Streaking Hendrick drivers washed out at Dover
Rick Hendrick's onslaught on Nextel Cup will have to wait one more day. If the weather cooperates, that is. Rain delayed the Autism Speaks 400 at Dover until Monday at noon ET.
Nextel at Dover Suspended Due to Rain
DOVER, Del. -- Rick Hendrick finally met his match.
Her name is Mother Nature.
Hendrick Motorsports drivers were kept out of Victory Lane on Sunday for the first time in six weeks -- not counting the All-Star Challenge -- and only the second time in three months.
But it had nothing to do with losing a Nextel Cup race.
The Autism Speaks 400 at Dover International Speedway was washed out by rain and rescheduled for Monday at noon ET. Hendrick drivers will be gunning for a sixth straight points win and their 10th victory in 11 races, weather permitting.
Sunday marked the third rain delay in four points events. Two Saturday night races -- May 5 at Richmond and May 12 at Darlington -- were run a day later because of weather.
For the record, Hendrick drivers won both -- Jimmie Johnson took Richmond and Jeff Gordon prevailed at Darlington.
Monday's race also is a Car of Tomorrow event, which bodes well for teammates Johnson, Gordon, Kyle Busch and Casey Mears. Hendrick Motorsports has swept all five next-generation races to date.
The lack of COT testing at Dover has been a concern for a number of teams this week during practice and qualifying. Now they'll have to adjust for changing track conditions because of bad weather.
"We're going to go with the setup we originally planned for no matter what the conditions are," said Gordon, a four-time winner at The Monster Mile. "Getting it fine-tuned -- it looks like this is going to be tricky for a lot of guys."
Of all the drivers in the 43-car field, nobody has more incentive to win than Jamie McMurray, the runner-up in this race in 2006.
Primary sponsor Crown Royal has pledged $250,000 to autism research if McMurray finds Victory Lane. McMurray on Sunday donated $20,000 to Autism Speaks on behalf of the Jamie McMurray Foundation.
The No. 26 Ford driver's life has been touched personally by the condition that reportedly afflicts one in every 150 youngsters.
"I have a niece who is affected by autism and I watch my sister live with it every day," McMurray said. "So when we started the Jamie McMurray Foundation it was just a no-brainer that we wanted to help create awareness and raise money here not only one day to find out what causes it but to help the families that are living with it right now."
Other story lines to watch Monday:
• Will Kasey Kahne, who won a series-high six events in 2006, break his eight-month drought? He has only one top-10 through a dozen starts. The three Evernham drivers -- including Elliott Sadler and Scott Riggs -- have just three top-10s total. Kahne starts fourth on the grid.
• Will Ryan Newman, on the pole for a second consecutive week, take advantage of the clean air and get his first victory of the season in the No. 12 Alltel Dodge?
• Can Mears back up last week's victory at Lowe's Motor Speedway -- his first Cup win in 156 starts?
• How will Michael Waltrip respond after qualifying for his first race since Daytona?
• Finally, will Tony Stewart be able to race so he can make it back to Eldora Speedway in time for his Nextel Prelude to The Dream all-star showcase Wednesday?
Stay tuned.
Joe Breeze is a motorsports editor for ESPN.com. He can be reached at Joe.M.Breeze@espn3.com.
