From the September, 2006 issue of Stock Car Insider
Dover 400 at Dover International Speedway Recap
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| Jeff Burton has been one of the unluckiest drivers in the 2006 NASCAR Nextel Cup season. He has led more laps than most this year, 637 to be exact, to never have finished in first place. Jeff's bad luck must have rubbed off on Matt Kenseth as the two were beating and banging on each other in the closing laps of the Dover 400, however. Matt Kenseth dominated most of the Dover 400 and led the most laps only to have it taken in the end by Jeff Burton. Both Burton and Kenseth raced each other hard over the final 40 laps of the race. Burton passed Kenseth with 6 laps to go. It was all for nothing though as Kenseth ran out of gas with 2 laps remaining. Other championship contenders fared as follows: 2. (-6 points) Jeff Gordon started on the pole but failed to lead a lap. Let's hope for Jeff's sake that the missed 5 points for leading a lap do not come into play for the championship 3. (-18 points) A bad fuel decision could have cost Matt Kenseth big time. However, the mistake came at the right time with only 2 laps remaining, and dropped Matt to a 10th place finish. 3. (-18 points) NASCAR's 'Silent Assassin', Denny Hamlin, had a strong yet quiet day. He finished in 9th place and tied for 3rd in the championship standings. 5. (-54 points) Thank goodness you have a 1st place finish from last week's Sylvania 300 to go along with yesterday's 32nd place, Kevin Harvick. Another finish like this one and you'll be sitting at the end of the champion's table in December. 6. (-75 points) A mediocre 14th place finish keeps Mark Martin marred in the middle of the standings. However, 75 points out of 1st with 8 races to go is not a huge deficit. 7. (-102 points) NASCAR's golden boy, Dale Earnhardt Jr, is done for this season. Jr's 21st place finish was not an improvement over his 13th place finish last week. 8. (-136 points) NASCAR's 2006 Mr. Consistency award goes to.....someone other than Jimmie Johnson. Jimmie needed something more than a 13th place finish to help rebound from last week's 39th place finish. What happened to the consistent top 10 finishes were use to? 9. (-182 points) A 38th place finish and you're hopes of winning the 2006 championship are done, Kasey Kahne. Go hang out with Kyle Busch in the garage. 10. (-224 points) A 40th place finish and you're done, Kyle Busch. See #9 above.
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