Every racetrack seems to have their thing that they’re known for. Some are remembered for a particular race, a classic finish or a driver who seemed impossible to beat. Dover Motor Speedway has experienced all three, and plenty more, since opening its doors in 1969.
For nearly six decades, NASCAR's biggest names have taken on the high banks of The Monster Mile, producing everything from record-setting performances to moments that reached far beyond the sport itself. Along the way, the one-mile oval in Delaware's capital city has undergone some major changes of its own.
With NASCAR’s return to Dover on May 15–16, 2027, we're looking back at five moments that helped shape the Speedway into what it is today
5. 2026: The NASCAR All-Star Race Comes to Dover
For decades, the NASCAR All-Star Race had been associated with some of the sport's most recognizable venues, particularly Charlotte Motor Speedway, which hosted the event for most of its history.
In 2026, Dover Motor Speedway got its turn.
On May 17, NASCAR's biggest stars competed in the All-Star Race at The Monster Mile for the first time, bringing the event to the Northeast and a one-mile oval for the first time in its history.
The 350-lap showdown featured an unusual format, including three segments, an inversion of the top 25 drivers following the second segment and a $1 million prize awaiting the winner.
The racing didn't disappoint.
Denny Hamlin and Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Chase Briscoe traded the lead repeatedly during the final 200-lap segment, with Hamlin eventually pulling away in the closing laps to capture his second career NASCAR All-Star Race victory.
The win also marked Hamlin's third consecutive Cup-level victory at Dover, following his triumphs in the track's 2024 and 2025 points-paying races.
For Dover, hosting the All-Star Race represented another major milestone in its long NASCAR history. The event brought a new format, new traditions and plenty of national attention to the one-mile oval.
And for the thousands of fans who witnessed it, the 2026 All-Star Race added another memorable chapter to The Monster Mile's story.
4. 2017: Jimmie Johnson Claims His 11th Dover Victory
There have been plenty of drivers who figured out how to win at Dover. Richard Petty won seven times. Bobby Allison collected seven victories of his own. David Pearson, Jeff Gordon and several others built impressive records at the one-mile oval.
Then there's Jimmie Johnson.
The seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion developed a remarkable relationship with The Monster Mile, winning his first two Dover races during his rookie season in 2002 and continuing to dominate the track throughout his career.
By the time NASCAR arrived in June 2017, Johnson already had 10 Dover victories to his name. And despite having to start from the rear of the field following a rear gear change, the driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet wasn't finished.
Johnson worked his way through the field and found himself battling Kyle Larson for the lead in the closing laps. On a NASCAR Overtime restart, Johnson made his move, taking the lead before a multicar accident brought out the caution and secured his 11th Dover victory.
The win was also the 83rd of Johnson's Cup Series career, tying NASCAR legend Cale Yarborough for sixth on the all-time victories list.
It would turn out to be Johnson's final Cup Series victory, making the afternoon even more significant in NASCAR history.
His 11 wins at Dover remain the most by any driver at the track, four more than his closest competitors.
For all the great drivers who have battled Miles the Monster® over the years, nobody has found Victory Lane more often than Jimmie Johnson.
3. 1995: Dover Trades Asphalt for Concrete
It's hard to imagine Dover Motor Speedway without its famous concrete racing surface, but for the first 26 years of its existence, The Monster Mile was covered in asphalt.
That changed following the 1994 NASCAR season when Speedway officials undertook one of the most significant construction projects in track history, replacing the entire one-mile racing surface with concrete.
The project was no small undertaking. Crews faced a tight construction window, with the Speedway's neighboring harness racing operation preparing for its fall and winter season. The new surface was completed in time for NASCAR's return in 1995.
On June 4 of that year, Kyle Petty won the first Cup Series race on the new concrete, leading 271 of 500 laps in the Miller Genuine Draft 500. It would also be the eighth and final Cup Series victory of his career.
The change helped give Dover an identity unlike nearly every other track on the NASCAR schedule. Concrete offered different handling characteristics and presented a new challenge for drivers and crew chiefs trying to find the right setup.
More than 30 years later, that same concrete surface remains one of Dover's most recognizable features.
And here's a little piece of history fans might not know: Near the start-finish line, the initials "MLJ" and the year "1994" are permanently marked in the concrete, honoring Speedway co-founder Melvin L. Joseph and the year the surface was installed.
2. 2001: NASCAR Returns After Sept. 11
Of all the races held at Dover Motor Speedway, few carried the emotional significance of Sept. 23, 2001.
Just 12 days after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, NASCAR returned to competition at Dover for the first Cup Series race since the tragedy.
Approximately 135,000 fans filled the grandstands that afternoon, many carrying American flags. Patriotic displays could be seen throughout the property as drivers, teams and spectators came together during an incredibly difficult time in American history.
On the track, Dale Earnhardt Jr. delivered a memorable performance, leading 193 of 400 laps and holding off Jerry Nadeau to capture his first career victory at Dover.
But what happened after the checkered flag became one of the most recognizable images in NASCAR history.
With an American flag in hand, Earnhardt turned his No. 8 Chevrolet around and drove a backward victory lap around The Monster Mile, waving the flag to the thousands of fans who had gathered that afternoon.
It was a moment that meant far more than a race victory.
Twenty-five years later, the image of Earnhardt carrying the American flag around Dover remains a powerful reminder of an afternoon when NASCAR helped bring people together.
1. 1969: Richard Petty Wins Dover's First NASCAR Race
Every great racetrack has a beginning, and Dover's came on July 6, 1969.
Just two weeks before Neil Armstrong walked on the moon, NASCAR's biggest stars arrived in Delaware for the inaugural Mason-Dixon 300 at the newly constructed Dover Downs International Speedway.
Among them was Richard Petty, already one of the sport's most recognizable drivers. By the time the checkered flag waved, "The King" had made himself right at home.
Petty led 150 of the 300 laps and finished an incredible six laps ahead of runner-up Sonny Hutchins. He was the only driver to complete the entire race distance, earning his 96th career NASCAR Cup Series victory and the first of seven wins he would eventually collect at Dover.
The track looked quite different back then. Its racing surface was asphalt, the grandstands were considerably smaller and Miles the Monster® had yet to become the familiar face of the Speedway.
But the foundation had been laid. Dover had officially joined the NASCAR Cup Series schedule, beginning a tradition that continues more than half a century later.
The Next Chapter Begins May 15–16, 2027
From Richard Petty's six-lap victory in 1969 to Denny Hamlin's million-dollar payday in 2026, Dover Motor Speedway has given NASCAR fans plenty of moments worth remembering.
And there's no telling what might happen next.
NASCAR returns to The Monster Mile on May 15–16, 2027, with the BetRivers 200 NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series race on Saturday, followed by the ECOSAVE 400 NASCAR Cup Series race on Sunday.
With championship points back on the line and Hamlin looking to become the first driver in Dover history to win four consecutive Cup-level races at the track, another historic moment could be right around the corner.
Be there when the next chapter is written. Tickets and camping for Dover Motor Speedway's 2027 NASCAR weekend are available at DoverMotorSpeedway.com or by calling 1-800-441-RACE.
