When Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers say racing at Dover International Speedway can sometimes be a monster of an experience, they mean it literally and figuratively.

That's why the all-concrete, one-mile track in Dover, DE, is fondly known as the Monster Mile. Racing there may look easy to fans, but in reality it's one of the most challenging tracks on the NASCAR Cup circuit.

Heck, they even have a bonafide monster mascot -- Miles -- just outside the front door. Yep, this is no easy track, and racing it is no easy task.

But at the same time, Dover is a pivotal race. It starts the middle third of the 36-race NASCAR Cup schedule and serves as somewhat of a gateway to several other key races coming up in the next several weeks, including Pocono, Michigan, Sonoma, Daytona, Kentucky, New Hampshire, and Indianapolis.

Races at those tracks compose the meat of the 2017 schedule, where teams destined for the playoffs ratchet things up to earn more bonus points.

At the same time, the upcoming segment of races is when teams that have struggled or haven't performed up to par in the first third of the season get another chance to get things right and make some forward progress in both performance and in the Cup standings.

It all starts with Sunday's race at Dover. Let's check out five of the top storylines:


(Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. battled last fall in the Citizen Soldier 400 with Truex ultimately triumphant. Jerome Miron, USA Today.)

KYLE BUSCH'S FRUSTRATION: Busch hasn't won a race since last year's Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He also hadn't won a pole since the same event. He broke through by winning the pole Friday. Will a win follow on Sunday, snapping his current 28-race winless streak?

LUCKY 11: Jimmie Johnson has won 10 races at Dover, where he's visited Victory Lane more than any other track on the circuit. But Johnson has struggled in two of the last three races at Dover and hasn't won there since 2015. He's due, some may say overdue. While Busch will be a formidable opponent, if it comes down to a battle of the 18 and 48, look for Johnson to win No. 11 at the Monster Mile.

ROOKIE RUNS: This is a track that, while difficult for most drivers, seems to be a place that welcomes young drivers. That's why fans should keep their eyes on several young drivers Sunday, particularly Chase Elliott (finished third in both Dover races last season) and Ryan Blaney (eighth in his first attempt), both looking to earn their first NASCAR Cup victories. Also, Daniel Suarez was a bit of a surprise when he qualified third, making him another threat. And let's not forget about Kyle Larson, who qualified fifth. He loves riding the high line through Dover's high-banked turns. From the above five drivers mentioned, it's likely the winner will emerge on Sunday.

YOU CAN GO HOME AGAIN: New Jersey native Martin Truex Jr. has long called the Monster Mile his home track (about a two-hour drive to Truex's hometown of Mayetta, NJ). He's a two-time winner there, including last fall's playoff race. He knows this track arguably as good as anyone -- well, maybe not as well as Johnson -- but you get the point. Truex is once again having a great season, already amassing two wins in 2017. What better place and time to make it three wins -- both for this season and in his career at Dover -- than Sunday at his favorite track?

JUNIOR NATION TAKE HEART: Call us crazy, but don't discount Dale Earnhardt Jr. in Sunday's race. Yes, he crashed in this race last year, finishing 32nd, but Junior has a decent record at the Monster Mile: 33 starts, one win, seven top fives, and 12 top 10 finishes. Earnhardt will start from the 11th spot Sunday. He's called Dover one of the toughest tracks he's ever raced upon, but at the same time, the Monster Mile is also one of Junior's favorite tracks. Don't be surprised if you see the No. 88 in Victory Lane. But even if he doesn't take the checkered flag first, Junior is a good candidate for a top five finish.

NOTES:
Joey Logano continues to struggle for speed. He qualified 26th on Friday, his second-worst qualifying effort of the season, and adds to the 23rd spot he began last week's race at Charlotte from. Conversely, Logano's Team Penske teammate, Brad Keselowski, will start eighth. Don't be surprised if Logano puts Kes' setup in his own Ford.

Matt Kenseth won this race at Dover last year and starts fourth Sunday. Dover has long been one of Kenseth's favorite and most successful racetracks, with three wins, 17 top five and 24 top 10 finishes in 36 starts at the Monster Mile. Kenseth is just like all of his Joe Gibbs Racing teammates: They're all looking for their own -- and the organization's -- first win of the 2017 season. 

Lastly, keep an eye on four dark horses in this race: Austin Dillon (goes for his second straight win after his triumph at Charlotte last week), Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (Fords and Dover are a good mix), Ryan Newman (Dover is one of his favorite tracks), and Clint Bowyer (going for his first Cup win since 2012).

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