| | | | | | | | | | Dover International Speedway | The Monster Mile |
| | Dover, DE In 1969, the facility then known as Dover Downs, held its first event - a NASCAR Winston Cup Series race, which was won by Richard Petty. Known as the “Monster Mile,” the facility was originally designed to accommodate horse racing and auto racing.
In 1971, the track dropped all other motorsports events in order to concentrate on two 500-mile NASCAR Winston Cup Series racer per year, a schedule that would continue for the next 26 years, with a few exceptions.
In 1982, the NASCAR Busch Grand National races were added and began drawing large crowds, and in 1986, the facility underwent an expansion with a 3,200-seat grandstand addition. Expansions would continue until 2001. In 1995, Dover Downs became NASCAR’s first concrete-paved superspeedway - the white concrete surface still makes Dover unique among racing’s larger tracks.
In 2000, the fifteenth year of grandstand expansion brings the facility’s seating capacity to 133,000, and the NASCAR Craftsmand Truck Series makes its debut at Dover’s September race weekend with a 200-mile, 200-lap format. Kurt Busch wins from the pole.
Another expansion in 2001 brings the total seating capacity to 135,000. The same year, Dover holds the first Winston Cup event following the September 11 terrorist attacks. The race is won by Dale Earnhardt Jr., who takes the American flag for a victory lap around the track.
In 2002, the name is changed from Dover Downs International Speedway to Dover International Speedway. The DuPont Monster Bridge, a glass-enclosed seating structure that extends over the track in Turn 3, is unveiled in 2004 creating what’s been described as the “most exciting seat in sports.”
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