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2009 OPeR Award: Worst NASCAR Owner

December 18, 2009

In our first unanimous vote of the 2009 OPeR Awards, Jeremy Mayfield was named the worst team owner in NASCAR.

Neither Steve nor I are happy about that - though we were the voters.I would rather have given Jeremy the “Best NASCAR Music Video” award, or something.

The fact is, we both genuinely like Mayfield.

But whether he is personally guilty of the accusations against him or not, he didn’t handle the situiation like a good NASCAR owner should have in the circumstances.

Written by Charlie Turner · Filed Under 2009 OPeR Awards, NASCAR, On Pit Row | Leave a Comment 

Concrete Surface Makes Dover the Monster Mile

September 14, 2008

Dover Downs opened in 1969 as a unique dual purpose facility, designed to accommodate both horse racing and motor racing events.

The first event on the “Monster Mile” was the “Mason-Dixon 300,” a NASCAR Cup Series race, on July 6, won by Richard Petty.  The history of Dover Downs has been wound tightly around the horse racing and gaming community.   In 1994 The Delaware state legislature approved slot machines at para-mutual horse racing facilities thus making this the only NASCAR track with legalized betting.

In 2002 Dover Downs International Speedway became Dover International Speedway, as the gaming side of the company was split off and Dover Motorsports, Inc. was created to exclusively oversee racing at the Dover, Nashville, Memphis and St. Louis tracks, as well as the Grand Prix of Long Beach. The harness racing, slots operation and hotel retain the Dover Downs name and is now known as Dover Downs Hotel & Casino.

The first major renovation to the racing surface came in 1995 when the entire one mile track was resurfaced in concrete becoming the first NASCAR sanctioned track to be made of concrete.  Over a sixteen year period beginning in 1986, seats were added to the racing facility on a yearly basis until a capacity of 135,000 was reached in 2001.

A unique race perspective can be had from the Monster Bridge, a 56 seat, glass-enclosed structure that extends over the track in Turn 3, is unveiled in 2004. The one-of-a-kind structure creates the “Most Exciting Seat in Sports.” That year also saw the newly introduced “Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup” come to the Monster Mile in the fall.  Ryan Newman  notches another Dover win in the Sept. event and takes home the first ‘monster’ trophy.

Currently Dover is in the midst of a multi-year improvement program that will see new luxery boxes and suites along with improved fan areas and a new signature 46 foot tall Miles the Monster structure.  The monument also includes a tribute to all winners and legendary drivers at Dover.

Dover is one of only seven racetracks to host a true NASCAR tripleheader; consisting of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, the NASCAR Nationwide Series and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.  Jeremy Mayfield  holds the qualifying record at 22.288 sec. (161.522 mph) in 2004. The race record of 132.719 mph was set on September 21, 1997 by Mark Martin.

photo credit: Icon Sports Media

Written by Steve Wronkowicz · Filed Under NASCAR, Nascar Chase 2008 | Leave a Comment