Below is a look at some of the top statistical performers at Dover Motor Speedway in Dover, Delaware going into the Würth 400 on Sunday, April 28 at 2 p.m. ET on FS1, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
Dover Motor Speedway – Qualifying / Race Record Data
Track qualifying record:
Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 166.984 mph, 21.559 secs. Oct. 5, 2019
Track race record:
Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, 135.734 mph, (02:56:49), Oct. 6, 2019
2023 Pole Winner:
None — Qualifying was cancelled due to weather — Starting lineups were set per the rule book. Kyle Busch started from the first starting position.
2023 Race Winner
Martin Truex Jr., Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, 115.505 mph, (03:27:47), May 1, 2023
Dover Motor Speedway Stats & Tidbits:
Season Race #: 11 of 36 (04-28-24)
Race Purse: $7,992,801
Track Size: 1-mile
Banking/Turn 1 & 2: 24 degrees
Banking/Turn 3 & 4: 24 degrees
Banking/Frontstretch: 9 degrees
Banking/Backstretch: 9 degrees
Frontstretch Length: 1,076 feet
Backstretch Length: 1,076 feet
Race Length: 400 laps / 400 miles
Stage 1 Length: 120 laps
Stage 2 Length: 130 laps (Ends on Lap 250)
Final Stage Length: 150 laps (End on Lap 400)
HISTORY
The official opening of Dover Motor Speedway, then called Dover Downs International Speedway, was in 1969.The first NASCAR Cup Series race at Dover Motor Speedway was held on July 6, 1969 and won by NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty driving a Ford for Petty Enterprises. The average speed of the race was 115.772 mph.The first two races at Dover were 300 miles. The race length was changed to 500 miles in 1971.The track surface was changed to concrete in 1995.The race length was changed to 400 miles beginning with the second race in 1997.The track name was changed to Dover International Speedway in 2002.The track was purchased by Speedway Motorsports in 2021 and the name of the track was changed to Dover Motor Speedway.There have been 105 NASCAR Cup Series races at Dover Motor Speedway, one race per year in 1969 and 1970, two races per year from 1971 to 2020.Starting in 2021, the track has hosted just one NASCAR Cup Series race per year.
STARTS
A total of 425 different drivers have competed in at least one NASCAR Cup Series race at Dover Motor Speedway; 316 drivers have competed in multiple Cup races at Dover.Ricky Rudd leads the NASCAR Cup Series in starts at Dover Motor Speedway with 56 starts.Top five in Dover Cup starts (all-time): Ricky Rudd (56), Mark Martin (55), Dave Marcis (54), Darrell Waltrip (53), Kyle Petty (52), Terry Labonte (52). Jimmie Johnson leads all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers in starts at Dover Motor Speedway with 38 starts.Top five in Dover Cup starts (active) — Jimmie Johnson (38), Kyle Busch (34), Denny Hamlin (33), Martin Truex Jr. (33), Joey Logano (27).A total of 67 different drivers have made their first NASCAR Cup Series career start at Dover Motor Speedway; the most recent was Josh Berry on May 16, 2021.RankDriverDateRankDriverDateRankDriverDate1Josh Berry5/16/202124Jay Sommers6/5/198847J.R. Charbonneau9/19/19822Ross Chastain6/4/201725D. Wayne Strout9/20/198748Jimmy Walker5/16/19823Ryan Sieg6/4/201726Larry Caudill9/20/198749Lowell Cowell5/17/19814Brett Moffitt6/1/201427Mark Gibson9/20/198750Joel Stowe9/14/19805David Ragan9/24/200628Rick Jeffrey9/20/198751John Callis9/14/19806Hideo Fukuyama9/22/200229Charlie Rudolph5/31/198752Jim Ingram5/18/19807Tony Raines6/2/200230Curtis Markham5/31/198753Jeff Halverson9/16/19798Carl Long9/24/200031Larry Pollard5/31/198754Steve Peles5/20/19799Kurt Busch9/24/200032Bryan Baker9/14/198655Louis Gatto9/17/197810Matt Kenseth9/20/199833Howard Rose9/14/198656Dave Dion5/21/197811Hermie Sadler6/2/199634Roy Lee Hendrick9/14/198657Wayne Morgan5/21/197812Michael Ritch9/17/199535Gary Fedewa5/18/198658Steve Stolarek9/18/197713Tim Fedewa9/18/199436Howard Mark5/18/198659Tommy Ellis9/19/197614Graham Taylor5/31/199237Jerry Holden5/18/198660Budd Hagelin5/16/197615Jerry Hill9/15/199138Chuck Walton9/15/198561John Harkins5/18/197516Steve Perry9/15/199139Johnny Coy Jr9/16/198462Toby Tobias9/16/197317Bobby Labonte6/3/199140Phil Good9/16/198463Eddie Pettyjohn6/3/197318Freddie Crawford6/3/199041Tommie Crozier9/16/198464A.J. Cox6/6/197119Andy Belmont9/17/198942Jim Southard5/20/198465Lawrence Fields6/6/197120Bill Flowers6/4/198943Laurent Rioux9/18/198366George Ashbrook7/6/196921Jimmy Spencer6/4/198944Natz Peters9/18/198367James Cox7/6/196922Norm Benning6/4/198945Jimmy Ingalls5/15/198323Dana Patten6/5/198846Gil Roth9/19/1982The best finish by a driver making his Cup Series career debut at Dover Motor Speedway was sixth by Matt Kenseth on September 20, 1998; he started 16th and finished sixth.Bobby Isaac leads the NASCAR Cup Series in average starting position at Dover Motor Speedway with a 2.2 in five career starts at Dover.Kyle Larson leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series in average starting position at Dover Motor Speedway with a 7.143 in 14 career starts.
Top 10 in Average Starting Position at Dover (All-Time & Active)
RankAll-Time DriversAvg StartRacesRankActive DriversAvg StartRaces1Bobby Isaac2.20051Kyle Larson7.867152David Pearson2.688162Chase Elliott8.462133LeeRoy Yarbrough4.50023Denny Hamlin9.909334Bobby Allison6.400354Kyle Busch10.086355Friday Hassler6.50025Jimmie Johnson10.842386Cale Yarborough7.000206Martin Truex Jr10.879337Kyle Larson7.867157Brad Keselowski11.240258Chase Elliott8.462138Ryan Blaney11.462139Ramo Stott8.50029Erik Jones13.4551110Rusty Wallace8.7954410William Byron13.5569
POLES
A total of 43 different NASCAR Cup Series drivers have won the pole at Dover Motor Speedway.David Pearson (Ford) won the inaugural pole at Dover Motor Speedway in 1969 with a speed of 130.430 MPH.A total of eight of the 43 NASCAR Cup Series Dover Motor Speedway pole winners are active this weekend.Active Pole Winners (8)PolesSeasonsDenny Hamlin42019, 2015, 2013, 2012Jimmie Johnson32010, 2009, 2007Martin Truex Jr32017, 2011, 2010Chris Buescher12022Chase Elliott12019Kyle Larson12018Kyle Busch12017Brad Keselowski12014NASCAR Hall of Famer David Pearson leads the NASCAR Cup Series in poles at Dover Motor Speedway with six poles (1969, 1973 sweep, 1974, 1975, 1981) at the one-mile track.Denny Hamlin leads all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers in poles at Dover Motor Speedway with four poles (2012, 2013, 2015, 2019).Youngest series Dover pole winner: Chase Elliott (May 3, 2019 — 23 years, 5 months, 8 days).Oldest series Dover pole winner: Mark Martin (June 1, 2012 — 53 years, 4 months, 23 days).A total of 10 drivers have won consecutive poles at Dover Motor Speedway in the NASCAR Cup Series:David Pearson — three straight from 1973 sweep — 1974Dave Marcis — 1975-1976Cale Yarborough — 1980 sweeplan Kulwicki — 1987-1988Mark Martin — 1988-1989Bobby Labonte — 1996-1997Rusty Wallace — 1999-2000Jeremy Mayfield — 2004 sweepRyan Newman — 2004-2005Denny Hamlin — 2012-2013Denny Hamlin (fall 2012, spring 2013) is the only active driver to accomplish the feat of wining consecutive poles at Dover Motor Speedway in the NASCAR Cup Series.Six drivers have posted their first career NASCAR Cup Series pole at Dover Motor Speedway:First-Time Pole WinnersDateChris BuescherSunday, May 1, 2022Matt KensethSunday, June 2, 2002Michael WaltripMonday, June 3, 1991Dick TrickleSunday, June 3, 1990Joe RuttmanSunday, May 15, 1983J.D. McDuffieSunday, September 17, 1978A total of 35 different organizations have won a pole at Dover Motor Speedway in the NASCAR Cup Series; of the 35 seven will be active this weekend.Active OrganizationsPolesSeasonsTeam Penske112014, ’07, ’06, ’05, ’03, ’02, ’00 sweep, ’99, ’98, ’93Hendrick Motorsports102019, ’13, ’10, ’09, ’08, ’07, ’06, ’96, ’95, ’86Joe Gibbs Racing82019, ’17, ’15, ’13, ’12, ’99, ’97, ’96RFK Racing72022, ’08, ’02, ’98, ’97, ’89, ’88Wood Brothers Racing41975, ’74, ’73 sweepStewart-Haas Racing12014Richard Childress Racing11982Team Penske leads the NASCAR Cup Series in poles at Dover Motor Speedway with 11 poles among four drivers: Rusty Wallace (1993, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002), Jeremy Mayfield (2000), Ryan Newman (2003, 2005, 2006, 2007), Brad Keselowski (2014).A total of nine different manufacturers have won a pole in the NASCAR Cup Series at Dover Motor Speedway; led by Ford with 30 poles, and followed by Chevrolet (25), Dodge (12), Toyota (10), Pontiac (six), Mercury (five), Buick (2), Oldsmobile (one) and Plymouth (one).
WINS
A total of 39 different NASCAR Cup Series drivers have won at Dover Motor Speedway; 23 of the 39 drivers have won multiple times in the series at the one-mile track.The first NASCAR Cup Series race at Dover Motor Speedway was held on July 6, 1969 and won by NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty (Petty Enterprises, Ford).A total of eight of the 39 NASCAR Cup Series Dover Motor Speedway race winners are active this weekend.Active Dover WinnersWinsSeasonsJimmie Johnson112017, ’15, ’14, ’13, ’12, ’10, ’09 sweep, ’05, ’02 sweepMartin Truex Jr42023, ’19. ‘16, ‘07Kyle Busch32017, ‘10, ‘08Chase Elliott22022, ‘18Alex Bowman12021Denny Hamlin12020Kyle Larson12019Brad Keselowski12012Jimmie Johnson leads the NASCAR Cup Series in wins at Dover Motor Speedway with 11 victories (2002 sweep, 2005 Playoffs, 2009 sweep, 2010 Playoffs, Spring of 2012, 2013 Playoffs, Spring of 2014, Spring of 2015 and Spring of 2017).A total of 12 drivers have posted consecutive wins at Dover Motor Speedway, including three consecutive by David Pearson (fall 1972 and 1973 sweep), Rusty Wallace (fall 1993 and 1994 sweep) and Jeff Gordon (fall 1995 and 1996 sweep).Youngest Dover Cup race winner: Chase Elliott (October 7, 2018 — 22 years, 10 months, 0 days).Oldest Dover Cup race winner: Harry Gant (May 31, 1992 — 52 years, 4 months, 21 days).Two NASCAR Cup Series drivers have posted their first career win at Dover Motor Speedway: Martin Truex Jr. (June 6, 2007) and Jody Ridley (May 17, 1981).A total of 22 different starting positions have led to wins in the 105 NASCAR Cup Series races at Dover Motor Speedway.The second place starting position is the most proficient starting position in the field, producing more winners (20) than any other starting position at Dover Motor Speedway (19.05%) — the most recent was Denny Hamlin‘s win on August 22, 2020.13 of the 105 (12.38%) NASCAR Cup Series races at Dover Motor Speedway have been won from the pole or first starting position. The most recent was Jimmie Johnson in 2010.A total of nine different drivers have won in the NASCAR Cup Series at Dover Motor Speedway from the pole or first starting position:DriversWins From PoleSeasonsDavid Pearson31975, 1973 sweepJimmie Johnson22010, 2009Mark Martin21998, 1997Ryan Newman12003Bobby Labonte11999Jeff Gordon11996Rusty Wallace11993Bill Elliott11990Cale Yarborough11976
NASCAR Cup Series Wins by Starting Positions at Dover Motor Speedway
Starting PositionWinsWinning %Starting PositionWinsWinning %11312.38%1332.86%22019.05%1421.90%31312.38%1554.76%487.62%1621.90%554.76%1732.86%643.81%1943.81%743.81%2210.95%854.76%2410.95%910.95%2610.95%1065.71%2710.95%1121.90%3710.95%StatsWinning %WinsWinning from the First Starting Position:12.38%13Winning from the Front Row:31.43%33Winning from a Top-Five Starting Position:56.19%59Winning from a Top-10 Starting Position:75.24%79Winning After Starting Outside the Top 20:4.76%5The deepest in the field that a race winner has started at Dover Motor Speedway in the NASCAR Cup Series is 37th, by Kyle Petty in the spring of 1995.The deepest in the field that an active race winner has started at Dover is 26th, by Martin Truex Jr. in the spring of 2007.A total of 27 different organizations have won in the NASCAR Cup Series at Dover Motor Speedway.This weekend, seven of the 27 NASCAR Cup Series Dover winning organizations are entered in the race:Active OrganizationsWinsSeasonsHendrick Motorsports222022, ‘21, ‘18, ’17, ’14 sweep, ’13, ’12, ’10, ’09 sweep, ’05, ’02 sweep, 1996, ’95, ’92, ’91, ’86Joe Gibbs Racing102023, ‘20, ’19, ’17, ’16, ’10, ’08, ’00 sweep, 1999RFK Racing92011, ’08, ’07, ’06, ’05, ’04, 1999. ’98, ’97Team Penske82012, ’11, ’04, ’03 sweep, 1994 sweep, ’93Wood Brothers Racing71981, ’79. ’78, ’75, ’73 sweep, ’72Stewart-Haas Racing42020, ’18, ’15, ’13Richard Childress Racing42006, 1993, ’89 sweepHendrick Motorsports has the most wins at Dover Motor Speedway in the NASCAR Cup Series with 22 victories among seven drivers: Jimmie Johnson (11), Jeff Gordon (five), Chase Elliott (two), Geoff Bodine (one), Ken Schrader (one), Ricky Rudd (one), and Alex Bowman (one).Hendrick Motorsports leads the NASCAR Cup Series in consecutive wins at Dover Motor Speedway with four straight victories from 2013-2015.Nine different manufacturers have won in the NASCAR Cup Series at Dover Motor Speedway; led by Chevrolet with 43 victories; followed by Ford with 27, Toyota (eight), Dodge (seven), Mercury (seven), Pontiac (six), Buick (three), Oldsmobile (two) and Plymouth (two).Chevrolet leads the NASCAR Cup Series in consecutive wins at Dover Motor Speedway with six straight victories from 2013-2015.
ADDITIONAL FINISHING POSITIONS
Runner-Up Finishes:
A total of 56 different drivers have finished runner-up in the NASCAR Cup Series at Dover Motor Speedway.NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin leads the NASCAR Cup Series in runner-up finishes at Dover with eight second-place finishes.Kyle Busch leads all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers in runner-up finishes at Dover with four (2005 sweep, 2015, 2016).
Top Five in Runner-Up Finishes at Dover (All-Time & Active)
RankAll-Time DriversRunner-UpsRankActive DriversRunner-Ups1Mark Martin81Kyle Busch42Dale Earnhardt52Kyle Larson33Bobby Allison4 Martin Truex Jr3Cale Yarborough44Brad Keselowski2David Pearson45Alex Bowman1Jeff Gordon4 Kyle Busch4 Richard Petty4
Top-Five Finishes:
A total of 100 different drivers have finished in the top-five in the NASCAR Cup Series at Dover Motor Speedway.NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin leads the series in top-five finishes with 24 top fives.Jimmie Johnson leads all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers in top-five finishes at Dover with 18 top fives.
Top Five in Top-Five Finishes at Dover (All-Time & Active)
RankAll-Time DriversTop FivesRankActive DriversTop Fives1Mark Martin241Jimmie Johnson182Dale Earnhardt192Kyle Busch133Bobby Allison183Martin Truex Jr10Jeff Gordon184Chase Elliott9Jimmie Johnson185Denny Hamlin7 Kyle Larson7
Top-10 Finishes:
A total of 165 different drivers have finished in the top-10 in the NASCAR Cup Series at Dover Motor Speedway.NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin leads the series in top-10 finishes at Dover with 33 top 10s.Jimmie Johnson leads all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers in top-10 finishes at Dover with 27.
Top Five in Top-10 Finishes at Dover Motor Speedway (All-Time & Active)
RankAll-Time DriversTop 10sRankActive DriversTop 10s1Mark Martin331Jimmie Johnson272Jeff Gordon272Kyle Busch21Jimmie Johnson273Martin Truex Jr194Richard Petty264Denny Hamlin15Ricky Rudd26 Joey Logano15
Average Finish:
Charlie Glotzbach (two starts) leads the NASCAR Cup Series in average finishing position at Dover Motor Speedway with a 2.5.Kyle Larson (15 starts) leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series in average finishing position at Dover with an 8.6.
Top 10 in Average Finishing Position at Dover (All-Time & Active)
RankAll-Time DriversAvg FinishRacesRankActive DriversAvg FinishRaces1Charlie Glotzbach2.50021Kyle Larson8.600152Ramo Stott6.00022Jimmie Johnson9.658383David Pearson8.000163Chase Elliott9.846134Bill Dennis8.50024Martin Truex Jr11.424335Kyle Larson8.600155Brad Keselowski12.880256Daniel Suarez8.66766William Byron12.88997LeeRoy Yarbrough9.00027Erik Jones13.818118Bobby Allison9.257358Kyle Busch14.229359Jimmie Johnson9.658389Joey Logano14.4812710Chase Elliott9.8461310Tyler Reddick15.2005
LAP LEADERS
A total of 124 different drivers have led at least one lap in the NASCAR Cup Series at Dover Motor Speedway.Jimmie Johnson leads the NASCAR Cup Series in laps led at Dover with 3,113 laps led in 38 starts.
Top 10 in Laps Led at Dover Motor Speedway (All-Time & Active)
RankAll-Time DriversRacesLedCompleted% Led1Jimmie Johnson383,11314,78721%2Bobby Allison352,80215,58618%3Jeff Gordon472,39618,78813%4Richard Petty462,20618,91912%5Dale Earnhardt442,15119,21111%6Bill Elliott432,05018,91011%7Cale Yarborough202,0498,50224%8David Pearson162,0416,34632%9Mark Martin551,76922,1188%10Harry Gant311,72712,03814% RankActive DriversRacesLedCompleted% Led1Jimmie Johnson383,11314,78721%2Kyle Busch351,34112,57111%3Martin Truex Jr331,06912,7408%4Kyle Larson158995,96815%5Denny Hamlin3368212,2956%6Brad Keselowski254119,4444%7Chase Elliott133944,3359%8William Byron92213,4176%9Ross Chastain91843,4275%10AJ Allmendinger241528,8112%The most laps led by the race winner in a NASCAR Cup Series race at Dover Motor Speedway was 491 of the scheduled 500 laps (98.2%) on September 15, 1974 by NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty. Petty started from the second position.The most laps led by a driver that did not win the NASCAR Cup Series race at Dover Motor Speedway was 404 of the scheduled 459 laps (88%) on May 17, 1981 by Neil Bonnett. He started from the third position and finished 13th.The fewest laps led by a race winner in a NASCAR Cup Series race at Dover Motor Speedway were just three laps of the scheduled 400 on June 2, 2013 by NASCAR Hall of Famer Tony Stewart. He started from the 22nd position.In last season‘s Dover race (2023), William Byron led the most laps with 193 laps led but finished fourth, and the race winner Martin Truex Jr. led 68 laps. Truex passed Denny Hamlin and took the lead for the final time on Lap 390 and led the final 11 laps en route to the victory.
TRACK/EVENT SPECIFIC STATS
Since the advent of electronic scoring, the closest Margin of Victory (MOV) in the NASCAR Cup Series at Dover Motor Speedway was the September 25, 2005 race, won by Jimmie Johnson over Kyle Busch with a Margin of Victory of 0.080 second.
Top Five Closest Margin of Victories at Dover Motor Speedway (NCS):
Margin of VictoryDateWinnerRunner-Up0.080Sunday, September 25, 2005Jimmie JohnsonKyle Busch0.091Sunday, June 1, 1997Ricky RuddMark Martin0.187Sunday, May 15, 2016Matt KensethKyle Larson0.220Sunday, June 4, 1995Kyle PettyBobby Labonte0.265Sunday, October 7, 2018Chase ElliottDenny Hamlin
Top Five Largest Margin of Victories at Dover Motor Speedway (NCS):
Margin of VictoryDateWinnerRunner-Up22.071Sunday, June 6, 1999Bobby LabonteJeff Gordon13.117Sunday, May 31, 1998Dale JarrettJeff Burton10.334Sunday, September 21, 1997Mark MartinDale Earnhardt9.501Monday, May 6, 2019Martin Truex JrAlex Bowman8.149Sunday, September 26, 2004Ryan NewmanMark MartinThere have been four NASCAR Cup Series races resulting in NASCAR Overtime at Dover Motor Speedway:Scheduled No. Of LapsActual No. Of LapsOvertime LapsRace WinnerDate4004066Jimmie Johnson6/4/20174004055Jimmie Johnson5/31/20154004044Jimmie Johnson9/25/20054004044Chase Elliott10/7/2018None of the 105 NASCAR Cup Series races at Dover Motor Speedway have been shortened due to weather conditions.In total NASCAR cup Series Pole Qualifying has been cancelled at Dover Motor Speedway 13 times:Qualifying has been cancelled due to weather conditions in the NASCAR Cup Series at Dover Motor Speedway 10 times: Fall 1984, Spring 2001, Fall 2003, Spring 2005, Spring 2011, Fall 2015, Spring and Fall of 2016, Spring 2018 and 2023In 2020, Qualifying was cancelled for both races due to the pandemic. The first event‘s (8/22) starting lineup was determined by Metric Qualifying and the second race‘s (8/23) was determined by inverting the field.In 2021, qualifying for the NASCAR Cup Series was cancelled due to the pandemic and the starting lineups were set by Metric Qualifying. Martin Truex Jr. started from the first position.
FEMALE COMPETITORS
Two female drivers have competed at Dover Motor Speedway in the NASCAR Cup Series: Janet Guthrie and Danica Patrick.DriverStarting PositionFinishing PositionDateDanica Patrick2418Sunday, October 1, 2017Danica Patrick3110Sunday, June 4, 2017Danica Patrick2428Sunday, October 2, 2016Danica Patrick3113Sunday, May 15, 2016Danica Patrick2421Sunday, October 4, 2015Danica Patrick3315Sunday, May 31, 2015Danica Patrick1325Sunday, September 28, 2014Danica Patrick2823Sunday, June 1, 2014Danica Patrick3129Sunday, September 29, 2013Danica Patrick3924Sunday, June 2, 2013Danica Patrick3828Sunday, September 30, 2012Averages28.721.3DriverStarting PositionFinishing PositionDateJanet Guthrie1511Sunday, September 18, 1977Janet Guthrie1133Sunday, September 19, 1976Averages13.022.0
NASCAR IN DELAWARE
A total of 199 NASCAR national series races have been held in the state of Delaware – all at Dover Motor Speedway.Track NameCityCupXFINITYTruckCombinedFirst YearDover Motor SpeedwayDover10577212031969
DELAWARE DRIVERS IN NASCAR
Ten drivers in NASCAR national series history have their home state recorded as Delaware; none of the 10 have recorded a victory in NASCAR national series competition.Drivers From Delaware (Hometowns)1Russell Bennett (Milford)2Trevor Collins (Seaford)3A.J. Cox (Wilmington)4Eddie Dickerson (Milford)5CJ Faison (Seaford)6Lou Johnson (Wilmington)7Joe Martin (Lewes)8Eddie Pettyjohn (Milton)9Joe Phipps (Newark)10Ray Sherman (Shermoont)
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