be a threat to win, but a top 10 is a guarantee today.
Dark horse: Ross Chastain- After an up and down start to the season, Chastain has found his groove, finishing in the top 20 in 7 of his last 8 starts, including 4 top 15 finishes during that stretch. Chastain raced well at Dover in the Xfinity Series, finishing 3rd and 2nd in his 2 starts at the track last year. Chastain continues to improve each week and I believe another top 15 finish is within reach.
Driver to fade: Michael McDowell- In 20 career Dover starts, McDowell has only had 2 top finishes, with his best finish being 19th back in 2017. McDowell has had a career year, but don’t expect him to be a threat to contend today. I predict McDowell will finish outside the top 20 today.