The starting grid for Saturday’s race at Dover, scheduled to start at 4 p.m. ET and broadcast live on NBCSN, features some of this season’s top drivers at the front of the field. It is the result of a new formula that takes into account finishing position from the previous race, team owner points standings and the fastest lap from the previous race to set the lineup.
MORE: Updated 2020 NASCAR Cup Series schedule
As for pit stall selection for the NASCAR Cup Series races being run without qualifying, it is ordered based on the same formula. Which means the pole sitter for Saturday’s race (more on him below) also had the first pit stall selection.
Below is the starting lineup for Saturday’s NASCAR race at Dover and how it was set.
Who won the pole for the NASCAR race at Dover?
Chase Elliott dominated most of last week’s Cup event at the Daytona road course, both winning the race and notching the fastest lap time. Which is why the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevy will start on the pole for Saturday’s race at Dover.
Denny Hamlin, who finished second last week and is second in the NASCAR Cup Series points standings, will join Elliott on the front row at Dover. Hamlin’s standing in the points is an important factor in the formula that led to his starting spot.
Below is the formula for how the Cup Series field was set at Dover:
50 percent: Finishing position from previous race 35 percent: Ranking in team owner points 15 percent: Fastest lap from previous race
NASCAR starting lineup at Dover
Saturday’s race at Dover is just the second to use NASCAR’s new formula for setting the starting lineup without qualifying. The same procedure will be used through the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs, with the one exception being Sunday’s second leg of the doubleheader at Dover. (The field will be set by the results of the first leg with the top 20 finishers inverted.)
As for the starting lineup for Saturday’s NASCAR race at Dover, below is the field the formula created:
