After two weeks at home in Charlotte, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series heads to the Dover International Speedway for this weekend’s AAA 400 Drive For Autism.
Last year, Matt Kenseth scored the win at Dover and with the way the 2017 season has gone for Joe Gibbs Racing, it would be a welcome relief should one of the JGR Toyotas return to victory lane at the Monster Mile.
Two of the last three races have been first time winners on the Cup tour. However, Dover is not the best place to look for that to continue. Martin Truex Jr (2007) is the only driver to score his first career win at the Monster Mile since 1981. With Jimmie Johnson being a ten time winner on the one mile concrete oval, it hasn’t left a whole lot of opportunity on the table for other drivers looking to break through.
One of the surprises on the entry sheet is the No. 83 BK Racing Toyota. Corey LaJoie, who has driven that ride in each event this season, is not in the car this week. Instead, NASCAR XFINITY Series regular Ryan Sieg will make his Cup debut. The unusual aspect of this is that the team never made any formal announcement regarding the change.
Sieg won’t be the only XFINITY Series regular making his debut this weekend. Ross Chastain will drive the No. 15 for Premium Motorsports with sponsorship from the Delaware Office of Highway Safety. The car will be painted in watermelon colors with the slogan “Protect Your Melon.”
The AAA 400 Drive For Autism goes green on Sunday, Jun. 4 at 1 p.m. ET. Live coverage can be found on FS1.
| Number | Driver | Owner | Sponsor |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jamie McMurray | Chip Ganassi Racing | McDonald's |
| 2 | Brad Keselowski | Team Penske | Wurth |
| 3 | Austin Dillon | Richard Childress Racing | AAA |
| 4 | Kevin Harvick | Stewart-Haas Racing | Jimmy John's |
| 5 | Kasey Kahne | Hendrick Motorsports | Great Clips |
| 6 | Trevor Bayne | Roush Fenway Racing | AdvoCare |
| 10 | Danica Patrick | Stewart-Haas Racing | Aspen Dental |
| 11 | Denny Hamlin | Joe Gibbs Racing | FedEx |
| 13 | Ty Dillon | Germain Racing | GEICO |
| 14 | Clint Bowyer | Stewart-Haas Racing | Haas Automation |
| 15 | Ross Chastain | Premium Motorsports | Delaware Office of Highway Safety |
| 17 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr | Roush Fenway Racing | Little Hug |
| 18 | Kyle Busch | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pedigree Petcare |
| 19 | Daniel Suarez | Joe Gibbs Racing | STANLEY |
| 20 | Matt Kenseth | Joe Gibbs Racing | TBD |
| 21 | Ryan Blaney | Wood Brothers Racing | Motorcraft |
| 22 | Joey Logano | Team Penske | TBD |
| 23 | Gray Gaulding | BK Racing | TBD |
| 24 | Chase Elliott | Hendrick Motorsports | NAPA |
| 27 | Paul Menard | Richard Childress Racing | Duracell/Menards |
| 31 | Ryan Newman | Richard Childress Racing | Caterpillar |
| 32 | Matt DiBenedetto | GO FAS Racing | Can-Am/Kappa |
| 33 | Jeffrey Earnhardt | Circle Sport/TMG | TBD |
| 34 | Landon Cassill | Front Row Motorsports | Love's Travel Stops |
| 37 | Chris Buescher | JTG Daugherty Racing | Maxwell House |
| 38 | David Ragan | Front Row Motorsports | Overton's |
| 41 | Kurt Busch | Stewart-Haas Racing | Haas Automation/Monster Energy |
| 42 | Kyle Larson | Chip Ganassi Racing | Target |
| 43 | TBA | Richard Petty Motorsports | Smithfield |
| 47 | AJ Allmendinger | JTG Daugherty Racing | Kroger |
| 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Hendrick Motorsports | Lowe's |
| 51 | Cody Ware | Rick Ware Racing | TBD |
| 66 | Carl Long | Motorsports Business Management | TBD |
| 72 | Cole Whitt | TriStar Motorsports | TBD |
| 77 | Erik Jones | Furniture Row Racing | 5-hour ENERGRY |
| 78 | Martin Truex Jr | Furniture Row Racing | Furniture Row/Denver Mattress |
| 83 | Ryan Sieg | BK Racing | JAS Expedited Trucking |
| 88 | Dale Earnhardt Jr | Hendrick Motorsports | TBD |
| 95 | Michael McDowell | Leavine Family Racing | WRL General Contractors |
Frank Velat has been an avid follower of NASCAR and other motorsports for over 20 years. He brings a blend of passionate fan and objective author to his work. Frank offers unique perspectives that everyone can relate to, remembering the sport's past all the while embracing its future.
Follow along with @FrankVelat on Twitter.