With the green flag less than 20 minutes away, the rains forecasted throughout the day have held off and the FedEx 400 at Dover is scheduled to start as planned at 1:15.
Not surprisingly, the NASCAR on FOX telecast has focused primarily on the Kyle Busch/Kevin Harvick feud, but the name of the day will likely be that of polesitter Jimmie Johnson. One surprise is that FOX Sports analyst and former three-time Cup champion Darrell Waltrip "promised" that Dale Earnhardt Jr. would win today's event, ending a winless streak that dates nearly three years.
There have been two first-time winners thus far in 2011, and A.J. Allmendinger is probably the best candidate to be the third today. He had a car that was capable of winning the September event at Dover but was trapped a lap down after he pitted just before a caution flag and starts second in today's event. Allmendinger is trying to become the first driver to take Richard Petty's famous No. 43 to victory lane since John Andretti won at Martinsville in April 1999.