NASCAR: Dover Post-Race Grades

B. The driver who continues to surprise everyone is Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Stenhouse Jr. finished 19th at Dover on Sunday, which was good enough to get him into the Round of 12. Stenhouse Jr. has a legitimate shot at the Round of 8 considering Talladega is on the schedule for Round 2. Consistency is key for any driver to go far in the playoffs, and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. is proof of that theory.. No. 17. Roush Fenway Racing, Ford. RICKY STENHOUSE JR. (8TH)

D. Denny Hamlin ended Round 1 with a 35th place finish after car trouble late in Sunday’s race. As mentioned earlier, Hamlin is fortunate enough to have had a comfortable points lead over the last cutoff position where he wasn’t too negatively impacted by the poor finish. In order to go far in the NASCAR playoffs, teams must avoid mistakes and hopefully for Hamlin, his troubles are behind him.. No. 11. Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota. DENNY HAMLIN (7TH)

The 17th place finisher on Sunday was Kevin Harvick. Harvick secured his place into the Round of 12 and had an OK finish at Dover. The word “consistency” comes up rather frequently in playoff posts because drivers and teams need to be consistent to make it to Homestead-Miami with a shot at winning. Harvick will need to be better if he plans on having a shot at another title.. No. 4. Stewart-Haas Racing, Chevrolet. KEVIN HARVICK (6TH). D

JIMMIE JOHNSON (5TH). A. Seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson rounds out the top 5 heading into the Round of 12 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Dover was kind to Johnson on Sunday, as he finished in 3rd place. In order to make the later rounds of the playoffs, wins definitely are the best way to make it. However, as Jimmie Johnson has shown us, consistent finishes are just as important as winning. There is that “C” word again.. No. 48. Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet