Dover was meant to be the place where fortunes turned; instead, for a handful of high-profile drivers, it only deepened the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season's more sobering narratives.Sunday's Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 saw rain delays and chaotic overtime restarts as Denny Hamlin held off teammate Chase Briscoe in back-to-back overtime sprints to secure his fourth win of the year. For others, however, the race exposed growing cracks in their seasons, whether in terms of playoff eligibility, lost momentum, or regular season title.Here are the five NASCAR Cup Series drivers who left Dover with more questions than answers.5 biggest losers in the NASCAR Cup Series race at Dover#5 – Shane van Gisbergen (No. 88, Trackhouse Racing)Shane van Gisbergen’s rapid rise in NASCAR has been built on road-course brilliance, but Sunday at Dover served as a pointed reminder: ovals remain a work in progress. Coming off back-to-back victories in Chicago and Sonoma, SVG started in sixth.Shane Van Gisbergen (88) during the NASCAR Cup Series AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400. Source: GettyThat unravelled just 11 laps in, when a punctured right-front tire forced the New Zealander to pit unexpectedly. The resulting four-lap deficit essentially ended his day before it began. While SVG managed to finish the race, his 30th-place result yielded just seven points, a sharp comedown from his recent form.#4 – Ryan Preece (No. 60, RFK Racing)For Ryan Preece, Dover was a missed opportunity. He entered the race just three points below the playoff cutline. He leaves 16 points adrift, with five regular-season races remaining.Ryan Preece before the NASCAR Cup Series The Great American Getaway 400 at Pocono. Source: GettyAfter starting 11th, Preece gradually faded with every green-flag run. Despite making mid-race adjustments to his No. 60 Ford during the rain delay, he never fully recovered. He settled for a 19th-place finish, as playoff rival Bubba Wallace gained ground with a seventh-place finish.#3 – William Byron (No. 24, Hendrick Motorsports)Dover is where championships are lost, and William Byron may look back on this race with regret. He has led the standings since late May, but lost the top spot to teammate Chase Elliott after his fifth finish of 27th or worse in the past six races. Running inside the top 10 during the penultimate restart, Byron was collected in a multi-car wreck triggered by Christopher Bell's spin.It was a brutal end to an otherwise solid weekend - Byron had qualified well and raced smart all day. Now trailing Elliott by 17 points in the regular-season standings, Byron’s season suddenly feels more vulnerable than dominant.#2 – Kyle Busch (No. 8, Richard Childress Racing)A three-time Dover winner, Kyle Busch came to the Monster Mile with momentum. He finished inside the top 10 in the last two races and looked poised for a late-season surge. But the No. 8 Chevrolet was never a factor at the 1-mile oval.Kyle Busch (8) during the NASCAR Cup Series race at Dover. Source: GettyAfter starting 10th, Busch held steady to finish eighth in Stage 1, but never challenged upfront. His 11th-place finish puts him 39 points behind the playoff cutline, and with only five races remaining, Busch needs to find a win to qualify.#1 – Christopher Bell (No. 20, Joe Gibbs Racing)Christopher Bell led 67 laps, won Stage 2, and looked set to steal the win from Denny Hamlin. But two self-inflicted spins on restarts doomed his day. The first came in Turn 3 with 140 laps to go while side-by-side with Elliott. Bell spun without contact, lost track position, and had to reset from the rear.Christopher Bell (20) spins in overtime of the NASCAR Cup Series AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400. Source: GettyHe still managed to work his way back into the top five and found himself on the front row with teammate Hamlin when the race resumed after a 56-minute red flag. Coming off Turn 4, Bell spun a second time, this time taking out Byron and Noah Gragson in the process. He limped home 18th and watched Hamlin cruise to the win.