by Larry McReynolds

It's a self-cleaning racetrack. One-car incidents are very rare because the straightaways are banked about as much as some corners are at other racetracks. When you wreck, you're going to go from the top to the bottom. It's normal to get other cars involved.

Sign up now and create your free fantasy team and league. More NASCAR

I'm anxious to see what kind of tire we will have because it's going to play a huge role in the race, but we're going to have a good Dover race, just like we good Darlington and Bristol races. Week in and week out, the teams keep learning more and more about the New Car.

It certainly would have been much better if they had a one-day test up there, but obviously getting rained out two weeks in a row prevented the scheduled test. NASCAR has discussed replacing the Dover test with one at another concrete, Car of Tomorrow track, Bristol Motor Speedway. The racing surface is being redone before we go back there in August.

Who to Watch

Kyle Busch and Jimmie Johnson: These Hendrick guys are going to be the ones you'll have to beat. Rick Hendrick is proud of how well his teams have run in the Car of Tomorrow, winning all five races, and four more wins in the current car. Not taking anything away from his teams, he said a lot of their wins happened when somebody else was running for a touchdown and fumbled the ball. They just happened to be there, pick it up and score. Last week at Lowe's Motor Speedway with Casey Mears wasn't much different.

Denny Hamlin and Tony Stewart: With two wins, Stewart runs well at Dover. Hamlin has been good all year long in the Car of Tomorrow, especially his last outing at Darlington. Considering their record at Dover and over the first five COT races, it looks like Joe Gibbs Racing stands the biggest chance of beating the Hendrick cars.

Kurt Busch and Ryan Newman: The Penske group looked awfully good in the Car of Tomorrow at Darlington. They've always run well at Dover so don't count them out.

Jamie McMurray: Dover is a place where McMurray has run well, and the No. 26 team seems to really have its Car of Tomorrow act together.

What to Watch

Consistent track conditions: The tire will dictate strategywise, just like it played a huge role at Lowe's Motor Speedway last week. Even though Dover is a wide, one-mile racetrack, it can be a hard place to pass. Normally when you're good at the Monster Mile, you'll stay good because concrete isn't as susceptible to change as Lowe's was last week. If you start off good, you can just make minor adjustments and stay good. It's hard to dial yourself out of the ballgame because it's pretty consistent. If you're not good, you can make yourself better. We don't usually see a lot of comers and goers during the day after the start of the race, when somebody who didn't qualify well but has a good setup can move through the field quickly at the drop the green flag.

Precarious pits: Dover has one of the most treacherous pit entrances and pit roads on the circuit. Dover races settle down in the middle part of the event, and heading for green-flag stops, we see veterans completely spin out and miss the entrance to pit road. Pit lane is only wide enough for one car. We always see cars torn up on pit road, especially in the early part of the race when so many cars are on pit road for cautions. The pit boxes are small. One of the most important things about qualifying isn't where you start but getting good pit selection.

Speed Mail Larry McReynolds
SpeedMail Subject: Comment/Question: Name:  Email:  Hometown:

Hyder returns

Dan from Holly Springs, N.C.: MWR fired David Hyder supposedly over the Daytona incident. Now, NASCAR has lifted the suspension, and Hyder will be Jeremy Mayfield's crew chief starting this week at Dover. What gives? The public, and Michael Waltrip fans, have a right to know what happened at Daytona and what part Hyder played in Michael Waltrip's car being impounded and losing 100 driver and owner points.

Larry McReynolds: Hyder was suspended for 12 races — a third of the season. Nobody knows what part he played in that intake manifold incident. Only a few people on Earth know, including Hyder, whomever else played a role in putting the substance in the manifold and Michael Waltrip. I still believe that Waltrip knew what was going on there. It's almost a version of lies, lies and more lies. I'd love to know what they used, but I don't know that NASCAR absolutely knows what the substance really was. After $100,000 fine for Hyder, 100 owner and driver points, from which Waltrip has still not overcome, these severe penalties have been served.

---

FOX race analyst Larry McReynolds has more than 25 years of NASCAR experience as a mechanic, crew chief and broadcaster. He and his fellow Crew Chief Club members take you behind the wall at www.crewchiefclub.com.

"How to Become a Winning Crew Chief" is on bookstore shelves, or you may order your own autographed copy from www.DWStore.com.