Kyle Strassle of Milford watches his drive off the 1st tee in the final round of the DIAA golf tournament Wednesday at Maple Dale Country Club. (Special to Delaware State) News/Gary Emeigh

DOVER — Mentally, Kyle Strassle used to hang on to bad shots for too long.

And, too often, that meant another bad shot would follow the first for the Milford High golfer.

“My young mind told me, that was a bad shot,” joked Strassle. “(Now) if I hit a bad shot, I know I have the skill to make the next one.”

Strassle said that newfound confidence is probably the biggest reason for how well he’s been playing lately.

A week after winning the Henlopen Conference individual title, the Buccaneer junior finished fourth in the DIAA golf state championships, which concluded on Wednesday afternoon at Maple Dale Country Club.

Strassle was the top downstate finisher in the 36-hole tournament. With a four-over par total of 148, he finished just four shots behind winner Esther Park of Wilmington Charter.

Park, a sophomore, took her first individual state championship by first firing a 67 — the best score of the tourney — and then winning a two-hole playoff with last year’s champion, freshman Phoebe Brinker of Archmere.

It was the second straight year that a female player not only won the championship but that female golfers took many of the top spots in the final standings. Four female players placed in the top eight.

As for the team crown, Tower Hill came from five shots back after the first round to capture its second-straight state title with a score of 540. Archmere (543), Appoquinimink (544) and first-round leader Caesar Rodney (551) took the top four spots.

Akira Parvy of Caesar Rodney watches his tee shot Wednesday at Maple Dale Country Club. (Special to Delaware State News/Gary Emeigh)

Milford coach Todd French said Strassle surpassed all his goals for the season with his strong finish.

“He peaked at the right time,” said French. “He’s played his best golf over the last two weeks. And every round has gotten better.

“His potential was always there. I haven’t seen a kid work at something specific like he does with golf.”

Strassle’s 73 on Wednesday was two shots better than the 75 he carded in the first round. He played the final eight holes at one-under par.

The warm, sunny conditions on Wednesday made a big difference over Tuesday’s cold, wet weather said Strassle. He finished 29th in the tournament a year ago.

“There was no wind — I particularly hate playing in the wind,” said Strassle. “I held myself together. I hit a few bad shots but I didn’t let myself get down on myself.”

CR’s Akira Pavey was the only other Henlopen player to finish in the top 10. The Riders’ sophomore took seventh after shooting a 77 on Wednesday to card a 152 for the tourney.

As a team, CR had finished in first or second-place five times in the last seven seasons. But the Riders couldn’t be too disappointed considering some of the low numbers put up by the teams in front of them.

Archmere’s Phoebe Brinker hits her second shot from the 4th fairway Wednesday. (Special to Delaware State News/Gary Emeigh)

“I don’t think we lost it, I think that other people won it,” said coach John Newman. “I was proud of what we did today. There were some great scores.”

“We wish the team would have done better but we tried our hardest,” said senior Devin Sanders. “We’re happy with what we did. … We were hoping for a state title but top five is always good.”

Only a few years ago, the female players in the state tournament were just trying to work their way toward the top of the leaderboard. Now it seems like the boys have to catch up with the girls.

Charter’s Park won the title with an eight-foot birdie putt on No. 17, the second playoff hole.

“The girls I know here, we’ve played since we were little,” she said. “I’m actually really proud that they grew and improved a lot.”

DOVER — The inaugural Do More 24 United Way-sponsored online fundraiser did so much for nonprofit organizations throughout the state last year that it has returned for an encore.

The second annual Do More 24 Delaware online fundraiser takes place today. The event actually started at 12:00 a.m. and it will continue until midnight tonight while benefiting more than 200 nonprofits.

Last year’s Do More 24 Delaware fundraiser raised a total of $97,736 for more than 200 participating nonprofits.

Michelle Taylor, president and CEO of United Way of Delaware, was certainly impressed by last year’s results.

“This is a remarkable demonstration of our community uniting to raise much needed funding for programs and services that meet our community’s needs,” she said, after reviewing the numbers of last year’s fundraiser.

Those first-year numbers were the catalyst for bringing the charitable event back for another year.

“Last year’s inaugural event was pretty phenomenal,” said Deb Jewell, director of marketing for Dover Federal Credit Union, one of the fundraiser’s sponsors. “It’s nice because it keeps everything local.

“Some campaigns and telethons are on a national level so nobody really feels the impact. Here, the majority of nonprofits are able to feel an impact. This is just a great way to take a stand on that day to kind of support them locally.”

To donate to a nonprofit organization in today’s fundraiser online, go to www.domore24delaware.com. Individuals who donate $52 or more will be automatically entered to win a Kia.

“It’s an added incentive to win the Kia,” Ms. Jewell said, “and keeping those funds local makes a huge difference.”

Last year, the Schwartz Center for the Arts in downtown Dover raised the most money of all of the nonprofits. The Schwartz was able to raise $9,398 from 86 donors.

Kingswood Community Center in Wilmington came in a distant second with $5,582 from 72 donors.

Last year’s fundraiser was a boon for the Schwartz Center, especially considering that it had learned just prior to the Do More 24 event that regular donations it had received from both Delaware State University and Wesley College would be curbed.

“If it were not for these two institutions, the Schwartz Center for the Arts would not be where it is today,” the Schwartz Center said in a statement last year. “For this reason, the new Board of Directors and the executive director have kicked into high gear to survive.”

The Schwartz Center will be a participant once again in this year’s Do More 24 Delaware fundraiser.

Last year, the Schwartz went above and beyond just online fundraising by holding an outdoor celebration on State Street for locals to enjoy food trucks, live music and tours of the historic theater.

“It’s phenomenal how it all works,” Ms. Jewell said. “The Schwartz Center is a participant again this year. They certainly gave 110 percent last year.”

DOVER — A discarded foot-long copper pipe found in front of Delaware Family Court caused a two-hour disturbance Tuesday before being deemed harmless.

According to Capitol Police Chief John E. Horsman, the pipe was discovered near the building’s entrance by an officer on routine patrol at approximately 5 p.m.

An evacuation took place immediately. Judges and court staff were ordered from the building located at 400 Water St.

“When you’re dealing with something suspicious it’s always best to err on the side of caution for the safety for our officers and the public,” Chief Horsman said.

Dover Police arrived to close nearby Water and Court streets as the investigation began.

Court Street was shut down for about 30 minutes while Water Street remained closed until the situation ended, Chief Horsman said.

A Delaware State Police Explosive Ordnance Disposal unit arrived and operated a robot to move the pipe to a safe area.

Chief Horsman said the pipe was found to be inert and contained no explosives at roughly 7 p.m.

The pipe was crimped on both ends, he said.

After reviewing surveillance video, Chief Horsman said, “We do believe now that someone entering the court saw the (scanning procedure) inside and discarded the pipe.

“We have a solid lead on a suspect.”

The chief said that criminal charges are possible and any arrest would be announced publicly.

“It’s a reckless act,” Chief Horsman said.

“I’m not sure it could be called an intentional act, but it’s a reckless act.”

GEORGETOWN — A former volunteer basketball coach’s rape conviction will stand after his claim of new evidence and prosecutorial misconduct were discounted in Sussex County Superior Court last week.

Matthew M. Phlipot’s long-running “deceptive behavior” was noted in Judge Richard F. Stokes’ 11-page order and “his latest argument is merely a new attempt to game the system.

“At various stages of this case, both the Delaware Supreme Court and Delaware Superior Court have referenced Phlipot’s deception.”

On June 10, 2010, a jury found Phlipot guilty of two counts of fourth-degree rape after a three-day trial connected to a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old female student he met while coaching at an undisclosed school, court papers said. The Lewes resident was 32 years old and married at the time.

On Aug. 10, 2010, Phlipot was sentenced to five years Level V incarceration on each of the rape charges, according to court documents, along with suspended time for six tampering with a witness offenses. He was also ordered to pay a $100 fine on 27 counts of criminal contempt. Level IV home confinement and probation were to follow release from prison. Phlipot is being held at Sussex Correctional Institution in Georgetown.

In a motion filed on May 4, Phlipot contested only the rape charges. He alleged that new online evidence showed the juvenile planned to make false statements at trial and that a prosecutor threatened him “with new charges if he attempted to introduce certain emails at trial.”

The defendant maintained he did not have the technical expertise to establish an IP address that produced email evidence that was used against him at trial.

Judge Stokes disagreed with the premise. He noted that Phlipot “set up an email system for himself and the victim only after they were ordered to have no contact by the Family Court, which would allow them to secretly communicate.

“This shows special knowledge of Internet technology. Therefore, Phlipot’s assertion that he did not have the ability to access the IP information at the time of trial is unpersuasive.”

The Delaware Supreme Court affirmed the conviction on May 3, 2011, and pointed out that Phlipot “continued seeing, calling, and e-mailing (the juvenile).

“Many e-mails were written in an attempt to convince (the juvenile) not to tell anyone about her sexual relationship with Phlipot and to discourage her from testifying against him.”

According to an earlier Superior Court decision, Phlipot “went so far as to create a special Yahoo! account.

“That account, in so many words, enabled him to create a message for (the juvenile) to read but there would be no obvious ‘sent’ or obvious ‘received’

“… This lends additional support to the idea that Defendant’s claims of innocence are without merit because it is apparent that Phlipot is willing to use deceptive tactics to maneuver around consequences he does not like.”

Phlipot’s first motion for post-conviction relief was denied on Dec. 13, 2012 in Superior court, and affirmed by Supreme Court on May 3, 2011.

The allegations detailed

A Supreme Court order in 2011 detailed allegations that brought Phlipot’s eventual arrest, conviction and incarceration. According to documents, the juvenile ran away from home to a friend’s home on Jan. 18, 2009, and stayed there a week. She allegedly engaged in sexual intercourse with Phlipot several times during that period.

Afterward, the defendant allegedly drove the juvenile to a train station so she could travel to Chicago, the order stated. The juvenile was located by authorities on a train in West Virginia on Jan. 30, 2009.

The juvenile was removed from the train and taken to a juvenile detention center where she was picked up by her family a few days later, documents stated. After returning to Delaware, the juvenile described her relationship with Phlipot during an interview, papers said, and denied having sex with him “because she loved him and ‘didn’t want to get in trouble. ‘“

On Feb. 27, 2009, in Family Court, Phlipot pleaded guilty to endangering the welfare of a child for his assistance in the runaway attempt.

“There were no other charges brought against Phlipot at that time because he was initially successful in convincing (the juvenile) not to reveal their sexual relationship,” according to the Supreme Court order.

The juvenile contacted the police after speaking with her grandmother and a counselor, however, and on March 18, 2009 “admitted that her previous denials about having sex with Phlipot had been untruthful,” documents indicated.

Phlipot was arrested and charged with four counts of fourth-degree rape on March 31, 2009. A no-contact order was entered in Family Court, but the Court said in papers that Phlipot continued to see with the juvenile, make calls and e-mail with her.

“Many e-mails were written in an attempt to convince (the juvenile) not to tell anyone about her sexual relationship with Phlipot and to discourage her from testifying against him,” the Supreme Court said.

The state obtained the e-mails and added multiple tampering with a witness and criminal contempt charges, and one count of falsely reporting an incident.

DOVER — With less than a month remaining in the fiscal year lawmakers have yet to reach an agreement on balancing the budget.

Failure to find consensus was magnified Wednesday when Democratic leaders canceled today’s Joint Finance Committee meeting.

The move, an atypical one, minimizes public backlash and concern in response to spending reductions and gives the caucuses more time to come to an agreement on tax increases.

The state government is facing a shortfall between projected revenue and spending of about $400 million. Gov. John Carney proposed eliminating the gap with what he called an “even mix” of tax increases and spending reductions.

JFC cut about $50 million last week and another $30 million Tuesday from spending projections, while the House last month passed a bill raising the franchise tax, which would take in around $116 million.

That places the General Assembly about halfway toward a balanced budget. But, while members of both parties deny negotiations are stalled, frustration is visible on both sides.

Democrats are generally less amenable to cuts, while Republicans are reluctant to go along with higher taxes without what Senate Minority Whip Greg Lavelle, R-Sharpley, calls “systemic change.”

JFC co-chair Rep. Melanie George Smith, D-Bear, suggested lawmakers have another $60 million in “soft cuts,” such as giving no funding to agricultural preservation and not shifting any of the operating budget to the bond bill. She also said legislators will save $35 million because of decreased growth for mandatory spending components, effectively leaving JFC with just $25 million left to cut.

However, Sen. Lavelle disputed that, saying he had never heard of soft cuts and wanted to see JFC finish cutting spending. Gov. Carney’s plan, he opined, does not provide long-term reform but is designed to get the state through the 2018 election.

Leaders of each of the four caucuses have been meeting regularly for months to discuss a solution to the budget woes, but they have yet to agree on how the $400 million gap will be eliminated.

Gov. Carney, a Democrat, recommended raising the income tax and cigarette tax, and House Speaker Pete Schwartzkopf, D-Rehoboth Beach, said Wednesday the alcohol tax is also being considered.

A statewide property tax has also been floated but received a cold reception from legislative leadership, the House speaker said.

Lawmakers said they have already begun receiving phone calls from angry and distressed constituents protesting cuts made by JFC. Committee members called many of Tuesday’s decisions, including reductions to health-related programs, cuts to education initiatives and elimination of a handful of positions with the Child Placement Review Board, painful. Rep. Schwartzkopf said further cuts will be “drastic.”

Democrats said Wednesday they do not want to eliminate or reduce some programs and services when that funding could later be restored if the two sides make a deal for tax hikes.

“I don’t see the need to go down there and cut to the point peoples’ lives change yet,” Rep. Schwartzkopf said.

Those reductions may become a necessity, however, if no agreement on revenue is reached.

Senate Minority Leader Gary Simpson, R-Milford, said he expects there will be “pain” as lawmakers try to balance the budget, though Rep. Schwartzkopf said the caucuses are communicating well despite the ideological differences.

The situation is reminiscent of 2015, when lawmakers spent months negotiating for ways to raise money for infrastructure and did not finalize the budget until the final hours of that legislative session.

Like in 2015, neither side appears ready to give in.

“I guess they’re waiting for us to make some sort of a move,” Sen. Simpson said.

Among the things Republicans would like to see is a change in prevailing wage, which governs how much laborers on state-funded construction projects are paid. The limit was increased two years ago, allowing the state to get more bang for its buck, and Republicans are adamant another alteration would benefit Delaware.

Rep. Schwartzkopf, however, said he is reluctant to change the prevailing wage threshold, which has little direct impact on the operating budget.

Raising prevailing wage could also lead Democrats to vote against the budget, which needs 21 backers to pass the House (and 11 to pass the Senate).

“It’s all a juggling match to try to keep 21 in mind,” Rep. Schwartzkopf said.

For now, there are two key dates: June 19, when an updated revenue forecast is issued, and June 30, the last day of the fiscal year.

JFC co-chair Sen. Harris McDowell, D-Wilmington, said “there’s a general tendency to wait” and see the new revenue forecast each month, but with the pages of the calendar turned to June, he believes lawmakers are now more focused on the budget.

According to Rep. George Smith, JFC will meet again before June 19, and if no revenue agreement is reached by then, lawmakers will craft a budget with the remaining shortfall eliminated entirely though cuts.

While lawmakers have different ideas for a long-term fix in mind, both sides want budget reform. For Democrats, that change is predicated more on revenue, while Republicans envision a solution based on less spending.

“Part of the (reason) we want structural change is so we’re not sitting here 365 days from now doing the same damned thing we’ve been doing since 2009,” Rep. Schwartzkopf said.

The Schwartz Center in Dover. (Delaware State News/Marc Clery)

DOVER — A year after a public-giving campaign raised more than $10,000 in one day for the Schwartz Center for the Arts the downtown Dover-based nonprofit is once again considering its future.

Tracey Miller, president of the Schwartz Board of Directors, said Tuesday, “At this point the board and the center are weighing all of our options and taking a look at what our future looks like and how we can go forward at this point.”

She would not elaborate on details, declining to discuss the center’s financial situation, factors causing the board’s consideration or a timeline for making any decisions on future operations.

All scheduled performances posted on the center’s website will be held and ticket sales will continue, she said.

“We still have a lot of folks to talk to. I wish I had more definitive answers at this point,” said Ms. Miller, who has taken on additional roles since former executive director Sydney Arzt left last year after 18 months in that position. In addition to the volunteer board, there are five paid employees, some full time and some in part-time positions.

Delaware State University, which owns the Schwartz building with Wesley, would not comment Wednesday and Wesley College President Robert Clark was unavailable.

Both institutions last year stopped donations to the nonprofit center.

Sen. Brian Bushweller, D-Dover, said Tuesday that he had not heard any news regarding the Schwartz’s operations, but would not be surprised if the center was facing closure given its financial struggles.

The 550-seat center has received $47,500 in state funding in recent years.

The General Assembly gave the Schwartz $12,500 in the current fiscal year, as well as that amount in both fiscal years 2015 and 2016 and $10,000 in fiscal year 2014.

Prior to that, the center had not been funded through grant-in-aid spending since before 2006.

The state’s Joint Finance Committee, which drafts spending bills, has been working this month to reduce spending and members cut state arts funding in a session this week. Final budget decisions must be approved by the General Assembly by June 30.

Ms. Miller said the Schwartz’s 14-member board will meet June 8.

The United Way’s Do More 24 campaign is underway today and the Schwartz Center is again a participant in the donation drive.

Community challenges

The Schwartz Center has a storied past. The building on South State Street was built in 1904 as The Dover Opera House. George M. Schwartz expanded it into a movie theater in 1923 and renamed the venue The Capitol Theater. It fell into disrepair in the 1970s and closed its doors in 1982.

After a dedicated community campaign, the Friends of the Capitol Theater renovated the building and reopened it in 2001. Wesley and DSU became involved as partners in 2004.

Ms. Miller said the biggest challenge for the Schwartz Center today is attendance — “100 percent.”

“We’ve done our best to widen our appeal and try to listen and know what our community wants. It’s still tough to get Dover out to shows unless it’s a community-based show, like ‘The Nutcracker’ or ‘Seussical’ or The Children’s Theatre shows,” she said.

And while ticket sales were up 99 percent over last year, she said, that’s not enough to secure success.

“No theater ever makes it on ticket sales. Not when you are selling a $15 ticket. There are a lot of things that come into play here. It’s not all about ticket sales,” she said. “There are a lot of layers that go into running a theater and getting the community involved is the biggest part of this.

“We’re just like any other small community theater in the country. We depend on the community,” she said.

Erin Rich, who is the publicist for The Dover-based Children’s Theatre, which stages its plays at the Schwartz, said she has been hearing rumors that the center was in trouble since early May.

“I would imagine The Children’s Theatre would be ready and willing to do anything that they could to try and help the Schwartz stay afloat. We have benefited from our partnership for many years,” she said.

Ms. Rich first became involved in the theater program when her oldest son, now 13, was 8 years old. He tried out for “Oliver” on his birthday and got the lead role.

Her 12-year-old son also has been involved in productions. She became the publicist in 2015.

“As a resident of downtown Dover, I would be heartbroken to see it close,” she said. “It’s a great building with a lot of potential. We would hate to lose it. It’s a great asset to children’s theater.”

The Schwartz Center’s June performances include a zydeco show which was held Wednesday night and the Mrs. Delaware Pageant this weekend.

That event is handling its own ticket sales through Event Brite, which was the pageant organization’s decision unrelated to the Schwartz board’s current operations discussions.

Ms. Miller said often groups renting the venue opt to handle their own ticket sales.

The New York hit musical, “ALIVE! 55+ and Kickin,’” which was set for June 24, has been rescheduled for September, she said, because the musical is being hosted in Philadelphia a week prior to the Schwartz show, which would have hindered ticket sales.

“We draw from Philly and we draw from Baltimore, so we rescheduled it for September,” she said. Otherwise, “everything on our website will go on as planned,” she said.

The other two shows in June are a “Snow White” Dance Showcase and the premiere of the film “Jason’s Letter,” the majority of which was filmed in Dover, on June 11.

Annual campaign support

Ms. Miller said last year that the loss of financial support from DSU and Wesley was “not something that caught us by surprise. We saw it coming and we understand that they’re doing what all colleges and universities are doing — directing their dollars to where they will benefit the students most.”

The Schwartz board was reassessing its finances at that time and operating on funds donated through the 2016 United Way’s Do More 24 statewide campaign.

Of 200 Delaware nonprofits that participated in last year’s Do More 24, held June 22, the Schwartz Center earned the most, receiving $9,398 from 86 donors. For coming in first place, the Schwartz received a $2,500 bonus.

In February, the center held The Battle of the Schwartz,” a sold-out lip-sync contest showcasing local celebrities, that organizers reported raised $64,700.

Its board, which transitioned from an advisory board to a working board last summer, had solicited community input and tweaked program offerings this year based on feedback.

“We’re doing really, really well this year. The theater’s done better programming than it’s ever done,” Ms. Miller said. “I think we’re listening to the community more. We brought movies back. We’re getting more involved with educational programming.”

“It’s just that we’ve run out of runway. We need more time. I’m hoping to have more concrete answers after next week,” she said.

Staff writer Matt Bittle contributed to this story.

Why is the American Health Care Act (AHCA) bill passed by the House still being promoted on TV in spite of the fact that the Senate announced they would have to work on repealing and replacing this dysfunctional House bill? The Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare, could have had its wrinkles ironed out if it were not for the Grover Norquist pledge. Grover Norquist is a political advocate, and the founder and president of Americans for Tax Reform, an organization that opposes all tax increases.

He has been successful in securing signed pledges from most of the Republican Congress to never raise taxes. This pledge all but ensures that Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, SNAP, CHIP, and other social programs will be subject to an agonizing death spiral.

It is abundantly clear that the approximately 45 million Americans living below, or just above, the poverty line could be subject to being cast away without a lifeline. Add to [this,] the fact that recently proposed tax reductions for the rich have never resulted in the past for meaningful pay raises for the working class. This trickle-down supply-side economics was called “voodoo economics” by George Bush Sr.

Ayn Rand, a late author, and a hero of many Congressional Republicans, considered altruistic acts such as safety nets for the poor an evil because she believed it enabled the less-fortunate among us not to learn to fend for themselves. Never mind that the majority of the poorest among us grew up under repressive government regimes here and abroad, denying them equal opportunities to climb the ladder to success.

Nevertheless, Rand’s philosophy in her novels and essays was “to oppose all forms of welfare, unemployment insurance, and support for the poor and lower middle class, regulation of industry, and government provisions for roads or other infrastructure.” “Taxation should be purely voluntary.” Source: AlterNet, April 20, 2011, titled “The Truth about GOP Hero Ayn Rand.”

Paul Ryan, the architect of the GOP’s anti-tax-raise budget plan, cited Rand as his primary inspiration for entering public service. The House bill that was rejected by the Senate and the majority of Americans is very similar to Ayn Rand’s, Grover Norquist’s and Paul Ryan’s philosophy. It appears to be very much the economic equivalent of “draining the safety net.” The banana republic may not be far away.

The rich continue to get richer, and the poor, poorer.

Bill Clemens
Smyrna

Delaware opens play in the NCAA Division I baseball tournament today when it takes on No. 5 Texas Tech.

The four-team, double-elimination bracket is being held at the Red Raiders’ Rip Griffin Park in Lubbock, Tex.

The fourth-seeded Blue Hens (34-21) faces top-seeded Texas Tech (43-15) at 3 p.m. ET with second-seeded Arizona taking on No. 3 Sam Houston State at 7 p.m.

The winners play at 6 p.m. on Saturday with the losers playing an elimination game at 2 p.m. Games in the bracket will be televised on WatchESPN.com.

Colonial Athletic Association champion Delaware is playing in the NCAAs for the first time since 2001.

Right-hander Ron Marinaccio (4-2) is slated to start for the Hens. Over 58.1 innings, Marinaccio has recorded 65 strikeouts, walking 19 batters and allowing 14 runs, 12 earned, for a 1.85 ERA.

As a team, Delaware is hitting. 313, with eight Hens batting over .400.

Lacrosse

Cape, Sals to play on Saturday: The DIAA boys’ lacrosse state championship game, between No. 4 Cape Henlopen (14-4) and second-seeded Salesianum (14-3), will be played on Saturday at 2 p.m. at Dover High.

Tickets are $7 for the contest.

The two teams played on May 12 with the Sals notching a 10-8 victory. That was Sallies’ closest game against a Delaware school this season.

The Sals are playing in the state finals for the 11th straight year. They’ve played Cape three times in that stretch with the Vikings winning twice.

Overall, Cape is trying to capture its seventh state crown.

College football

UD to host ECAC bowls: The University of Delaware will host the Eastern College Athletic Conference Division III Football Bowl Championships this fall.

Entering its third year, DIII Football Fest features the best ECAC DIII football teams competing in a series of bowl games at a neutral site over a multiple-day span. Since it was first held in 2015, the event has become one of the Conference’s marquee championship events.

This year’s event will be held Nov. 17-19 at Delaware Stadium.

“On behalf of the University of Delaware and the Newark community, we are excited to host the ECAC Division III Football Fest here at Delaware Stadium this coming November,” said Delaware Director of Athletics and Recreation Services Chrissi Rawak. “We are honored to be selected to host some of the top football teams and student-athletes in the country for this one-of-a-kind event.

“We wish all the teams the best as they work towards this goal and invite everyone to come out and support them in what should be another great event and a fun atmosphere at Delaware Stadium.”

DOVER — Austin Cindric, a rookie in the Camping World Truck Series, had one unforgettable day — and night — a couple of weeks ago.

Not only did he graduate from the Cannon School in Concord, North Carolina, the morning of May 19, he then raced in the NC Education Lottery 200 Truck Series race that night at Charlotte Motor Speedway, where he finished 13th.

That made the 18-year-old the first truck competitor to graduate from high school and race on the same day. To top it all off, it was also his mother’s birthday.

Cindric hopes June will hold more exciting things, beginning with today’s Bar Harbor 200 Truck Series event at Dover International Speedway, which is set to start at 5:30 p.m.

Dover was a disappointment for Cindric last year as qualifying was rained out and he failed to make the starting field.

Austin Cindric prepares to run the Monster Mile Thursday afternoon at Dover International Speedway for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series practice runs. (Special to the Delaware State News/Jon Lloyd Jr.)

“I know we got rained out in qualifying but I left there on a high note with my head held high,” he said. “It was really unfortunate because there’s so much that goes into making a race weekend like that possible.

Austin Cindric, left, talks with fellow driver Chase Briscoe Thursday afternoon at Dover International Speedway.

“Dover is a concrete racetrack and concrete racetracks dry very, very quickly, so I never gave up hope until somebody wearing a NASCAR shirt came up and told me that we weren’t going to be able to qualify.”

Cindric, who drives the No. 19 truck owned by Monster Energy NASCAR Cup driver Brad Keselowski, learned some valuable lessons during practice at Dover last year that he hopes will help him earn his Monster Mile diploma today.

“(Last year) I stood down in Turn 1 at the start of first practice and watched for a little while, to see what I was really up against, because I had never been here before,” Cindric said. “It’s an intimidating place, especially in the truck, because you’re carrying a ton of corner speed.

Austin Cindric crosses the start/finish line.

“You’re committed to full throttle way before you can see the exit of the corner. The exits of the turns are really narrow and the banking falls away when you get to the outside wall, so every lap you’re counter-steering toward the wall and sliding off the corners.”

Who’s the favorite? Start with Johnson

The list always begins with Jimmie Johnson when discussing the favorites to win a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Dover International Speedway.

It’s no different for Sunday’s AAA 400 Drive for Autism.

Johnson is back at his home away from home this weekend — Dover — where he has produced a track-record 10 Cup Series wins.

Crews begin to unload the trucks Thursday afternoon.

“Dover is my favorite track on the circuit,” said Johnson, driver of the No. 48 Lowe’s-sponsored Chevrolet. “I get asked all the time why, and it really just suits my driving style and off-road racing background.

“It’s been a while since we’ve put the Lowe’s Chevy in victory lane there so it would be nice to make it win number 11 this weekend.”

Cody Coughlin crosses the start/finish line.

Johnson, a seven-time Cup Series champion, has 15 top-fives, 21 top-10s and a 9.5 average finish during his career at Dover’s high-banked, one-mile oval.

If Johnson wins on Sunday, he will join NASCAR Hall of Famers Richard Petty and Darrell Waltrip as the only three Cup Series drivers to win 11 or more races at a single track — Petty has done it four times (Martinsville 15, North Wilkesboro 15, Richmond 13 and Rockingham 11). Waltrip has done it twice (Bristol 12 and Martinsville 11).

Johnson currently sits eighth in the Monster Energy Series points standings, 132 points below leader Martin Truex Jr.

Johnson, Truex and Brad Keselowski lead the series with two wins each this season.

Smith subbing for Almirola again

Regan Smith, who filled in for the injured Aric Almirola at Charlotte Motor Speedway last weekend, will again drive the No. 43 Ford in the Monster Energy Series race this weekend at Dover.

Todd Gilliland enters pit row.

Almirola said he expects to miss 8-12 weeks of action while recovering from a fracture of his T5 vertebrae suffered in an accident at Kansas Speedway on May 13.

Smith finished 22nd in the Coca-Cola 600 in his first substitute role last Sunday.

He won an Xfinity Series race at Dover in 2015. However, in 12 Monster Energy Series starts at the Monster Mile his best finish has been 17th.

“I keep saying it, but I’m honored to drive the No. 43 Ford for Richard (Petty) and his team,” Smith said. “I think we learned a lot at Charlotte and work together well. I’m looking forward to this weekend. I really like Dover.

“My last win in NASCAR was at Dover, so I’m really looking forward to getting back there in the Monster Energy Series this weekend.”

Busy day at the Monster Mile

Today is the busiest day of a NASCAR tripleheader weekend at Dover International Speedway as drivers in all three touring series — Monster Energy NASCAR Cup, Xfinity and Camping World Trucks) — will be on track at one time or another.

The day will be highlighted by Monster Energy Series qualifying at 3:50 p.m. to set the starting lineup for Sunday’s AAA 400 Drive for Autism race, followed by the Bar Harbor 200 Camping World Truck Series race, set to take the green flag at 5:30 p.m.

The morning will feature alternating practice sessions for the Monster Energy and Xfinity drivers, beginning at 9:30.

Several Truck Series drivers took advantage of an opportunity to get some pointers from Kyle Busch recently. Busch has two Cup victories, five Xfinity wins and four Truck Series triumphs at the Monster Mile.

“We had a meeting after Charlotte and several of us rookies were bouncing questions off of him,” driver Noah Gragson said, about Busch. “He told us track position is key because it’s really hard to pass there. Being able to lean on Kyle is very valuable and he certainly knows his way around Dover.”

DOVER — The times are certainly changing in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. There is a youth movement taking over the sport that simply will not be denied.

With former champions such as Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart retiring over the past couple of seasons and the ever-popular Dale Earnhardt Jr. deciding to hang up his helmet after this year, there is plenty of opportunity to be seized.

Six drivers under the age of 30 are certainly taking advantage of the times and are changing the face of NASCAR.

Joey Logano, a grizzled 27-year-old veteran who is already in his ninth full season in the Cup Series, leads the way among the young guns with 18 career victories.

But others are catching up quickly, and Logano has taken notice.

In fact, Logano, Kyle Larson (24-years-old), Chase Elliott (21), Ryan Blaney (23), Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (29) and Austin Dillon (27) all currently hold prized spots to NASCAR’s playoffs after the first 12 races of the season.

Joey Logano poses with the winner’s decal after winning the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond International Raceway on April 30. (Matt Sullivan/Getty Images)

“The future of NASCAR is present, and it’s going to be big,” Logano said. “It’s amazing you see some of those guys that are coming in how good they are. Their wins here are obviously right around the corner. You can see that.”

Larson has been the hottest of the under-30 crop of drivers so far this season, leading the points standings for several weeks before falling behind current leader Martin Truex Jr. by five points following last week’s race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

“You’ll see a big change in NASCAR over the next six or seven years with some of the veterans leaving the sport and lots of new guys filling their seats,” Larson said. “It’s exciting to see. I’m happy I got here in the first small wave of seats opening up.”

While none of NASCAR’s new wave of drivers has won a Cup Series race at Dover International Speedway, all promise to be contenders when the green flag waves on the AAA 400 Drive for Energy race on Sunday afternoon at 1 (Fox Sports 1).

Elliott said he’s ready to attack the Monster Mile.

“Just the sensation of speed I think is very real (at Dover),” he said. “The way the racetrack is shaped, only being one mile it seems fast. Some places seem faster than others although you might be going the same speed, but it is definitely a place that seems like it’s pretty quick.”

Larson will definitely be one to watch throughout the race Sunday.

In six career starts on Dover’s high-banked, one-mile oval, he has driven to a pair of top-five finishes, four top-10s and has a 9.3 average finish.

Larson led 85 laps in last spring’s race at the Monster Mile, but failed to clear Matt Kenseth at the end of the contest and finished runner-up.

Logano captured four-consecutive victories in the Xfinity Series at Dover from between 2012-’13. He also survived an unforgettable flip during a Cup race at the track.

Richard Childress, the car owner who teamed with the “Intimidator” Dale Earnhardt Sr. for six of his seven Cup Series championships, knows talent when he sees it.

Childress got to celebrate as Dillon, his grandson, earned his first career Monster Energy Cup victory at Charlotte Motor Speedway last Sunday night in the legendary No. 3 Chevrolet that he owns.

Dillon has often been overlooked when it comes to NASCAR’s youth movement, but it doesn’t bother him.

“Lost in the sauce? I don’t know,” said Dillon. “It’s all about performance. They’re going to talk about you more when you’re performing well.

“Those (other) guys have been performing well. I knew we could do it and run well, but we just got to do it more consistently. When I do, I think they’ll talk about us.”

With this up-and-coming group of drivers, Childress definitely sees a lot of talent.

“I think the sport today, with the young talent, with Chase Elliott, (Kyle) Larson, (Austin) Dillon, (Erik) Jones, all this group of young talent, I don’t think in my time I’ve seen this much great young talent coming along in our sport in 50 years,” Childress said.

“The sport looks bright, it looks great. I think it’s going to be great. NASCAR is doing a lot to the packages to improve our product in there. I feel good about it.”

So while names such as Gordon, Stewart, Earnhardt Jr., Carl Edwards and Greg Biffle slowly fade away from the race track, others are quickly filling their spots.

It’s a natural progression.

Car owner Chip Ganassi said he enjoys the influx of new attitudes to the garage area.

“I think obviously the sport’s gone through some changes,” he said. “We’re looking at a new (stage racing) format. These young kids, when they talk about changing the format, they go ‘Okay.’ It’s kind of no big deal to those guys.

“I think that says a lot about how they approach it, how they look forward to it. So I think (the future’s) pretty bright when you have an attitude like that.”

Now, the clock is ticking on veteran drivers such as seven-time Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth, Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch.

There is always another young driver ready to strap in and take their place.

For Rick Hendrick, who was the car owner for Gordon for all of his championships, change is exciting.

He remembers back when Gordon broke the mold of the traditional NASCAR racer back in the early 1990s.

“It’s just fun to watch those guys mature, grow, come up through the ranks. It’s real exciting,” Hendrick said. “I’ve never seen the level of talent that we have today. I think these guys adapt so much faster.  I think it’s due to video games, simulators, all that. I mean, it doesn’t take them long to get into it.

“(It’s all about) experience, you got to have experience down here. These guys will take you to school in a hurry. But the level of the young guys that you see coming along that have the talent that they have, it’s super exciting.”

DOVER — The Truex family is back at their home track — both of them.

While Martin Truex Jr. has established himself as a championship contender the last several years in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, his younger brother Ryan Truex has been waiting to break through.

After a few seasons of bouncing around in part-time rides, Ryan Truex is racing full-time in the Camping World Truck Series this year. He will be competing tonight in the Bar Harbor 200 Presented by Sea Watch International (5:30 p.m.) as the racing action gets underway at Dover International Speedway.

And its a big moment for the Truex family, who are from Mayetta, N.J., and grew up attending races at the Monster Mile. Their father Martin Truex Sr. is one of the owners of Sea Watch International.

Not only is it sponsoring the race, it also sponsors Ryan Truex’s No. 16 Toyota in the Camping World Truck Series.

Martin Truex Jr. raises the trophy after winning the race at Dover International Speedway in October. (Delaware State News file photo)

“It’s really cool to see them growing to the point where they can do things like that,” said Martin Truex Jr. “They have a presence on Ryan’s truck this year, which is great for him obviously trying to get his career going. To be able to do Dover, our home track, Sea Watch headquarters is just down the road, that’s a perfect fit.”

Ryan Truex

“When I was a kid that company didn’t even exist,” he added. “It’s definitely cool to see how far it has come in the last 12-15 years.”

With the Camping World Truck Series races not always running the same weekend or tracks as the Monster Energy Series, the Truex brothers are always excited when they can spend time with one another like this weekend.

Martin Truex Jr. enters the weekend as the Cup Series points leader and a pair of wins under his belt. He also won the last race at the Monster Mile, back in October.

The Monster Energy Cup Series race, the AAA 400 Drive for Autism, is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Sunday.

Ryan Truex is in ninth-place in the truck standings with three top-10s through the first five races.

Ryan Truex is a two-time K&N Pro Series champion, but his career was hurt by lack of sponsorship as he struggled to move up the ladder through the different NASCAR Series. One of his best moments did come at Dover, though, when he finished second in a XFINITY Series race in June 2012.

The 25-year-old has competed in 26 career Cup Series races but has not been able to find a ride since 2014.

Martin Truex’s success in the Cup Series hasn’t stopped him from helping his younger brother whenever he has the chance.

“He has been an inspiration to me over the past few years, especially since we both have had struggles during this time.” Ryan Truex said. “It feels so good to have his experience to lean on, I can ask him about anything and it has helped me advance so quickly.  I can’t put a price on that. If we are at the same track he watches me practice and then we discuss how it’s going.”

But since they are in different series, the brothers won’t be able to face off against each other on the track at Dover. Ryan Truex has an idea who would win if that was the case however.

“If we had NASCAR Camping World Trucks that were equally matched,” Ryan Truex said. “And I raced against him at Dover International Speedway…I would beat him for sure.”

SMYRNA – A Smyrna Middle School teacher has been arrested on unlawful sexual relationship charges, Smyrna Police said Thursday.

In a news release Thursday, Smyrna police said detectives were notified in early May of a potential inappropriate relationship involving a 17-year-old student.

Police said they determined the suspect engaged in unlawful sexual acts with the teenager on multiple occasions.

Karen Brooks

Police said the incidents did not take place on Smyrna School District property.

Karen Brooks, 38 of Dover, was charged with two counts of rape fourth degree/sexual intercourse with a victim under 18.

She was released on $40,000 secured bond after arraignment in Justice of the Peace Court 2.

I am getting very sick of the political games in Dover. Very sick. We have the Joint Finance Committee cutting programs left and right, with House and Senate leadership on both sides of the aisle continuing to bicker over raising taxes or having more cuts. We elect these people to do what is right for Delaware, not to kick the can until the next election. They continue to use the most vulnerable citizens of Delaware in their political football games: the students, those who are sick or rely on state assistance, and those who live in poverty. Enough.

In a Delaware State news article, JFC Co-Chair Melanie Smith brags about needing only $60 million in “soft cuts” while Speaker of the House Pete Schwartzkopf says further cuts would be “drastic“. Do these two even talk to each other? They are in the same damn party. Meanwhile, we have Senator Greg Lavelle preaching from his pulpit wanting the state to have even more cuts. But both sides are not giving serious thought to State Rep. John Kowalko’s bills which would raise taxes on the wealthy of Delaware. Hell, they spit in our faces in the House by passing the very ridiculous estate tax appeal last month.

Delaware Republicans, let’s get one thing straight: prevailing wage will NEVER happen as long as the Democrats hold power in the House and Senate. It is a pipe dream. Delaware Democrats, the Republicans will NEVER allow you to raise taxes on the wealthy. Delaware citizens, we are screwed.

I believe they are making these “drastic” cuts in the JFC to cut to the heart of Delaware. By going after the most vulnerable of Delaware citizens, they are hoping the legislators will cave and come up with some sort of short-term compromise to fix the budget. Governor Markell left the station, but not without spending our way to prosperity. But guess what, the bill came in for that spending and we have treated the state wallet like an ATM without any limits.

In Delaware, we have this insane tendency to vote the SAME people into office every election. While there are some very good State Reps and Senators filling the halls in Dover, I fear we have reached a stalemate in Dover. For far too many of our legislators it is about one thing: holding on to power and the next election. The Delaware Way has become a steaming pile of horse manure.

Gov. Carney and his office have shown no sign of getting rid of this stink in Delaware. My recent FOIA complaint against Carney’s office over the Family Services Cabinet Council generated a response from his office. Because the Attorney General’s office is still working on the legal opinion for this, all I can say is the response is one of the most insulting things I’ve read in my entire life. It reeks of corruption and deals made behind closed doors. The solution, which is Carney’s way of saying “Don’t mess with me Ohlandt, cause I will do what I want no matter what” screams of the very thing I have grown to expect in Delaware. It evaporates hope and replaces it with a bad taste that no mouthwash could replace. I can’t wait until this legal opinion comes out to the public so they can see firsthand what I am talking about.

In the State News article, Matt Bittle discussed the decision by the JFC to hold off on meeting until later in June.

Bittle writes: “The move, an atypical one, minimizes public backlash and concern in response to spending reductions and gives the caucuses more time to come to an agreement on tax increases.”

I disagree with this. The public backlash is just beginning. I see more discussion about what is going on with the budget this year than I’ve seen in years. The very ugly move by the JFC yesterday on not allowing the cut sheets from yesterday to be released to the media or the public is the shadiest thing I’ve seen in my entire time blogging.

In response to cuts already made, I’m sure their phones and emails were lighting up like a Christmas tree. Get over it. It is your job to listen to your constituents, not to stifle their voices. When you play games with people, don’t get upset when they voice their concerns over it. Last I heard, freedom of speech was still a real thing. Last I heard, we elected you to balance the budget, not to keep it from us.

Because of loopholes in state code, there are no-brainer ways to raise revenue in this state that are impossible because of budget allocations. We could raise the gas tax but that would only go towards the transportation fund. How about shifting that in state code so it would go to the general fund? I would support a ten cent raise in the gas tax if it would dig us out of this mess that the General Assembly created in the first place.

It is things like that which make it impossible for me to give the General Assembly more than a shrug when this time of year comes around. They need to think outside of their very small boxes and get creative. Because I am sure they will get the same salary, benefits, and pensions. Meanwhile, I know I am going to have to pay more for getting less in Delaware as will every single citizen in this state. Except some of those really rich people who will bully legislators into making sure their shared sacrifice is palatable to their over-stuffed bank accounts.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Kevin Ohlandt, of Dover, runs the Exceptional Delaware blog.

The Newark-based band kRush will perform the songs of Rush at June Jam on June 10. (Submitted photo)

Taking on the task of being a Rush tribute band is no easy feat.

From the distinctive falsetto of lead singer Geddy Lee to the precision guitar work of Alex Lifeson to the artistry of Neil Peart, arguably one of the greatest drummers in rock history, matching the sound of the Canadian Rock and Roll Hall of Famers is not for your average garage group.

kRush, a trio based in Newark, has been playing the songs of the progressive rock giants since 2013. They will perform at the 39th annual June Jam festival June 10 in Houston.

“Like many progressive rock bands, people either love or hate Rush. Coming from bands for a lot of years, when you are playing classic rock every week, the same people come to hear the same music over and over again. Rush isn’t one of those bands. People have definitive ideas on them,” said lead singer, bassist and keyboard player Ken Gildea of the band whose last full-scale performance was in 2015.

Mr. Gildea formed kRush with guitarist Andy Logue and drummer Bill Murphy.

“Andy and I have been in bands together for years and seem to follow each other around,” Mr. Gildea said.

“We’re both huge Rush fans and when we practiced and jammed together we would play a few Rush songs. We had thought about the idea but never thought it would take off — that there was too small of a fan base.

“But as time went on, we realized this is what we love to do and decided to try it.”

With the two of them set, their most pressing task was to find a drummer up to the challenge of taking on the work of Mr. Peart.

“Bill was the first guy we tried out on drums and we clicked right away,” recalled Mr. Gildea.

“Andy knew he was into progressive, modern rock and he was a big Rush fan. When we went down to his basement, we saw he had a drum kit as big as Neil’s. Half the basement was taken up with just his kit. We got through (the Rush song) ‘Xanadu’ and knew this was going to work out.”

Three months after forming, the band’s first gig was at the now-defunct J.B. McGinness Pub and Grille in New Castle.

“We got the drummer in March and by June we had our first show. I remember talking to the guys and saying ‘You do realize this is going to be a very judgmental crowd.’ They don’t care if you can do the songs. They care if you can do them well,” recalled Mr. Gildea.

“Can this guy sing like Geddy Lee? Can this guy play like Neil Peart? It started off with a lot of people with folded arms. But by about the third song, people started getting into it.”

The band quickly found an audience as Rush fans starting hearing about kRush via online message boards and word of mouth.

“We’d be playing a show in Delaware and have people come in from other states. We once played a show in Baltimore and had a guy fly in from Chicago and flew back immediately after,” Mr. Gildea said.

Early on, one of the band’s biggest thrills came in 2014 and 2015 when they were chosen to play at RatCon, the largest gathering of Rush fans in the United States, held each year in New Jersey.

“It’s essentially this backyard event but it’s big as far as who was there and who it’s for,” Mr. Gildea said.

“You’re really playing in front of people who want to hear it played the way they want to hear it. Everything is so complicated and intricate and long and involved. If you didn’t grow up with it, you’re going to need cheat sheets all over the place to keep up. If it’s in your head as you’re playing, it’s much less daunting.”

As the lead singer, Mr. Gildea has to handle the parts sung by Mr. Lee, whose high-pitched voice is one of the most celebrated in rock.

“It’s not my exact singing range to reach the higher harmonies,” he said.

“I’m pretty anti-social before shows in order to get into that range. It would be pretty counterproductive to speak in my normal speaking voice before a show. I use a few techniques to get into that realm.”

As the band has evolved, so too has its shows with combining visual aspects and other hardware.

“Everything is pretty structured in the shows in which we try to recreate that larger concert atmosphere. We use the video backdrops to give the audience a little bit more to latch onto visually since Andy and I spend a lot of time anchored and can’t move around a whole lot with me on the keyboard and Andy with the foot pedals,” Mr. Gildea said.

June Jam fans can expect to see a range of songs from kRush when they take the stage at 8:30 p.m. — from the more recognizable to a few for the hardcore.

“We’ll do stuff like ‘Tom Sawyer’ that everyone knows and a lot of the mainstream stuff but there will be stuff for the huge Rush fans as well, Mr. Gildea said.

“Festivals are a lot of fun. We definitely see people come up and then politely walk away, which is fine. But then we’ll get people afterward tell us that they knew more songs than they thought they did. Like they didn’t realize ‘Subdivisions’ was a Rush song. More people just want a quality show and good music, even if they aren’t necessarily familiar with all of it. And that’s what we try to give them.”

The gates at the G&R Campground in Houston open at 10 a.m. with the music kicking off at noon.

Along with kRush, the lineup includes the country band Triple Rail Turn (former Philbilly), Mike Hines and The Look, Wesley Spangler, Smokin Gunnz, Dirty Deal featuring Billy Meyers, Universal Funk Order, 13:1 and the Junior Jammers.

There will be games for kids and adults, raffles, 50/50s and drawings with all proceeds going to local organizations and individuals as needed throughout the year. Food will be available for purchase as well as other vendors.

Tickets, at $35 in advance, can be purchased at Mainstay Suites in Dover, at B&B Music in Camden, Lewes and Salisbury, Md. or online at JuneJam.com. They will be $40 at the gate.

Mrs. Delaware Pageant Saturday

Saturday night will see the Mrs. Delaware America Pageant at the Schwartz Center for the Arts in Dover starting at 7.

Tetra Shockley, Esq, will crown her successor at the event. The winner will move on to compete at the Mrs. America Pageant in Las Vegas in August.

The prize package this year includes a round-trip ticket to Las Vegas, hair services, spa services, tanning, photo shoots and more.

The 2017 contestants are Mrs. Camden Kimberly Phillips; Mrs. Dover Victoria King; Mrs. Lewes Elissa Troise Greco; Mrs. Magnolia Ivana Hamilton; Mrs. Newark Camille Johnson; and Mrs. Wilmington Amanda Shepard.

The event will be hosted for the second year in a row by Rick Bernstein with music by DJ Alkimist.

The judges are reality show star Shane Lewis of the Discovery Channel’s “Naked and Afraid”; Stacy Adams, owner of Fitness Together in Georgetown; and Alina Pfifer, Mrs. Delaware America 2015.

The contestants will compete in interview, swimsuit and evening gown.

Doors open at 5 p.m. for VIP seating. For more information, visit www.mrsdeamerica.org.

Jazz ensemble to perform for First Friday

As part of First Friday festivities, Rege-Walker World Jazz Ensemble will perform at 5 p.m. on Loockerman Way Plaza with the Dover Public Library’s In Harmony Series.

The ensemble blends traditional African, Latin, and Asian music with American jazz. The group features original compositions performed by a variety of top regional musicians. Music and the musicians change with each performance.

This performance features: Karen Rege, piano; Aaron Walker, drums; Tony Smith, trumpet; Scott Lynch, bass; Pape Demba “Paco” Samb, African percussion.

Now showing

New this weekend in theaters is “Wonder Woman 3D” and the animated “Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie.”

On DVD and download Tuesday is “Beauty and the Beast” and Arnold Schwarzenegger in “Aftermath.”

The Monster Monument, outside of the track at Dover International Speedway, is always a meeting place and attraction for fans throughout the weekend of NASCAR racing. (Submitted photo)

DOVER — Another weekend of NASCAR excitement at Dover International Speedway also brings with it a weekend of music, food and fun along with the racing inside the track.

The weekend will be highlighted by a free concert by Chase Bryant, a Red Bow recording artist and a young rising star on the country music landscape, on the AAA Stage at Victory Plaza at 10:30 a.m. Sunday prior to the 1 p.m. AAA 400 Drive for Autism Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race.

Mr. Bryant, 24, has found early success on the country charts following the release of three popular singles, including “Take It On Back,” “Little Bit of You,” and “Room To Breathe.” Mr. Bryant’s second consecutive hit “Little Bit of You” rose to No. 3 on the country radio charts. His guitar-wielding Top 10 debut single “Take It On Back” spent 15 consecutive weeks on the CMT Hot 20 Countdown, seven weeks on the GAC Top 20 Country Countdown, and was a Top 20 Most Watched Video on VEVO TV Nashville.

A native of Orange Grove, Texas, Mr. Bryant grew up in a musical family. His grandfather, Jimmy Bryant, played

Chase Bryant has found early success on the country charts following the release of three popular singles, including “Take It On Back,” “Little Bit of You,” and “Room To Breathe.” (Submitted photo)

piano in bands led by Roy Orbison and Waylon Jennings, while two of his uncles, Jeff Bryant and Junior Bryant co-founded the country group Ricochet.

The AAA Stage at Victory Plaza is near the Monster Monument behind the frontstretch grandstands at the Monster Mile.

Cassidy Daniels, an 18-year-old singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, will sing the national anthem during prerace festivities before the Sunday race.

As a young girl, Ms. Daniels’ family had to relocate 14 times as her father, a 27-year Special Forces veteran, traveled from assignment to assignment in the post-Sept. 11 military. Music soon became her muse, she learned piano and guitar and has now written or co-written hundreds of songs with some of Nashville’s top songwriters.

Ms. Daniels, an Asheville, N.C., native, has performed across the country, appearing on stage with artists such as Trace Adkins, Cole Swindell, The Marshall Tucker Band and more.

On Saturday morning at 10:15 Brandon Ray will perform a free concert on the AAA Stage before the OneMain Financial 200 NASCAR XFINITY Series Dash 4 Cash race and also sing the national anthem before the race.

Within the past year, Mr. Ray has opened for acts such as Kip Moore, Jon Pardi, Martina McBride, Frankie Ballard, Craig Morgan, A Thousand Horses, Chase Rice, Bobby Bones & The Raging Idiots and David Nail.

Petty honored

On Sunday before Mr. Bryant’s concert, the AAA Stage will also host an appearance by illusionist Carl Michael at 9 a.m. and Austin Dillon, driver of the Richard Childress-owned No. 3 AAA Chevrolet, at 9:25.

Richard Petty will be honored Sunday in advance of his 80th birthday. (Delaware State News file photo)

At 9:50 a.m. on the AAA Stage, Richard Petty, NASCAR’s all-time leader in victories who celebrates his 80th birthday on July 2, will be honored.

Among the day’s activities will be a performance by the Aqua String Band, a Philadelphia Mummers group, and a Petty question-and-answer session hosted by Riki Rachtman and Mike Bagley.

Mr. Rachtman is the host of the nationally syndicated radio show “Racing Rocks” and a former MTV VJ, and Mr. Bagley, a Milford native, is the host of Sirius XM’s “The Morning Drive” and a Motor Racing Network announcer. Dover Motorsports President and CEO Denis McGlynn also will join Mr. Petty on stage for the event.

Mr. Petty, owner of 200 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series wins and seven NASCAR titles, will also receive a special, custom birthday cake made to replicate the same 1969 Ford that he drove to victory lane in the first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at the Monster Mile, the Mason-Dixon 300 on July 6, 1969.

The Richard Petty Motorsports No. 43 Smithfield Ford is perched in the hand of the Monster Monument at Victory Plaza. The 46-foot tall icon at the track also includes seven granite plaques to commemorate each of his Dover victories, along with a larger marquee plaque to recognize his role in the sport.

Just before the green flag waves on Sunday’s AAA 400 Drive for Autism, Mr. Petty will drive a street-ready, No. 43 1970 Plymouth Road Runner Superbird tribute car around the track as part of the pre-race ceremonies. The car will be awarded by Smithfield to a fan at the season finale in Miami later this year.

Ramsay grand marshal

Gordon Ramsay will be grand marshal for Sunday’s Sprint Cup NASCAR race at Dover International Speedway. (Submitted photo)

Gordon Ramsay, the British-born, award-winning chef who has gained international recognition for his TV productions, will serve as the grand marshal for Sunday’s race.

Mr. Ramsay will give the command for the 40 drivers in the AAA 400 Drive for Autism field to start their engines before the green flag drops. He will also cook for some of them.

Mr. Ramsay, 50, is the host of the new weekly live cooking competition and talk show “The F Word,” which premiered on Wednesday on Fox. Throughout each hour-long episode, cooking competition will be combined with a variety show as Mr. Ramsay chats with surprise guests and VIPs in the dining room and appears in unique field segments with fans and culinary experts.

Mr. Ramsay’s other productions include the Fox shows “Masterchef,” “Masterchef Junior,” “Hell’s Kitchen,” and “Masterchef Celebrity Showdown.”

New food choices

Speaking of food, fans will have some new selections this time around.

Five food trucks from throughout the mid-Atlantic region will be offering treats in a centralized area near the FanZone. The businesses include:

• DC Slices: Pizza slices, tater tots, cheese tots, mozzarella sticks

• The Hungry Spork: Loaded tater tots, bacon kebabs, shrimp tacos, Italian sausage and peppers sub

• I Don’t Give A Fork: Mac & cheesesteak, jive turkey BLT, chicken fingers, sloppy pig

• My Four Suns: Dragon dumpling bowl, meat kimchi fries, rice bowl, tacos

• WiLDWiCH: Gourmet sandwiches including jerk chicken, hickory smoked pulled pork and turkey meatball

Concession stands will also feature new dishes including:

• Monster Beef and Cheddar: Pulled pot roast, beef gravy, fried onions, white cheddar cheese sauce on a brioche bun. It can be found at Monster Mash stand outside of Gate 4.

• Pulled Pork Loaded Fries: French fries, pulled pork, bacon, cheese sauce, jalapenos, choice of three barbecue sauces (Carolina, Texas, Kansas City). They can be found at Cheesy Pig stand outside of Gate 2.

• Pulled Pork Mac & Cheese: Pulled pork, mac & cheese, choice of three barbecue sauces (Carolina, Texas, Kansas City). It can be found at Cheesy Pig stand outside of Gate 2.

• Walking Tacos: Ground beef, choice of Doritos or Fritos, cheddar cheese, lettuce, salsa, sour cream, jalapenos. They can be found at TACO TACO stand outside of Gate 2.

• Salted Caramel Filled Pretzel: Jumbo Bavarian pretzel stuffed with salted caramel, topped with cinnamon rock sugar. It can be found at Monster Mash stand outside of Gate 4.

• Monster Crunch: Fried treat with two flavors: cinnamon sugar and Cajun. It can be found at American Grill stand outside of Gate 4 and concession stands inside Gates 3 and 19.

Odds and ends

Today at 9 a.m., The International Drone Racing Association begins practice in the FanZone.

The group will feature 16 professional teams from around the world, competing to earn points toward the world championship.

At 4 p.m. and 9 a.m. Saturday will be qualifying. At 1:10 p.m. Saturday and 8:30 a.m. Sunday, eliminations will take place. Then at 9:30 a.m. Sunday, the semifinals will take place with the finals at 11:55 a.m.

All events will take place at the FanZone and are free to watch.

At 12:30 p.m. today there will be a free NASCAR Camping World Truck Series autograph session at the Delaware Office of Highway Safety display in the FanZone. Pick up wristbands starting at 11:30 a.m.

At 1:30 p.m., drivers Martin Truex Jr. and Ryan Truex will make an appearance at the Sea Watch International display in the FanZone. They will also be there at 10:30 a.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. Sunday.

At 5:30 p.m. today. the Bar Harbor 200 presented by Sea Watch International NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race will begin.

At 9 a.m. Saturday, entertainment on the AAA Stage at Victory Plaza begins, including appearances by driver Brandon Jones, Richard Childress Racing team members and MRN personalities.

Also at 9 a.m., driver Elliott Sadler will appear in the OneMain Financial display in the FanZone.

At 11:30 a.m. Saturday Bear Hollow Wood Carvers will start their auction at Victory Plaza where fans can bid on unique creations. They will be back there at 11:30 a.m. Sunday as well.

At 1 p.m. the OneMain Financial 200 NASCAR XFINITY Series Dash 4 Cash race begins.

At 9 p.m., fireworks will light up the RV lots, which will be followed by a free showing of “The Angry Birds Movie.”

Sunday will see the Chase Bryant concert, Richard Petty celebration and other events previously mentioned leading up to the 1 p.m. AAA 400 Drive for Autism Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race.

All races will be televised on Fox Sports 1.

For tickets or more information, call (800) 441-RACE or visit DoverSpeedway.com.

Mark Dufendach will be the new superintendent at Polytech. (Delaware State News/Marc Clery)

DOVER — Polytech School District Superintendent Deborah Zych announced at the May 9 school board meeting that she will be stepping down on June 30 to pursue a job with the University of Delaware’s Professional Development Center for Educators. In mid-May, the board selected current assistant superintendent Mark Dufendach to replace her on July 1.

Before coming to work as the superintendent, Ms. Zych was the assistant superintendent at New Castle County’s Vo-Tech School District for eight years. During her career, she also spent some time as director of curriculum at the Department of Education, a school and district administrator and a teacher.

Looking back on her time at Polytech, she said she was proud to have been a part of the focus the district put on career programs and student certifications.

“We’ve redesigned a number of the programs, revising curriculum and renovating the career labs,” she said. “We’ve done extensive construction throughout the campus and increased the number of student certifications that Polytech students can earn. There are rich opportunities to enroll in advanced placement and dual enrollment courses. When the students graduate they have a distinct advantage, having earned advanced credentials. Our adult education center now serves up to 4,000 people per year as well and the work we’ve done with the ESL population in Kent County is also really noteworthy.”

Polytech electrical student Trent Kelly , left, explains how to connect electric to a light fixture to the outgoing superintendent Deborah Zych and incoming superintendent Mark Dufendach as student Viktoria Winfield looks on at Polytech High School. (Delaware State News/Marc Clery)

Mr. Dufendach applauds Ms. Zych’s performance, noting that the district’s technical programs became “truly state-of-the-art” under her leadership.

“Our programs are much more in alignment with current industry standards,” he said. “Dr. Zych has also provided the leadership necessary to expand the broad range of educational opportunities available to our students by dramatically increasing advanced placement and dual enrollment course offerings.”

Ms. Zych also thinks highly of Mr. Dufendach’s performance and said that he’ll make an excellent superintendent.

“He was absolutely the best candidate and he’s stellar colleague — truly invested in the school district, the students and the staff,” she said. “He has everyone’s best interest at heart. He’s the perfect candidate to take Polytech to the next level.”

Mr. Dufendach has been in the role of assistant superintendent for six and a half years.

Upcoming challenges

In the next five years, Ms. Zych said she feels that some of the biggest challenges the district will face are financial issues and keeping pace with job markets.

“The fiscal challenges relative to the state budget will be an ongoing challenge,” she said. “Also, continuing to focus on the business and industry needs in Kent County is something that needs to be taken seriously. Luckily, Mark’s background is in business management so I think he’s ideal to guide the district through those challenges.”

To some degree, Mr. Dufendach feels he’s already has some experience with allocating the district’s resources in his current role.

“As assistant superintendent, I have helped to ensure that Polytech has managed its resources wisely by targeting funding to the classrooms where it can have the most impact,” he said. “We have also worked very hard to upgrade our facilities, equipment and technology through multiple construction projects that have been completed on time and within budget.”

No matter what the future holds, Mr. Dufendach said he’s committed to the district’s guiding principles.

“We must continue to ensure that we are properly preparing our students to reach their full potential, whether that be higher education, the military or the workforce,” he said. “While we must continue to evolve and adapt to keep pace with the changing world, we must also maintain our commitment to our core values that are also critical to attaining personal success.”

Polytech School District provides educational programs and training for students in grades 9-12 through its high school and for adults through its adult education programs. Polytech High School has an enrollment of more than 1,100 students and they offer training in 21 different technical programs.

DOVER — Matt Kenseth has always seemed to have a quiet, sneaky way of finding his way to the top in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.

That’s OK with him, let all of the other drivers make all the noise. He just wants to collect trophies.

Kenseth enters Sunday’s AAA 400 Drive for Autism race at Dover International Speedway as the defending winner of the event.

Last spring, Kenseth won a thriller at Dover as, on old tires, he outlasted a charging Kyle Larson, leading the final 47 laps on his way to victory.

Kenseth, the 2003 Cup Series champion, expects Dover to put up many hurdles as he attempts to repeat on Sunday.

“There’s a lot of different challenges, at least that we had at Dover last year, and it’s always really hard to get all of those aspects right,” Kenseth said.

Matt Kenseth signs an autograph before practice runs start on Friday at Dover International Speedway. (Special to the Delaware State News/Jon Lloyd Jr.)

“Your balance changes significantly as well based on your track position, so for me, it’s just hard to get the whole package put together at Dover.”

He has been able to figure out Dover’s high-banked, one-mile oval in the past.

In 36 career starts at Dover, Kenseth has three wins, 17 top-five finishes, 24 top-10s and a 12.8 average finish. He also has three pole positions at the Monster Mile.

Kenseth, a 45-year-old driver from Cambridge, Wisconsin, enters Sunday’s race coming off a fourth-place finish at Charlotte. He is currently the oldest driver who regularly competes in the Monster Energy Series.

He said that stage racing, breaking the race into smaller segments, will change the game.

“Dover used to be a race where you used to get some long green-flag runs where a lot of people would fall a lap down and there weren’t a lot of cars on the lead lap,” Kenseth said.

“Being able to stay on that lead lap was always really important and then being able to work your strategy on those last couple of stops, but now with the stage cautions, there will be more cars on the lead lap.”

Jason Ratcliff, Kenseth’s crew chief, is hoping Dover can provide a spark to the Joe Gibbs Racing team that has yet to win in 2017.

“Last year, we were fortunate enough to get our first win of the season at Dover, so I’m hopeful that it will be a great weekend ahead for our No. 20 team to help give us another boost of momentum with a good finish,” Ratcliff said.

Tempers flare in Xfinity practice crash

Joey Gase and Spencer Gallagher were involved in a crash with just 20 minutes left in the first Xfinity Series practice session at Dover on Friday morning.

Gase, while entering the third turn, slowed down more than Gallagher expected and the two collided, sending both cars into the outside wall.

Gallagher was not pleased after both drivers were forced to go to backup cars for today’s OneMain Financial 200 Xfinity Series race.

“He just stopped going into three,” Gallagher said to his team over his radio. “What is he thinking? Unbelievable! I’m sorry guys.”

Gase had a different view of the incident.

“He just flat-out spun me going into (turn) three for no reason,” he said. “We were struggling really bad. I gave him plenty of room and he just drove right into me.”

The drivers had a brief conversation in the garage area after the crash.

“All (Gallagher) said was ‘get the hell away from me,’ so he didn’t give me a reason or anything other than I guess he just sucks really, really bad,” Gase said.

Eight Cup teams miss practice time

Eight Monster Energy Series race teams missed practice time Friday morning at Dover for inspection issues that took place last weekend at Charlotte.

The six Cup teams that failed inspection twice last weekend and missed 15 minutes of practice on Friday were: Kasey Kahne, Danica Patrick, Ty Dillon, Regan Smith, Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Martin Truex Jr. and Erik Jones also sat out 15 minutes of practice because their cars were both late to inspection before the race at Charlotte.

Chastain in the middle of it all

Ross Chastain is the only driver competing in all three NASCAR races at Dover this weekend.

Racing the Delaware Office of Highway/Safety #66 truck, Ross Chastain of Alva, Fl prepares to qualify in the Bar Harbour 200 at Dover International Speedway on Friday. Delaware State News/Marc Clery

However, Sunday’s AAA 400 Drive for Autism will certainly be the biggest for the 24-year-old driver considering it will be his debut in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.

All three of Chastain’s race vehicles at the Monster Mile are carrying sponsorship from the Delaware Office of Highway Safety and all carry the theme of “Protect Your Melon.”

Chastain is involved with Florida watermelon growers, so the idea of buckling up and “protecting your melon” fits perfectly.

Racing the Delaware Office of Highway/Safety #66 truck, Ross Chastain of Alva, Fl qualifies in the Bar Harbor 200 at Dover International Speedway on Friday. Delaware State News/Marc Clery

“This partnership is extra exciting to me because OHS and (Johnny Davis Motorsports) have found a way to promote two causes that are closest to my heart – safe driving and agriculture,” Chastain said. “We have a lot of ideas for the ‘Protect Your Melon’ campaign that will get the fans at Dover involved. I can’t wait to see more watermelons at the track, and more people wearing seatbelts everywhere.”

Racing the Delaware Office of Highway/Safety #66 truck, Ross Chastain of Alva, Fl prepares to qualify in the Bar Harbor 200 at Dover International Speedway on Friday. Delaware State News/Marc Clery

Watermelons labeled with “Protect your Melon” and “#BuckleUpDE” are be in grocery stores and farmers markets throughout Delaware.

“My goal Sunday is to finish all the laps and minimize mistakes,” Chastain said. “Anything else will be a bonus. I’m not looking at it as an audition by any means, but it’s a chance for me to get some great experience.”

Keselowski to make donation to National Military Family Foundation

Brad Keselowski’s Checkered Flag Foundation announced Friday the organization will make a $20,000 donation to the National Military Family Foundation today at Dover International Speedway.

Keselowski, a driver in the Monster Energy Series, will present NMFA with the check at 12:30 p.m. behind his car hauler in the garage area.

“The mission of my foundation is to honor and assist those who have sacrificed for our country, specifically military service members and first responders,” Keselowski said. “I give (my wife) Paige a lot of credit for insisting that we work with organizations that support not only our soldiers, but their families as well.

“She recognized what the NMFA does to help wounded soldiers and their families prepare for the challenges faced during recovery, and as a result, we are honored to support this Operation Purple Healing Adventure.”

The donation will be used to support NMFA’s Operation Purple Healing Adventure (OPHA) in Parkton, North Carolina, later this year.

Healing Adventures are three-day camp experiences for families of the wounded, ill or injured. The retreats are designed to strengthen and connect families coping with a new “normal,” by providing them the opportunity to reconnect, build new memories, enjoy outdoor activities, and heal together.

Jeffrey Earnhardt announces new sponsor

Hulu announced at Dover on Friday that it will serve as the primary sponsor for Jeffrey Earnhardt’s Monster Energy Series race team for 19 races this season.
The announcement comes on the heels of Hulu launching its new live TV service and premium streaming.

Earnhardt, the grandson of the late seven-time Cup Series champion Dale Earnhardt Sr., will debut his green Hulu-sponsored No. 33 Chevrolet and racing suit in Sunday’s AAA 400 Drive for Autism Monster Energy Series race at Dover.

“Hulu is the future of entertainment and with their support our future is a lot brighter,” said Earnhardt. “I am extremely proud to wear the Hulu green and look forward to a long-term partnership and bringing NASCAR fans a service of great value with this sponsor.”

“I was a Hulu subscriber before becoming the Hulu driver so I’m really excited to represent their brand and spread the Hulu message.  Being able to watch live TV on your phone is incredible, especially during rain delays, and they have a giant library of movies, originals and shows that’s perfect for someone on the go.

Showing support for Autism Delaware

More than 50 drivers from across NASCAR’s three premier national touring series are showing their support for Autism Delaware’s mission this weekend at Dover International by displaying a special decal on their cars and trucks.

In total, 24 drivers from the Monster Energy Series, 23 drivers from the Xfinity Series and 12 drivers from the Camping World Truck Series will display the Autism Delaware decal on their cars and trucks.

Autism Delaware, a leader in the First State on autism awareness since its founding in 1998, is working to raise funds and awareness during Sunday’s AAA 400 Drive for Autism Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race.

This will be the 11th consecutive year that Dover International Speedway’s spring Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race has had a tie-in with the cause of autism awareness.

The Monster Mile will also host Autism Awareness Day at the Races in its enclosed grandstand for the sixth straight year on Sunday.

The event provides a sensory-friendly environment for children and families on the autism spectrum to enjoy the race and includes several driver and owner appearances.

DOVER — It’s often said in racing circles that second place is just the first loser.

Johnny Sauter, who had finished in the runner-up spot in three consecutive Camping World Truck Series races, finally did those recent performances one better at Dover International Speedway on Friday evening.

Driving on older tires than his competition, Sauter masterfully held on to the top spot following the final restart with 33 laps to go in winning the the Bar Harbor 200 presented by Sea Watch International Camping World Truck Series race.

Sauter finished about two truck-lengths (0.270 seconds) ahead of his teammate Kaz Grala when the checkered flag waved. Grant Enfinger finished third.

Ben Rhodes wasn’t quite as fortunate as Sauter.

Johnny Sauter celebrates in Victory Lane after winning the Bar Harbor 200 truck race at Dover International Speedway on Friday. (Delaware State News/Marc Clery)

Rhodes, who pitted while leading with 35 laps to go as fuel-mileage strategies began to play out, rebounded to finish fourth after he led a race-high 71 laps.
Sauter said he wasn’t very confident at the start of the day at Dover’s high-banked, one-mile oval.

Things turned out much different as the defending Truck Series champion recorded his first victory at Dover in his ninth career start at the track.

“There are some days when you wake up and you don’t feel like it’s going to be your day and things aren’t clicking,” said Sauter, who became the fifth different winner in six Truck Series races this season. “I’m so proud of everybody on the team’s effort. Pit stops were great today.

Johnny Sauter wins the Bar Harbor 200 truck race at Dover International Speedway on Friday. (Delaware State News/Marc Clery)

“It was an unbelievable effort. We definitely struggled with traffic.”

Fortunately for Sauter, thanks to some nifty fuel strategy, he found his way in clean air at the front of the pack.

Grala, who received his high school diploma during pre-race introductions, was able to close in on Sauter over the final 33 circuits but was never able to pass him.

“(Friday) has been beyond satisfying,” said Grala, who won the season-opening truck race at Daytona. “This was clearly a big day all around.”

Grala knew he was in trouble when Sauter got out front.

“I think (clean) air trumps tires for the most part,” Grala said, of his newer tires. “Johnny Sauter is a veteran and a champion for a reason. He certainly knew when I’d get near him and he was able to hold me at bay.”

The race was the first at Dover featuring NASCAR’s new stage-racing format.

Ryan Truex was first at the end of the first 45-lap segment, defending race winner Matt Crafton was out front at the conclusion of the second 45-lap segment and Sauter won the most important – final – segment and earned the Monster Trophy.

The race took two hours, one minutes and three seconds to complete for an average speed of 99.133 mph. It was slowed by eight caution flags for 43 laps, including two at the end of the first two stages.

There were five lead changes among five drivers over the 200-mile event.

Joe Shear Jr., Sauter’s crew chief, knew what it was going to take to win – just get his driver out front.

“We learned really early that track position was everything,” Shear said. “Our goal was to get him out front.

“We just had to get the gas mileage where we needed it and I was doing a lot of praying at the end.”

It paid off in one Monster victory.

DOVER — It’s been nearly a week since Austin Dillon won his first career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race.

And the 27-year-old is still not caught up on all the people who have congratulated him.

“I don’t think I’ve slowed down enough yet,”Dillon said. “Those are the most special times. I’m still going through my phone right now and thanking people.”

After a whirlwind week, Dillon is set to take to the track again as NASCAR arrived at Dover International Speedway on Friday. The AAA 400 Drive for Autism is set for Sunday at 1 p.m.

Dillon used fuel-mileage strategy to become a first-time Cup Series winner last Sunday in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. It took him 133 races to earn that first victory.

Also of note, it was the first time the legendary No. 3 car returned to Victory Lane since Dale Earnhardt Jr. won at Talladega in the fall of 2000.

Dillon learned there are some cool perks with being a Cup Series race winner.

He was in New York to celebrate and was able to ring the closing bell of the New York Stock Exchange with his grandfather and car-owner, Richard Childress.

“There were things I did that weren’t on my bucket list, but they would have been on my bucket list if I knew they were possible,” he said. “Like ringing the closing bell, that was pretty cool.”

Dillon said he realized the magnitude of the event when Childress, a NASCAR Hall of Famer in his own right, remarked he had never been invited to ring the closing bell during his lengthy career as a car owner.

“That’s hard to do, to give him a first, because my grandfather has done a whole lot,” Dillon said.

Austin Dillon enters the garage after the Monster Cup qualifying at Dover International Speedway on Friday. (Delaware State News/Marc Clery)

For the most touching moment of the week, Dillon was torn.

First was the toast Childress gave when the team was in New York. He bought a bottle of Dom Pérignon and dedicated the toast to the new Coca-Cola 600 champion, which is when Dillon said the win truly sunk in.

Then there was the team meeting at Richard Childress Racing headquarters in North Carolina, when Dillon was sent in front of the entire shop to give a speech.

“That was probably the most emotional I got,” Dillon said. “Just thanking those guys that have always been there for me.”

The win was another monumental moment in Dillon’s young career. He has already won a NASCAR XFINITY Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship while working his way up the ranks.

Dillon had won eight career XFINITY Series races and seven times in the truck series before becoming a Cup Series winner.

Austin Dillon during a press conference in the media center at Dover International Speedway on Friday. (Delaware State News/Marc Clery)

“Austin has been a proven winner in the other divisions,” said fellow Cup Series driver Jimmie Johnson. “I haven’t looked at it in a sense other than it’s exciting to see these drivers get their first and to see companies win that should be winning. So, I’m excited for the conversation it’s created in our sport.”

Dillon enters the weekend 21st in the Cup Series point standings, but the win will do a lot to boost his playoff hopes.

He said once he arrived at Dover he was able to get over the high of winning and refocus to try to do it again.

“That was the first one,” Dillon said. “We want more to come.”

DOVER — If Friday was any indication, there’s a strong chance a Joe Gibbs Racing affiliated car will be in Victory Lane at Dover International Speedway on Sunday.

Kyle Busch won the pole as four Toyotas will occupy the front two rows for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series’ AAA 400 Drive for Autism. The race is scheduled for 1 p.m. Sunday.

Martin Truex Jr., who won the last race at the Monster Mile in October, will start second. Daniel Suarez is in the third starting spot while Matt Kenseth is fourth.

Kyle Larson’s Chevrolet will start fifth in the first non-Toyota.

Busch, Suarez and Kenseth are all owned by Joe Gibbs Racing, while Truex’s Furniture Row Racing-owned Toyota has an alliance with the Gibbs team.

FriNASCAR11-MClery
Kyle Busch wins the Pole for the AAA 400 Drive for Autism at Dover International Speedway on Friday. Delaware State News/Marc Clery

This is Busch’s first pole of the season and first career pole at the Monster Mile.

“The pole is important at a track like this,” he said following his qualifying lap. “We’ll be able to get a good pit stall selection and obviously track position is key here.”

Truex’s lap nearly surpassed Busch’s, but a late wiggle coming through the final two turns sliced off a few hundredths of a second.

FriNASCAR10-MClery
Kyle Busch crosses the finish line to cature the Pole during the Monster Cup qualifying at Dover International Speedway on Friday. Delaware State News/Marc Clery

“The car was good — I just came up a little bit short,” Truex said.

Truex was only 0.011 seconds off of Busch’s lap.

For Suarez, the third-place start is the rookie’s best career qualifying effort.

“The Joe Gibbs Racing team has been working super hard the last few months to get the speed back,” Suarez said. “The last few weeks we’ve had fast race cars. I’m really happy for that. We’ve had good speed since the very beginning of practice here. Hopefully we can keep the momentum going and have a good race this week.”

The two other Toyotas who are owned or affiliated with Joe Gibbs Racing will both start in the top-10 too. Rookie Erik Jones qualified seventh and Denny Hamlin will start 10th.

The biggest surprise of the qualifying session was the struggle of Joey Logano, who didn’t even make it out of the first of the three qualifying stages. He will start 26th on Sunday.

“We’re lacking speed right now and I don’t understand completely why,” Logano said. “There’s a lot of different theories, I guess, but we’ve got some work to do. We’ll figure it out. It’s a strong team and we’ve fought back before, so we’ll fight back this weekend and hopefully get some speed back.”

Jimmie Johnson, the all-time leader in Cup Series victories at Dover with 10, also struggled in qualifying. He will start 14th.