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'Monster Mile' lives up to its reputation
Dover's unique high-banked concrete track takes a toll on drivers. Just ask Joe Nemechek, who knows from experience.
Date published: 6/2/2006
By JIM McCONNELL You may think it's physically impossible for a race track to reach out and bite you, but Joe Nemechek knows better. Dover International Speedway, also known as the "Monster Mile," has bared its razor-sharp fangs to Nemechek before, and he's not eager to see it happen again. "I don't care how many times you've raced at Dover, you better have a load of respect for the track," said Nemechek, who will pilot the U.S. Army Chevrolet in Sunday's Nextel Cup race at Dover. "If you think otherwise, you'll be in the wall pretty quickly and I can tell you firsthand it's not a fun place to be." Nemechek learned to respect the high-banked concrete oval the hard way: after a pair of crashes, one of which nearly ended his racing career. He was testing his Busch car at Dover in 2001 when a blown right-front tire sent Nemechek careening into the Turn 4 wall. Nemechek suffered fractures to his right shoulder blade, ribs and elbow, and missed five races while recuperating. Two years later, the "Monster Mile" chomped on Nemechek again. During the fall race, Nemechek suffered another flat tire and hit the wall in Turn 1. Rescue workers helped Nemechek escape his burning car, and it took 27 caution laps to repair a crack in the wall caused by the impact. "I guess you can say we either run well or crash hard at Dover," Nemechek added. That's the reality on a track that has been called "a bigger Bristol" because of its similarity to the half-mile bullring. With 43 cars battling for position on Dover's narrow straightaways, there's little margin for error over the course of 400 grueling laps. Then there's the surface. Dover officials tore up their asphalt in favor of concrete 11 years ago, making it unique among NASCAR tracks a mile or longer. It's a fast track because concrete doesn't absorb heat like asphalt. On the down side, the concrete was laid in large square slabs, creating multiple seams that are particularly punishing to cars and drivers at 150 mph. "It feels like driving on a washboard road at times. It really jars the car, and it is a rough ride all the way around the track," points leader Jimmie Johnson said.
Date published: 6/2/2006
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