Dover Groovy Gauge Presented by Lectric eBikes

What’s Happening?

Dover looked to be a relatively calm affair.. until it wasn’t. What started as a dry, strategy-driven race quickly turned into a late-race thriller when rain brought out an hour-long red flag and reset the field for a chaotic sprint to the finish. Amid the restarts and tension, Denny Hamlin kept his cool and capitalized on the mayhem to capture his 58th career Cup Series victory. Check out Eric Estepp’s in-depth analysis in this week’s Out of The Groove episode, featuring the Groovy Gauge, powered by Lectric eBikes.

Groovy Gauge Score: 60%

• Eric acknowledged that Dover brought moments of excitement—particularly the final restart featuring Hamlin and Bell battling for the win—but made it clear the race demanded patience. An hour-long red flag slowed momentum, and the restarts that followed were more chaotic than climactic. Denny Hamlin’s defensive mastery, especially in clean air, stifled what little passing opportunities Christopher Bell had, even on fresher tires.
• He says the early stages offered promise, with Stage 1 featuring tire failures, deep runs from fast cars mired in traffic, and a dynamic mix due to the rained-out qualifying session. But as the race wore on, the one-lane groove and the limitations of the Next Gen car on high-speed concrete made passing difficult and dulled the action. Despite NASCAR and TNT’s efforts to ensure a full-distance finish, the grind to get there left something to be desired.
• Eric ultimately gave Dover a 60%, calling it “just okay.” He didn’t feel strongly about the score either way, but admitted the event lacked staying power. While the conclusion had bite, the road there was long and uneven. For fans, it may have been worth the wait, but barely.

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