The Monster Mile of Dover International Speedway

The Dover International Speedway inwards Dover , Delaware , the States , is 1 of iii publicly held concrete racetracks used inwards NASCAR races. The high-banked , one-mile long , oval racetrack alongside narrow straightaways is said to last 1 of the most challenging tracks inwards the competition. The turns at Dover International Speedway are banked at 24 degrees , which is amid the steepest inwards NASCAR. But different most other tracks , the straightaways are banked every bit good , at ix degrees.

“The rails is basically an elongated bowl , in addition to the consequence is that the cars are “whipped” from 1 plow to the adjacent ,” wrote USA Today.

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A statue of “Miles the Monster” , the mascot of Dover International Speedway. Photo credit: Jerry Edmundson/Flickr

The Speedway was opened inwards 1969 , in addition to from its really outset NASCAR race on July vi the same twelvemonth , the rails has been punishing drivers in addition to tearing upwards cars. In the mid-1970s , Denis McGlynn , the CEO of Dover Motorsports Inc. , gave the tracks the nickname “Monster Mile” , a reputation that it has lived upwards to till today.

"Back therefore , it wasn't uncommon for the driver to own got a relief driver because they couldn't complete the whole race. Or they would exit of the motorcar at the halt of 500 miles in addition to collapse in addition to ask oxygen ," said Gary Camp , the speedway's managing director of communications , to Delware Online.

The Monster Mile is tough non alone on the drivers exactly on their cars every bit well. Brad Myers wrote on Delware Online:

The cars plunge into those turns at 170 mph. As the 400-lap race goes on , many of the cars laid out to drift upward inwards the corners , losing valuable time. The extreme gravitational forces the corners house on the cars takes a toll. Tires are the outset affair to wearable , therefore they are changed during almost every pit stop. But other parts tin terminate neglect , too.

The speeds are therefore fast in addition to the racing therefore unopen at Dover Speedway that most wrecks that locomote on hither are big. But thank y'all to its perpetually banking racetrack , they are also self-cleaning , every bit all wrecks tend to slide off the tracks in addition to collect at the bottom.

The speedway's mascot is called "Miles" , a Hulk-like monster which spawned from the track's nickname. The monster is featured on the winner's trophy , the track's tickets , memorabilia , in addition to banners all or therefore the stadium.

In 2008 , a 46-meter-tall fiberglass construction was erected on the grounds depicting a vehement red-eyed Miles the Monster erupting out of the racetrack's pavement. On 1 manus , Miles is belongings a motorcar —a existent racecar— high over his caput , in addition to it appears he’s almost to thrash it. The circular base of operations or therefore Miles is lined alongside granite plaques paying tribute to the winners of every Dover NASCAR race since the rails opened inwards 1969.

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