Würth 400 facts for kids
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NASCAR Cup Series | |
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Venue | Dover Motor Speedway |
Location | Dover, Delaware, United States |
Corporate sponsor | Würth |
First race | 1969 |
Distance | 400 miles (643.738 km) |
Laps | 400 Stages 1/2: 120 each Final stage: 160 |
Previous names | Mason-Dixon 300 (1969–1970) Mason-Dixon 500 (1971–1983) Budweiser 500 (1984–1994) Miller Genuine Draft 500 (1995) Miller 500 (1996–1997) MBNA Platinum 400 (1998–2002) MBNA Armed Forces Family 400 (2003) MBNA America 400 "A Salute To Heroes" (2004) MBNA RacePoints 400 (2005) Neighborhood Excellence 400 (2006) Autism Speaks 400 presented by Visa (2007) Best Buy 400 benefiting Student Clubs for Autism Speaks (2008) Autism Speaks 400 presented by Heluva Good! (2009) Autism Speaks 400 presented by Hershey's Milk & Milkshakes (2010) FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks (2011–2015) AAA 400 Drive for Autism (2016–2018) Gander RV 400 (2019) Drydene 311 (2020) Drydene 400 (2021) DuraMAX Drydene 400 (2022) |
Most wins (driver) | Jimmie Johnson (6) |
Most wins (team) | Hendrick Motorsports (12) |
Most wins (manufacturer) | Chevrolet (22) |
Circuit information | |
Surface | Concrete |
Length | 1 mi (1.6 km) |
Turns | 4 |
The Würth 400 is an exciting NASCAR Cup Series stock car race. It's held every spring at the Dover Motor Speedway in Dover, Delaware. The race covers a distance of 400 miles (about 643 kilometers).
Contents
Race History
The Würth 400 has a long history, starting way back in 1969. Over the years, it has had many different names because of various sponsors.
In 2020, the race was moved to August because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It even became two shorter races held on the same weekend! Both were called the Drydene 311. But don't worry, by 2021, the race went back to its full 400-mile length.
A cool moment happened in 2021 when Alex Bowman won the race. What made it special was that his team, Hendrick Motorsports, finished in the top four spots! This means their cars came in 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th place, which is super rare in racing.
In 2022, the race got a new name: the DuraMAX Drydene 400. Then, in 2023, Würth became the main sponsor, giving the race its current name, the Würth 400. Würth has been a sponsor for other NASCAR teams since 2012.
Exciting Race Moments

This race at Dover Motor Speedway, also known as the "Monster Mile," has seen many thrilling moments. Here are a few:
2014 Race Drama
The 2014 race was full of action! There were several crashes and yellow flags.
- A. J. Allmendinger and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. crashed, sending Stenhouse into the wall.
- Later, Jamie McMurray hit a piece of concrete on the track, which caused another delay to fix the track.
- Despite all the chaos, Jimmie Johnson took the lead and held off Brad Keselowski to win. It was Johnson's 68th career win! He said his car was "awesome."
2015 Johnson's Big Win
In 2015, Martin Truex Jr. and Denny Hamlin battled for the lead early on.
- There was a three-car crash that involved Trevor Bayne and Michael Annett.
- The race came down to a "green-white-checkered finish," which means an extra two laps to decide the winner.
- Jimmie Johnson sped past his teammate Kasey Kahne and held off Kevin Harvick to win. This was Johnson's tenth win at Dover, making him one of only five drivers to win 10 or more times at a single track!
2016 Multi-Car Crash
The 2016 race had a huge crash involving 18 cars!
- After a restart, Jimmie Johnson's car stalled, causing a chain reaction. Many top drivers like Martin Truex Jr., Kevin Harvick, and Kyle Busch were caught in it.
- Johnson explained that his car wouldn't go into gear.
- After a long cleanup, Matt Kenseth took the lead and won the race, fighting off Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott.
2021 Hendrick Motorsports Dominance
For the first time in a long time, Dover only hosted one NASCAR Cup Series race in 2021.
- Alex Bowman won the race after a great pit stop.
- This win was extra special because it completed a 1-2-3-4 finish for Hendrick Motorsports! Bowman was first, Kyle Larson second, Chase Elliott third, and William Byron fourth. This is a very rare achievement in NASCAR.
2023 Rain Delay and Family Win
The 2023 race was delayed from Sunday to Monday because of rain.
- During the race, Ross Chastain made contact with Brennan Poole, which also involved Kyle Larson.
- In the end, Martin Truex Jr. won the race, holding off Chastain. This was Truex Jr.'s fourth win at Dover.
- What made it even cooler was that his brother, Ryan Truex, had won the Xfinity Series race the day before! It was a big weekend for the Truex family.
Past Winners
Here's a list of all the drivers who have won this exciting race over the years:
Year | Date | No. | Driver | Team | Sponsor | Manufacturer | Race Distance | Race Time | Average Speed (mph) |
Report | Ref | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Laps | Miles (km) | |||||||||||
1969 | July 6 | 43 | Richard Petty | Petty Enterprises | East Tennessee Motors | Ford | 300 | 300 (482.803) | 2:35:28 | 115.772 | Report | |
1970 | Sept 20 | 43 | Richard Petty | Petty Enterprises | Southern Chrysler & Plymouth | Plymouth | 300 | 300 (482.803) | 2:40:34 | 112.103 | Report | |
1971 | June 6 | 12 | Bobby Allison | Holman-Moody | Coca-Cola | Mercury | 500 | 500 (804.672) | 4:30:40 | 123.119 | Report | |
1972 | June 4 | 12 | Bobby Allison | Richard Howard | Coca-Cola | Chevrolet | 500 | 500 (804.672) | 4:12:49 | 118.019 | Report | |
1973 | June 3 | 21 | David Pearson | Wood Brothers Racing | Purolator | Mercury | 500 | 500 (804.672) | 4:10:32 | 119.745 | Report | |
1974 | May 19 | 11 | Cale Yarborough | Richard Howard | Kar-Kare | Chevrolet | 450* | 450 (724.204) | 3:54:40 | 115.057 | Report | |
1975 | May 18 | 21 | David Pearson | Wood Brothers Racing | Purolator | Mercury | 500 | 500 (804.672) | 4:57:32 | 100.82 | Report | |
1976 | May 16 | 72 | Benny Parsons | L.G. DeWitt | King's Row Fireplaces | Chevrolet | 500 | 500 (804.672) | 4:19:53 | 115.436 | Report | |
1977 | May 15 | 11 | Cale Yarborough | Junior Johnson & Associates | Holly Farms | Chevrolet | 500 | 500 (804.672) | 4:03:26 | 123.327 | Report | |
1978 | May 21 | 21 | David Pearson | Wood Brothers Racing | Purolator | Mercury | 500 | 500 (804.672) | 4:21:38 | 114.664 | Report | |
1979 | May 20 | 21 | Neil Bonnett | Wood Brothers Racing | Purolator | Mercury | 500 | 500 (804.672) | 4:29:37 | 111.269 | Report | |
1980 | May 18 | 15 | Bobby Allison | Bud Moore Engineering | Mike Curb/Hodgdon | Ford | 500 | 500 (804.672) | 4:23:28 | 113.866 | Report | |
1981 | May 17 | 90 | Jody Ridley | Junie Donlavey | Truxmore/Sunny King | Ford | 500 | 500 (804.672) | 4:17:18 | 116.595 | Report | |
1982 | May 16 | 88 | Bobby Allison | DiGard Motorsports | Gatorade | Chevrolet | 500 | 500 (804.672) | 4:09:43 | 120.136 | Report | |
1983 | May 15 | 22 | Bobby Allison | DiGard Motorsports | Miller High Life | Buick | 500 | 500 (804.672) | 4:21:13 | 114.847 | Report | |
1984 | May 20 | 43 | Richard Petty | Curb Racing | STP | Pontiac | 500 | 500 (804.672) | 4:12:42 | 118.717 | Report | |
1985 | May 19 | 9 | Bill Elliott | Melling Racing | Coors | Ford | 500 | 500 (804.672) | 4:03:43 | 123.094 | Report | |
1986 | May 18 | 5 | Geoffrey Bodine | Hendrick Motorsports | Levi Garrett | Chevrolet | 500 | 500 (804.672) | 4:20:51 | 115.009 | Report | |
1987 | May 31 | 28 | Davey Allison | Ranier-Lundy | Havoline | Ford | 500 | 500 (804.672) | 4:25:35 | 112.958 | Report | |
1988 | June 5 | 9 | Bill Elliott | Melling Racing | Coors | Ford | 500 | 500 (804.672) | 4:12:41 | 118.726 | Report | |
1989 | June 4 | 3 | Dale Earnhardt | Richard Childress Racing | GM Goodwrench | Chevrolet | 500 | 500 (804.672) | 4:06:34 | 121.67 | Report | |
1990 | June 3 | 10 | Derrike Cope | Whitcomb Racing | Purolator | Chevrolet | 500 | 500 (804.672) | 4:02:01 | 123.96 | Report | |
1991 | June 2 | 25 | Ken Schrader | Hendrick Motorsports | Kodiak | Chevrolet | 500 | 500 (804.672) | 4:09:41 | 120.152 | Report | |
1992 | May 31 | 33 | Harry Gant | Leo Jackson Racing | Skoal Bandit | Oldsmobile | 500 | 500 (804.672) | 4:34:05 | 109.456 | Report | |
1993 | June 6 | 3 | Dale Earnhardt | Richard Childress Racing | GM Goodwrench | Chevrolet | 500 | 500 (804.672) | 4:44:06 | 105.6 | Report | |
1994 | June 5 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske Racing | Miller Genuine Draft | Ford | 500 | 500 (804.672) | 4:52:36 | 102.529 | Report | |
1995 | June 4 | 42 | Kyle Petty | SABCO Racing | Coors Light | Pontiac | 500 | 500 (804.672) | 4:10:15 | 119.88 | Report | |
1996 | June 2 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | DuPont | Chevrolet | 500 | 500 (804.672) | 4:04:25 | 122.741 | Report | |
1997 | June 1 | 10 | Ricky Rudd | Rudd Performance Motorsports | Tide Mountain Spring | Ford | 500 | 500 (804.672) | 4:21:42 | 114.635 | Report | |
1998 | May 31 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Quality Care/Ford Credit | Ford | 400 | 400 (643.737) | 3:20:46 | 119.522 | Report | |
1999 | June 6 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | MBNA/Interstate Batteries | Pontiac | 400 | 400 (643.737) | 3:19:00 | 120.603 | Report | |
2000 | June 4 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | The Home Depot | Pontiac | 400 | 400 (643.737) | 3:39:09 | 109.514 | Report | |
2001 | June 3 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | DuPont | Chevrolet | 400 | 400 (643.737) | 3:19:24 | 120.361 | Report | |
2002 | June 2 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Hendrick Motorsports | Lowe's | Chevrolet | 400 | 400 (643.737) | 3:24:10 | 117.551 | Report | |
2003 | June 1 | 12 | Ryan Newman | Penske Racing | Alltel | Dodge | 400 | 400 (643.737) | 3:44:31 | 106.896 | Report | |
2004 | June 6 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | ... | Ford | 400 | 400 (643.737) | 4:07:19 | 97.042 | Report | |
2005 | June 5 | 16 | Greg Biffle | Roush Racing | National Guard/Charter | Ford | 400 | 400 (643.737) | 3:15:43 | 122.626 | Report | |
2006 | June 4 | 17 | Matt Kenseth | Roush Racing | DeWalt | Ford | 400 | 400 (643.737) | 3:38:27 | 109.865 | Report | |
2007 | June 4* | 1 | Martin Truex Jr. | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats | Chevrolet | 400 | 400 (643.737) | 3:21:45 | 118.95 | Report | |
2008 | June 1 | 18 | Kyle Busch | Joe Gibbs Racing | Combos | Toyota | 400 | 400 (643.737) | 3:18:04 | 121.171 | Report | |
2009 | May 31 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Hendrick Motorsports | Lowe's/Kobalt Tools | Chevrolet | 400 | 400 (643.737) | 3:28:16 | 115.237 | Report | |
2010 | May 16 | 18 | Kyle Busch | Joe Gibbs Racing | M&M's | Toyota | 400 | 400 (643.737) | 3:06:21 | 128.79 | Report | |
2011* | May 15 | 17 | Matt Kenseth | Roush Fenway Racing | Wiley X Sunglasses | Ford | 400 | 400 (643.737) | 3:11:07 | 125.578 | Report | |
2012 | June 3 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Hendrick Motorsports | Lowe's Build & Grow/Madagascar 3 | Chevrolet | 400 | 400 (643.737) | 3:15:23 | 122.835 | Report | |
2013 | June 2 | 14 | Tony Stewart | Stewart-Haas Racing | Code 3 Associates Helping Oklahoma/Mobil 1 | Chevrolet | 400 | 400 (643.737) | 3:14:51 | 123.172 | Report | |
2014 | June 1 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Hendrick Motorsports | Lowe's/Kobalt Tools | Chevrolet | 400 | 400 (643.737) | 3:23:52 | 117.724 | Report | |
2015 | May 31 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Hendrick Motorsports | Lowe's Pro Services | Chevrolet | 405* | 405 (651.784) | 3:23:16 | 119.547 | Report | |
2016 | May 15 | 20 | Matt Kenseth | Joe Gibbs Racing | Dollar General | Toyota | 400 | 400 (643.737) | 3:39:29 | 109.348 | Report | |
2017 | June 4 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Hendrick Motorsports | Lowe's | Chevrolet | 406* | 406 (653.394) | 3:52:06 | 104.955 | Report | |
2018 | May 6 | 4 | Kevin Harvick | Stewart-Haas Racing | Jimmy John's | Ford | 400 | 400 (643.737) | 3:28:37 | 115.044 | Report | |
2019 | May 6* | 19 | Martin Truex Jr. | Joe Gibbs Racing | SiriusXM | Toyota | 400 | 400 (643.737) | 3:08:37 | 127.242 | Report | |
2020 | August 22* | 11 | Denny Hamlin | Joe Gibbs Racing | FedEx Office | Toyota | 311 | 311 (500.506) | 2:30:03 | 124.359 | Report | |
2021 | May 16 | 48 | Alex Bowman | Hendrick Motorsports | Ally | Chevrolet | 400 | 400 (643.737) | 3:19:55 | 120.05 | Report | |
2022 | May 1–2* | 9 | Chase Elliott | Hendrick Motorsports | NAPA Auto Parts | Chevrolet | 400 | 400 (643.737) | 3:49:39 | 104.507 | Report | |
2023 | May 1* | 19 | Martin Truex Jr. | Joe Gibbs Racing | Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats | Toyota | 400 | 400 (643.737) | 3:27:47 | 115.505 | Report | |
2024 | April 28 | 11 | Denny Hamlin | Joe Gibbs Racing | Mavis Tire and Brakes | Toyota | 400 | 400 (643.737) | 3:20:57 | 119.433 | Report |
- 1974: The race was made shorter because of an energy crisis.
- 2007, 2019, and 2023: These races were moved from Sunday to Monday due to rain.
- 2015 and 2017: These races went into "NASCAR overtime" (called green-white-checker finish) to decide the winner.
- 2020: The race was postponed from May to August and became part of a special "twin-race" event. Both races were shorter.
- 2022: The race started on Sunday but finished on Monday because of rain.
Drivers with Multiple Wins
Some drivers have been really good at winning this race!
# Wins | Driver | Years Won |
---|---|---|
6 | Jimmie Johnson | 2002, 2009, 2012, 2014–2015, 2017 |
5 | Bobby Allison | 1971–1972, 1980, 1982–1983 |
3 | David Pearson | 1973, 1975, 1978 |
Richard Petty | 1969–1970, 1984 | |
Matt Kenseth | 2006, 2011, 2016 | |
Martin Truex Jr. | 2007, 2019, 2023 | |
2 | Cale Yarborough | 1974, 1977 |
Bill Elliott | 1985, 1988 | |
Dale Earnhardt | 1989, 1993 | |
Jeff Gordon | 1996, 2001 | |
Kyle Busch | 2008, 2010 | |
Tony Stewart | 2000, 2013 | |
Denny Hamlin | 2020, 2024 |
Teams with Multiple Wins
These racing teams have won the Würth 400 more than once:
# Wins | Team | Years Won |
---|---|---|
12 | Hendrick Motorsports | 1986, 1991, 1996, 2001–2002, 2009, 2012, 2014–2015, 2017, 2021–2022 |
9 | Joe Gibbs Racing | 1999–2000, 2008, 2010, 2016, 2019–2020, 2023–2024 |
4 | Wood Brothers Racing | 1973, 1975, 1978–1979 |
RFK Racing | 2004–2006, 2011 | |
2 | Petty Enterprises | 1969–1970 |
Richard Howard | 1972, 1974 | |
DiGard Motorsports | 1982–1983 | |
Melling Racing | 1985, 1988 | |
Richard Childress Racing | 1989, 1993 | |
Penske Racing | 1994, 2003 | |
Stewart-Haas Racing | 2013, 2018 |
Car Manufacturers with Wins
Here are the car brands that have won the most races:
# Wins | Manufacturer | Years Won |
---|---|---|
22 | Chevrolet | 1972, 1974, 1976–1977, 1982, 1986, 1989–1991, 1993, 1996, 2001–2002, 2007, 2009, 2012–2015, 2017, 2021–2022 |
14 | Ford | 1969, 1980–1981, 1985, 1987–1988, 1994, 1997–1998, 2004–2006, 2011, 2018 |
7 | Toyota | 2008, 2010, 2016, 2019–2020, 2023–2024 |
5 | Mercury | 1971, 1973, 1975, 1978–1979 |
4 | Pontiac | 1984, 1995, 1999–2000 |
1 | Plymouth | 1970 |
Buick | 1983 | |
Oldsmobile | 1992 | |
Dodge | 2003 |