- Tickets for Fall Races at Dover go on sale Monday, Dec. 10: As the second race in the “Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup,” the Monster Mile has been known to throw a high-banked wrench into the 10-race championship playoffs. The concrete, one-mile oval has become a track most of the “Chasers” worry about surviving, while fans in the stands have come to know Dover’s Sept. race as one of the most entertaining and exciting races in the Chase. Beginning on Monday, Dec. 10 at 8:00 a.m., fans can secure their seats for the Sept. 21 Sprint Cup Series race, Sept. 20 RoadLoans.com 200 Nationwide Series race and Sept. 19 Sunoco 150 Grand National Division, East Series race by calling 800-441-RACE or at DoverSpeedway.com.(Dover International Speedway PR)(12-9-2007)
- Dover Motorsports reports lower quarterly revenues: Dover Motorsports Inc. officials say the expected decrease in NASCAR television revenues were to blame as the company reported lower revenues for the financial quarter that ended Sept. 30. The track operator said it had revenues of $40.951 million, down from $42.441 million in the comparable quarter of 2006, after promoting seven major motorsports events in each quarter. The company said in a press release that broadcast rights fees from the new industry-wide TV contract with NASCAR decreased in 2007 by 10 percent and represented substantially all of the decrease in revenue during the third quarter. (SceneDaily.com)(10-28-2007)
- Tickets now on sale for the June 2008 NASCAR tripleheader weekend at Dover: Tickets are now on sale for the May 30 - June 1, 2008 NASCAR tripleheader race weekend at the Monster Mile. Next year will mark Dover International Speedway's 40th season of racing and race fans will want to lock in their seats today to guarantee that they'll be at the Monster Mile for the first of two monumental race weekends in 2008. By ordering early, fans can take advantage of improved seat selection, better ticket availability and the opportunity for groups to purchase the best blocks of tickets for the June 1 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race, the May 31 Nationwide Series race, and the May 30 AAA Insurance 200 Craftsman Truck Series race. Tickets for the Sept. 21 "Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup" race, Sept. 20 RoadLoans.com 200 Nationwide Series race, and Sept. 19 Sunoco 150 NASCAR Grand National Division East Series race will go on sale to the public on December 10, 2007. Dover International Speedway continues to offer event ticket insurance for all
events, along with an array of ticket options including special 3-day ticket packages, all-inclusive hospitality packages, early-buy discounts, and a variety of payment plans.
To purchase tickets or for more information, call 800-441-RACE or visit DoverSpeedway.com.(Dover PR)(10-20-2007)
- Dover International Speedway activities not affected by Delaware State University incident: Local officials believe the shooting incident that occurred at Delaware State University early this morning is isolated and poses no threat to patrons or activities at Dover International Speedway. All events at the Speedway are on schedule for this weekend and are currently operating according to plan. Nextel Cup qualifying is scheduled for 3:15pm/et today, followed by the Sunoco 150 Busch East Series race at 4:45pm/et. Traffic patterns have not been affected. On Friday, September 21, 2007 at approximately 12:54 a.m., a double shooting occurred at Delaware State University, which is located near Dover International
Speedway. The Delaware State University police department continues to investigate this incident, and any inquiries should be directed to them at (302) 857-6290.(DIS PR)(9-21-2007)
- DelDOT Welcomes NASCAR Fans to Dover International Speedway: The Department of Transportation (DelDOT) greets NASCAR fans to Dover for the 2007 Nextel Cup Series, Busch East Series, and Busch Series at the Dover International Speedway beginning on Friday, September 21 through Sunday, September 23. DelDOT and DART First State encourage motorists to use the two Race Express Bus Services that will be available on Sunday, September 23. For $ 20.00 per car, race fans can park at the Blue Hen Corporate Center on Bay Road in Dover, and all vehicle occupants can once again ride the Race Express Bus to and from Dover International Speedway. The Blue Hen Corporate Center Race Express Bus will avoid race day traffic congestion by traveling south on Bay Road, away from the traffic, and enter Route 1 to an exclusive, buses-only exit ramp leading directly to Dover International Speedway. The total trip will have race fans at the racetrack in only 12 minutes. The service will begin at 8:00 a.m., and will be available to transport passengers back and forth until 1 hour after the race. For more information and the full release, goto the Dover International Speedway site.(9-21-2007)
- Grand Marshal change at Dover, Nardelli in; Spade out: Bob Nardelli has been named Grand Marshal for the Dodge Dealers 400 Nextel Cup Series race on Sunday, Sept. 23, 2007 at Dover International Speedway. Nardelli [formerly of Home Depot], chairman and CEO of Chrysler LLC, will command the 43 drivers to fire their engines and prepare to take to the high-banked Speedway. Nardelli will join actor R. Lee Ermey in the pre-race festivities. Ermey, Honorary Starter for the Dodge Dealers 400, is best known for his role as Sgt. Hartman in the military film "Full Metal Jacket." He is currently the celebrity spokesperson for GLOCK "Safe Action" Pistols and can be seen each week on his show "Mail Call" on The History Channel. Nardelli replaces actor David Spade who was previously announced as Grand Marshal of the race. Spade has cancelled his appearence due to a change in the production schedule for his television show [Rules of Engagement on CBS]. The "Chase" returns to Dover International Speedway on Sept. 23 for the Dodge Dealers 400 Nextel Cup Series race. Tickets are still available for the entire Sept. 21-23 race weekend and can be purchased by calling 800-441-RACE.(Dover Intl Speedway PR)(9-19-2007)
- America's Got Talent finalist Julienne Irwin to perform National Anthem at Dover: Julienne Irwin's got natural talent. The Bel Air, Md. native demonstrated it as a finalist on the second season of NBC's America's Got Talent, television's highest rated summer program. She will perform the National Anthem prior to the start of the "Dodge Dealers 400" Nextel Cup Series race at Dover International Speedway on Sunday, Sept. 23, 2007. Irwin is currently an eighth grade student at Harford Christian School in Darlington, Md., and recently became class president. Tickets are still available for the entire Sept. 21-23 weekend and can be purchased by calling 800-441-RACE or online at DoverSpeedway.com.(Dover Intl Speedway PR)(9-11-2007)
- Kahne Kicks Off Dover Ticket Donation on Sept 5th: Kasey Kahne will be on hand to officially announce the Dodge Dealers' donation of 3,000 Nextel Cup tickets to the USO. Tickets to the Sept. 23 "Dodge Dealers 400" Nextel Cup Series race at Dover International Speedway will be distributed to troops and their families in the region. Leadership from Dodge, Dover International Speedway, the USO and Dover Air Force Base are expected to attend this event at AMC Museum, 1301 Heritage Road, Dover AFB, DE at 10:30am/et.(Dover International Speedway PR)(9-2-2007)
- Grand Marshal & Starter named for Dover: Two important NASCAR traditions will be served by two famous and funny film stars to start the "Dodge Dealers 400" on Sept. 23 at the Monster Mile. Actor, comedian and Grand Marshal David Spade will give the command to start engines, and Honorary Starter R. Lee Ermey, well known for his role as
Sgt. Hartman in the war movie classic "Full Metal Jacket," will wave the green flag to get the second race in the ten race "Chase for the Nextel Cup" underway at Dover. David Spade can currently be seen in Sony Pictures Television's hit series, "Rules of Engagement" which returns to CBS for its second season beginning Monday, September 24 at 9:30pm/et/pt. Instantly recognizable and known for his thunderous voice and intimidating stature, R. Lee Ermey has appeared in more than 60 films since retiring from the United States Marine Corps in 1972. Ermey was a Golden Globe nominee and won the Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actor for his work in Stanley Kubrick's "Full Metal Jacket." Ermey is also the celebrity spokesperson for GLOCK "Safe Action" Pistols and can be seen each week on his show "Mail Call" on The History Channel. Ermey rose to the rank of Staff Sergeant while serving in the military before turning his attention to acting. In 2002, he received a promotion to E-7 Honorary Gunnery Sergeant becoming the first retiree in the history of the Marines to be promoted. The "Chase" returns to Dover International Speedway on Sept. 23 for the Dodge Dealers 400 Nextel Cup Series race. Tickets are still available for the
entire Sept. 21-23 race weekend and can be purchased by calling 800-441-RACE or online at DoverSpeedway.com.(Dover International Speedway)(8-28-2007)
- Dover Fall race gets a sponsor: When the Nextel Cup Series returns to Dover next month, the concrete oval will be the same monster it has always been. The race itself will take on a new identity: the Dodge Dealers 400 at Dover International Speedway. The primary sponsorship builds on the strong presence Dodge has had as the official vehicle of the "Monster Mile." To kick off the Dodge Dealers 400, David Spade, "Saturday Night Live" alum and current star of the CBS comedy "Rules of Engagement", will serve as grand marshal. R. Lee Ermey, the recognizable host of "Mail Call," will serve as the honorary starter and wave the green flag. Dodge is giving fans the opportunity to get involved in the racing action by
offering them fast fun with a high-speed spin in the Dodge SRT Thrill Rides. Fans can ride for free in a Dodge Viper SRT10 or Dodge Charger SRT8 on a high-speed, closed course.
Dodge also is inviting consumers throughout the region to join in the fun:
-- Any customer that purchases a Dodge car or truck from dealers in the Baltimore, DelMarVa Peninsula, Norfolk, Richmond or Roanoke areas or in West Virginia, between August 13 and September 10, will receive four tickets to the September 23rd Dodge Dealers 400 race. Visit www.FreeDoverTickets.com for details.
-- Fans also can enter a "No Purchase Necessary" sweepstakes, simply by visiting www.FreeDoverTickets.com. Entrants will have a chance to win numerous prizes, including the Grand Prize - a VIP Experience at the Dodge Dealers 400. Five first-place prize winners will receive a pair of tickets to the Dodge Dealers 400 at Dover and 125 second-place winners will receive Dodge merchandise.
-- In a gesture of thanks to the men and women that defend the United States, 3,000 tickets will be distributed through the USO to active-duty servicemen and women and their families so they can enjoy the Dodge Dealers 400 in person. For more information on Dodge and Dodge Motorsports, visit www.Dodge.com.(DIS PR)(8-16-2007)
- Dover confirms 2008 NASCAR race dates will follow tradition on NASCAR's annual schedule: Despite some industry speculation to the contrary, Dover International Speedway officials confirmed that the Monster Mile will host race weekends on May 30-June 1 and September 19-21, 2008. Dover International Speedway has played host to similar dates since 1987, and has hosted NASCAR's premiere series since 1969. The 2008 season will mark the 40th year of racing at the high-banked, one-mile oval. Tickets for the June 1, 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race, May 31 NASCAR Busch Series race and May 30 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race will go on sale to the public beginning on Monday, October 1, 2007. Tickets for the Sept. 21 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race, Sept. 20 NASCAR Busch Series race, and Sept. 19 NASCAR Busch East Series race will go on sale on Monday, December 10, 2007. NASCAR returns to the Monster Mile on September 21-23, 2007 as the "Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup" races into Dover International Speedway. Race fans who purchase tickets to the upcoming event weekend, or any of the 2008 events, can now add event ticket insurance to their purchases. The new insurance option, provided by World Access, provides greater peace of mind and offers a full refund of the purchase price if the Dover ticket holder cannot attend the event for a number of unforeseen personal, medical or travel reasons. The Monster Mile offers a long list of ticket options including 3-day ticket packages, all-inclusive hospitality packages, early-buy discounts and a variety of payment plans. For more information, or to purchase tickets, call the Dover International Speedway ticket office at 800-441-RACE or visit DoverSpeedway.com.(Dover International Speedway PR)(7-27-2007)
- Dover & World Access to offer event ticket insurance to race fans: If an event at Dover International Speedway [the Monster Mile] is postponed due to weather - as it was for the June 3, 2007 Nextel Cup Series race - fans who opt for event ticket insurance can now take comfort knowing that they will receive a full refund if they must work on the date of the rescheduled event. The new insurance option, provided by World Access, provides greater peace of mind and offers a full refund of the purchase price if the Dover ticket holder cannot attend the event for a number of unforeseen personal, medical or travel reasons. Dover International Speedway leads the way by becoming the first motorsports venue hosting NASCAR-sanctioned events to offer this level of service and protection for its fans. The insurance may be used for all NASCAR events held at Dover International Speedway, including the Nextel Cup Series, Busch Series, Craftsman Truck Series, and Busch East Series races. All add-on fan hospitality options at Dover, like the Monster Mile Club and Blue Crew Premium Seating, may also be insured. All Dover fans will have the opportunity to add the event ticket insurance to their September 21-23, 2007 race tickets, beginning in late-July 2007. For more information, visit DoverSpeedway.com or by call the ticket office at 800-411-RACE. Dover International Speedway is partnering with World Access, a leading insurance and assistance company, to provide this coverage. World Access supplies the travel industry, financial institutions and healthcare companies with a wide variety of customized travel insurance and assistance services. The event ticket insurance is available for 5% of your total purchase, with a $6.25 minimum. If a medical issue, a traffic accident, a mechanical breakdown, or any of the other covered categories prevent the insured from attending an event, 100% of the ticket price, including shipping fees, is returned to the covered person. For more on this, see DoverSpeedway.com. The three other Dover Motorsports, Inc. venues - Gateway International Raceway, Memphis Motorsports Park and Nashville Superspeedway - will soon provide this same insurance option for their events.(DIS PR)(7-12-2007)
- Dover spring race to April? NASCAR officials are contemplating moving the spring races at Dover International Speedway from June to April as part of a plan to revamp the first half of the racing schedule next season. It's a possibility that Denis McGlynn, president and CEO of Dover Motorsports Inc., would rather not think about. McGlynn said it's "way too early" to predict what will happen with the spring race weekend. The culmination of this spring's race weekend, the Autism Speaks 400 Nextel Cup race, was rained out Sunday and is scheduled to be made up today at noon. This is the first time Dover's spring Nextel Cup race has been postponed since 1975, when the race was held in May. It would seem that having the Dover spring races in April would be worse. For one, the weather is much more unpredictable than it is the weekend after Memorial Day, when the spring races have been held since 1987. In addition, the track's harness racing season doesn't end until mid-April, and McGlynn said there wouldn't be enough time to get the NASCAR track ready for auto racing by the end of the month. The only alternative in May would be a Mother's Day race weekend, which for the past three years has been held in Darlington, S.C. The annual Old Dover Days takes place the first weekend in May. The Nextel All-Star Challenge is held two weeks after that. Typically, Nextel Cup takes the third week of the season off. NASCAR is considering pushing that first off-week back to the first weekend in June, the spot now occupied by the spring Dover race. "We're looking at ways to fill that hole" in the third week of the season, NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston said. "We're looking to run more races before the break." Poston said NASCAR would like to get a consensus from track owners and driver teams before changing the schedule. He said pushing the first break back a few months would keep the momentum going from the start of the season. The 2008 schedule will be released in August.(Delaware News Journal)(6-4-2007)
- Fans at Dover: NASCAR today announced that the Autism Speaks 400 presented by Visa Nextel Cup Series race has been postponed and will be held on Monday, June 4, 2007. Grandstands will open at 9:00am/et with the green flag scheduled to fly at
12:00pm/et. A steady rain held the Nextel Cup cars on pit road and the fans underneath the grandstands for most of the afternoon. The announcement came 30 minutes after the jet-dryer trucks attempted to dry the track, but a steady rain dampend any chance of the cars actually taking to the Speedway. Parking at the Speedway will be free of charge on Monday, June 4. All Sunday tickets will be honored at the gates. A ticket or ticket stub is required for admission. Tickets can be purchased on Monday at the main ticket office and at Gate 4. The Will Call, at Gate 4, will be open until 1 :00pm/et. For more information, call 800-441-RACE.
- Dover track & police ready for influx of fans: Dover International Speedway, the Delaware Dept. of Transportation, Delaware State Police, and City of Dover Police are prepared for the influx of visitors that come along with the upcoming June 1-3, 2007 event weekend. Race weekend brings approximately 250,000 visitors to the City of Dover for each tripleheader NASCAR race weekend. To help alleviate the stress of getting to the big race, Dover International Speedway suggests the following:
-- Ride the DART First State's Race Express Bus from the Blue Hen Corporate Center on US 113 and get to Dover International Speedway in just 12 minutes! Park at the Blue Hen Corporate Center for only $20.00 per car, and everyone in your vehicle can ride the bus to and from the race track for free. Service will begin at 8:00 AM and will operate until 1 hour after the race.
-- From New Castle County and points north, fans will want to consider DART First State's Race Express Bus from the Christiana Mall Park & Ride, located off of exit 4A of I-95. The Race Express Bus departs from the Christiana Mall at 7:30 AM, with seating on a first-come, first-served basis. After the race, the Express Bus will take you to the Blue Hen Corporate Center. From there the shuttle will IMMEDIATELY take you back to Christiana Mall. The cost per person is $10.00 round-trip, exact change only, with children 46" in height or under riding for free.
-- Mass transit is encouraged, and those that opt for this route reap the benefits. Buses are permitted to use the emergency exits off of Route 1, which provides them with direct access to the back of the property and the Dover International Speedway bus lots.
To help coordinate what is one of the largest logistical challenges in the state, officials from Dover International Speedway, DelDoT, DART, the Delaware State Police, and the City of Dover Police meet on a monthly basis throughout the year. These meetings result in comprehensive traffic plans to identify control points and traffic flow. Officials stress that patience and proper planning are paramount when traveling to and from the track.
Tickets are still available for the June 1-3, 2007 NASCAR race weekend. For more information or to purchase tickets, call 800-441-RACE, or visit www.DoverSpeedway.com.(Dover International Speedway PR)(6-1-2007)
- No lights planned for Dover: For now, the improvements [at Dover International Speedway] do not include the installation of lights, which many speedways have added in recent years in order to host races in prime time. "We don't have lights on the near-term schedule," Denis McGlynn, CEO of Dover Motorsports, said. "If push came to shove and we had to do it, we'd take a serious look at it, but there's a lot of moving parts on that issue that would need to be addressed and I'm not sure we're there yet."(Delaware News Journal)(5-31-2007)
- Grand Marshal, Starter, National Anthem at Dover: Actress Catherine Bell will command the most famous words in motorsports - "Gentleman, start your engines!"- as the Grand Marshal for the "Autism Speaks 400 presented by Visa" Nextel Cup Series race at Dover International Speedway on Sunday, June 3. For nine seasons, 16 million Americans tuned in every Friday to watch the
stunning Bell on the award winning adventure drama JAG. Beginning on June 3 at 10:00pm, Bell can be seen in the new series Army Wives on Lifetime Television. The opportunity to be the Honorary Starter for the Autism Speaks 400 presented by Visa was auctioned online, and the winning bid was $13,010. The winning bidder's name will be announced shortly. All proceeds from the auction will benefit Autism Speaks. The charitable winner will have the unique opportunity to wave the green flag to start the June 3 Nextel Cup race; be on stage for driver introductions; watch the race in a catered suite above the frontstretch with three guests; receive a pit and garage tour; and ride in the pre-race parade lap.
Tiffany Affair, Reprise Warner Brothers recording artists, will deliver the National Anthem before the race. Ayanna, 18, Bianca, 18, and Gabrielle, 16, make up the R&B group widely known for their hit singles, "Start A Fire" and "Over It." Both songs are featured on their latest album, Flavors, which is slated for a summer 2007 release.
"Psychogang Extreme Motorcycle Racing Team" and "Hell on Wheels" BMX riders will entertain race fans with high flying stunts during pre-race festivities. Parachute jumpers, fireworks, a flyover featuring four F-16's from the 149th Fighter Wing Lackland AFB, TX, and a free concert by the band Hoobastank at the Garnier display outside of the track at 11:00am/et will provide plenty of pre-race entertainment prior to the 1:30pm/et start time.
Tickets are still available for the June 1-3, 2007 NASCAR race weekend. For more information or to purchase tickets, call 800-441-RACE or visit www.DoverSpeedway.com.(Dover International Speedway PR)(5-29-2007)
- Infield media center expansion is complete at Dover: Construction that began soon after the last hauler pulled out of Dover International Speedway on September 24, 2006 is now complete. A 2,100 square-foot expansion to the infield media center at the Monster Mile adds space and amenities to better accommodate the local, regional and national media that report on each Dover race weekend. The infield media center is located at the entrance to the Nextel Cup garage, inside Turn 4 of the one-mile, concrete oval. The expansion adds 60 new seats for public relations representatives and photographers; a remodeled deadline seating area; an expanded stage for driver
interviews; 18 flat-panel televisions; a spacious dining area; two new interview rooms; a new work area and office for Dover public relations staff; and four new bathrooms. Each individual seat in the media center is now equipped with improved connectivity. New inputs at each seat provide high-speed internet, a phone line, two AC outlets, and the ability to listen to - and record - a variety of audio feeds from the event weekend. Each seat has the ability to toggle between the Motor Racing Network, television audio, the track announcer, and additional media center audio feeds.
The expansion is part of the Monster Makeover, a multi-year capital improvement project underway at Dover International Speedway. Dover race fans will notice a vast array of improvements to the facility in 2007, including the addition of a new skybox complex with 12 suites, each with a premium view of pit road, victory lane and the entire racetrack. The new complex is also home to Velocity, an all-inclusive suite now available to individual fans at the Monster Mile. Additional improvements include widened walkways behind the Allison, Petty and
Earnhardt grandstands; six renovated restroom facilities; additional paved handicapped parking areas; expanded bus parking; continued beautification and landscaping of the entire property; a new grandstand sound system with improved audio quality for broadcasting and music; a larger, and combined, hospitality tent village; and a new alcohol- and tobacco-free Family Seating Section.
Tickets are still available for the June 1-3, 2007 NASCAR race weekend. For more information or to purchase tickets, call 800-441-RACE or visit www.DoverSpeedway.com.(Dover International Speedway PR)(5-28-2007)
- Dover June Cup race named "Autism Speaks 400 presented by Visa": Dover International Speedway announced that the June 3, 2007 Nextel Cup Series race will be named the "Autism Speaks 400 presented by Visa." Autism Speaks is an organization dedicated to increasing understanding and knowledge of autism spectrum disorders; to funding research into the causes, prevention, treatments and cure for autism; and to advocating for the needs of affected families. From now until June 1, Dover International Speedway will donate $5 to Autism Speaks from each ticket purchased with a Visa card for the June 3 "Autism Speaks 400 presented by Visa" race. Fans can visit www.autismspeaks.org to learn more and donate to this worthwhile cause.
As part of the entitlement, a special one-of-a-kind experience will be auctioned, with all proceeds going directly to Autism Speaks. The prize includes the opportunity to wave the green flag as the honorary starter for the June 3 race; an autographed flag signed by the starting lineup of the Nextel Cup Series race; the chance to be on stage for driver introductions; a ride in the pre-race parade lap for four guests; four tickets to watch the race from a skybox suite; four pit passes; and a guided tour for four of the Nextel Cup garage. To participate in this unique auction and support Autism Speaks, go to www.autismspeaks.org/dover400. NASCAR returns to Dover International Speedway on June 1-3 and Sept. 21-23, 2007. For more information, or to purchase tickets, call 800-441-RACE or visit www.DoverSpeedway.com.(Dover International Speedway PR)(5-19-2007)
- Science lessons on the Monster Mile: Driving around the high banks of Dover International Speedway and getting a small taste of just how enormous NASCAR race weekends are is enough to spark almost anybody's imagination. For seventh-grade teacher Julie Rickansrud and her 22 accelerated science students at Garnet Valley Middle School, in Glen Mills, Pa., a trip to the track known as the "Monster Mile" proved to be almost beyond words Tuesday morning [April 24th]. The Garnet Valley students got lessons in history, NASCAR and science on a field trip that was hosted by Gerry Wright, director of public relations and marketing for Monster Racing, which operates a fan driving experience at the track. The trip far exceeded Rickansrud's expectations. She especially enjoyed the grins on her students' faces after they climbed up the track's 24-degree banking in the first turn. After all, just two of them admitted to being NASCAR fans when they got off their bus.
There were plenty of interesting nuggets that the students picked up on at Dover, such as:
• The majority of people who work on NASCAR race cars these days have backgrounds in engineering, debunking the misconception that stock cars are built out in a barn in the South, a la Tom Cruise's "Days of Thunder."
• Current NASCAR race cars are far from being actual "stock cars," as they are tweaked in wind tunnels for aerodynamic sleekness and, yes, the headlights are just stickers.
• Wright also touched on how sensitive it is for pit crews to set up a race car for a particular track. For example, every gallon of fuel burned results in eight fewer pounds in the rear end of the car, which affects the handling. And that is constantly changing, since the cars get just four miles per gallon of fuel.(Delaware News Journal)(4-26-2007)
- Dover 2007 Cup sanction fees: $11 million: Dover's two Nextel Cup races will cost the track more than $11 million in sanction fees in 2007, according to its annual report. The June race's sanction fee (including Dover's contribution to the purse) is $5,914,346, and the September purse contribution and sanction fee is $5,293,075. (The figures are for this year, not 2006, as SceneDaily initially reported.) Dover Motorsports operates four speedways - Dover International Speedway, Gateway International Raceway, Memphis Motorsports Park and Nashville Superspeedway. The company also listed an "impairment charge" of more than $61 million for Nashville, Memphis and Gateway - devaluing the value of those tracks because of the lower-than-anticipated television revenues generated by the four Busch races at those tracks. Dover expected the new TV deal, which went into effect this year, to allot a bigger percentage to Busch races than the 5 percent allocated in the 2001-2006 package. But NASCAR is allotting only 5.75 percent of the new contract for Busch events. With that impairment charge, Dover reported an overall loss of $35.345 million last year. It's after-tax adjusted earnings for last year were $5.7 million, the same as for 2005.(SceneDaily.com)(4-10-2007)
- Construction continues at Dover International Speedway: The "Monster Makeover" continues as Dover International Speedway is currently in the midst of adding new elements in the first phase of its multi-year capital improvement project. Two new structures have been erected at Dover including a new skybox complex featuring Velocity, a luxury suite option for individual race fans, and a 2,100 square foot addition to the infield media center. Updated construction photos are posted on www.DoverSpeedway.com every Wednesday. Dover race fans will notice a vast array of improvements to the facility in 2007 including widened walkways behind the Allison, Petty and Earnhardt grandstands; six newly renovated restroom facilities; additional paved handicapped parking areas; expanded bus parking; continued beautification and landscaping of the entire property; a new grandstand sound system with improved audio quality for broadcasting and music; and a new alcohol- and tobacco-free Family Seating Section. The existing hospitality tent villages at Dover have been combined and will now be situated behind turn one, on the north end of the facility. With the relocation of the village, an expanded, fan friendly midway will be created behind turn four and will feature exhibits, vendors, and Monster Mile and NASCAR team merchandise. The new skybox complex will include 12 new suites, each with a premium view of pit road, victory lane and the entire one-mile concrete oval at Dover International Speedway. The new complex is also home to Velocity, an all-inclusive suite now available to individual fans at the Monster Mile. A limited number of tickets to Velocity are still available and include access to all three days of the NASCAR tripleheader race weekend, appearances by NASCAR personalities, convenient parking, pit and garage tours, unlimited food and beverages, high quality audio and video, and many other premium amenities. A 2,100 square foot addition to the infield media center is also well underway with insulation and drywall now in place. Located inside turn one, the infield media center accommodates local, regional and national media who cover races at Dover. The expansion will add 60 seats for working media; 18 flat-panel televisions; a larger, revamped dining area; additional restrooms; two new interview rooms; and a new work area for Dover public relations staff. Most improvements will be completed in time for the June 1-3, 2007 NASCAR race weekend.(images and more at the Dover Intl Speedway site)(3-2-2007)
- Dover keeps traditional early start times: The Nextel Cup Series schedule has evolved over time, and with the influence of television, NASCAR has opted to begin many of its races later in the afternoon or early evening hours. With the recent announcement of most of the 2007 Nextel Cup Series start times, fans of the Monster Mile received good news. Stemming from the voice of race fans accustomed to the traditional start times for the races at Dover International Speedway, NASCAR has announced 1:30pm/et start times for both the June 3 and September 23, 2007 Nextel Cup races. Dover has claim to two of the three earliest Nextel Cup Series race start times in 2007. All other races are scheduled to begin after 2:00pm/et. NASCAR returns to the Monster Mile on June 1-3 and September 21-23, 2007. For more information, or to purchase tickets, call 800-441-RACE or visit www.DoverSpeedway.com.(Dover Intl Speedway PR)(2-27-2007)
- Tickets for Sept. races at Dover on sale Dec 20th: on Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2007, tickets go on sale for the September 21-23, 2007 NASCAR tripleheader at Dover International Speedway. Tickets for the June 1-3, 2007 race weekend are currently on sale.
Race fans can gain an advantage over the competition with even more choices by purchasing early. Improved seat selection, ticket availability in most price ranges, and the ability to purchase blocks of tickets to keep your group together are among the best reasons to order your tickets now. Tickets will be available at www.DoverSpeedway.com, and by calling the Dover International Speedway ticket office at 800-441-RACE, beginning at 8:00am/et on Wednesday, Dec. 20.(Dover International Speedway PR)(12-20-2006)
- Construction underway at the Monster Mile: At Dover International Speedway, the roar of cars has been replaced by the sounds of construction crews, as work on a new skybox complex and infield media center is taking shape at the one-mile track. The additions will be completed in time for the June 1-3, 2007 NASCAR race weekend in Dover. The new skybox complex will include 12 new suites, each with a premium view of pit road, victory lane and the entire concrete oval. The structure will connect to the existing skyboxes near the start/finish line at the one-mile track. Footers were in place before the September 22-24, 2006 race weekend, and
construction of the steel infrastructure has been steady since the haulers pulled out of Dover after race weekend. The complex will add two tiers to the top of the grandstands, measuring the same height of the existing skyboxes, and includes "Velocity," a luxury suite for
individual race fans. Velocity is a new 90-person, all-inclusive suite option that offers fans a chance to experience a race at the Monster Mile like never before. Velocity offers fans a blend of modern conveniences and impressive amenities. Positioned above the frontstretch, and boasting a premium view of the entire track, a ticket to Velocity provides guests with access for all three days of race weekend, including qualifying; multiple state-of-the-art viewing screens with superb audio and video; convenient premium parking and private restrooms; upscale, unlimited gourmet food selections; in-seat beverage service, with non-alcoholic, beer, wine and spirit options; a trackside tour that puts guests on the track on Sunday of race weekend; and much more.
Along with the skybox construction, a 2,000-square-foot addition to the infield media center is also underway to accommodate the news media that report on Dover's races. The infield media center expansion will add approximately 60 seats for public relations representatives and photographers that attend race weekends in Dover; 18 flat-panel televisions; a revamped dining area; two new interview rooms and an office; additional bathrooms; and a new work area for Dover PR staff.
NASCAR returns to Dover International Speedway on June 1-3 and Sept. 21-23, 2007. For more information, or to purchase tickets, call 800-441-RACE or visit www.DoverSpeedway.com.(Dover Intl Speedway PR)(11-27-2006)
- Hulk Hogan grand marshal at Dover: Hulk Hogan, iconic professional wrestler and star of the VH1 reality show “Hogan Knows Best,” will serve as the Grand Marshal of the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race at Dover International Speedway on Sept. 24, 2006. Hogan will deliver “the most famous words in motorsports” before the start of the 1:10pm/et race. (Dover Speedway PR)(9-18-2006)
- Brooke Hogan to sing the National Anthem at Dover: Dover International Speedway today announced that Brooke Hogan, pop-musician and co-star of the VH1 reality TV show "Hogan Knows Best," will sing the National Anthem prior to the Nextel Cup race on Sunday, September 24, 2006.(Dover Intel Speedway PR)(9-18-2006)
- No Sponsor for Dover Fall Cup race: For the first time in 11 years, Dover International Speedway will not have a title sponsor for a Nextel Cup race. The Sept. 24 race, the second in the 10-race Chase for the Cup championship, will be known only as the Dover 400. Denis McGlynn, president and CEO of Dover International Speedway, said the previous contract expired after the June race. Bank of America finalized its purchase of MBNA on Jan. 1 and finished out the company's 11-year partnership with the track.
MBNA had sponsored every race at Dover since 1998. It had sponsored every Dover track spring race since 1995. But McGlynn said Bank of America informed him in February that it wasn't going to renew the sponsorship. Since then, McGlynn said, he has tried to find a new title sponsor, but nothing has materialized. "It's not that we couldn't have gotten a deal done," McGlynn said. "It just wasn't the right one. We're being very cautious on this. A long-term relationship is almost like getting married, and we want to make sure we have the right partner. We would have preferred to have one in place, but the fact that we don't isn't going to cause us to jump off a bridge. This is not a crisis scenario." Title sponsor deals are generally worth $1.5 million to $3 million a year for races in NASCAR's top series, according to published reports. Bank of America, which this year began a five-year deal to sponsor the fall race at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte, N.C., paid an estimated $2.5 million a year for the naming rights. McGlynn said he had a feeling that when Bank of America committed to Lowe's Motor Speedway, it wasn't likely to renew at Dover. Dover is the only Chase for the Cup race without a title sponsor. McGlynn said he plans to have a commitment in place in time for the spring race. "We had a great relationship with MBNA, and I think the marketplace considered us married to them because we've been with them for 11 years, so we kind of dropped off the radar screens," McGlynn said. "Now we're trying to get everyone's attention, and we want to get this right."(Delaware News Journal)(9-14-2006)
- Dover announces plans on improvements: Dover International Speedway announced plans for a new five-year capital improvement project, referred to as the "Monster Makeover," that will provide new offerings and upgraded amenities for fans, competitors and the media. Construction on the multi-million dollar project will begin after the upcoming June 2-4, 2006 NASCAR weekend. Some planned elements of the Monster Makeover at Dover International Speedway include:
A skybox complex that will include a luxury club for individual fans
A new entrance thoroughfare for fans on the east side of the Speedway, ushering guests into a variety of new race weekend entertainment options
A reorganized vehicle and pedestrian pattern to improve ingress, egress and overall safety of patrons
New and upgraded food and beverage facilities
New ticket and merchandise sales buildings
An expanded and relocated expo and souvenir vendor area
An outdoor concert area
A special recognition area that pays tribute to legendary NASCAR drivers
Additional permanent restrooms
Expanded bus parking
A new first aid center
A play area for children
While a majority of the planned improvements will be concentrated outside of the track, efforts will also be made to further enhance the top-notch racing product provided on the one-mile concrete oval. The Monster Mile is already recognized for providing gritty, competitive action on the track; planned improvements are designed to create an even better experience for all fans, competitors and the media. Improvements inside the track include:
An expanded pit road that will provide more fans with views of the action in the pits, while providing safer and easier entry and exit from pit lane for competitors
A new garage for NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series teams that will also incorporate rooftop viewing for fans
An expanded infield media center to better accommodate the legions of national, regional and local media who cover the Dover races
Ongoing improvement projects began after the conclusion of last year’s September race weekend. Some of this work includes: Continued renovations of the permanent restrooms around the facility; additional paving of concession, bathroom and stairwell areas; shower facilities for guests in Dover RV lots; upgrades to the PA sound system; signage and exterior upgrades to the hospitality tent villages; renovations to the media centers; renovations to the existing skybox suites; and overall landscaping and beautification projects around the property. Tickets for the June 2-4 and Sept. 22-24, 2006 NASCAR race weekends at Dover International Speedway are available by calling the ticket office at 800-441-RACE or online at www.DoverSpeedway.com.(Dover Speedway PR)(5-25-2006)
- Dover International Speedway creates monster comic book: The story of Miles the Monster will now be told for the first time ever... Race fans of all ages will soon be able to learn how Miles the Monster came to be-all in a beautifully illustrated collectible comic book. This one-of-a-kind piece of memorabilia offers a rare opportunity for fans to learn the story behind his creation, and to be involved in the history of the Monster Mile. The first issue, "Miles the Monster, Issue #1 -- His Shocking Birth," will be sold exclusively at Dover International Speedway during the June 2-4, 2006 race weekend. This first limited-edition issue costs $3, with each copy individually numbered on the back cover. Issue No. 2 will be exclusively available at the Dover International Speedway September 22-24, 2006 race weekend. Issues No. 3 through 8 will be released in 2007. More info on how to pre-order, go to www.DoverSpeedway.com. The comic book was created by Mark Wheatley and Allan Gross at Insight Studios. Tickets for a June 2-4, 2006 race weekend full of activity at Dover International Speedway are still available. Call 800-441-RACE, or go online to www.DoverSpeedway.com for tickets.(Dover International Speedway PR)(3-26-2006)
- AAA Mid-Atlantic to sponsor Dover truck race: AAA Mid-Atlantic is proud to announce its title sponsorship of the Truck Series race at Dover International Speedway on Friday, June 2, 2006. The race will be called the AAA Insurance 200. The
multi-year deal was signed late last week. "Auto racing is the fastest growing spectator sport in the country and so many AAA members are avid fans, so this sponsorship is a natural fit for us," said Spencer M. Roman, COO and Executive
Vice President of the AAA Mid-Atlantic Insurance Group. AAA Insurance decided to seize the opportunity to capitalize on AAA's recent re-entry into NASCAR sponsorship by adding the insurance group to a title sponsorship race. AAA intends to use its motorsports sponsorships as one way to reach young drivers with safety information. No one is more aware of the need to drive with care and skill than a professional race car driver. AAA believes motorsports can be an excellent venue for delivering important safety information to the driving public.(Dover Motorsports PR)(3-9-2006)
- Dover seeks sponsors after sale of MBNA: Dover International Speedway's 11-year, 19-race affiliation with sponsor MBNA has ended. The Bank of America, which recently bought the former Delaware-based credit card giant, has assumed sponsorship of the June 4 Nextel Cup Series event on Dover's high-banked, one-mile oval. Dover's spring race will be known as the Neighborhood Excellence 400 presented by Bank of America. Negotiations for sponsorship of the Craftsman Truck Series and Busch Series races are continuing. Dover's spring race is also the last one that remained on MBNA's contract with Dover International Speedway, leaving the track scrambling to find sponsors for its September races, also. Denis McGlynn, president and CEO of Dover, said he does not think that Bank of America will automatically fill MBNA's shoes at Dover. "I doubt they will play the role that MBNA played with us," McGlynn said. "We are still actively seeking sponsors for many of our NASCAR events."(Deleware News Journal)(3-2-2006)
- Monster Trophy Program Expands: The Monster trophy, awarded to the winner of the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race at Dover International Speedway, has quickly become one of the most popular awards on the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series circuit. The creation of a new Monster trophy will now become one of the most popular awards in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck, Busch and Busch East Series, as well. Speedway officials unveiled today a rendering of the new-for-2006 trophy, to be presented to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck, Busch and Busch East Series winners at Dover International Speedway. The original Monster trophy, first awarded to Ryan Newman as the winner of the MBNA America 400 on Sept. 26, 2004, was created to celebrate the Monster Mile’s inclusion in the “Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup.” The unique reward has been seen on the cover of NASCAR Scene, in AutoWeek magazine, and on television highlight reels around the country. The trophies will stand approximately 20 inches tall, and will be composed of sandstone, a granite-like material. The fierce trophy will strike a different pose than the trophy awarded to the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup winner, and will include a different colored mirror as part of the base. The mirrored base is designed to make the trophy glow in the sunlight.(Dover Speedway site)(2-24-2006)
- Two promoted at Dover: Dover International Speedway announced the promotion of Michelle Melvin to Advertising Manager and Lindsay McNamara to Special Events Coordinator. In her new role, Melvin will develop and execute all advertising plans for Dover
International Speedway. She will work with radio, print, web and television outlets to maximize exposure in core metropolitan markets, including Baltimore, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Southeastern Pennsylvania, Southern New Jersey and Delaware. Melvin has worked as the Special Events Coordinator since March 2004 at Dover International Speedway, and will continue to oversee the hiring process for race weekend staff in the sales & marketing department. A graduate of Elon University in N.C., she now resides in Wilmington, DE.
Lindsay McNamara has been promoted to the position of Special Events Coordinator at Dover International Speedway. She previously served as an intern in the sales & marketing department. McNamara will assist in the development, coordination and evaluation of the
Dover International Speedway event marketing program. She will also oversee the on-site execution of Speedway hospitality programs on race weekends, such as the Monster Mile Club and SuperFresh Kids Zone. McNamara, a graduate of the University of Delaware, in Newark, Del., currently resides in Dover.(Dover Intl. Speedway PR)(1-15-2006)
- Dover Sept 2006 Tix on sale Nov 28: Tickets to the Sept. 22-24, 2006 race weekend at Dover International Speedway go on sale Monday, Nov. 28, 2005. By ordering early, fans have more choices -- improved seat selection, ticket availability in most price
ranges, and the ability to purchase blocks of tickets to keep your group together, are among the reasons to call now. The Sept. 22-24, 2006 race weekend includes: Sunday, Sept. 24, 2006, NEXTEL Cup Series; Saturday, Sept. 23, 2006, Busch Series; Friday, Sept. 22, 2006, Busch North Series. Tickets for all 2006 events at Dover International Speedway, including the entire June 2-4, 2006 race weekend, may be purchased by visiting www.DoverSpeedway.com, or by calling the Dover International Speedway ticket office at 800-441-RACE.(DIS PR)(11-23-205)
- Dover promotes from within: Dover International Speedway, Inc. announced the promotion of Lisa Courtney to Director of Promotions. Prior to her promotion, Courtney served as Promotions Manager at Dover International Speedway. She has been employed with the Speedway since March 1998. On a daily basis, Courtney works with the sales & marketing team to develop unique and creative promotional programs, sweepstakes and sponsor programs geared at enhancing event awareness, attendance and ticket sales. She also plays an important role in database research and marketing efforts. Some notable programs at the Speedway to her credit include: a special promotion to recognize fans who have attended races at Dover for 20-plus years; the "Party with the Busch Winner," a fan amenity that allows fans to participate in a question-and-answer session with the winner of the NASCAR Busch Series race; the free NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series autograph session on Friday of the June race weekend; and the always entertaining pre-race festivities before each Dover International Speedway event. Courtney, a graduate of Wesley College in Dover, Del., resides in Rehoboth Beach, Del., with her husband Michael.(Dover International Speedway PR)(11-10-2005)
- Dover Weekend Sched changed: The NASCAR schedule at Dover International Speedway will have a different look, beginning with race weekend in June 2006. The biggest change is that Nextel Cup qualifying will be moved from Friday to Saturday in a move that will align Dover with most other tracks on NASCAR's schedule. Highlighting the changes in the race weekend schedule at Dover beginning next year:
• Nextel Cup Series and Busch Series teams will have alternating practice sessions on Friday, prior to the Craftsman Truck Series race.
•The Busch Series will have qualifying on Saturday morning prior to their race, which will start at 3 p.m., two hours later than it has traditionally been.
•The Nextel Cup Series is tentatively scheduled to qualify for Sunday's race at noon on Saturday. NASCAR will impound the race cars immediately following the qualifying session. This is already being done for 21 of the 36 Nextel Cup races this season.(Delaware News Journal)(10-20-2005)
- Lights at Dover in 2006? UPDATE NO: Next season's two Nextel Cup races at Dover could be run under the lights, on Saturday night.(Winston Salem Journal)
AND With concrete light poles placed all around the infield at Dover Downs, expect both of Dover's NASCAR weekends to be run under the lights next year.(Yahoo! Sports)(9-26-2005)
UPDATE: After another successful race weekend at Dover International Speedway, the rumor mill has again begun to turn. The construction of new light towers in the infield of Dover Downs Raceway, the harness racing track owned and operated by Dover Downs
Gaming & Entertainment, Inc., have led some to believe that lights are being added to motorsports events at the one-mile concrete oval.
Dover International Speedway has no plans to add lights in 2006. "There is no truth to the rumor that lights will be added in 2006 at
Dover International Speedway," said Denis McGlynn, CEO and president of Dover Motorsports, Inc. The new harness track lights are currently being erected in 26 locations around the property to replace the original lights which were installed when the track opened in 1969. The installation of the lights will be completed at Dover Downs Raceway in time for the opening of the 2005-2006 season on Oct. 31,
2005. NASCAR action returns to Dover International Speedway next year for two tripleheaders in 2006 on June 2-4 and Sept. 22-24. Tickets for the June 2-4 race weekend are now on sale, and can be obtained by calling 800-441-RACE or online at www.DoverSpeedway.com.(Dover Intl Speedway PR)(9-29-2005)
- NFL Player Ray Lewis Busch Race Grand Marshal UPDATE cancels: Ray Lewis, all-pro NFL linebacker for the NFL's Baltimore Ravens, will be the Grand Marshal on Saturday, Sept. 24 for the Dover 200. In his first visit to a NASCAR event, Lewis will give the command to start engines, participate in pre-race, attend the driver's meeting and visit the DuPont Monster Bridge at Dover International Speedway.(DIS PR)(9-20-2005)
UPDATE: Ray Lewis, the Ravens' All-Pro linebacker, canceled his appearance to serve as grand marshal for today's Dover 200 Busch Series race. He was scheduled to give the command to the drivers to start their engines. No reason was given for the cancellation.(Delaware News Journal), should had gotten an E-A-G-L-E.(9-24-2004)
- Pre-Race Activities at Dover:
* A special tribute to Rusty Wallace will include a proclamation by Governor Ruth Ann Minner, declaring Sept. 25, 2005 "Rusty Wallace
Day." Mayor Stephen Speed will present Wallace with a key to the City of Dover. Frank McKelvey, Sr. Executive Vice President of MBNA, and Denis McGlynn, CEO and president of Dover International Speedway, will also present Wallace with gifts.
* 43 lucky fans who have attended races at Dover International Speedway for 20 years or more will participate in pre-race, and will hold the American flag at each pit stall during the singing of the National Anthem. The winners were selected from an online promotion orchestrated by the Speedway.
* Nancy Cartwright, best known as the voice of Bart Simpson, will give the command "Gentlemen Start your Engines" on Sunday for the MBNA RacePoints 400. Cartwright is in Dover to promote "The Kelly's" an animated series about a stock car racing family. The series will debut immediately after the race on NASCAR.COM and will feature 18 short-form episodes optimized for broadband Internet viewing. New
episodes will appear weekly at NASCAR.COM.
* The 200-piece Tiger Marching Alexis I. DuPont High School from Wilmington, Del., will perform.
* A 40-piece United States Army Field Band will also perform throughout the ceremony.(DIS PR)(9-24-2005)
- Dover Honors Four Local Soldiers: DuPont recently extended a small token of appreciation to the troops who have returned from the Middle East after serving on behalf of all United States citizens. Via a radio contest, Dupont awarded four members of the US military, and a guest, seats on the DuPont Monster Bridge to watch the Dover 200 NASCAR Busch Series race on Sept. 24 at Dover International Speedway. Listeners of WDSD 92.9 FM and The River 94.7 FM in Dover had the chance to nominate a returning soldier by calling in or visiting the radio stations' Web site.
Sgt. First Class Bill Ziolkowski (US Army), Tech Sgt. Tony Forcier (USAF), Staff Sgt. Paul Cross (USAF) and Tech Sgt. John McHale (USAF) were all selected to spend the day at the NASCAR race in Dover and meet Jeff Gordon, four-time NASCAR champion and driver of the #24 DuPont Chevrolet. Ziolkowski, of Wilmington, served one year in Iraq, returning home in June. Cross and McHale, both hail from Magnolia. Cross served in Kuwait while McHale served in Iraq. Forcier, of Dover, served three tours in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The DuPont Monster Bridge, built in 2004, is a glass-enclosed seating structure that suspends 56 people in air-conditioned comfort 29 feet
above the Dover International Speedway. The bridge is made possible by more than one dozen DuPont products and innovative building materials including DuPont Tyvek CommericalWrap and DuPont SentryGlas Plus ionoplast interlayer, a material that allows the glass to sustain a lug nut being fired at it at 200 mph without shattering.(DIS PR)(9-20-2005)
- National Anthem at Dover: The national anthem on Sunday, Sept. 25, 2005 for the MBNA RacePoints 400 will be sung by Warner Bros. recording artist Shannon Brown. Shannon Brown is the product of a small town in Iowa and of a childhood filled with the music floating out of the nightclubs and restaurants her parents owned. Her country delivery was infused with a soulfulness born of hours of listening to Aretha Franklin and Ray Charles.(DIS PR)(9-20-2005)
- NFL Player Ray Lewis Busch Race Grand Marshal: Ray Lewis, all-pro NFL linebacker for the NFL's Baltimore Ravens, will be the Grand Marshal on Saturday, Sept. 24 for the Dover 200. In his first visit to a NASCAR event, Lewis will give the command to start engines, participate in pre-race, attend the driver's meeting and visit the DuPont Monster Bridge at Dover International Speedway.(DIS PR)(9-20-2005)
- Heat buckles track at Dover UPDATE all fixed: The summer heat wave that has gripped Delaware and the Mid-Atlantic region the past couple of weeks has caused a small portion of Dover International Speedway's concrete backstretch to buckle. Denis McGlynn, president and CEO of the track, said Friday he does not expect it to be a major issue and anticipates the MBNA-sponsored NASCAR weekend from Sept. 23-25 to go on as scheduled. "We've put a call in to NASCAR and let them know of the issue," McGlynn said. "It's something that we'll probably have fixed in just a few days." Workers at the high-banked, one-mile track have installed temporary sprinklers on the frontstretch in an effort to cool the track down and avoid the buckling issue that has popped up on the backstretch. Dover did have to cancel this weekend's Monster Racing experience, in which people buy laps to either drive or ride NASCAR race cars around the track. Jerry Dunning, senior vice president and general manager of motorsports at Dover, learned of the problem at about 6:30 Friday morning. He said the damaged area of concrete was only about four-feet wide by the track's width of 48-feet across. However, in order to make the repair properly, workers from Dover's Kent Construction have already begun to take out 24 feet by 48 feet of the concrete on the backstretch. It was unknown how much the unexpected project would cost the track.(Delaware News Journal)(8-6-2005)
UPDATE: The track at Dover International Speedway has been repaired. Because of consistently high temperatures, the track did have some blistering of the concrete. A 24' x 48' section of the track was repoured and some expansion joints were slightly widened around the track, allowing more room for expansion of the concrete if temperatures remain high. Maintenance workers are also watering the track and keeping it as moist/cool as possible to avoid any further issues during the summer months. The driving school at the track, Monster Racing, has returned to their normal schedule. Track officials do not anticipate any problems for the upcoming September 23-25, 2005 race weekend.(Dover Int'l Speedway PR)(8-23-2005)
- Dover gets approval to add more seats UPDATE: Dover International Speedway has received approval from it's board that would allow the track to incease seating capacity from 135,000 to 170,000.(NASCAR Scene Magazine)(8-11-2005)
UPDATE: The rumors in regards to the expansion of the grandstands at Dover International Speedway are false. The track has had permission from the City of Dover for some time to increase seating up to 170,000. There are currently, however, no plans to expand seating at Dover International Speedway.(Dover Int'l Speedway PR)(8-23-2005)
- Dover's initiative to seize counterfeit merchandise proves very successful: An undercover initiative to stop the sale of counterfeit merchandise at Dover International Speedway has proven very successful. Dover International Speedway, in conjunction with the FBI, Dover Police Department and Delaware State Police, conducted an undercover sting to prevent counterfeit merchandise from being sold on the property on race weekends. Law enforcement officials, disguised as race fans, canvassed the parking lots at
Dover International Speedway throughout race weekend. Officers focused on locating main distribution points of counterfeit merchandise
early in the weekend, and began apprehending the major conspirators on Saturday. Historically, as race weekends progress, the appearance of unlicensed merchandise becomes more visible. This year, by the start of the Sunday, June 5 race at Dover International Speedway, illegal vendors were almost nonexistent. Over the course of the weekend, eight individuals, identified as illegal vendors, were removed from track property, detained and questioned. All counterfeit merchandise in their possession was seized. Nextel Communications also played a critical role in the initiative by providing wireless phones to the undercover officers. Dover Motorsports, Inc. will continue to allocate significant resources to further prevent the sale of counterfeit merchandise at race events.(Dover International Speedway)(6-8-2005)
- Dover cracking down on unlicensed merchandise: As fans gather for this weekend's MBNA Racepoints 400 at Dover International Speedway, track owner Dover Motorsports Inc. is greeting vendors with a new twist on the old "buyer beware" adage - seller beware. Dover Motorsports officials were granted a Delaware Court of Chancery order allowing them to seize any track-related merchandise, counterfeit or otherwise, sold without their approval during race week, which began Monday. The order allows the seizure of counterfeit and noncounterfeit goods, including hats, tickets and T-shirts, sold without authorization on track property through June 8. It also allows the seizure of counterfeit goods offered for sale within three miles of the track, which covers pretty much the entire town, and on or within one mile of "park and ride" lots or other parking areas associated with the race. Anyone whose property is seized will get a copy of the court order, and the confiscated property will be held and inventoried pending a June 13 hearing for anyone wanting to argue that their merchandise was wrongly seized and should be returned. "We've been doing that for years," said Denis McGlynn, president and chief executive of Dover Motorsports. "You never know what's going to happen on race weekend." Last month, agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, cooperating with NASCAR officials on "Project Raceday," seized more than 7,100 counterfeit items valued at $160,000 at Talladega Super Speedway in Alabama. In a related move, NASCAR introduced an official hologram seal in January to verify the authenticity of officially licensed NASCAR merchandise. Filing a similar complaint last week in Delaware Chancery Court against "John Doe and other persons unknown" Dover Motorsports obtained an injunction allowing local and state police, as well track security personnel, to seize goods during race week. The order is designed to protect a host of DMI trademarks, which range from "Monster Mile" and its related "Concrete Monster" design to "Dover Motorsports," "Dover Downs" and even "Dover" itself.(Delaware State News/AP)(6-4-2005)
- Monster Action Figure: Dover International Speedway has created a new movable action figure that will be available all weekend at the track. It is an 8-inch tall action figure nicknamed "Miles the Monster" that can hold a 1:64 scale car in its hand.
The $10 toy will be available at www.doverspeedway.com following race weekend.[Actually it is already on the site](Delaware News Journal)(6-3-2005)
- Dover still has tix available: Tickets are still available for both NASCAR race weekends at Dover International Speedway, June 3-5 and Sept. 23-25, and can be obtained by visiting www.doverspeedway.com, or at the Dover International Speedway ticket office at 800-441-RACE. Dover International Speedway offers a long list of ticket options for fans, including special 3-day ticket packages, all-inclusive hospitality packages, early-buy discounts and a variety of payment plans. Call now for the best available seats at the Monster Mile.(Dover International Speedway)(5-31-2005)
- Jason Mraz to Sing the National Anthem at Dover: Atlantic Records recording artist Jason Mraz will sing the National Anthem for the MBNA RacePoints 400 on June 5, 2005 at Dover International Speedway. Mraz' singer-songwriter-meets-rap singing style was thrust into the national spotlight after the success of his first album, "Waiting For My Rocket To Come," which has sold over 1,000,000 copies. Some of his hits include "The Remedy (I Won't Worry)," "You & I Both" and "Curbside Prophet." Mraz, 27, has performed the anthem for NFL Monday Night Football, the NFL Pro Bowl, and the NBA Finals last year between the Lakers and Pistons, and will now bring his rendition to Dover International Speedway. More information about Mraz can be found online at www.jasonmraz.com.(Dover International Speedway)(5-31-2005)
- Dover selling Long Beach: Rowdy (www.rowdy.com) reports that Dover Motorsports--which owns and operates not only Dover, but Nashville Superspeedway, Gateway International Raceway (St. Louis), and
Memphis Motorsports Park, has reached an agreement to sell the Long Beach Grand Prix event to Aquarium Asset Management, an affiliate of the Champ Car World Series, for $15 million. The deal must be approved by the city of Long Beach and contains assurances that current full-time employees will retain their jobs with comparable pay and benefits. Also on Rowdy today, the "give Pete a chance" campaign begins, Rick Mast's review of the all-star race, and rookie Travis Kvapil talks about the Open. Rowdy is a daily racing radio show you get on your phone and the web. Listen to the link on Jayski's Cup News page, visit www.rowdy.com or call 1-800-95-ROWDY for more info.(5-24-2005)
- Dover's Monster Mile Club sold out for June, tickets available: The Monster Mile Club, an all-inclusive hospitality club at Dover International Speedway, has sold out. The June 5, 2005 hospitality club festivities will include an appearance by NASCAR NEXTEL Cup driver Mark Martin. The Monster Mile Club is a pre-race fan hospitality package available to all ticket holders at Dover International Speedway. Located in the North Hospitality Tent Village, the Monster Mile Club is an action-packed way to experience race day at Dover International Speedway in style. Admission to the Monster Mile Club includes food and drink (beer, soda and water), a VIP trackside tour, live entertainment, a limited-edition souvenir item, a program, interactive games and an appearance by a NASCAR NEXTEL Cup driver. Admission to the Monster Mile Club costs $ 99. To add the Monster Mile Club to your ticket purchase (for the September 25 race), call the Dover ticket office by September 9, 2005 at 800-441-RACE. The driver appearance for September is still to-be-determined.
Race tickets are now available for both event weekends, June 3-5 and Sept. 23-25, and can be obtained by visiting www.doverspeedway.com, or at the Dover International Speedway ticket office at 800-441-RACE.(Dover International Speedway)(5-14-2005)
- Some Dover Notes: On Saturday, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Office of Domestic Preparedness conducted a full-scale simulated exercise - the first of its kind at any NASCAR facility at Dover International Speedway, according to track spokesman Gary Camp. About 700 volunteers took part in the event, with local and state police and firefighters as well as emergency medical technicians and hazardous material personnel responding to, among other things, a car bomb, various fires and the simulated release of a chemical agent. "We had incidents on different scales, from a fistfight between two fans in the hospitality tent area to phoned-in bomb threats," Camp said. "Homeland Security is going to get back to us in regard to response times and proper techniques, but we felt it went well. This was an opportunity for us to be proactive, and it gave all the emergency crews that are normally here over a race weekend to work together."
Installation of the Steel and Foam Energy Reduction system is expected to be completed in time for next month's race weekend at Dover. The SAFER barrier, which was put in place along the track's inside backstretch wall last season, is being affixed in the corners of the oval. The barrier will extend about 30 inches out from the existing boilerplate-covered walls. Lou Reilly, a Dale Earnhardt Jr. fan from Philadelphia, claimed the grand prize in Dover's "Most Memorable Monster Mile Moment" contest. Dover officials are still working on a tribute to Melvin Joseph, who recently died at the age of 83. Tickets are available at 800-441-RACE or www.DoverSpeedway.com.(Philadelphia Inquirer)(5-5-2005)
- Dover to Host Emergency Exercise April 30: Dover International Speedway, in conjunction with local, state and federal authorities, will conduct a full-scale, simulated exercise to test emergency preparedness on April 30, 2005. The exercise will begin at 9 a.m., and conclude at approximately 1 p.m. The exercise will be held on-site at Dover International Speedway, and will involve the many agencies that actively participate in operations on race weekend. It will provide a realistic opportunity to practice emergency plans that could be necessary in the event of an incident on race weekend. The emergency exercise is anticipated to be one of the largest ever
held in Delaware, and is expected to include approximately 1,500 simulated evacuees. Due to the large number of evacuees, traffic
congestion may be increased in and around Dover International Speedway between the hours of 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. on April 30.(Dover International Speedway)(4-21-2005)
- Dover's Races get Title Names: Dover International Speedway has announced new names for its June 3-5
and Sept. 23-25 NASCAR races. The June 5 and Sept. 25 Nextel Cup races will both be called the MBNA NASCAR RacePoints 400. The June 4 Busch Series race will be the NASCAR RacePoints 200, while the Sept. 24 Busch Series race will be the Dover 200. The June 3 Craftsman Truck Series race will be the MBNA NASCAR RacePoints 200. The MBNA names are tied to the bank's NASCAR RacePoints Visa credit-card program. Financial terms of the naming rights deals were not announced.(NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)(4-18-2005)
- Sad News: Melvin Joseph, construction pioneer and owner of Melvin Joseph Construction, died on April 6, 2005 after a brief illness. He was 83. Joseph, of Georgetown, Del., oversaw construction during the late ’60s of the dual-use Dover Downs facility, which includes the one-mile motorsports track and the 5/8-mile horse track. Joseph had been a constant fixture at Dover International Speedway events, giving drivers the command to start their engines at every NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race in Dover since 1969.
At the time of his death, Joseph served on the board of directors for Dover Motorsports, Inc. as vice president and director of auto racing for Dover International Speedway. He also served on the board of Dover Downs Gaming & Entertainment, Inc. Joseph was originally appointed to the board of what was then Dover Downs, Inc. in 1969. Joseph oversaw the complicated 1994 repaving project at Dover International Speedway that transformed the asphalt into the current concrete surface. Joseph also served as a consultant for the Dover Motorsports construction of Nashville Superspeedway, in Lebanon, Tenn., in 2000. Among many other career-long accolades, Joseph was a 2002 inductee into the Delaware Sports Museum Hall of Fame. Funeral arrangements are pending. More information will be posted on the Dover International Speedway website, www.doverspeedway.com.(4-7-2005)
- Nashville sale denied; no plans to move Dover race to Nashville: Dover Motorsports President and CEO Denis McGlynn said he has no plans to sell Nashville Superspeedway but stopped short of denying that it has been discussed. ''We don't have any plans to sell Nashville,'' McGlynn said earlier this week in response to recent reports that the five-year-old, $125 million track is being shopped. Asked if he has talked with representatives from any group — including International Speedway Corporation — about a possible sale, McGlynn would say only: ''We talk to a lot of people about a lot of things.'' Reports of a possible sale of the Nashville track to ISC circulated last weekend at Bristol. Yesterday ISC spokesman David Talley said, ''We don't comment on rumors. Right now we are focused on our Pacific Northwest and New York projects.'' McGlynn also denied reports that NASCAR is pressuring Dover to move one of its two annual Nextel Cup races from Dover (Del.) International Speedway to Nashville Superspeedway.(Tennessean)(4-6-2005)
- Dover SAFER almost complete: The final installation of the SAFER barriers at Dover International Speedway is underway, and will be completed in time for the June 3-5 MBNA race weekend. The SAFER (Steel And Foam Energy Reduction system) barrier walls consist of rectangular steel tubing backed by foam blocks, and reduces the force of the initial impact of a crash. Approximately 3,600 feet of tubing, primarily in the turns of the one-mile track, will be installed. Drivers and fans shouldn't expect a major difference in the on-track action at the Monster Mile. Known for its sweeping, wide turns, the SAFER barrier will extend approximately 30 inches from outside walls at Dover International Speedway. "NASCAR's initiative to increase the safety of its competitors is one we wholeheartedly support," said Denis McGlynn, president and CEO of Dover Motorsports, Inc. "We are pleased the SAFER barrier installation will be complete for our June 3-5 race weekend."
Before the last race weekend in September, the inside wall of the backstretch was rebuilt, and SAFER barriers were installed. The inside backstretch wall also serves as the retaining wall for Dover Downs Raceway, which features harness racing from November through April. Crews removed 1,132 feet of the 8-inch thick concrete block wall, and a 12-inch rebar-reinforced, poured concrete wall was installed. Dover International Speedway has been waiting on additional recommendations from expert advisor Dr. Dean Sicking, of the Midwest Roadside Safety Facility at the University of Nebraska, to proceed with the installation of SAFER barriers on other locations at the track. Each SAFER barrier system is tailor-made to address each track's design challenges.
Because Dover has steel boilerplate walls, and additional reinforcement of the walls is also necessary, the engineering surveys took additional time to complete. With the completion of the installation at Dover International Speedway, Dover Motorsports, Inc. will have SAFER barriers in place at all of its facilities for their 2005 events. This includes the Nashville Superspeedway, Gateway International Raceway and Memphis Motorsports Park.(Delaware State News)(3-24-2005)
- Dover gets an official convenience store: Dover International Speedway says Shore Stop convenience stores will be the track's "Official Convenience Store" under a new five-year agreement. Terms of the agreement call for the stores to have the ability to sell race tickets to the track's events and to be able to offer exclusive ticket programs to their customers. Financial terms were not announced.(NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)(3-12-2005)
- Dover....more on SAFER and lights: Denis McGlynn, president and CEO of Dover International Speedway, said that installing SAFER barriers on the outside walls of the track's sweeping turns should be completed by mid-April. But bigger projects, like adding lights and more seating, are on hold. McGlynn said there will be no lights installed at the track this year for night-time racing, and grandstand seating will remain the same - approximately 140,000. "It's going to be a relatively low-key year at the race track," McGlynn said. That is an attitude that mirrors NASCAR in general in 2005. Last year, the sport announced several major changes, from switching the title sponsor from Winston to Nextel, to its unveiling of a playoff-type points system it dubbed the Chase for the Nextel Cup, which was won by Kurt Busch in its debut season. Dover International Speedway had expanded its seating every year from 1986 until 2001, the longest such streak by any NASCAR speedway, leaping from a modest capacity of 22,000 to 140,000 in just 15 years. Dover has received approval to expand to up to 170,000 seats in the future.
Dover installed the SAFER barriers along the inside of the 1,076-foot backstretch last summer. However, work on the outside walls was pushed back due to engineering delays. The SAFER barrier project will cost nearly $2 million by the time it is completed. The initial estimate was $1 million. The SAFER barriers have been a challenge to install at Dover, a track unlike any other on the NASCAR circuit. The concrete and steel boilerplate walls that line the outside walls are not strong enough to support the SAFER barriers, so steel pilings must first be built to solidify the walls. The current walls also will have to be made slightly higher to fit the SAFER barriers, which consist of rectangular steel tubing backed by foam blocks. The barriers, which extend about 30 inches from the wall, are not expected to affect the racing at Dover, known for its wide turns.
As for the always popular rumor about night racing at Dover, McGlynn still does not see it as a pressing issue. Many NASCAR fans think the addition of lights at Dover would make it one of the marquee events on the schedule, alongside the perennially sold-out August night race in Bristol. McGlynn is not so quick on the trigger, saying most tracks that have added lights recently - like Darlington, S.C. - are places that did so because they were having trouble selling tickets. McGlynn said the big force behind any decision to add lights will be TV executives and NASCAR. Should the track eventually add lights next season, McGlynn said it could host either a Saturday night Nextel Cup race or have an event that begins later on Sunday afternoon for a finish under the lights. (Delaware News Journal)(2-9-2005)
- No Lights at Dover in 2005, more SAFER, pits stay: The longtime speculation on when lights will be installed at Dover International Speedway to allow for night racing will have to continue through at least another NASCAR season. In fact, 2005 won’t be the year for any real high-level construction projects at the track, according to Denis McGlynn, president and CEO of the speedway. “I can’t tell you we’ll never put lights in here,” McGlynn noted, adding that any move toward illuminating the Dover track would likely come with some agreement with the television networks. Putting lights at the speedway would cost between $3 million and $3.5 million McGlynn said, basing his estimate on the fee for installing them at Nashville Superspeedway, another Dover Motorsports Inc. track, which opened in 2001. “I think that this is for the long term a great opportunity in terms of making a unique opportunity for the fans,” said Wes Harris, senior director of investor relations for International Speedway Corporation, which manages Darlington. “From a TV perspective, there are more people watching later in the day.” Historically, the decision to install lights comes at tracks that struggle to fill the grandstands during daytime races, McGlynn pointed out. “We’ve not fallen into a situation where we’re struggling to fill our seats,” he said. “We’re just blessed with a huge population base.” Dover has increased from 71,000 to 140,000 seats in the nine years since Dover Downs Slots opened. The speedway has been approved for expansion to 170,000 seats, which will be added when the fans show it’s needed, McGlynn said. But that won’t be this year.
Aside from a few bathroom renovations, the only new thing at the speedway this season will be more Steel and Foam Energy Reduction (SAFER) barriers, which are designed to absorb energy and decrease the chance of injuries to drivers in the event of an accident. Workers will finish installing the SAFER system on the high-banked outside turns of the one-mile oval in the spring. The barriers were installed along the backstretch in 2004, a year which also featured the construction and unveiling of the DuPont Monster Bridge, a unique seating area overtop the concrete track surface.
Rumors of expanding Dover’s pit row this year have also proven false. There’s “not a whole lot” that can be done about that, McGlynn said. “We would have to take wall out further into speedway, which compresses the width of the speedway runoff area. Where does NASCAR really want the room?”(Dover Post)(1-27-2005)
- Dover sues makers of Stacker 2/YJ Stinger . . . and Rowdy has the story. Big time race sponsorships cost money-in the case of the Busch Series Stacker 2 Hundred at Dover International Speedway, $350,000. But according to a complaint filed with the Superior Court of Newcastle County Delaware, the speedway hasn't been paid. The complaint, obtained by Rowdy, also alleges that NVE Pharmaceuticals, which owns Stacker 2 and YJ Stinger, did not spend another $325,000 to market the event, as agreed to in the contract. Hear about it today on Rowdy. Rowdy is daily racing news, interviews, and commentary you get on your cell phone-like a racing radio show you can hear whenever you want. Call 1-800-95-ROWDY (1-800-957-6939) to sign up for a free, no obligation trial.(Rowdy PR)(11-30-2004)
- Delaware Reaches Out to Dover Intl Speedway to keep races: The state of Delware has reached out to Dover International Speedway officials to keep both Nextel Cup races. No event in the state is bigger than the two NASCAR Nextel Cup races held each year in Dover. About 140,000 people attended Sunday's MBNA America 400. The two race weekends this year drew 400,000 fans. They pump about $300 million into the state's economy, according to a 2001 study commissioned by Dover Motorsports, the company that owns Dover International Speedway. That's something the state can hardly afford to lose. "The governor and the Economic Development Office are in constant contact with business leaders throughout the state, including Dover Downs, as part of the state's continuing efforts to retain businesses in Delaware," said Kate Bailey, deputy communications director for the governor. "In fact, communications with the leadership team at Dover Downs in recent months confirmed that we can look forward to the NASCAR events being part of Delaware's premier entertainment lineup for years to come." Still, government officials felt it was necessary to call Dover International Speedway last month when they heard that a new race track had been proposed to be built in the New York City area, perhaps opening as soon as 2008. They know such a track could lead to a current Nextel Cup venue losing its race to New York, and few venues are located in cities smaller than Dover. "We talked to them because we wanted to double-check and triple-check the potential of one of the races leaving here," said Julie Miro Wenger, acting tourism director for the Delaware Tourism Office. "They pretty much told us that we're not in jeopardy of losing a race." It's a gesture that is greatly appreciated, said Denis McGlynn, president and CEO of Dover Motorsports, Inc. "The state has always been very supportive," he said. "They know the economic impact of our race weekends. And we know we're placing a big burden on the state because we have 140,000 fans coming into Dover for the races." Yet even McGlynn acknowledges the possibility of a race leaving Dover is always there, even though he is confident it won't happen. McGlynn said Dover is safe because its reach of 300 miles extends to New York, Philadelphia and Washington, three of the largest markets in the United States. That's something that few other tracks can claim. "I just think that having another track in the region will help grow the market, because it will create more and more race fans," McGlynn said. "So, while Dover itself is a small market, we're actually a major market, because we deliver three major markets to NASCAR." But there also is the chance that McGlynn could move one of the Dover races to one of three other tracks Dover Motorsports owns. Those tracks - St. Louis, Memphis and Nashville - are in relatively large markets that NASCAR has yet to reach. McGlynn insisted that possibility isn't very likely. For one, those tracks, which host Busch Series races, aren't big enough yet for Nextel Cup races. The largest track, near St. Louis, seats 55,000. It would have to at least double in size before McGlynn would consider having a Nextel Cup race there. That process would likely take several years. McGlynn said if that were to happen, he would rather have a race from a different track move there instead of moving one from Dover. "I'm sure we could make a good argument to NASCAR for doing it," McGlynn said. "And NASCAR would probably approve it, because those are markets that haven't really been penetrated yet. But we don't have any interest in doing that. We like our two weekends in Dover, and we want to keep it that way." So does the state of Delaware.(paraphrased from the Delaware News Journal)(9-27-2004)
- SAFER at Dover and Bristol in 2005: NASCAR officials say they expect installation of the Safer barriers by next spring at Dover Internatonal Speedway and Bristol Motor Speedway. The delay at Bristol has been in developing techniques to deal with the cross-over gate. The delay at Dover concerns the boilerplate outside walls, which have to be replaced with concrete walls before the Safer barriers can be installed. "The University of Nebraska has been working on the gate issue, and it's all coming really good," NASCAR's Robin Pemberton said. "I think they're pretty close to being done at Bristol. They're ready to put them up." Both Bristol and Dover have cross-track gates. However, a number of tracks have stretches of soft walls that are not seamless, so it's not completely clear why the cross-over gate - in the middle of the frontstretch here and the middle of the backstretch - should be a particular issue. At the least, soft walls should have been installed in the corners, given the hard hits drivers take into the outside walls. "They need to do some reconfiguring on the walls as they exist now here to be able to support the Safer barriers," Pemberton said. "We have seen some very hard hits here."(Winston Salem Journal), past news about the SAFER Barrier on my SAFER/Softwall's page and Safety Page.(9-27-2004)
- Here She Comes.....to Dover: Less than a week after winning the Miss America crown, Deidre [Dover?] Downs of Alabama will serve as grand marshal and sing the national anthem at the MBNA America 400 at Dover International Speedway on Sunday. Downs, 24, an aspiring doctor who put off medical school to compete for the crown, topped Miss Louisiana, Jennifer Dupont, to become Miss America 2005. Downs is very capable of singing the national anthem — her performance of the ballad "I'm Afraid This Must Be Love," sealed the Miss America victory. Tickets for the entire race weekend are still available by calling 1-800-441-RACE, or online at www.doverspeedway.com.(Delaware News Journal)(9-21-2004)
- Dover is SAFER inside walls...not outside...yet: The walls at Dover International Speedway have left many NASCAR drivers with pounding headaches following hard impacts over the years. Legendary driver David Pearson once said Dover had "the hardest [darned] walls I've ever hit." This summer, those same walls left the engineers at the Midwest Roadside Safety facility at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln scratching their heads, as they worked to develop SAFER (Steel and Foam Energy Reduction) barriers for the high-banked, one-mile oval. SAFER barriers are designed to absorb much of the energy from a crash, significantly lessening the chance of a severe injury to a driver. While the barriers will be in place along the inside of the 1,076-foot backstretch this week, they will not cover the outside walls of the speedway until NASCAR drivers return next June due to engineering delays. Denis McGlynn, president and CEO of Dover International Speedway, said the additional engineering means the project will cost nearly $2 million by the time it is completed this winter. The initial estimate was $1 million. Dover Motorsports Inc. will pay for the project, which NASCAR recommended be completed this year for all Nextel Cup tracks except the half-mile oval at Bristol, Tenn., and road courses at Watkins Glen, N.Y., and Sonoma, Calif. The SAFER barriers have been a challenge to install at Dover, a track unlike any other on the NASCAR circuit. The concrete and steel boilerplate walls that line the outside walls are not strong enough to support the SAFER barriers, so steel pilings must first be constructed to solidify the walls. The current walls also will have to be made slightly higher to fit the SAFER barriers, which consist of rectangular steel tubing backed by foam blocks. The barriers, which extend about 30 inches from the wall, are not expected to affect the racing at Dover, known for its wide, sweeping turns. Dover has not had a driver fatality since it began hosting NASCAR races in 1969. Still, many drivers have been left dazed after encounters with the walls, including Dale Earnhardt Jr., who was transported to Kent General Hospital after hitting the wall last September. The accident appeared to be relatively harmless, but Earnhardt said the data recorder in his car revealed he had suffered a tremendous impact. He was left with a minor concussion.(Delaware News Journal)(9-21-2004)
- Now this is a cool Trophy; Action Figure?: Whoever wins the Nextel Cup race at Dover International Speedway later this month will get a trophy as ferocious as the track itself. On Tuesday, Dover unveiled its brand-new monster trophy that will go to the winner of the MBNA America 400 on Sept. 26. A concrete sample was taken from the speedway, and used as a model for creating the one-of-a-kind trophy. Composed of sandstone, a granite-like material, the monster was formed from a clay mold. After repeated brushing, refinishing and hardening, the monster evolved into its final shape. From initial concept, through many rounds of revisions, the project took approximately four months to complete. A 1:24 scale Action Performance diecast car of the winner will be held high in the air by the concrete monster. The trophy stands approximately 30 inches tall and weighs 40 pounds. The base features a red mirror, which in sunlight will make the monster appear on fire. "Winning at the Monster Mile requires great driving skills, strength and endurance," said Jerry Miraglia, executive vice president of Dover Motorsports, Inc. "From now on, the winner of our NASCAR Nextel Cup Series race will receive a trophy that will embody these attributes and be unlike any other award in the sport. Dover has been dubbed the Monster Mile because of the challenges the track presents to drivers. It's only fitting that the trophy incorporate our monster likeness in its design." Based on the successful creation of the monster trophy, Dover International Speedway and Action Performance are in the process of designing a movable action figure. The action figure will be available in early 2005.(NewsZap)(9-8-2004)
- Walk the Monster Mile: There will be a fitness walk at Dover International Speedway on Aug. 18 as part of the Lt. Governor's Challenge. Two sessions, at noon and 1 p.m., will allow participants to walk the one-mile concrete superspeedway. The fitness walk is free and open to the public. Lt. Governor John Carney Jr. will join in the walk. On Aug. 18, guests can access the track by entering the main entrance off of Route 13, and turning right in front of the Dover Downs Hotel. Follow the access road around the outside of the track to Gate 1, where parking will be available. For more information on the Lt. Governor's Challenge, call (302) 577-8787 or (302) 744-4333 or see www.state.de.us.(Delaware News Journal)(7-29-2004)
- Not 100% SAFER at Dover in Sept: SAFER walls will line the inside of the backstretch at Dover International Speedway when the Nextel Cup Series returns for the MBNA America 400 on Sept. 26. However, Jerry Dunning - senior vice president and general manager of motorsports for Dover - said the outside walls in all four turns will not have the barriers installed until after the track's fall race weekend. Civil engineering professor Dr. Dean Sicking and his team from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln are still conducting tests to determine how best to install the SAFER (Steel and Foam Energy Reduction) barriers at the high-banked, one-mile oval. "Right now we are planning to do [the turns] over the winter since the engineering is not complete," Dunning said. "After the September race, all of the engineering team will be back and all the key decisions will be made." Workers from Kent Construction in Dover are building a new inside wall on the back straightway between the harness racing track and the speedway that will provide the support for the SAFER wall. The first series of SAFER barriers - which consist of rectangular steel tubing backed by foam blocks - to go up will line the 1,076-foot backstretch. During the offseason, each of the outside walls in the turns will be fitted for the barriers.(Delaware News Journal)(7-13-2004)
- Dover to get SAFER: Drivers will be pleased to find out that work has begun to prepare Dover International Speedway for the first phase of its installation of SAFER walls. The SAFER (Steel and Foam Energy Reduction) wall system first will be installed along the inside wall of the backstretch at the high-banked, one-mile oval. The SAFER barriers eventually will be fitted for the walls in the turns, though it is uncertain whether the turns will be completed in time for the MBNA America 400 Nextel Cup Series race on Sept. 26. "They have officially begun preparing for the installation of SAFER barriers at Dover," said Gary Camp, director of public relations at Dover International Speedway. "They are just entering the first phase of the project." Denis McGlynn, president of Dover's race track, said it was just a matter of time before the facility fell in line with all of the other tracks on the NASCAR circuit, most of which already have or are installing the SAFER barriers. "I think anything that's safer is better, and we're on board with all of the improvements that are being made in the name of safety," McGlynn said. The walls, which McGlynn estimated in March would cost around $1 million to install, are designed to absorb energy and decrease the chance of injuries to drivers involved in an accident. They promise to be much safer than the concrete and boilerplate walls that have lined Dover since its opening in 1969.(Delaware News Journal)(7-10-2004)
- Secretary of the Air Force at Dover NASCAR Race: Dr. James G. Roche, Secretary of the Air Force, will be attending the
MBNA 400: Sulute to Heros at Dover International Speedway on 6 June. Dr. Roche is the 20th Secretary of the Air Force and is responsible for the affairs of the Department of the Air Force, including the organizing, training, equipping, and providing for the welfare of its nearly 370,000 men and women on active duty, 180,000 members of the Air National Guard and the Air Force Reserve, 160,000 civilians, and their families. As head of the Department of the Air Force, Secretary Roche is responsible for its functioning and efficiency, the formulation of its policies and programs, and the timely implementation of decisions and instructions of the President of the United States and the Secretary of Defense. This will be Secretary Roche's first NASCAR race. Dr. Roche will be visiting with the #21 Motorcraft Nextel Cup team, owned by the Wood Brothers, and driven by Ricky Rudd. The Air Force association with the #21 has been part of its recruiting and retention effort since 2001. NASCAR and the Air Force have a lot in common - speed, mechanics, technology and teamwork, and has successfully used
it's involvement in NASCAR as part of it's overall advertising program. June 6 marks the 60th anniversary of the D-Day Normandy invasion, the beginning of the Allied assault, eventually leading to the end of WWII. The Allied forces that day involved 6,500 ships and 13,000 aircraft. Over 200,000 vehicles and 600,000 tons of supplies were transported to support the Allied troops in the weeks that followed
the initial attack.(Air Force PR)(6-3-2004)
- F-16's to do Dover Flyover: the Flyover at Dover following the National Anthem will be performed by four F-16's from the 149th Fighter Wing of the Texas Air National Guard.(Air Force PR)(6-3-2004)
- New race name at Dover and WWII Planes to Flyover: MBNA recently announced the name and theme of the upcoming NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race at Dover International Speedway. "The MBNA 400: A Salute to Heroes" will be held on June 6, 2004 -- the 60th anniversary of D-Day. Pre-race activities will honor those Americans whose heroism in the liberation of Europe earned them the title, "The Greatest Generation." Pre-race activities on June 6 will include a fly-over of World War II-era military aircraft, including the world's only B-29 bomber still in flight. D-Day veterans will participate in pre-race ceremonies and Peter Thomas, the former voice of the History Channel and himself a veteran of Omaha Beach, will read General Dwight Eisenhower's Order of the Day of June 5, 1944. As Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force, Eisenhower issued this order on the eve of the D-Day invasion. The order includes the inspiring line, "We will accept nothing less than full victory."
The tripleheader of racing action at Dover International Speedway begins on Friday, June 4 with the return of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series for the MBNA America 200. On Saturday, June 5, the rising stars of the NASCAR Busch Series take to the Monster Mile for the MBNA America 200. And then on Sunday, June 6, the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series returns to Dover for the MBNA 400: A Salute to Heroes, which promises to be one of the most memorable in recent history. Tickets for the entire June 4 - 6 MBNA race weekend are available by calling 1-800-441-RACE, or online at www.doverspeedway.com.(PR)(6-1-2004)
- New Scoring Pylon at Dover: It's down with the old, and up with the new, at Dover International Speedway. Just in time for the upcoming June 4-6 MBNA race weekend, installation is complete on a new scoring pylon at Dover International Speedway. At 94-feet tall, the new scoring pylon is more than twice the size of the old one. Located near the start/finish line in the infield, it will feature 17 total positions -- the top 15 drivers, with the bottom 2 spots scrolling through the rest of the field. The old pylon, originally installed in the mid-'70s, displayed only the top 5 positions. It was disassembled and removed earlier this week. The new four-sided scoring pylon features rotating backlit panels with the logos of June 4-6, 2004 race sponsor MBNA, the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series and Dover International Speedway. It also displays the lap speed of the race leader. All numerals are 3-feet-tall and illuminated.(Dover International Speedway PR)(6-1-2004)
- American Idol star Clay Aiken will sing the national anthem at Dover: Triple platinum-selling recording artist Clay Aiken will sing the national anthem at the inaugural running in Dover of the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series MBNA 400: A Salute to Heroes on June 6, 2004. Aiken also will take the time while in Dover to perform a benefit concert in the Dover Downs Rollins Center on Saturday night, June 5.
The Bubel/Aiken Foundation and the Autism Society of Delaware are the beneficiaries of this very special evening with Aiken. Tickets are now on sale for this event and can be purchased by calling Dover Downs Slots VIP Services at 1-800-711-5882. Aiken, who first gained fame as the 2003 runner-up on the FOX Television program American Idol, will also treat the thousands on hand to a second song to help commemorate the 60th anniversary of D-Day. The mission of The Bubel/Aiken Foundation is to provide services and financial assistance to facilitate fully the integration of children with disabilities into the life environment of those without. The Bubel/Aiken Foundation creates awareness about the diversity of individuals with disabilities and the possibilities inclusion can bring. Through collaborations with the disability, education, entertainment, and media communities, they recognize those whose commitment to breaking the stereotypes attendant to the developmentally disabled has broken barriers and extended the boundaries of the human experience for all. The Autism Society of Delaware, a chapter of the Autism Society of America, is committed to improving the lives of people with autism and their families. Serving all of Delaware, they educate, advocate and raise public awareness in order to promote lifelong opportunities and acceptance for people with autism in their communities.(Dover International Speedway PR)(6-1-2004)
- 2nd Bridge Being Built at Dover? UPDATE 2 The DuPont Monster Bridge: hearing that Dover International Speedway is curently in the closing stages of completion of a second walkover bridge at the end of the back straight. This new bridge will have approximately 66 seats that overlook the track and will have corporate sponsonship. The new brige has different glass than the one in turn two to protect the spectators inside. Interesting never heard of that before.(3-23-2004)
UPDATE been told some ticket holders have been contacted by Dover International Speedway letting them know thier seats "may" be partially obstructed view due to construction of the new bridge. They couldn't guarantee just how much would be obstructed but
said it was possible and offered to move the seats. So far the folks I have heards from were offered better seats.(3-29-2004)
UPDATE 2: The DuPont Monster Bridge, a new steel, concrete and glass structure, will suspend 50 spectators 29 feet above turn three of the high-banked, one-mile oval during the Craftsman Truck, Busch and Nextel Cup races. But don't even think about trying to buy a ticket. They're not for sale to the general public. For the first race, most of those 50 people who in the structure will be media, dignitaries and select partners. The track plans to open it up for corporate promotional opportunities by September's races. The structure will interfere with the sightlines of about 2,000 of the track's 140,000 seats, but only about 250 of them will be seriously obstructed. Fans with those seats were offered the chance to upgrade their tickets. It is believed that there is no other speedway or stadium in the world that puts spectators directly above the race or game. The structure cost "in the mid-to-high six figures". Dover Motorsports Inc. has a patent pending on the structure, which was built by Kent Construction of Dover. Miraglia said Nashville Superspeedway - also owned by Dover Motorsports - appears to be next in line to get the seating arrangement. The front and rear glass walls of the DuPont Monster Bridge are made of laminated safety glass with DuPont SentryGlas Plus. In testing, the glass could not be penetrated by a lug nut shot at 200 mph. The structure also features a "catch fence" around it as an additional safeguard. The 50 seats, manufactured by American Seating of Grand Rapids, Mich., are custom-built, theater-style seats embroidered with a "Monster Mile" logo. There will be 64 seats for September's race. Each seat will provide audio access to NASCAR race coverage on TV and radio, along with access to race team communications. Nine flat-screen TVs are included in the climate-controlled interior, along with wall-to-wall carpet and a full-service refreshment bar.(Deleware News Journal see an image of the bridge there)(5-7-2004)
- Safety crews train at Dover: Two NASCAR race cars sat at the bottom of the banking between the first and second turns at Dover International Speedway Sunday, with paramedics and firefighters quickly responding to the accident scene. This simulated crash scene was the culmination of a two-day program at Dover designed to help firefighters and emergency medical technicians (EMT) gain valuable hands-on experience in race-day scenarios. While the Nextel Cup Series drivers were competing at Talladega Superspeedway Sunday, 50 prospective race safety workers were taking part in the fourth annual program at Dover in preparation for June's NASCAR races at the track.(Deleware News Journal)(4-27-2004)
- Dover to get SAFER walls: The SAFER (Steel and Foam Energy Reduction) wall system will be installed at Dover International Speedway's high-banked, one-mile track. It is expected to cost about $1 million to install SAFER barriers at Dover. The walls are designed to absorb energy and decrease the chance of injuries to drivers in the event of an accident. They are expected to be in place possibly in time for Dover's next NASCAR race weekend, June 3-6. If that doesn't happen, the project could be completed in time for Dover's September races. The wall is installed in front of the race track's existing walls. As they did at Darlington Raceway, the walls will take away 2 1/2 feet of race track at Dover. That should not be a problem since there is no high groove for drivers to use. A team of NASCAR engineers visited Dover six weeks ago to assess the track for the project. Dover has never had a driver fatality during a NASCAR race at its facility. Several drivers have been injured over the years, sustaining broken bones and concussions, after coming into contact with the track's walls. Dale Earnhardt Jr. was briefly knocked unconscious when he hit the outside wall in the second turn in last September's MBNA America 400. The accident looked harmless, but Earnhardt said the data recorder in his car revealed he had suffered a tremendous impact.(in part from the Delaware News Journal)(3-21-2004)
- New PR Director Named at Dover: Dover Motorsports has announced that Gary Camp has joined the Company as Director of Public Relations for Dover International Speedway. Camp replaces John Dunlap, who recently left Dover International Speedway to serve as Sr. Manager of Public Relations for the NEXTEL Cup Series in Charlotte, NC. Prior to joining the Dover International Speedway team, Camp spent several years as an account executive and public relations representative with Shipley Associates, Inc. of Wilmington, Del., the Speedway's agency of record for more than 30 years. While at Shipley, Camp worked on the Speedway account, but also handled the day-to-day public relations functions for Dover Downs Gaming & Entertainment, along with several other clients.(Dover Motorsports PR)(3-18-2004)
- Dover Collectible Show: Race fans who are passionate about NASCAR are invited to spend Valentine's weekend at Dover Downs Slots for a huge collectibles show and Daytona 500 viewing party. There will be more than 50 suppliers of NASCAR memorabilia at Dover Downs [Dover, DE] on Saturday from 10:00am to 6:00pm/et. The collectibles show continues from 9:00am to 6:00pm/et on Sunday, and fans are invited to watch the Daytona 500 on multiple large-screen televisions, including a 15-foot by 15-foot screen in the Rollins Center of the Dover Downs Hotel. Admission is $5 at the door, or by calling Dover Downs VIP Services at 1-800-711-5882. Children under 12 get in free.(Delaware News Journal)(2-12-2004)
- Dunlap Leaving Dover, going to NASCAR/Nextel: John Dunlap is stepping down as director of public relations at Dover International Speedway to accept a job as senior public relations manager for NASCAR's Nextel Cup Series. Dunlap, 51, said Wednesday that it was not an easy decision because of the relationships he has forged and the memories he has made in his four years at Dover. However, the opportunity to work for Nextel, a telecommunications company that is beginning its first year as the title sponsor of NASCAR's premier series, proved to be too much to resist. Dunlap expects to attend anywhere between 25-30 Nextel Cup races this season, where he will serve as a liaison between the NASCAR teams and the media and will assist with various Nextel promotional programs.(Delaware News Journal)(1-29-2004)
- No lights at Dover: With NASCAR moving toward more prime-time Nextel Cup races, Dover has been suggested as a track that eventually will install lights. Not yet, McGlynn said. "We told NASCAR, when you think we have to have them, tell us and we'll put them up," he said. McGlynn said no additional seats will be added to the speedway this year.(Philadelphia Daily News)(1-14-2004)
- Tix on sale at Dover: Ticket packages and Special Ticket Packages for the MBNA America 400 Nextel Cup race and the Busch and Truck Series races are on sale and available. Call (302) 734-RACE or (800) 441-RACE to place your order; Office Hours:
Monday - Friday 8:00am to 5:00pm/et, more info on the Dover International Speedway site.(12-3-2003)
- Dover Intl Speedway sues Action: Dover International Speedway has sued the Arizona-based company that sold NASCAR souvenirs at its annual races, claiming the Dover operation was cheated out of millions of dollars in proceeds. The U.S. District Court lawsuit seeks unspecified damages. It was filed against Action Performance Companies and its subsidiary Action Sports Image. A spokesperson for the Tempe, Ariz., companies could not be reached. The Action company sold race-related merchandise out of trailers for more than 10 years through the September 2002 NASCAR race. An agreement with the Dover Speedway called for Action to pay 25 percent of each trailer's gross proceeds or an unspecified minimum per-trailer fee, whichever was larger. Dover Speedway agreed to reduce its commission rate from 25 percent to 15 percent after Action asked to renegotiate the terms last year. Action told the raceway an economic downturn and industry standards required the reduced sales commission, which became official in May 2003.(Delaware News Journal)(11-13-2003)
- Dover Motorsports for Sale? In the last six years, the auto racing business at Dover Downs has swelled from a one-track enterprise to the third-largest auto racing company in the United States. That growth has attracted the attention of potential buyers for Dover Motorsports. And the timing for an acquisition could be right. All of the other Delaware-based businesses the late John Rollins Sr. founded or took public have been sold. Last year, Dover Downs management split the auto racing operations from the slot machine and harness racing businesses, which made the auto racing business easier to sell. Henry B. Tippie, the Austin, Texas-based chairman of Dover Motorsports' board declined to comment. Rollins' widow, Michele Rollins, was out of the country and could not be reached for comment. Other Rollins family members who are shareholders did not return calls seeking comment. They include John Rollins Jr., Jeffrey Rollins, and Rollins' Atlanta-based nephews Gary and R. Randall Rollins. Dover Motorsports chief Denis McGlynn declined to discuss whether the company was in talks over a possible sale.
In 1997, Dover Downs bought Nashville Speedway USA. The next year Dover bought the Grand Prix Association of Long Beach, Calif., which also included tracks in St. Louis and Memphis. In 2002, it added a Grand Prix race in Denver, and, in February, held its first Grand Prix race in St. Petersburg, Fla. Those acquisitions have made Dover Motorsports the third-largest operator of auto racing tracks, behind International Speedway and Speedway Motorsports. In 2002, in an effort to attract more interest from investors, Dover Downs Entertainment Inc. spun off the casino and horse racing operations into a separate company. The auto racing operation became Dover Motorsports Inc. Dover Motorsports has yet to capture investors' attention. Only a handful of Wall Street analysts cover the company, and the stock prices have languished.(more at the Delaware News Journal)(9-20-2003)
- Dover and Lights update: Denis McGlynn expects to flip a switch that will illuminate Dover International Speedway and usher in a new era of night racing at the track, possibly within two years. McGlynn, the president and CEO of Dover's speedway, said it is only logical that the track follow the trend started by Bristol, and then embraced by Charlotte, Richmond and Daytona. Darlington Raceway is installing lights and will run the Southern 500 at night for the first time Nov. 14 next year. California Speedway will run a night race next Labor Day weekend. "I expect lights will happen at Dover," McGlynn said. "We don't have a timeline on it right now. But NASCAR has let us know there is a general inclination by the television networks to go with later starts and evening races. It will not happen this year or next year. But I would expect to see it at some point in the future." Dover is studying how much it would cost to light the track. It cost $2.5 million to light Gateway International Raceway in St. Louis, which is owned by Dover Motorsports. McGlynn said it likely would cost more to install a lighting system at Dover because the grandstands almost encircle the one-mile oval. Plus, parking lots around the track would have to have lights. He estimated it would take six months to install them. Jim Hunter, vice president of NASCAR, said the sport would like to keep many of its traditional Sunday afternoon races. "I don't think that there's going to be a wholesale change to night racing," Hunter said. "I think there's going to be some select events that we'll do that with. I think what you might see is more day/night events. Television has not indicated that they want a lot of night races. They just want to move them to a little later in the day, which normally leads to better ratings. Dover would be great at night." Another advantage if Dover went to Saturday night races would be that there would be a built-in rain date. If a race is rained out on Sunday, many fans have to work on Monday and cannot return to the race track.(Delaware News Journal)(9-19-2003)
- Amtrack to Dover: Seats are still available on the Monster Mile Express Amtrak special train to the NASCAR Winston Cup Series race in Dover for Sunday. The Monster Mile Express will depart New York's Penn Station on Sunday at 6 a.m., making stops in Newark, N.J.; Trenton; Philadelphia and Wilmington on its way to a 10 a.m. arrival at the racetrack. NASCAR fans from the Washington and Baltimore areas may make a convenient connection by traveling aboard train No. 162 to Wilmington to meet the Monster Mile Express. Train No. 162 will make stops in Washington, New Carrollton, BWI and Baltimore before arriving in Wilmington. Tickets for the Monster Mile Express may be purchased by calling 1-800-USA-RAIL. Roundtrip fare includes motorcoach transfers between the train and the speedway but does not include a ticket to the race. Call 1-800-441-RACE for race tickets.(Delaware News Journal)(9-18-2003)
- Tickets and Credential Offices Open at Dover: Dover International Speedway officials have announced that ticket and credential offices will be open on Thursday and Friday, in spite of the fact that there will be no action on The Monster Mile those days. Ticket demand for the race action on Saturday and Sunday is very high and tickets are going quickly for both Sunday's MBNA America 400 Winston Cup race and Saturday's Stacker 200 Presented by YJ Stinger Busch Series race. The ticket office is set to be open on
Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. until 9 p.m. A special ticket office will also be open at Gate 4 just outside the speedway and will be open from 1-5 p.m. on Friday, then from 8 a.m. until the start of each race on Saturday and Sunday. The Will Call
office will open Saturday morning at 7:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. and on Sunday from 8 a.m. until the end of the Winston Cup race. The credentials office, located just on the left past the marquee sign entrance to Dover Downs, will be open today (Wednesday) from noon
until 5 p.m., It will then be open from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Thursday, or as long as the weather will allow that afternoon. It will then be open on Friday from 6 a.m. (weather permitting) until 5 p.m., then Saturday from 6 a.m. until 5 p.m. and Sunday from 6 a.m. until 1 p.m. Finally, the Infield Media Center will be open on Friday from noon until 4 p.m. to allow media who want to come in and set up shop the opportunity. The IMC will then be open on Saturday and Sunday starting at 7 a.m. The Winston Media Center will also have the same hours on Saturday and Sunday and will be closed entirely on Friday. Information about the race weekend will constantly be changed and updated on the Dover International Speedway website at www.doverspeedway.com. Tickets for both the September 21 MBNA America 400 Winston Cup Series race and the September 20 Stacker 200 Presented by YJ Stinger Busch Series race can be purchased by calling 1-800-441-RACE or going to the Dover International Speedway website.(9-17-2003)
- 'Herman' announces teen help program with Stacker 2: NVE Pharmaceuticals and NASCAR Winston Cup Series driver Kenny 'Herman' Wallace announced Sept. 9 the launch of a new program designed to teach teen-agers the importance of safe driving and car maintenance. "YJ Stinger's Race to Bee Safe" program will bring the driver of the #23 Stacker 2 Dodge to high schools in six markets that host Winston Cup races this fall. The markets are Dover, Del.; Charlotte, N.C.; Martinsville, Va.; Atlanta; Rockingham, N.C.; and Miami. Local law enforcement representatives will also participate. Students will sign a promise to practice safe driving. The promise will act as an informal contract between the student and the student's parents. Students that sign the promise will become eligible to win prizes, including a pair of tickets to one of the weekend's races in their area. Wallace will speak to students about safe driving and routine car maintenance. He will draw from his own knowledge as a licensed driver for 24 years and more than 20 years of racing experience. Wallace is also the father of three young daughters, one of them a 16-year-old newly licensed driver. The Race to Bee Safe program also launches a contest in which students can design the trunk art for Wallace's car. One winner will be selected from the six markets. The winning design will appear on Wallace's car in a 2004 Nextel Cup race at the winner's home track. The winner will also receive four VIP tickets to the race and diecast replicas of the No. 23 Dodge, featuring the winning design. YJ Stinger is Stacker 2's extreme energy drink, totally ephedra-free and available in three lightly carbonated flavors: Sinful Citrus, Pounding Punch and Enraged Raspberry. Enraged Raspberry is also available in a Sugar Free formula [and is very tasty]. This product is not intended to be a meal replacement or a dietary supplement. NVE Pharmaceuticals of Newton, N.J., exclusively manufactures, distributes and markets the entire Stacker 2 line of products (The World's Strongest Fat Burner) and YJ Stinger.(Keystone Marketing PR/Stacker2racing.com)(9-10-2003)
- Dover 2nd 2004 date: being told by readers who got their 2004 Ticket Renewals for Dover International Spedweay's 2nd Cup that the date is September 26th, 2004. That is now 30 of 36 'confirmed' by either the tracks or ticket renewals, see my 2004 UNOFFICIAL Nextel Cup Series Schedule or 2004 Cup Scheduling News/Rumors page.(9-4-2003)
- Dover, Indy and SMI? Rumor has it that Dover, Indianapolis and Speedway Motorsports Inc. have had talks to somehow combine forces with their current twelve Winston [Nextel] Cup dates and make a greater impact on NASCAR.(Insider Racing News)(6-23-2003)
- Dover looking to Add Lights? Dover International Speedway might be getting in line to add lights for night racing. John Dunlap, the speedway's public relations director, said during a visit to Tampa this week the track eventually wants t
