Watkins Glen International
Sunday, Aug. 8, 2021
2.45-Mile Road Course
3:00 PM ET
Location: Watkins Glen, New York
TV: Fox
Event: NASCAR Cup Series (23 of 36)
Radio: SiriusXM, PRN
5 KYLE LARSON
Age: 29 (July 31, 1992)
Hometown: Elk Grove, California
Resides: Mooresville, North Carolina
Crew Chief: Cliff Daniels
Standings: 2nd
No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE
BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION: On July 31, Kyle Larson celebrated his 29th birthday with a trip to victory lane. Competing in the World of Outlaws dirt late model Prairie Dirt Classic at Fairbury Speedway in Illinois, Larson led the final 70 laps en route to his first World of Outlaws Late Models feature win. The Elk Grove, California, native is the only driver ever to win a feature event in both the World of Outlaws Late Models and World of Outlaws Sprint Cars.
FINAL FOUR: In four races following the 26th race of the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season, playoff points will be awarded to the top 10 drivers in the standings with 15 markers awarded to first place, 10 to second, eight to third, seven to fourth, and so on. Larson currently is ranked second in the regular-season standings, just 13 points behind the leader. If he can erase that deficit in the four remaining regular-season races, it would be worth an additional five playoff points – the equivalent of an extra race win – in Larson’s favor heading into the playoff stretch.
NEW YORK STATE OF MIND: In six Cup Series starts at Watkins Glen International, Larson has one top-five finish and three top-10s. In six NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at the 2.45-mile New York road course, the 29-year-old driver has one top-five result – a third-place finish in 2016.
TOP LEVEL: Through 22 of 36 Cup Series races, Larson leads the series in wins (four), second-place finishes (five), stage wins (12), playoff points (32), and laps led (1,441). He is tied for most top-five finishes (11), most top-10s (15) and most pole positions (one).
GOLDEN STATE WIN: In June at Sonoma Raceway, Larson won both stages and led 57 of 92 laps to capture his first Cup Series road course victory. Overall, he has 18 starts on road courses in the Cup Series with one win, three top-five finishes, six top-10s and four stage victories (second-most all-time). In sports cars, Larson competed in the Rolex 24 at DAYTONA for Chip Ganassi Racing from 2014 through 2016 and was victorious in 2015.
NOT SO AVERAGE: At 13.66 seconds, the No. 5 pit crew owns the quickest average time for four-tire pit stops in 2021. The over-the-wall crew is comprised of gasman Brandon Harder, jackman Brandon Johnson, tire carrier R.J. Barnette and tire changers Donnie Tasser (front) and Calvin Teague (rear).
YOUR CAR NEEDS: This weekend, Larson will drive the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE. From the convenience of home, customers can select the category, make, model and vehicle packages that are important to them from the nearly 30,000 new, high-quality pre-owned and certified cars, trucks and SUVs available at HendrickCars.com. The website also makes it easy for customers to find one of Hendrick Automotive Group’s 93 dealership locations nationwide.
WE’RE HIRING: Hendrick Automotive Group is hiring more than 300 technicians at its dealerships throughout the country. Positions are open for all skill levels and offer tuition and training reimbursement. Interested people can apply at HendrickCars.com.
9 CHASE ELLIOTT
Age: 25 (Nov. 28, 1995)
Hometown: Dawsonville, Georgia
Resides: Dawsonville, Georgia
Crew Chief: Alan Gustafson
Standings: 6th
No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE
ROAD COURSE REVIEW: Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, is set to make his 17th NASCAR Cup Series road course start Sunday at Watkins Glen International. He has garnered seven road wins across five different tracks with a combined nine top-five finishes, 11 top-10s and 326 laps led. On road courses in 2021, Elliott has led the most laps of all drivers (86).
MAKING MOVES: Elliott’s seven road course wins are the most of all active drivers and the third-most all-time road course wins behind only Jeff Gordon (nine) and Tony Stewart (eight). The Dawsonville, Georgia, native also leads the way for the most wins on different road courses in the series (five).
NOTEWORTHY NUMBERS: Elliott’s wins account for seven of the last 11 road course victories. He holds the second-best all-time win percentage on road courses (43.75%) and remains the youngest road course winner at 22 years, 8 months, 8 days. Elliott has led laps in the last nine road course races, the Cup Series’ longest active streak and sixth longest all-time. The driver of the No. 9 also holds the best average finish (8.25) of active drivers and the third-best all-time average of drivers with at least five starts. Elliott has garnered the most stage wins (six) of all time at road courses, as well.
SEASON RUNDOWN: With only four races remaining in the 2021 regular season, Elliott’s two wins and 12 top-10 finishes are tied for career bests for him through 22 races. His four runner-up finishes, nine top-fives and 12.0 average finishing position are all career bests for him through 22 races. Elliott has spent 1,815 laps inside the top five – he has run the second-most laps in the top five over the last 10 races with 1,146 – and has 3,340 laps running in the top 10. Elliott currently sits sixth in the driver point standings, 163 points behind leader Denny Hamlin.
RETURN TO THE GLEN: On Sunday, the NASCAR Cup Series will make its return to Watkins Glen International. The series last tackled the road course in 2019 before the Covid pandemic altered the 2020 schedule. In Elliott’s previous four starts at The Glen, he won back-to-back races (2018, 2019), which is tied with Stewart and Marcos Ambrose for the third-most consecutive wins at the track. The 25-year-old driver has led 141 laps at the road course – the fifth-most all time and second-most of active drivers – and averages a starting position of 7.0.
GUSTAFSON AT ROAD COURSES: Crew chief Alan Gustafson will call his 39th road course race from atop the pit box this Sunday at Watkins Glen. In his previous 38 starts, the Florida native has garnered seven wins – the most of active crew chiefs – 13 top-five finishes, 19 top-10s and 383 laps led.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Gustafson will celebrate his 46th birthday on Thursday, Aug. 5. In 2018 and 2019, the crew chief enjoyed birthday celebrations in victory lane at Watkins Glen. He grew up down the road from the historic Daytona International Speedway, where he got his start in racing turning wrenches on the go-karts of childhood friend Casey Yunick. Yunick is the grandson of legendary car builder and mechanic Smokey Yunick.
SHOWING SPEED: The No. 9 team owns the third-best average time for four-tire pit stops at 13.77 seconds through 22 races. The NAPA pit crew is comprised of jackman T.J. Semke, gasman John Gianninoto, tire carrier Jared Erspamer and tire changers Chad Avrit and Nick O’Dell.
NAPA AT THE GLEN: Elliott will pilot the blue, white and yellow NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet at Watkins Glen on Sunday. The Atlanta-based company is serving as majority sponsor for the driver and the No. 9 team for a total of 25 NASCAR Cup Series races this year.
24 WILLIAM BYRON
Age: 23 (Nov. 29, 1997)
Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina
Resides: Charlotte, North Carolina
Crew Chief: Rudy Fugle
Standings: 3rd
No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE
BEST YEAR YET: Entering the back half of the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season, William Byron is having his best season yet at the highest level of competition in the No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE. So far, Byron has collected one win (Homestead-Miami Speedway), one pole award (Road America), eight top-five finishes and 14 top-10s (tied for the fourth-most by a driver this season) all while leading 245 laps and collecting three stage wins. His eight top-five finishes are the most the 23-year-old driver has had in a full season at the Cup level and his 14 top-10s tie his previous best in a season, as well.
BEFORE THE BREAK: Before the two-week Olympic break in the Cup season, Byron was running in the front of the field consistently every race. The Charlotte, North Carolina, native has spent 4,013 laps inside the top 10 – the second-most in the series – and 2,166 laps in the top five – the third-most throughout the field. In the last 10 races, Byron has run within the top five for 1,064 laps – the third-most behind Hendrick Motorsports teammates Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott. Byron maintains the second-best average running position in the Cup Series of 8.90 and an average finishing position of 11.91, placing him third in the driver points standings.
ROAD COURSE RESULTS: Despite limited road course racing in his background, Byron has stepped up his road course racing skills throughout his time in the Cup Series, finishing in the top 10 in three of the last seven races. In five of the last nine road course events, Byron has led the field at one point, including leading the most laps during last year’s race at the Charlotte ROVAL. Byron also has led the fourth-most laps on road courses during the 2021 season (20). Two of his Cup Series stage wins have come during road course races, as well.
WATKINS GLEN WIZ: Sunday’s race will mark Byron’s third Cup Series start at Watkins Glen International and his fifth overall NASCAR national series start at the road course. In the Cup Series, Byron has a track-best qualifying effort of second (2019) and a best finish of eighth (2018) at the 2.45-mile course. Prior to his two Cup Series starts, Byron made his debut at Watkins Glen in the 2015 NASCAR ARCA Menards Series East race, starting second and finishing seventh. He returned to the road course in 2017 with the NASCAR Xfinity Series, qualifying 17th and crossing the line in 10th. In his four previous national starts at Watkins Glen, Byron has finished outside the top-10 running order only once, which occurred during the 2019 Cup Series race when he was collected in an on-track incident while running second.
HOMEWARD BOUND: While No. 24 crew chief Rudy Fugle has limited experience at Watkins Glen, the Livonia, New York, native is excited to head to his hometown track for Sunday’s race. Already in 2021, Fugle and Byron have four road course starts together. The duo is looking to turn their luck around Sunday after suffering some misfortunes in the previous road course races this season, despite running up front. Aside from four road course starts in the Cup Series, Fugle has seven other road course races under his belt, all coming in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. In those seven starts, he has one win (Erik Jones, 2015), three top-five finishes and five top-10s. One of those seven truck starts was also with Byron – the duo raced to a 10th-place finish at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park in 2016.
ALL ABOUT AXALTA: When the Cup Series returns after a two-week hiatus, Byron will climb behind the wheel of the No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE as he takes on the 2.45-mile road course of Watkins Glen. Now in its 29th year of partnership with Hendrick Motorsports, Axalta has returned as primary partner on Byron’s No. 24 for 14 races in 2021. For a better look at Byron’s No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, click here.
48 Alex Bowman
Age: 28 (April 25, 1993)
Hometown: Tucson, Arizona
Resides: Concord, North Carolina
Crew Chief: Greg Ives
Standings: 11th
No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE
LOOKING BACK AFTER 22: So far in the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season, Alex Bowman has three wins (Richmond Raceway, Dover International Speedway and Pocono Raceway), six top-five finishes and 12 top-10s, which are tied for the seventh-most top-10 results this year among active drivers. The 28-year-old driver’s six top-five results are currently tied for the second-most top-five finishes in a single season for Bowman. In 2019, Bowman secured seven top-five results. His eight top-10 finishes in the last 10 events are tied for the most with teammate Kyle Larson. The Ally driver has run 1,354 laps inside the top five, which ranks 11th, and he has run 704 laps in the top five in the last 10 races, which ranks seventh. Bowman has led 151 laps this season and is currently ranked seventh in the Cup Series playoff standings after 22 events. His three wins this year are tied for second with Martin Truex Jr. in the Cup Series. All five of Bowman’s career Cup victories came at different venues and all three of his wins in 2021 occurred in the last 14 events.
EMPIRE STATE STATS: The driver of the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet has four previous Cup Series starts at Watkins Glen International. Bowman’s best finish of 14th came during the 2018 and 2019 seasons after 90 laps. In 2013, Bowman made one start in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at the 2.45-mile road course and finished 13th after qualifying 19th.
TURNING LEFT AND RIGHT: In the Cup Series, Bowman has 16 starts at road courses and has two top-five finishes and seven top-10s. He finished inside the top 15 in 11 of 12 road course starts while behind the wheel for Hendrick Motorsports and has an average finish of 10.5, which is the fifth-best among active drivers since the start of 2018. The No. 48 team has placed inside the top 10 in three of the four road course events so far this season and has finished inside the top 10 in five of the last seven road course races.
IVES AT THE GLEN: Crew chief Greg Ives will call the shots for the sixth time at the New York-based road course venue this weekend. The Bark River, Michigan, native’s résumé includes four top-15 finishes, and his best result at the track came in 2015 when Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished 11th after starting seventh in the 90-lap event. Ives has two starts as a crew chief in the Xfinity Series at the track, capturing one top-five result and two top-10s. Ives was a race engineer for the No. 48 team from 2006-2012 and captured one pole (2009), two third-place results and four top-10s at Watkins Glen.
FROM CUP CARS TO SPRINT CARS: For the last two weeks, the Cup Series has had a break in the race schedule due to the Olympics. How did Alex Bowman spend his days off? The Ally driver tried his hand at sprint car racing for the first time at Circle City Raceway, Attica Raceway, Fremont Speedway and Tri City Speedway. Bowman was scheduled to run seven events over the course of 11 days, but weather delays forced the Alex Bowman Racing team to compete in only five events. Bowman captured two top-five finishes in his first five starts behind the wheel of the No. 55 Ally sprint car.
BACK HOME IN NEW YORK: Andrew Seamans, the interior specialist for the No. 48 Ally team, is going back to his home state of New York this weekend when the Cup Series visits Watkins Glen. Seamans grew up in Syracuse, New York, which is approximately 94 miles away from the 2.45-mile road course. The 35-year-old attended college at SUNY Oswego in Oswego, New York. Prior to joining Hendrick Motorsports, Seamans worked with Kasey Kahne Racing and Kyle Larson Racing in the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series.
PIT ROAD STATS: After 22 events this season, the No. 48 pit crew ranks fifth for the fastest four-tire pit stop average in the NASCAR Cup Series with a time of 13.83 seconds. The team had the fastest single stop at Dover International Speedway (12.18 seconds) on May 16 and had the third-fastest stop at Atlanta Motor Speedway (12.25 seconds) on July 11. The No. 48 pit crew includes fueler Jacob Conley, tire carrier Allen Stallings, jackman Dustin Lineback, and tire changers Scott Brzozowski (front) and Devin DelRicco (rear).
HOGGING THE ROAD: Hendrick Motorsports holds the NASCAR Cup Series record for all-time road-course victories with 23, which is 10 more than next-best Joe Gibbs Racing. The organization has won on road courses with a series-high seven different drivers: Jeff Gordon (nine wins), Chase Elliott (seven), Tim Richmond (three), Kyle Larson, Jimmie Johnson, Ricky Rudd and Geoff Bodine. Hendrick Motorsports also has the most road-course stage wins of any team with 11.
ALL THE (ROAD) RAGE: In NASCAR Cup Series road races since 2018, Hendrick Motorsports has gone to victory lane in eight of 12 events, won 10 of 24 stages, led 475 of 1,050 laps (45%), and posted three 1-2 finishes.
WIN AT THE GLEN: With eight trips to victory lane at Watkins Glen International, Hendrick Motorsports is the venue’s all-time leader in NASCAR Cup Series wins. The team also holds the track records for pole positions (seven) and laps led (632).
SEVEN OF 10: Over the last 10 NASCAR Cup Series points races, Hendrick Motorsports has won seven times (the most), finished 1-2 on four occasions (most), won 10 of 21 stages (most), and led 1,308 of 2,131 laps raced (61%). With 40 total entries across the most recent 10 events, the team has scored 19 top-five finishes (most) and 26 top-10s (most).
THROUGH 22: After 22 of 36 points-paying races in 2021, Hendrick Motorsports has won 10 times to tie its most ever at this time of the year. Its 16 stage wins are the most in history by any organization going into the 23rd points race. Hendrick Motorsports has tied its most top-five finishes (34) and posted its fourth-most laps led (2,056) at the 22-event mark. The four-car stable has recorded 53 top-10s in 2021, which represent the second-most ever by any team at this point in a season.
QUOTABLE /
Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on racing at Watkins Glen: “Watkins Glen isn’t my best road course track, but I enjoy racing there. It’s fun because it’s fast-paced. With little fall off (in times), you have to be aggressive the whole run and it seems you have to make some hairy passes in the braking zones to get by people.”
Cliff Daniels, crew chief of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on Watkins Glen compared to other road courses: “Watkins Glen is unique because it’s so fast and there’s not a lot of fall off (in lap times due to tire wear). Some of the other road courses we’ve been to like Circuit of The Americas and Road America are fast in some areas, but there’s a lot of fall off. We’ve been fortunate to look back through the (No.) 9 team’s notes from ’18 and ’19 when they won and make the best decisions we can based on that.”
Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on returning to Watkins Glen: “We are excited to get back to Watkins Glen. Any time you run well and can win somewhere, it’s always nice to go back. Winning in the Cup Series, in general, is something to be proud of in my opinion, regardless of where it is or who you beat. The last couple of trips to The Glen I have enjoyed battling against Martin (Truex Jr.). I feel like we share a lot of mutual respect and have for many years, so I have enjoyed those battles with him.”
Alan Gustafson, crew chief of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on racing at Watkins Glen: “Watkins Glen is different from other road courses. The really high speeds are one reason – the average speed is high, probably in the 140-150 mph range. Aerodynamics is also a huge part, and the braking zones are really important. I think those are the biggest things that stand out. The other thing that is really important is that there are a couple key places in the track, up to the esses and in through the inner loop where you have to change directions really, really fast. The car having stability to change directions really fast is super important to be successful there. I think that’s what makes Watkins Glen so different from the other road courses.”
William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on why he enjoys racing at Watkins Glen: “Honestly, Watkins Glen is one of the most fun racetracks we go to as a driver because it’s so fast. It gives you a chance as a driver to really get through the gears and feel the speed. That is unique for a road course but fun to do in our cars. Where when we go to these road courses that other series run on, we have to brake a lot more because our cars are so much heavier. Watkins Glen just really feels like a superspeedway for road courses. It makes it fun, fast-paced and exciting as a driver, and I’m ready to get back after we’ve had a year off from there.”
Rudy Fugle, crew chief of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on returning to racing after the two-week break: “It was nice having a couple weeks off from racing but I’m ready to get back after it. We went into the break without the momentum that we hoped, so I think that the time off allowed us all to reset so we can come back even stronger for this final stretch before the playoffs. Road course racing is a strong suit of not only William but also Hendrick Motorsports. We don’t have the results on those tracks that we anticipated having but we’re going back to the basics Sunday. We’re going to go there and execute what we need and put ourselves in contention to get another win. I grew up close to there and it was the first race track I ever attended as a kid. I’ll have friends and family at the track supporting us, so ending up in victory lane would be even more special.”
Alex Bowman, driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on what he looks forward to at Watkins Glen: “I’m looking forward to going back to Watkins Glen this weekend. We didn’t get to go there last season, so it should be a lot of fun. It is a really fast track and it’s extremely tough. I still have a lot to learn there, but I feel like we are gaining on it. Going back there, I think we can unload really strong. I’m really excited to see fans back at The Glen this weekend. It is always a great crowd there and it is a really fun atmosphere every time we go. I’m looking forward to the challenge.”
Greg Ives, crew chief of the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on preparing for Watkins Glen: “With the uptrend of road courses on the schedule, we have been putting a lot of emphasis on fine tuning our setups. Alex has been doing a great job in dry and wet conditions and giving us great feedback to help develop the setups. I’m definitely looking forward to getting to Watkins Glen.”
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