Elliott on the pole at Dover for rare Monday NASCAR race

DOVER, Del. (AP) — The NASCAR Cup race at Dover International Speedway is underway after a rainout forced the first Monday race of the season.

Chase Elliott, last week’s winner at Talladega, won the pole and led the field to green in Dover’s first Monday race since 2007.

Elliott topped the speed chart on a blistering qualifying session Friday and set a track record when he hit 165.960 mph. Elliott and William Byron made it a 1-2 front row for Hendrick Motorsports. The 23-year-old Elliott became the youngest pole winner at Dover.

Jimmie Johnson holds the Dover record with 11 victories. He topped the final practice Saturday with a fast lap of 161.863 mph in the No. 48 Chevrolet. The seven-time NASCAR champion is mired in the longest losing streak of his career dating to his June 4, 2017, victory at Dover.

Sunday’s scheduled race never officially started. Cars were pulled from the track after a few pace laps because of the rain.

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