Winners and losers from a wet NASCAR Cup race at Dover

The ‘Monster Mile’ did not eat that many automobiles this weekend, but it surely was the standard suspects battling for the race win. Joe Gibbs Racing and Hendrick Motorsports had been the groups to beat, with Denny Hamlin in the end incomes a formidable victory in a mad sprint to the end. 

Mom Nature additionally interfered fairly a bit, washing out each follow and qualifying for the Cup race. The Xfinity race ended up being shortened by rain, and extra showers resulted in an hour-long delay with lower than 15 laps to go within the Cup race. Nonetheless, NASCAR waited out the climate and delivered an exhilarating end the place teammates battled it out for the checkered flag.

This is a take a look at the most important winners and losers from Dover:

WINNER: A defiant Denny Hamlin on the observe and off

Hamlin entered the weekend at Dover with a cloud above him because the co-owner of 23XI Racing. The group, together with Entrance Row Motorsports, had just lately misplaced their charters as the continuing authorized battle with NASCAR rolls on. However Hamlin was defiant in his feedback to the media, and promised that the lawsuit will not be a distraction from his job as a driver at Joe Gibbs Racing. On Sunday, he proved it, driving from thirteenth to 1st to earn his series-leading fourth win of the 2025 season. 

Christopher Bell spins, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Photograph by: Sean Gardner / Getty Pictures

Christopher Bell had one in all, if not the quickest automobile at Dover this weekend. He might lower by way of the pack with ease, he earned 19 of a potential 20 stage factors, however he additionally could not cease spinning out. Firstly of the ultimate stage, he spun from the lead on the opening lap of the restart, and by some means your entire subject prevented him. He made his method again ahead, catching a well-timed yellow to place himself again in rivalry for the race win. And as soon as he bought alongside teammate Hamlin for the lead, neither driver was going to carry. That proved consequential for Bell, who spun out as soon as once more. Whereas automobiles crashed throughout him, Bell’s No. 20 remained undamaged, however there was no time left to rebound this time. He completed a disappointing 18th. 

WINNER: NASCAR Cup drivers named ‘Ty’

Properly, we now know the names of the 2 drivers advancing into the finals for NASCAR’s $1 million in-season bracket problem, they usually’re each named Ty! Ty Gibbs, driving the No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, defeated Tyler Reddick in his battle. However the actual story is Ty Dillon, the last word underdog who entered this competitors as the underside seed, and but, he has bested drivers from Joe Gibbs Racing, Hendrick Motorsports, RFK Racing, and now John Hunter Nemechek of Legacy Motor Membership. This competitors has been top-of-the-line issues that has ever occurred to the youthful Dillon brother, who now has only one driver between himself and the massive prize at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

LOSER: Trackhouse will get crushed by Miles the Monster

Daniel Suarez, Trackhouse Chevrolet

Photograph by: Sean Gardner / Getty Pictures

Dover was not an excellent race for Trackhouse Racing, which simply gained back-to-back races, because of Shane van Gisbergen. On the very begin of the race, SVG needed to pit with a right-front tire difficulty. He fell nearly 5 laps down within the course of, which was a gap that he was by no means capable of get out of. Daniel Suarez solely made the highlights when he was combating the leaders to remain on the lead lap, however he ended up being the highest-finishing Trackhouse driver in twenty sixth. However what about Ross Chastain? He ran between tenth and fifteenth for a lot of the race, however that is a far cry from his normal tempo at Dover. And with 17 laps to go, the automobile snapped round on him, and he crashed out of the occasion. SVG ended up ending thirtieth, whereas Chastain was relegated to thirty third. 

WINNER: Chase Briscoe’s late cost nearly ends in victory

Watch: Briscoe laments runner-up end: ‘Want again of automobile was about three inches shorter’

When crew chief James Small known as Chase Briscoe to pit highway with only a handful of laps to go at Dover, it was a daring transfer that risked a strong top-ten day. With contemporary right-side tires, Briscoe restarted tenth for the ultimate eight laps of racing. He then made all the proper strikes, rocketed ahead and bought all the way in which to the race chief. He slammed doorways with Hamlin on the white flag within the battle for the win, however he did not go as far as to wreck himself or his teammate. Ultimately, JGR bought a 1-2 with one in all Briscoe’s most spectacular drives of the 2025 season.

LOSER: Noah Gragson as a result of he simply did not wish to wreck

Noah Gragson, Entrance Row Motorsports Ford

Photograph by: Meg Oliphant / Getty Pictures

Throughout the one-hour rain delay earlier than NASCAR might end the Cup race at Dover, Noah Gragson instructed TNT Sports activities that he simply did not wish to wreck within the closing laps. He was operating in a good place, sitting 14th within the operating order. And after the race returned to yellow-flag circumstances, he stayed out, placing himself inside the highest ten. Nonetheless, it didn’t final as he did the one factor he did not wish to do — wreck. When Bell went spinning, Gragson did as properly after a faucet from behind. He slammed the within wall, leading to a DNF that left him with a Thirty second-place end.

WINNER: Bubba Wallace builds a margin over cut-line

Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing Toyota

Photograph by: Meg Oliphant / Getty Pictures

Bubba Wallace entered Dover on the new seat, sitting on the bubble with simply a few factors between himself and Ryan Preece within the battle to make the playoffs. Wallace was amongst those that pitted for contemporary tires close to the top of the race at Dover, and like Briscoe, he had a formidable restart that vaulted him deep inside the highest ten. He in the end completed seventh, growing his buffer to 16 factors. It might not seem to be a lot, however each level issues with simply 5 races left till the common season ends.

LOSER: William Byron loses the factors lead

William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Photograph by: Sean Gardner / Getty Pictures

Since profitable the Daytona 500, William Byron’s season has been an odd one. The No. 24 has been quick, main a whole bunch of laps, and but, he hasn’t returned to Victory Lane. And in current weeks, Byron has been bleeding factors to his rivals. He has 5 completed of twenty seventh or worse within the final seven races, costing him the common season factors lead. Earlier than this dangerous stretch, he had almost a 50-point buffer to play with. Hendrick Motorsports appeared sturdy throughout the board at Dover, and Byron might have completed inside the highest 5, however he was swept up in a late-race wreck on the Monster Mile.