They say time flies when you’re having fun. Well, don’t look now, but we are already a dozen races into the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season. For the first time this year, the circuit will be racing north of the Mason-Dixon Line this weekend at Dover International Speedway. After dominating last Sunday’s Throwback Weekend race on his third victory of the season, Martin Truex Jr. has been awarded the pole position in the Drydene 400 starting lineup.
This article contains all kinds of vital information to get you set for the upcoming race weekend in Delaware. Read on for the Drydene 400 starting lineup, start time, race facts and NASCAR stats.
NASCAR Cup Series at Dover International Speedway
50th Drydene 400
Date: Sunday, May 16, 2021
Start Time: 2 p.m. EST
Track: Dover International Speedway — Dover, DE
Coverage: FS1
Pole Sitter: Martin Truex Jr.
Defending Champion: Kevin Harvick
Drydene 400 Race Details
Distance: 400 miles
Laps: 400
Lap Length: 1 mile
Stages: Three (Laps 1-120; Laps 121-240; Laps 241-400)
Surface: Concrete
Turns: 4
Drydene 400 Starting Grid
See below for a breakdown of qualifying.
| Starting Position | Driver | Car Number | Team | Manufacturer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cole Custer | 41 | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford |
| 2 | Christopher Bell | 20 | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota |
| 3 | Tyler Reddick | 8 | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet |
| 4 | Chase Briscoe | 14 | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford |
| 5 | Kyle Larson | 5 | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 6 | Justin Haley | 31 | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet |
| 7 | Ty Dillon | 42 | Petty GMS Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 8 | Alex Bowman | 48 | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 9 | Chase Elliott | 9 | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 10 | Joey Logano | 22 | Team Penske | Ford |
| 11 | Kyle Busch | 18 | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota |
| 12 | Austin Dillon | 3 | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet |
| 13 | Kurt Busch | 45 | 23XI Racing | Toyota |
| 14 | Erik Jones | 43 | Petty GMS Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 15 | Chris Buescher | 17 | Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing | Ford |
| 16 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 47 | JTG Daugherty Racing | Chevrolet |
| 17 | Michael McDowell | 34 | Front Row Motorsports | Ford |
| 18 | Brad Keselowski | 6 | Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing | Ford |
| 19 | William Byron | 24 | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 20 | Austin Cindric | 2 | Team Penske | Ford |
| 21 | Daniel Suarez | 99 | Trackhouse Racing | Chevrolet |
| 22 | Bubba Wallace | 23 | 23XI Racing | Toyota |
| 23 | Todd Gilliland | 38 | Front Row Motorsports | Ford |
| 24 | Harrison Burton | 21 | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford |
| 25 | Ryan Blaney | 12 | Team Penske | Ford |
| 26 | Corey LaJoie | 7 | Spire Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 27 | Justin Allgaier | 77 | Spire Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 28 | Noah Gragson | 16 | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet |
| 29 | J.J. Yeley | 15 | Rick Ware Racing | Ford |
| 30 | Martin Truex Jr. | 19 | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota |
| 31 | Aric Almirola | 10 | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford |
| 32 | Kevin Harvick | 4 | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford |
| 33 | Ross Chastain | 1 | Trackhouse Racing | Chevrolet |
| 34 | Denny Hamlin | 11 | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota |
| 35 | Cody Ware | 51 | Rick Ware Racing | Ford |
| 36 | Josh Williams | 78 | Live Fast Motorsports | Ford |
NASCAR Cup Series Qualifying Overview
Following the virus-caused interruption to racing last season, NASCAR did away with practice and qualifying runs at the majority of races. A combination of grouped draws and a performance-metrics formula were used to determine starting grids. That same formula remains in place for the majority of races on the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season, including this weekend’s Drydene 400 starting lineup.
So, what exactly is involved in the performance-metrics formula? Well, it draws on a number of factors including individual race performances and seaosn-long results. The following breakdown illustrates the weighted grades associated with each component of NASCAR’s metrics formula:
NASCAR Cup Series Metrics Formula Breakdown
- 35 percent: Team owner points ranking
- 25 percent: Driver’s finishing position from the previous race
- 25 percent: Car owner’s finishing position from the previous race
- 15 percent: Fastest lap from the previous race
Drydene 400 Race History and NASCAR Stats
- The first edition of this race was held in 1971, just two years after Dover International Speedway opened for racing. The first-ever ‘Delaware 500’ was won by The King, Richard Petty.
- This race encompassed a total distance of 500 miles every year from its inception up until 1997. That was the first year in which the Drydene 400 was run at its current distance of 400 miles. Last year’s race was shortened further to 500 kilometers (311 miles) as part of a doubleheader weekend at Dover.
- 2020 was also the first year in which the race was not a part of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs. This season, it stands alone as the only visit the series will pay to Dover International Speedway.
- Jimmie Johnson tops the list of all-time Drydene 400 victories among drivers with five. Inaugural race winner Richard Petty sits just behind with four wins total wins.
- Among active drivers, only Kevin Harvick and Ryan Newman have won this race multiple times. Each has two career victories. Newman’s most recent triumph came back in 2004 while Harvick is the defending champion.
- Hendrick Motorsports leads all race teams with 10 total victories in this race. The most recent came courtesy of reigning NASCAR Cup Series Champion Chase Elliott in 2018.
- Chevrolet tops all manufacturers with 21 Drydene 400 victories. Camaros have won the race in two of the last three years.
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