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Dover readies for NASCAR's "Chase for the Sprint Cup" championship

Karl Malgiero/Delaware Public Media

NASCAR’s “Chase for the Sprint Cup” championship begins this weekend in Chicago – and will be in Dover in just a few weeks.

Tuesday, NASCAR driver Ryan Newman was in Dover to promote “AAA 400”  October 4th at Dover International Speedway.

The “AAA 400"  is the third race in the 10-race playoff – and the first knockout race – with the field of contenders pared from 16 to 12 after NASCAR's Fall 2015 visit to the Monster Mile.

Newman finished second in last year's battle for the championship despite not winning a single Chase race - and he's in the field this year without a victory in 2015.

Wins in the Chase automatically move drivers to the next round – with the rest of the slots filled by those with the most points based on their finishes each week.

Newman says it’s hard to tell if his consistency without winning formula can work again this year.

“In the end, consistency did pay off [last year], but that doesn’t mean it will this year.  It doesn’t mean one driver might not win three races in a row.  You never know," said Newman. "Our goal is to go out there and do the best job we possibly can, but we have to step it up.  We haven’t led enough laps.  We haven’t put ourselves in contention enough times to get that victory and that’s going to be what it takes to guaranteed you’re in the next round.

Newman has three career wins in Dover, with the last coming in 2004. Still, he says the Monster Mile is among his favorite tracks

Credit Photo courtesy: Mike Baker
NASCAR driver Ryan Newman's visit to Delaware Tuesday included at Fifer Middle School in Camden.

“It’s right up there.  It hasn’t been as good for me in the last 6 to 8 years as it was then.  I still feel I’m just as good, if not better.  It’s just a matter of getting the car right,” said Newman

Newman finished 18th earlier this year at Dover in the May‘s FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks.

Newman’s visit Tuesday also included a pair of pep rallies for students at Fifer Middle School in Camden.

Tom Byrne has been a fixture covering news in Delaware for three decades. He joined Delaware Public Media in 2010 as our first news director and has guided the news team ever since. When he's not covering the news, he can be found reading history or pursuing his love of all things athletic.
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