Generally, summer in Delaware means mellow days out by the sea, whether on Rehoboth Beach or anywhere else along the state’s shoreline. However, the pace of this year’s summer is set to get far quicker than they’ve been in years, as The Monster Mile has awakened to interrupt the tranquility.

This weekend, NASCAR makes its annual trip to Dover Motor Speedway for the Autotrader Echopark Automotive 400, changing things up from its traditional spring and fall dates to a midsummer visit. It’s the first time NASCAR raced at Dover in July since their very first visit to the one mile speedway, which came in 1969 when Richard Petty took the checkered flag. Years later, a summertime trip to Dover is sure to make for a unique challenge unlike any previous trips to the track, as the summer heat stands to make this track’s concrete surface slick, greasy, and thirsty for the physical carnage it’s known for.

Where to watch the NASCAR Cup Series at Dover

When: Sun., July 20, 2 p.m. ET
Where: Dover Motor Speedway – Dover, Del.
TV: TNT
Stream: fubo (try for free)

Storyline to watch

Sunday’s race in Dover features a major milestone for the defending Cup Series champion, as Joey Logano makes his 600th career Cup start and claims a piece of NASCAR history as his own. In making his 600th start at 35 years, one month and 26 days old, Logano will break the NASCAR record for the youngest driver to ever reach 600 Cup starts, which had been held for 52 years by Petty after he made his 600th start at Richmond at 35 years, seven months and 23 days old in 1973.

Dover is a somewhat fitting locale for Logano’s milestone, as in 2008 it also served as the site of his debut at the national level in the Xfinity Series shortly after his 18th birthday. Logano made his first Cup start later that year before going full-time as a teenage phenom in 2009, but he is still looking for his first Cup win at Dover in what will be his 29th start at the speedway.

It’s fitting that Dover will be the site of Joey Logano’s 600th career Cup start this weekend. In 2008, Dover was the site of Logano’s debut at the national level shortly after his 18th birthday. pic
— Steven Taranto (@STaranto92) July 16, 2025

Meanwhile, Dover will serve as the semifinals of NASCAR’s In-Season Challenge, where now just four drivers remain. No. 32 seed Ty Dillon continues his Cinderella run through the tournament and will be matched up with No. 12 seed John Hunter Nemechek, while No. 23 seed Tyler Reddick faces No. 6 seed Ty Gibbs on the other side of the bracket.

The highest finisher in each matchup will move on to the final round in next weekend’s Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis, where they will go head-to-head and race for the grand prize of a $1 million bonus.

Ty Dillon said that when he got the chance to run part-time for Kaulig in 2024, he recognized that the baseline speed and capability of his cars was better than anything he’d ever had before in Cup, which led to an “excitement and belief” that grew into the offseason. pic
— Steven Taranto (@STaranto92) July 18, 2025

NASCAR news of the week

• 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports lost their charters for at least the next two Cup Series races after their request for a preliminary injunction in their antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR was denied on Thursday. 23XI and Front Row sought a preliminary injunction to prevent NASCAR from revoking their charters and continue forcing the sport to recognize them as chartered teams, but a judge ruled that neither team will be in danger of failing to qualify for the next two races or lose their drivers or sponsors, they are not subject to irreparable harm.
• In other legal news, Legacy Motor Club sued former Spire Motorsports co-owner T.J. Puchyr for an “underhanded attempt” to purchase Rick Ware Racing while Legacy M.C. was in a legal dispute with Rick Ware over the purchase of one of the team’s charters.
• RACER reports that NASCAR reached a deal to hold a street race in San Diego, Calif. next season, with an announcement to come as early as next week.
• Xfinity Series team Our Motorsports announced it will shut down following Saturday’s race in Dover after parting ways with driver Kris Wright.

Pick to Win

Kyle Larson (+500) – Since the start of his Cup career in 2014, Dover has often been a place where Kyle Larson excelled to the point it’s hard to believe he has just one victory there. Larson has eight top fives and 12 top 10s in 16 career Dover starts, with a staggering four runner-up finishes – including last year.

Larson seems due for his first Dover victory with Hendrick Motorsports, and the odds are very good that it’s coming.