The 2023 Würth 400 was a NASCAR Cup Series race held on May 1, 2023, at Dover Motor Speedway in Dover, Delaware. Contested over 400 laps on the 1-mile (1.6 km) concrete speedway, it was the 11th race of the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season. The race was postponed from Sunday, April 30 to Monday, May 1, due to rain. This is the first Dover race broadcast on Performance Racing Network on radio after Speedway Motorsports purchased the track before the 2022 season but still aired on rival International Speedway Corporation's Motor Racing Network.
Report
Background
Dover Motor Speedway is an oval race track in Dover, Delaware, United States that held at least one NASCAR race each year since 1969, including two per year from 1971 to 2020. In addition to NASCAR, the track also hosted USAC and the NTT IndyCar Series. The track features one layout, a concrete oval, with 24° banking in the turns and 9° banking on the straights. The speedway is owned and operated by Speedway Motorsports.
The track, nicknamed "The Monster Mile", was built in 1969 by Melvin Joseph of Melvin L. Joseph Construction Company, Inc., with an asphalt surface, but was replaced with concrete in 1995. Six years later in 2001, the track's capacity moved to 135,000 seats, making the track have the largest capacity of sports venue in the mid-Atlantic. In 2002, the name changed to Dover International Speedway from Dover Downs International Speedway after Dover Downs Gaming and Entertainment split, making Dover Motorsports. From 2007 to 2009, the speedway worked on an improvement project called "The Monster Makeover", which expanded facilities at the track and beautified the track. After the 2014 season, the track's capacity was reduced to 95,500 seats. In 2022, Speedway Motorsports purchased the track.
Entry list (R) denotes rookie driver. (i) denotes the driver ineligible for series driver points.
Driver Team Manufacturer 1 Ross Chastain Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet 2 Austin Cindric Team Penske Ford 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 5 Kyle Larson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 6 Brad Keselowski RFK Racing Ford 7 Corey LaJoie Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 8 Kyle Busch Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 10 Aric Almirola Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 14 Chase Briscoe Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 15 Brennan Poole (i) Rick Ware Racing Ford 16 A. J. Allmendinger Kaulig Racing Chevrolet 17 Chris Buescher RFK Racing Ford 19 Martin Truex Jr. Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 20 Christopher Bell Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 21 Harrison Burton Wood Brothers Racing Ford 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 23 Bubba Wallace 23XI Racing Toyota 24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 31 Justin Haley Kaulig Racing Chevrolet 34 Michael McDowell Front Row Motorsports Ford 38 Todd Gilliland Front Row Motorsports Ford 41 Ryan Preece Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 42 Noah Gragson (R) Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet 43 Erik Jones Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet 45 Tyler Reddick 23XI Racing Toyota 47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 48 Josh Berry (i) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 51 J. J. Yeley (i) Rick Ware Racing Ford 54 Ty Gibbs (R) Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 77 Ty Dillon Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 78 B. J. McLeod Live Fast Motorsports Chevrolet 99 Daniel Suárez Trackhouse Racing ChevroletOfficial entry list
Practice Brad Keselowski was the fastest in the practice session with a time of 22.690 seconds and a speed of .
Practice results Pos Driver Team Manufacturer Time 1 6 Brad Keselowski RFK Racing Ford 22.690 158.660 2 5 Kyle Larson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 22.809 157.832 3 24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 22.815 157.791 Official practice results
Qualifying Qualifying was cancelled due to inclement weather. Kyle Busch was awarded the pole for the race as a result of NASCAR's pandemic formula with a score of 3.500
Starting lineup Pos Driver Team Manufacturer 1 8 Kyle Busch Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 2 20 Christopher Bell Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 3 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 4 6 Brad Keselowski RFK Racing Ford 5 17 Chris Buescher RFK Racing Ford 6 14 Chase Briscoe Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 7 45 Tyler Reddick 23XI Racing Toyota 8 24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 9 47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 10 9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 11 43 Erik Jones Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet 12 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 13 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 14 1 Ross Chastain Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet 15 99 Daniel Suárez Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet 16 77 Ty Dillon Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 17 19 Martin Truex Jr. Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 18 5 Kyle Larson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 19 10 Aric Almirola Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 20 2 Austin Cindric Team Penske Ford 21 51 J. J. Yeley (i) Rick Ware Racing Ford 22 78 B. J. McLeod Live Fast Motorsports Chevrolet 23 48 Josh Berry (i) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 24 54 Ty Gibbs (R) Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 25 31 Justin Haley Kaulig Racing Chevrolet 26 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 27 7 Corey LaJoie Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 28 23 Bubba Wallace 23XI Racing Toyota 29 16 A. J. Allmendinger Kaulig Racing Chevrolet 30 41 Ryan Preece Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 31 21 Harrison Burton Wood Brothers Racing Ford 32 34 Michael McDowell Front Row Motorsports Ford 33 42 Noah Gragson (R) Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet 34 15 Brennan Poole (i) Rick Ware Racing Ford 35 38 Todd Gilliland Front Row Motorsports Ford 36 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing ChevroletOfficial qualifying results
Race
Race results
Stage results
Stage One Laps: 120
Pos Driver Team Manufacturer Points1 24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 102 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 93 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 84 6 Brad Keselowski RFK Racing Ford 75 1 Ross Chastain Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet 66 17 Chris Buescher RFK Racing Ford 57 20 Christopher Bell Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 48 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 39 19 Martin Truex Jr. Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 210 47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 1Official stage one results
Stage Two Laps: 130
Pos Driver Team Manufacturer Points1 1 Ross Chastain Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet 102 24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 93 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 84 19 Martin Truex Jr. Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 75 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 66 54 Ty Gibbs (R) Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 57 17 Chris Buescher RFK Racing Ford 48 45 Tyler Reddick 23XI Racing Toyota 39 9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 210 20 Christopher Bell Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 1Official stage two results
Final Stage results
Stage Three Laps: 150
Pos Grid Driver Team Manufacturer Laps Points1 17 19 Martin Truex Jr. Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 400 492 14 1 Ross Chastain Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet 400 513 3 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 400 504 8 24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 400 525 13 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 400 476 2 20 Christopher Bell Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 400 367 7 45 Tyler Reddick 23XI Racing Toyota 400 338 4 6 Brad Keselowski RFK Racing Ford 400 369 5 17 Chris Buescher RFK Racing Ford 400 3710 23 48 Josh Berry (i) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 400 011 10 9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 400 2812 28 23 Bubba Wallace 23XI Racing Toyota 400 2513 24 54 Ty Gibbs (R) Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 399 2914 27 7 Corey LaJoie Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 399 2315 9 47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 399 2316 11 43 Erik Jones Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet 399 2117 30 41 Ryan Preece Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 399 2018 29 16 A. J. Allmendinger Kaulig Racing Chevrolet 399 1919 12 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 399 2120 31 21 Harrison Burton Wood Brothers Racing Ford 398 1721 1 8 Kyle Busch Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 397 1622 32 34 Michael McDowell Front Row Motorsports Ford 397 1523 25 31 Justin Haley Kaulig Racing Chevrolet 397 1424 19 10 Aric Almirola Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 397 1325 35 38 Todd Gilliland Front Row Motorsports Ford 396 1226 20 2 Austin Cindric Team Penske Ford 396 1127 36 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 395 1028 21 51 J. J. Yeley (i) Rick Ware Racing Ford 393 029 22 78 B. J. McLeod Live Fast Motorsports Chevrolet 381 830 6 14 Chase Briscoe Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 378 731 26 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 375 632 18 5 Kyle Larson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 359 533 34 15 Brennan Poole (i) Rick Ware Racing Ford 79 034 33 42 Noah Gragson (R) Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet 43 335 15 99 Daniel Suárez Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet 35 236 16 77 Ty Dillon Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 34 1Official race results
Race statistics Lead changes: 19 among 8 different drivers Cautions/Laps: 7 for 46 laps Red flags: 0 Time of race: 3 hours, 27 minutes, and 47 seconds Average speed:
Media
Television Fox Sports covered the race on the television side. Mike Joy, Clint Bowyer and 1989 NASCAR Cup Series champion and two-time Dover winner Rusty Wallace called the race from the broadcast booth. Jamie Little and Regan Smith handled the pit road for the television side. Larry McReynolds provided insight from the Fox Sports studio in Charlotte.
FS1Booth announcersPit reportersIn-race analystLap-by-lap: Mike JoyColor-commentator: Clint BowyerColor-commentator: Rusty Wallace Jamie LittleRegan Smith Larry McReynolds
Radio PRN had the radio call for the race and was also simulcasted on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio. This was the first Dover race covered by PRN as the radio rights was shifted from MRN Radio after the 2022 season. Doug Rice & Mark Garrow called the race from the broadcast booth when the field raced down the front straightaway. Pat Patterson called the race from atop a scaffold when the field raced thru turns 3 & 4. Brad Gillie, Brett McMillan, and Wendy Venturini called the race for PRN from pit lane.
PRNBooth announcersTurn announcersPit reporters Lead announcer: Doug RiceAnnouncer: Mark Garrow Backstretch: Pat Patterson Brad GillieBrett McMillanWendy Venturini
Standings after the race
Drivers' Championship standings Pos Driver Points 1 1 Ross Chastain 370 1 2 Christopher Bell 367 (–3) 3 Kevin Harvick 332 (–38) 3 4 Martin Truex Jr. 330 (–40) 3 5 Ryan Blaney 326 (–44) 6 Tyler Reddick 319 (–51) 3 7 Denny Hamlin 317 (–53) 3 8 Kyle Busch 306 (–64) 3 9 Brad Keselowski 303 (–67) 6 10 Kyle Larson 300 (–70) 3 11 William Byron 297 (–73) 4 12 Chris Buescher 277 (–93) 2 13 Joey Logano 274 (–96) 1 14 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 270 (–100) 6 15 Alex Bowman 270 (–100) 1 16 Chase Briscoe 250 (–120)Official driver's standings
Manufacturers' Championship standings Pos Manufacturer Points 1 Chevrolet 417 2 Toyota 382 (–35) 3 Ford 372 (–45)
Note: Only the first 16 positions are included for the driver standings. . – Driver has clinched a position in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs.
Notes
References