NASCAR Sprint-Cup Series
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CUP: SPEED Crew Ready For Dover
The NASCAR on SPEED crew looks ahead to this weekend's racing at Dover...
SPEED Staff  |  Posted September 28, 2012   Charlotte, NC
Dover International Speedway is set to host its second NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event of 2012. (Photo: Getty Images)
Dover International Speedway hosts round three of the Chase for the Sprint Cup this weekend. Below, SPEED on-air personalities look ahead to The Monster Mile and its place in the championship:

Q: Dover certainly has been the thorn in Denny Hamlin’s side and he has made no secret of that. With his team’s momentum from the win at Loudon and the manner in which he won, how should the No. 11 team approach Dover this time? Should they be aggressive or remain conservative to keep any potential points damage to a minimum?

“On paper, the smart thing would be to play defense, but I think that approach opens teams up to problems. No, Dover is not Denny’s best track and if he leaves there with a top five or a top-10 finish, it might appear to be an accomplishment. But I don’t think that’s what Denny and the No. 11 team are looking for. I think they still must shoot for wins because that is what got them to this point.”
--Krista Voda, host of NCWTS Setup and Trackside

“Racing has taught us you cannot be conservative. You have to go all out. There is no way to play it safe and just hope for a top 10 or top five. I think the No. 11 team will go to Dover trying to win. Whether they will or not remains to be seen, but I think they’ll be wide-open.”
--Tom Jensen, SPEED.com Editor-in-Chief

Q: Kurt Busch is joining Furniture Row very soon. How good a fit is this for Kurt and the team?

“Time will tell. Kurt has said it’s all a progression to get him back on top, and I think Furniture Row certainly has shown they have the resources and passion for success with what they’ve done for Regan Smith the past couple of years and getting him to Victory Lane at Darlington.”
--Krista Voda, host of NCWTS Setup and Trackside

“Team chemistry is a tough thing to predict. You’d like to think a driver as talented as Busch would be great for the team, but like everything else, we’ll have to wait until they get some track time together. However, it’s smart that they’ll get an early start this season for 2013.”
--Tom Jensen, SPEED.com Editor-in-Chief

Q: Jeff Gordon finished third at Loudon but only knocked two points off of his deficit to the leader. Is it the new points system, implemented last season, that makes it so difficult to overcome a bad finish early in the Chase?

“I look at both the new points system and the competitiveness of the Cup Series this year. After Gordon’s third-place finish at Loudon, we couldn’t believe he didn’t shave any more off the deficit than he did. But you have to not only beat 11 other guys; you also have to hope they suffer a bad day so you can capitalize. That’s just not going to happen.”
--Krista Voda, host of NCWTS Setup and Trackside

“This might be the year you can’t afford a 35th-place finish and still win the championship. It just depends on the year. Carl’s worst finish in the Chase was 11th last year and he still didn’t win the title.”
--Matt Clark, SPEED analyst

“This points system penalizes you much more for a bad finish than it rewards you for a good finish. It’s shocking that Jeff Gordon could finish third and only pick up two points on the leader. Therefore, unless a lot of guys in front of him have a lot of trouble, his ‘drive for five’ is essentially over.”
--Tom Jensen, SPEED.com Editor-in-Chief

Q: Non-Chase contenders usually say they’re using the Chase to prepare for next season. But they’ll have a brand-new car and body style next year, so what are they doing right now?

“In my opinion, it’s almost a lame-duck Chase for those guys. There’s not a lot that will translate to the new car in 2013. The bodies and aero packages are different, so there isn’t a lot that will carry over from what they may learn in the Chase.”
--Matt Clark, SPEED analyst

Q: Contrast the Denny Hamlin we’re seeing today with the Denny Hamlin of the 2010 Chase. What changes do you see in his mental outlook and approach to the Chase?

“Denny now is a leader. Sometimes in order to lead you must already have been in certain situations to know how to respond and gain the confidence your actions are correct. That is where Denny is now. Calling his shot to win at Loudon was more than confidence -- he did it for his team. I think he wanted them to know they would recover from Chicago. That is the sign of a true leader and what I think could become the sign of a champion.”
--Krista Voda, host of NCWTS Setup and Trackside

“Hamlin professes to be much looser and much more relaxed now, but it still is early in the Chase. If we get down to Homestead with three or four drivers in a really tight battle again, that will be the true test of whether he really is much more relaxed and laidback.”
--Tom Jensen, SPEED.com Editor-in-Chief
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