Will a winless driver break through at Dover?
DOVER, Del. — As the Sprint Cup schedule nears the halfway point of the regular season, one of the most remarkable statistics involves drivers who have not visited victory lane.
Five drivers who totaled 17 victories last season remain winless this year as teams prepare for Sunday’s AAA 400 Drive for Autism — the 12th race of the 26-race regular season — at Dover International Speedway.
On the outside looking in are Joey Logano (six wins in 2015), Matt Kenseth (5), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (3), Kurt Busch (2) and Martin Truex Jr. (1).
Wins aren’t an absolute requirement to make the Chase for the Sprint Cup lineup, and several — if not all — of the winless quintet will make the postseason on points. But victories supply comfort — and, of course, a large dose of prestige and momentum — in the Chase environment.
Also among the winless are Jamie McMurray, Ryan Newman, Kasey Kahne, Kyle Larson, Clint Bowyer, Tony Stewart and the Roush Fenway Racing trio of Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Trevor Bayne and Greg Biffle.
Complicating the road for those still seeking wins is the fact that four drivers have scored multiple victories this year. Kyle Busch has three wins, and Carl Edwards, Jimmie Johnson and Brad Keselowski have two each.
Speaking of Johnson, no one carries a bigger stick at Dover. He holds the track record for wins with 10, and a victory Sunday would put him on particularly high ground. He would join Hall of Famers Richard Petty and Darrell Waltrip as the only drivers to win 11 or more races at a single track.
Also making things difficult for the veterans are younger drivers who are pushing toward the front.
Austin Dillon is eighth in points with three top-five runs and seems to be on track for his breakthrough first win. Rookie Chase Elliott is 11th in points with three top fives, and Ryan Blaney, running well with the Wood Brothers Racing team in its returns to a full-time schedule, is 16th in points with four top 10s.
Sunday’s race will be the first Dover Cup event for Elliott and Blaney.
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