Dover International Speedway officials buried a time capsule in the Monster Mile’s new NASCAR Cup Series garage Monday, in celebration of the track’s 50th Anniversary season and less than two weeks before the track’s 100th NASCAR Cup Series race.
The capsule includes mementos from Dover’s 50 years of racing, which dates to its inaugural event on July 6, 1969. The track will host its 100th NASCAR Cup Series race, the “Drydene 400” Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series playoff race, on Sunday, Oct. 6, capping its Oct. 4-6 NASCAR tripleheader weekend.
Items inside the capsule, which was signed by all full-time Dover International Speedway employees, include:
• A replica gold Monster Trophy
• Letters by NASCAR chairman and CEO Jim France and Dover Motorsports, Inc. President & CEO Denis McGlynn
• A USB drive that includes Dover’s 50th Anniversary historical video, highlights from Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s victory following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and a 2019 Dover TV commercial.
• An NBC Sports hat and T-shirt signed by some of its on-air talent, including Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Rick Allen, Dale Jarrett, Jeff Burton, Krista Voda, Parker Kligerman, Kyle Petty, Kelli Stavast and Ray Evernham.
• Two photos of NASCAR on FOX on-air crews – one from February 2002 (Darrell Waltrip, Mike Joy, Larry McReynolds, Dick Berggren, Jeff Hammond, Matt Yocum and Steve Byrnes) and one from 2019 featuring Jeff Gordon, Joy, Larry McReynolds and Waltrip.
• Three hats from the Motor Racing Network, which is also celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2019.
• Proclamations from Delaware’s Governor’s Office, House of Representatives and State Senate.
A plaque on top of the buried capsule requests future generations open the vault in 50 years, during Dover’s expected 100th Anniversary celebration in 2069.
The Oct. 4-6 NASCAR tripleheader weekend also includes the “Use Your Melon Drive Sober 200” NASCAR Xfinity Series playoff race on Saturday, Oct. 5 and the “General Tire 125” NASCAR K&N Pro Series East season finale on Friday, Oct. 4.
Dover International Speedway PR
