This aerial panoramic photograph of Dover International Speedway was taken by Christopher Gjevre and features the speedway during one of its two annual NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race weekends. Affectionately known as the "Monster Mile," Dover International Speedway is a high-banked, one-mile concrete oval that seats 135,000 guests. Located in the heart of the country''s Mid-Atlantic region, Dover has been a fixture on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule since its inception in 1969, when Richard Petty took the first checkered flag. The patented Monster Bridge, located over Turn 3 at the track, has 56 seats and provides a unique view of the action below. The 46-foot-tall sculpture of "Miles the Monster," the track''s icon, is located outside of Turn 4 and holds a full-scale stock car in his right hand.