May 2, 2019 | By Lee Spencer

There's nothing like the thrill of Dover--just ask Kevin Harvick

For drivers craving speed, expect Dover International Speedway to deliver this weekend.

With the current aerodynamic package and 750 horsepower under the hood, “fast” was the overwhelming response when polling Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series racers to predict the tenor of the Gander RV 400.

Patience will be at a premium on the one-mile concrete oval, where Miles the Monster can squash the hopes of the most experienced racer.

“There’s not a race track that we go to that you feel the sense of speed more than you do at Dover just because of the fact that you carry so much speed through the corners,” Kevin Harvick said on SiriusXM Radio’s Happy Hours. “Then you have the straightaways that are elevated and you kind of fall down the hill and it compresses you. As you come out of the exit of the corner, it kind of throws you out of the corner and back up the straightaway.

“So, there’s nothing like the thrill of a lap at Dover, especially when it’s going good.”

Martin Truex Jr., has two wins in 26 Cup starts at his home track. He has enjoyed four top-five finishes in the last five races.

“Dover is going to be a tough race,” Truex said. “The speeds are going to be really high. I’m sure it will be the fastest we’ve ever been around Dover and 400 laps there is tough no matter what. I think it’s going to be crazy. Hopefully, we’ll be able to do some passing, and hopefully, the dirty air is not terrible.

“I think track position will be important, but the speeds are going to be tough. It’s going to be demanding. Bristol was pretty crazy. I thought it was just because of how hard you had to drive the car every lap. As fast as Dover is, I think feel-wise, it’s probably the fastest place we go.

“So it’s going to be an eye-opener for some guys.”

Dover used to be Jimmie Johnson’s playground. He leads all current drivers with 11 wins at the Monster Mile—including his most recent Cup victory in this race nearly two years ago. Johnson is looking to end his losing streak and follow the footsteps of his Hendrick Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott, who won on Sunday at Talladega.

The seven-time champion says Dover “has been circled on the calendar for a while.” In 2010, Johnson became the last driver to win from the pole.

“It’s going to be different—lots of throttle and probably more like the 2015 rules package that we had there,” Johnson said. “I’ve loved that place since I raced in the ASA series. I’ve always run well there.”

NASCAR will implement single-car qualifying starting this weekend at Dover. Brad Keselowski holds the track record of 164.444 mph. The “sensation of speed” at Dover isn’t lost on fellow Ford driver Aric Almirola. He has a pair of top-five finishes, led 64 laps in the fall and won a Gander Outdoors Truck Series race in 2010.

“It’s going to be fast,” Almirola said. “It’s going to be really, really fast. I’m excited about it. It’s one of the coolest race tracks we go to—of all the tracks we go to. The sensation of speed is more there than any other place. Years ago, we ran 220 miles per hour at Michigan and it didn’t feel that fast because it’s so big and wide.

“But you run 179 at Dover and it feels like you’re going 300. So now, with the minimum corner speeds being up with the new rules package. I think it’s going to feel  like we’re flying around there.”

Almirola would like to be the first Stewart-Haas Racing driver to reach Victory Lane this year. Although he enjoys racing on concrete tracks such as Bristol and Dover, the driver of the No. 10 Smithfield Ford would take a win anywhere.

“Our cars are getting better and better,” Almirola said. “We’re learning so much every single week through simulation and all the engineers with all of their CFD studies and wind tunnel data—all the stuff that they put a lot of emphasis on—we’re learning at a very rapid pace and trying to implement as much as we can as quick as we can into the cars.

“I feel like the cars will just continue to get better and better, and we’ll start seeing results on the race track here real soon.”