NASCAR: What to watch for in the 2018 Gander Outdoors 400 (Dover)

The NASCAR Cup Series is set to begin round two of the 2018 playoffs this Sunday at Dover International Speedway with the Gander Outdoors 400.

The hype surrounding the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series trying something new and attacking the roval at Charlotte Motor Speedway last weekend was pretty exciting. Even more exciting was the fact that it was the third and final race of round one, the round of 16, in the 2018 playoffs. This meant that four drivers went home empty-handed with their hopes of winning a championship dashed until 2019.

In a final lap filled with drama, Ryan Blaney was the first one to cross the finish line and earn his first win of 2019. It appeared as though Jimmie Johnson and Martin Truex Jr. were going to battle it out for the win, but in the last chicane, Johnson locked up his brakes and lost control of his car.

In an effort to still try to get the win, Johnson spun backwards and hit Truex Jr. The move cost Johnson a spot in the second round, the round of 12. The three other drivers who were eliminated from playoff contention in this race were Austin Dillon, Denny Hamlin and Erik Jones.

This weekend, the Cup Series travels north to Dover International Speedway for the Gander Outdoors 400, which is race number one of round number two. Getting off to a good start is crucial for the remaining 12 drivers in the playoff hunt.

Here is what to watch for this weekend as the round of 12 gets underway!

What to watch for at Dover

Playoff drivers up front

There is nothing like a short track to get the blood pumping. Add in the fact that 12 drivers are desperately trying to reach round three of the playoffs, the round of 8. To do so, they will each need to have a good start on Sunday in the first race of the round of 12 at Dover International Speedway.

Watch for the 12 playoff drivers to run up front for a majority of the race. The last thing any of them want to do is to get caught up in a wreck in the first race of the second round while running in the back. I would guess that most if not all 12 playoff drivers will consistently be in the top 15 throughout the race on Sunday. If not, be prepared to see a driver have his championship dreams squandered by falling behind.

One of the “big three” gets the win?

Kyle Busch was the only driver of the “big three” to find victory lane the round of 16. Martin Truex Jr. came close last weekend, but we all know what happened there. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Kevin Harvick find victory lane this weekend. He is on a win drought of six races with his last win coming on Sunday, August 12 at Michigan International Speedway. Oh, and it’s probably a good idea to consider the fact that he is the defending race winner at the track, where he took the checkered flag in early May.

Will we see more Truex Jr.-Johnson fireworks?

What will happen between Martin Truex Jr. and Jimmie Johnson from here on out? Both, in my eyes, are fierce competitors who display the utmost professionalism at all times. Sure, Truex Jr. has a bit of a black eye for spinning Johnson during the cool down lap this past Sunday, but to me, he will always seem like a laid back, carefree kind of guy.

Johnson did indeed cost Truex Jr. the win this past weekend, and it will be interesting to see if anything comes from it. I, for one, don’t think it will this season mainly because Truex Jr. is still battling for a second championship and Johnson has already been eliminated. However, what better place to get easy revenge than a short track such as Dover International Speedway?

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What will you be watching for this weekend in the Gander Outdoors 400 at Dover International Speedway? Do you think Kevin Harvick will be victorious? Tune into NBC Sports Network at 2:00 p.m. ET for this weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series action!

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