CRANDALL: Dover's Spring success

If Jimmie Johnson were in charge of the NASCAR schedule, he would make Dover International Speedway the site of every playoff race, and while he said it jokingly it would be hard to object after the racing Dover has seen in its last two spring races.

A year ago, it was a three-car battle for the win between Matt Kenseth, Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott that had everyone talking. The steely-eyed veteran Kenseth was seemingly unfazed by the sport's next generation of superstars, who were digging as hard as they could. By the time the checkered flag flew (below), which was the exclamation point to a race that saw 19 lead changes among 10 drivers and 12 caution flags, everyone was ready to catch their breath.

Sunday's AAA 400 was a worthy encore.

Sure, it was a familiar face in Victory Lane as Johnson captured his 11th Monster Mile trophy. But it was not the same old tale of the No. 48 team annihilating its competition. Johnson led only the final five laps.

Sunday should be remembered as a day filled with entertainment in all forms. Think about Kyle Larson's domination as he tried to get a win back from last year or Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch methodically picking their way through the field. Also, consider how 15 caution flags for everything from debris to cut tires and multi-car wrecks gave the race a nice balance of frantic action followed by a cool-down period to get reset.

.@JimmieJohnsonWINS at the@MonsterMileafter a BIG crash in#NASCARovertime.#NASCARonFS1@TeamHendrickhttps://t.co/njpdsON8SE— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX)June 4, 2017

The track also changed throughout the day, which allowed drivers the freedom to put on a clinic of side-by-side battles and good, hard racing. It was not a single-groove track that left drivers sticking to the bottom, something Johnson and Jamie McMurray admitted they had expected. Both the middle and high groove came into play, and having options is never a bad thing. Overall, there were 17 lead changes among nine drivers.

"Dover International Speedway hosts some of the most exciting events of the NASCAR season," Gary Camp, Dover's assistant vice president of marketing and communications, told RACER. "The Spring race in 2016, which featured an 18-car wreck on a restart and spirited duel to the finish with Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott and eventual winner Matt Kenseth, was voted as the top race of the year by a USA Today fan poll.

"Now, in 2017, our fans have been treated to another thrilling finish as Jimmie Johnson edged Larson to capture his record 11th victory at the Monster Mile. The oldest racing surface in NASCAR consistently forces crew chiefs to develop new strategies to get the most out of their equipment, and it produces great endings to our races."

Despite admitting he almost wrecked a few times by himself, Martin Truex Jr. said he had a lot of fun.

"I can't even tell you how challenging this track was with these cars and this aero package and all that," Truex said. "I don't have enough fingers and toes to count how many times I almost wrecked by myself, so it was a lot of fun. It was a challenge."

The reasons why could be many. Tony Stewart routinely said the most fun racing conditions were when it was hot and slick. The weather has been exactly that in Dover for the spring race the last two years. Or maybe it was enjoyable because of the aging concrete surface. Or Goodyear hitting on the right tire combination.

Whatever the reasons are, they should be a minor footnote in how the spring Dover race has become one of the top must-watch races of the season.