Dover Motor Speedway

Dover Motor Speedway at a glance

Location

Dover, Delaware

Type

oval

Length

1 mi (1.609 km)

Turns

4

Direction

counter-clockwise

Banking

24° in the turns, 9° on the straights

Surface

concrete

Opened

1969

Owner

Speedway Motorsports, LLC

Capacity

54,000

Address

1131 North Dupont Highway

Phone

+1 302-883-6500

Website

dovermotorspeedway.com

Track map and layout

Known as the Monster Mile, Dover is a one-mile concrete oval with steep 24-degree banking in the turns and 9 degrees on the straights, a combination that lets cars carry huge speed through the corners while punishing any mistake on the unforgiving concrete surface. The track has been paved entirely in concrete since 1995, a switch made for durability that also changed how the racing surface grips and wears compared to the asphalt ovals elsewhere on the schedule; concrete holds its grip more consistently across a run but offers less forgiveness if a car gets loose against the wall. The steep banking and high minimum speeds make Dover one of the more physically demanding one-mile tracks for drivers, with sustained high g-forces through all four corners. The track was originally built alongside the Dover Downs harness racing facility and horse track, and the two still share the same grounds today.

Configurations

Events and race weekends

Dover hosts one NASCAR Cup Series weekend a year (it hosted two annually for most of its history before the schedule was trimmed to one date), along with Xfinity Series and Craftsman Truck Series support races on the same weekend. The Cup race has run under various sponsor names over the years and has at times carried Playoff significance depending on the season's schedule placement. The track's nickname, the Monster Mile, is reinforced by a large monster-truck-style monster statue that greets fans at the entrance.

Getting there and parking

Dover Motor Speedway sits on US Route 13 (North Dupont Highway) on the north side of Dover, Delaware, roughly 90 minutes from both Philadelphia and Baltimore-Washington, making it a convenient drive for fans across the Mid-Atlantic. The closest commercial airports are in Philadelphia and Baltimore/Washington, each around 75-100 minutes away; there is no major airport in Dover itself. Race weekends bring heavy traffic to Route 13 and Route 1, and locals recommend building in significant extra time.

• Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) · about 90 min drive
• Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) · about 100 min drive

Parking

General parking is available in surface lots surrounding the speedway, typically included with race tickets or sold separately for premium lots; lots open several hours ahead of green flag.

Expect significant backups on Route 13 on race morning; arriving well before gates open is the standard local recommendation.

Hotels and camping near Dover Motor Speedway

Dover itself has a modest but growing hotel base, much of it concentrated around the speedway and the adjoining Dover Downs casino and harness track, which makes staying within walking or short driving distance of the track realistic for race weekend. Visitors who prefer a wider selection can stay in Wilmington, Delaware, or drive in from Philadelphia or the Maryland Eastern Shore. Rooms near the track sell out well ahead of the annual Cup weekend.

Where to look

Around the Dover Downs complex adjacent to the speedway, and in Wilmington or Philadelphia for a wider hotel selection

Track days, driving experiences and lap records

The public can drive or ride Dover's Monster Mile through NASCAR Racing Experience, which runs scheduled stock-car ride-along and driving sessions at the track. Ride-alongs put a guest in the passenger seat for three laps at speed with a professional driver, while driving experiences involve a drivers meeting and instruction followed by timed solo sessions on the concrete oval; the Rusty Wallace Racing Experience has also operated similar programs at the track.

Who runs days here

• NASCAR Racing Experienceboth
• Rusty Wallace Racing Experienceboth

Typical cost: Ride-alongs around $199 per person; driving experiences priced higher for multiple timed sessions, per NASCAR Racing Experience

Lap records

Spectator guide

Grandstands at Dover rise steeply around the tight, steeply banked one-mile oval, and because the track is compact relative to its high banking, fans get a strong view of cars running high in the corners at speed. The Monster Mile's concrete surface and consistent grip tend to produce single-file to multi-groove racing depending on tire wear, giving fans in the higher rows a good vantage point on how the racing line shifts through a run.

Seating

Frontstretch grandstands offer the classic start/finish and pit road view; turn seating puts fans close to the steeply banked, high-speed corners.

Best places to watch

Upper rows in the frontstretch grandstands give the widest view of the oval's steep banking and the full field running through all four corners.

Bag policy

Clear-bag guidance applies at the gates; check the current fan guide before arrival for size limits and prohibited items.

Weather

• April-May: mild spring weather, highs typically in the 60s-70s°F, occasional rain

History of Dover Motor Speedway

From Dover Downs to the Monster Mile

Dover Motor Speedway opened on March 8, 1969, built for about $5.2 million alongside the existing Dover Downs harness racing facility, and it hosted its first major stock car race on July 6, 1969, won by Richard Petty. The track ran for decades as Dover Downs International Speedway before being renamed Dover International Speedway in 2002, and it earned its enduring nickname, the Monster Mile, for the combination of steep banking and high speeds that made it one of the sport's more demanding one-mile ovals.

Concrete and growth

The track was originally asphalt but was repaved entirely in concrete in 1995 for durability, a change that altered the character of the racing and became one of Dover's defining features. Grandstand capacity grew through the 1990s and early 2000s, peaking at roughly 140,000 seats in 2005, before the industry-wide decline in NASCAR attendance led the track's owners to remove excess seating over the following years, bringing capacity down to around 54,000.

Ownership changes and a new name

Dover Motorsports, the company built around the Dover Downs complex, owned and operated the speedway for most of its history before selling it to Speedway Motorsports, LLC in November 2021, at which point the track was rebranded a final time as Dover Motor Speedway. The change reflected a broader industry pattern of major track ownership consolidating among a small number of large operators.

Present day

Dover has hosted NASCAR Cup Series racing every year since it opened, once running two Cup weekends annually before the schedule settled to a single spring or early-summer date alongside Xfinity and Truck Series support races. It remains Delaware's largest annual sporting event, and the Monster Mile nickname, backed by its distinctive concrete surface and steep banking, continues to define how drivers and fans talk about the track.

Frequently asked questions

Other tracks nearby

• New Jersey Motorsports Park · 28 mi · road course
• Pocono Raceway · 129 mi · oval
• Summit Point Motorsports Park · 131 mi · road course
• Richmond Raceway · 151 mi · oval
• Lime Rock Park · 220 mi · road course
• Watkins Glen International · 229 mi · road course