The NASCAR Cup Series returns to Dover International Speedway in Dover, Del. for the Drydene 400 on Sunday, May 16. The green flag will wave at 2 p.m. ET.
The Monster Mile is known for being one of the most difficult tracks of the season. It’s shorter distance and high banks force drivers to fight around a never-ending turn looking for opportunities to pass.
This will be one of six races to feature the 750-horsepower package this season so expect the race to be back to its usual high-octane glory.
We’ve identified four drivers with odds we like including the race’s favorite and a couple of longshots. Read on to get yourself into the winner’s circle.
Martin Truex Jr. +350
Joe Gibbs Racing will field the odds on favorite Sunday with Martin Truex Jr. He’s been on a tear in his recent appearances at Dover, winning the first race there in 2019 and finishing runner up the next two times. He also won the Drydene 400 back in 2016.
Truex Jr. continues to hang around the front of the pack this season. He has two first-place finishes in the Cup Series this season including Martinsville in April and Darlington on May 9. It’s no surprise why. His 608 laps led is second best in NASCAR and he has 349 fastest laps raced, also second.
At Dover, Truex Jr. has the highest average finish in the last 10 years at 5.2. Undoubtedly he deserves his place as the favorite for Sunday.
Kevin Harvick +700
Kevin Harvick trails a bit behind Truex Jr. but he’s had a successful history at Dover as well. Harvick won at the Monster Mile in 2015, 2018 and at the Drydene 400 last year. He’s led more than 30 percent of the laps he’s raced there since 2018. His average finish is 9.8 and he’s had 21 top-10s which is the most of any driver in the field.
And Harvick has only gotten better. He’s coming off a red hot season in 2020 with a career-high nine wins. His average starting position — 7.4 — is the highest of his career, but he’s sliding in at the 5-spot here. That bodes well on a track that can make coming from behind a challenge.
Joey Logano +1400
It’s been a tough stretch for Joey Logano since finishing third at Richmond in April but he’s starting to turn it back around. He finished 13th at Darlington and climbed to 17th the week prior in Kansas, despite starting 29th.
Logano is yet to find his first win at Dover. He finished sixth and eighth there in 2020. His best finish was third place back in 2018, the year he became the Cup Series Champion. He’s spent 85 percent of his laps raced in the top 15 and led 10 percent. He has the third highest driver rating in NASCAR. Now it’s time to translate it all to a win.
Team Penske has six wins in the Drydene 400; second best of any team.
Christopher Bell +2500
Christopher Bell is our biggest longshot, and the youngest driver on our list. He finished 22nd in his only race at Dover last year.
Bell is a rising star in NASCAR and his performance this season is living up to that moniker. He’s fifth in quality passes by percentage, with 11 runs at finish.
The 750-horsepower package works in Bell’s favor too. Joe Gibbs Racing has performed well with this build with wins in four of six races. A win at the Drydene 400 would cement Bell as the most exciting young driver in the sport.
Explore Bookmakers at SportsBettingGuide.com for a place to bet on this event!
