NASCAR Hometracks Dover Preview
BY DAVEY SEGAL NASCAR.COM SEPTEMBER 30, 2019

After 11 races stretching over nine months, the 2019 K&N Pro Series East season concludes this weekend at Dover International Speedway, the 29th time the series has competed on the Delaware oval.

At weekend’s end, a champion will be crowned and the season will be celebrated. For one driver, it’ll be a weekend with no pressure as history awaits.

GENERAL TIRE 125 AT DOVER

WHAT TO WATCH FOR:

It’s all but official.

Sam Mayer needs to finish 27th or better to clinch the 2019 K&N Pro East championship for GMS Racing. In one prior start at the Monster Mile last season, he finished fourth. Mayer’s season has been a dream one, visiting Victory Lane three times. He’ll put a bow on it this weekend.

With the title, Mayer will become the youngest champion in NASCAR national or regional series history.

General Tire 125

At 16 years, 3 months, 8 days, he will eclipse the mark set in 2016 by current NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series driver Todd Gilliland (16 years, 5 months). Mayer will better the East record that was set in 2017 by another current Gander Outdoors Truck Series driver, Harrison Burton (16 years, 11 months, 20 days).

It’s fitting, perhaps, that Gilliland will be back behind the wheel for DGR-Crosley for the second time this season Friday. He was eighth in the season opener at Florida’s New Smyrna Speedway.

All Mayer has done is finish in the top five in all but one start, averaging a starting position AND finishing position of under 4. In addition to his three wins, he finished second twice. He also has six top fives in seven ARCA Menards Series starts and made his Gander Outdoors Truck Series debut this year.

Not a bad rookie campaign.

The race for second will be intriguing to follow along with, as Chase Cabre (-30) has a 12-point buffer on Spencer Davis (-42) for the runner-up spot. Tanner Gray (-48) sits fourth, with Max McLaughlin (-61) fifth.

Only once since Andy Santerre in 2005 has the series champion also won the Dover race. That was Burton in 2017.

Coming off his eighth-place finish at New Hampshire, Nick Sanchez will make his fourth career start this weekend. His Rev Racing teammate Ruben Garcia Jr. is the defending race winner, while Chase Cabre will look to match his brother Collin, who earned the ‘Monster Mile’ trophy in 2015.

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