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Tag: Watkins Glen International

  • FRM Race Preview: Watkins Glen

    FRM Race Preview: Watkins Glen

    Michael McDowell on Watkins Glen                                                                                                        10 Starts
    Best Finish: 12th

    “I always love going to Watkins Glen – and any road course, for that matter. It’s one of my favorite tracks to race at. You’ve got to be smart about your restarts and braking zones. We’ve had some great speed in our Front Row Motorsports cars there in the past, so I’m really looking forward to seeing what Drew and the guys can put together for our No. 34 Long John Silver’s Ford Mustang.”

    David Ragan on Watkins Glen
    12 Starts
    Best Finish: 19th

    “Heading to Watkins Glen this weekend, it’s just so different from Sonoma, the only other road course we visit this year. It’s very fast, with very sharp corners and Sonoma is almost the total opposite. Obviously, strategy comes into play a lot at a place like Watkins Glen. I’m looking forward to seeing what Mike Kelley has in store for our No. 38 MDS Ford. It’s going to be a challenging race and we’ve got to make sure we’re still there at the end in order to get a good finish.”

    Go Bowling at the Glen
    Watkins Glen International
    (Watkins Glen, NY)
    Sunday, August 4
    3:00 p.m. ET NBCSN, MRN

    Qualifying
    Friday, August 3
    6:40 p.m. ET NBCSN, MRN

  • JR Motorsports – NXS Watkins Glen Preview

    JR Motorsports – NXS Watkins Glen Preview

    JR MOTORSPORTS TEAM PREVIEW:
    TRACK: Watkins Glen International
    RACE: Zippo 200 at The Glen (82 laps / 200.9 miles)

    Broadcast Information – TV: 3 p.m. ET on NBC / Radio: 2:30 p.m. ET on
    MRN and Sirius XM Ch. 90

    Michael Annett
    No. 1 Pilot Flying J Chevrolet
    • Michael Annett’s best NASCAR Xfinity Series finish at Watkins Glen International is 11th and came in 2012.
    • Annett comes to Watkins Glen on a run of eight top-10 finishes in his last 10 NASCAR Xfinity Series starts, three of those in the top five.
    • Annett is consistently running at the finish at Watkins Glen, completing 99.5 percent of the laps run in his seven starts on the upstate New York road course.
    • The familiar colors of Pilot Flying J return to the No. 1 Chevrolet Camaro SS at Watkins Glen.

    Justin Allgaier
    No. 7 BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet
    • Justin Allgaier has eight NXS starts at Watkins Glen, with two top-five and five top-10 finishes. His best finish came in last year’s event, when he raced his way to third.
    • Last season, Allgaier proved himself to be a bit of a roadcourse ace, claiming wins at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and Road America and earning three top-three finishes in four starts.
    • Overall, in 24 starts on road courses, Allgaier has three wins, seven top fives and 15 top 10s.
    • With seven races left in the regular season, the Illinois native sits fourth in the NXS point standings.

    Ryan Preece
    No. 8 Louisiana Hot Sauce Chevrolet
    • Ryan Preece returns to JRM’s No. 8 Chevrolet for the fourth time in 2019 this weekend at Watkins Glen.
    • In three previous starts this season for JRM, Preece has recorded one top five, three top 10s and a best finish of fourth at Pocono Raceway in June.
    • In two career NXS starts at Watkins Glen, Preece has earned a best finish of fourth, coming in this event last season.
    • Overall, Preece has scored two top fives and two top 10s in five career starts on road courses in the NXS, earning a best finish of fourth at both Watkins Glen and the Charlotte ROVAL in 2018.

    Noah Gragson
    No. 9 West Herr Chevrolet
    • Noah Gragson will make his first NXS start on a road course this weekend at Watkins Glen.
    • In two previous starts on road courses in the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series, Gragson has earned one top five and two top 10s with a best finish of second coming at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in 2017.
    • The Las Vegas native has also made a combined 10 starts on road courses in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and West, scoring a total of four wins, five top fives and seven top 10s. Gragson most recently visited Victory Lane in the K&N Pro Series West earlier this summer at Sonoma after starting second and leading 24 laps en route to the win.

    Driver Quotes
    “We are on a pretty good roll here lately, and Watkins Glen is a fun place to race. It’s a great layout, challenging with all the right-hand corners, and we’ve had some good performance on road courses here with JR Motorsports. The key to our season, besides winning at Daytona, is our consistency. Travis Mack (crew chief) and the No. 1 team have been rock-solid all year long, and we’re in a good place in preparing for the Playoffs in a few weeks.”– Michael Annett

    “Being successful on road courses is all about car management, making sure that you manage your tires, the brakes, and keeping your car on the course. If we can do that, then I think our BRANDT Professional
    Agriculture team will be in great shape. The playoffs are right around the corner and bonus points are key. I feel like the road courses are where we really have an opportunity to gain some ground. We were
    strong on those tracks last season and I’m confident we can continue that momentum as we enter this stretch of road courses coming up, starting with Watkins Glen this weekend.”– Justin Allgaier

    “I’ve really enjoyed racing with JR Motorsports this season, and I’m looking forward to the culmination of that this weekend at Watkins Glen International. I, by no means, have a road course racing background, but it’s something I enjoy to break up our schedule. I was fortunate to have a top-five run here last year in the Xfinity Series, and I’m hoping to build upon that this weekend with Taylor (Moyer, crew chief) and the No. 8 Louisiana Hot Sauce team. I’m really grateful to Kelley, Dale and the entire JR Motorsports organization for the opportunities this season to be a part of the team.” – Ryan Preece

    “I really enjoy racing on the road courses and I’m really excited to get that stretch of the season started this weekend in Watkins Glen. We were able to knock the rust off earlier this year in Sonoma with the K&N car and were fortunate enough to come away with the victory. Watkins Glen is definitely a different kind of animal than Sonoma but I am really looking forward to seeing what we can do this weekend with our West Herr Chevrolet.” – Noah Gragson

    JRM Team Updates

    • JRM at Watkins Glen: JR Motorsports has 33 NXS starts at Watkins Glen International, earning six top-five and 17 top-10 finishes. The team’s best finish came in 2011 when Jimmie Johnson crossed the finish line in second.
    • JRM on Road Courses: In 97 NXS starts on road courses, JRM has scored four wins, 23 top fives and 47 top 10s. Ron Fellows and Regan Smith earned the organization’s first two road course victories at Montreal in 2008 and at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in 2015, respectively, while Justin Allgaier went to Victory Lane at Mid-Ohio and Road America last season.
    • Gragson Media Availability: JRM driver Noah Gragson will be stopping by the media center at Watkins Glen International for media availability on Friday, Aug. 2, at 4 p.m. EST.
    • JRM Souvenir Autograph Session: JRM teammates Justin Allgaier and Noah Gragson will be signing autographs at the JR Motorsports / Hendrick Motorsports souvenir trailer at Watkins Glen International on Saturday, Aug. 3 from 10 – 10:30 a.m. EST.

  • Stenhouse Jr – Watkins Glen Advance

    Stenhouse Jr – Watkins Glen Advance

    Team:                          No. 17 Acronis Ford Mustang
    Crew Chief:                 Brian Pattie
    Twitter:                        @Stenhouse17Team, @stenhousejr, and @roushfenway

    ADVANCE NOTES

    Stenhouse at Watkins Glen

    Stenhouse has six Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) starts at Watkins Glen, with an average starting position of 26.5 and average finishing position of 24.3.

    Stenhouse has two XFINITY Series starts at the road course, earning his career best finish of fourth in 2012.

    A Year Ago At Watkins Glen

    After an early spin, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. rallied back to earn a 16th-place finish in Sunday afternoon’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) race at Watkins Glen International scoring a career best finish at the 2.45-mile track.

    On the Car
    The Global leader in Cyber Protection, Acronis, makes its debut with Roush Fenway Racing aboard Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s No. 17 Ford Mustang, as well as on the car of teammate Ryan Newman, this weekend at Watkins Glen.

    About Acronis
    Acronis leads the world in cyber protection — solving safety, accessibility, privacy, authenticity, and security (SAPAS) challenges with innovative backup, security, disaster recovery, and enterprise file sync and share solutions that run in hybrid cloud environments: on-premises, in the cloud, or at the edge. Enhanced by AI technologies and blockchain-based data authentication, Acronis protects all data, in any environment, including physical, virtual, cloud, mobile workloads, and applications. With 500,000 business customers, and a powerful worldwide community of Acronis API-enabled service providers, resellers, and ISV partners, Acronis is trusted by 79 of the top 100 most valuable brands and has over 5 million customers. With dual headquarters in Switzerland and Singapore, Acronis is a global organization with offices worldwide and customers and partners in over 190 countries. Learn more at acronis.com.

    New York Natives

    Jackman Brad Robinson and Gas Man Kevin Wing grew up in Groton, NY, which is approximately one hour from Watkins Glen International.

    Stenhouse Jr. on racing at Watkins Glen:

    “I’m looking forward to racing this weekend at the Glen. The key to road racing is being smooth and trying to limit your mistakes. Like in years past, pit strategy and fuel mileage usually becomes a factor. If we can stay out of trouble and play the right strategy, I’m confident that we can have a solid finish this weekend.”

  • Jake Griffin Racing Preview: Eldora Dirt Derby

    Jake Griffin Racing Preview: Eldora Dirt Derby

    Jake Griffin Excited To Return To Eldora With Affarano Motorsports

    Event: Eldora Dirt Derby
    Location: Eldora Speedway, Rossburg, OH
    Date/Broadcast: August 1, 2019 at 9 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR 90

    Jake Griffin Fast Facts:
    Jake Griffin will return to the site of his best NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series finish, fourth, as he straps in to the No. 03 Chevy Silverado of Affarano Motorsports.

    Jake just ventured to Alaska Motorsports Park where he scored a win in a Pro Late Model. Jake is equally comfortable on asphalt or dirt. Jake has made five starts in the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series,
    having debuted under the tutelage of Mike Mittler and his MB Motorsports operation.

    In his last outing at Eldora, Jake drove Red Horse Racing’s #11 Toyota Tundra. After starting 11th, he brought home a fine 4th place finish.

    Jake Griffin, Q&A:

    What are you looking forward to the most at Eldora?

    “Everything! What’s not love about Eldora? It’s a fantastic track that has so much history and it’s one of those places that you get a special vibe from. Everything about it just awesome.”

    What was it like to race in Alaska and win?

    “Talk about complete opposites – Alaska Motorsports Park and Eldora Speedway! I could look at mountains as I raced on asphalt in cool Alaska and now we head to one of the world’s finest dirt tracks during the hottest part of the year in Ohio. Alaska was really cool and I’m so glad I had the chance to race there. As great as it was to bring home the trophy, my focus is on Eldora now.”

    You and crew chief Buddy Sisco have known each other for a long time. You’ve got to be glad to have him atop the pit box at Eldora.

    “Buddy’s so good at everything- building the trucks, strategy, making the calls, you name it. I’m thrilled to be able to head to the track with him. I think we can run well together.”

    You’ve worked with team owner Mike Affarano before, so you have some familiarity with him, too. That’s got to make the trip to Eldora easier.

    “Yeah, Mike’s a grass roots racer. He’s old school and I love that. We’re not heading to the track with the newest or most pristine truck out there, but I know we’ll be tough out on the track.”

    Speaking of the truck, you’re driving a pink one at Eldora…

    “Hey, Dale Earnhardt’s first race car was pink, so I’m in good company. Besides, we will be easy to spot no matter how much dust and dirt gets kicked up!”

    Sponsors for Eldora:
    The #03 Chevy Silverado will carry the colors of the Clayne Crawford Foundation, AIR West: Adventures In Racing, American Trash Service, Comfort Solutions, Comfort Inn of Piqua, Ohio and Cut It Out Graphics. MechanixWear, Maradyne and WIX Filters will serve as associate sponsors.

  • NASCAR Schedule for Eldora and Watkins Glen

    NASCAR Schedule for Eldora and Watkins Glen

    The NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series heads to Eldora Speedway this week for the Eldora Dirt Derby. This will be the seventh race at the half-mile dirt track for the series. Chase Briscoe, coming off an Xfinity Series victory last weekend at Iowa Speedway, will return to Eldora with ThorSport Racing in his first start in the Truck Series this season to defend last year’s win.

    The Monster Energy Cup Series and the Xfinity Series travel to Watkins Glen this weekend. Chase Elliott will return to defend his Cup Series win. Joey Logano won last year’s Zippo 200 at the Glen but will not be competing in this year’s Xfinity race.

    All times are Eastern.

    Wednesday, July 31 – Eldora Speedway

    7:05 p.m.: Truck Series First Practice – No TV
    9:05 p.m.: Truck Series Final Practice – No TV

    Thursday, August 1 – Eldora Speedway

    7 p.m.: Truck Series Qualifying – Five qualifying races, 10 laps each – Last Chance Race, 15 laps – FS1 (caution laps do not count)

    The top five trucks in each heat race will transfer into the Dirt Derby. Those that did not advance to the feature will compete in the Last Chance Race to determine the remaining positions in the lineup.

    9 p.m.: Eldora Dirt Derby Truck Series Race – Stages 40/90/150 Laps = 75 Miles – FS1/MRN/ SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

    Friday, August 2 – Watkins Glen

    12:35 p.m.: Xfinity Series First Practice – No TV
    2:05 p.m.: Xfinity Series Final Practice – No TV

    Saturday, August 3 – Watkins Glen

    10:35 a.m.: Cup Series First Practice – NBCSN/MRN
    11:40 A.M.: Xfinity Series Qualifying – Multi-Vehicle/Two Rounds – NBCSN
    1:05 p.m.: Cup Series Final Practice – NBCSN/MRN
    3 p.m.: Xfinity Series Zippo 200 Race – NBC/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
    6:40 P.M.: Cup Series Qualifying – Multi-Vehicle/Two Rounds – NBCSN/MRN

    Sunday, August 4 – Watkins Glen

    3 p.m.: Cup Series Go Bowling at the Glen Race – NBCSN/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

    Follow @angiecampbell_ for the latest NASCAR news and feature stories.

  • Elliott Scores Much Anticipated First Cup Win at Glen

    Elliott Scores Much Anticipated First Cup Win at Glen

    After 98 career starts in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, Chase Elliott finally got the proverbial monkey off his back at Watkins Glen.

    Much like his famous father Bill back in 1983, the Dawsonville, Georgia native scored his first career MENCS race at a road course. Just like his father, he had to endure many runner-ups before celebrating that inaugural Cup victory.

    This time, the 22-year-old racer made his magical moment happen at the legendary 2.45-mile road course in his 99th start.

    Starting third, Elliott was a factor throughout today’s GoBowling at the Glen despite finishing 19th in Stage 1.

    Parlaying pit strategy with a fast No. 9 SunEnergy 1 Chevy Camaro, Elliott battled defending race winner Martin Truex Jr tenaciously before taking the lead en route to a Stage 2 win.

    From there on, it was a cat and mouse game between Elliott and Martin Truex Jr. in the final laps.  Needless to say, Elliott had to earn his first win in the premier division.

    Surely, Elliott tried mightily to hold off one of the title threat triumvirates in the final 15 laps.

    “Holy cow!” Elliott exclaimed after the race. “What a thrill. I don’t know what to say. I’m so thrilled. So much relief. Worked on it for three years. I was able to get it done!”

    Not surprisingly, the No. 9 team has showcased some speed in recent weeks. In fact, Elliott has won at least one stage in a race since the Foxwoods Casino 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

    All told, Elliott soaked in the moment and reflected on the struggles that led to his team’s recent rejuvenation.

    “Man, it’s such a relief,” Elliott said. “Had some hard times to get here and learned a lot personally and had to have a good group around me to keep pushing me. This is a helluva day.”

    The final laps played out like an action film or a thriller, as fans stood on their feet, particularly on the final lap. Forced to make a split second decision going into turn one, Elliott’s choice proved to be the correct one on this day.

    “I was starting to wheel hop and I knocked it out of gear to not spin out,” Elliott observed. “I had a big enough gap where Martin (Truex Jr) wasn’t near me. What a day.”

    Elliott’s first Cup win was truly special as he got to celebrate it with his father Bill in Victory Lane.  Notably, the Georgian also snapped a 37-race winless streak for Hendrick Motorsports that dated back to the spring race at Dover in 2017.

    Meanwhile, race runner-up Truex was able to cross the finish line on fumes while third-place finisher Kyle Busch overcame a fueling issue. Daniel Suarez, Erik Jones, Kyle Larson, Jamie McMurray, William Byron, Kurt Busch, and Kevin Harvick rounded out the top-10.

    Next up for the MENCS drivers and teams will be the Consumers Energy 400 at Michigan International Speedway (Sunday, August 12 at 2:30 p.m. on NBCSN). Fellow Chevrolet racer Kyle Larson hopes to return to the winner’s circle as he bids for his third straight summer race victory at MIS.

  • Chase is winless no more

    Chase is winless no more

    Ninety-eight was the number of times Chase Elliott fired his engine without winning in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. Eight was the number of times he finished runner-up. Every time he came up short the last two and a half years, there was no one harder on Elliott than Elliott. Over and over, he walked into the deadline room after a race in which he dominated and beat himself into the ground.

    However, it was never a matter of if. Only when the kid who not too many years ago posed with his father Bill Elliott in victory lane at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and roamed the garage with him would do the same.

    On August 5, 2018, there was no dejection and there was no “Elliott was his own worst enemy.” Instead, to the thunderous applause of a sold-out crowd in attendance at Watkins Glen International, he took the fight to and passed points leader Kyle Busch for the race lead, he led the remaining 63 laps, drove his No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet to and over the limit and held off defending series champion Martin Truex Jr. to finally win for the first time in the Cup Grand National Series.

    “Holy cow! What a thrill! I don’t know what to say. I’m just so thrilled and so emotional,” Elliott said. “There’s so much relief you know; it’s been working on three years and I hadn’t won a one and came here with a good opportunity today. I was able to get it done. But, just thanks to all the fans. I hope all my buddies are ready to get rowdy tonight because it’s going to be a good one.”

    During the post-race cool down lap, Elliott ran out of gas and came to a halt down the short chute. As a number of drivers slowed down to congratulate him, teammate Jimmie Johnson pushed him to the start/finish line to start the post-race celebration.

    “Well, I just appreciate the support and the respect on the race track,” said Elliott. “Jimmie (Johnson) has been one of my heroes for a long, long time. I leaned on him a lot over this past off season and I always lean on him, but certainly a lot throughout this off season just about the opportunities I’ve had in the past and not closing them out. He has been a big supporter of mine and that was one of the coolest things ever and I will never forget it.”

    He hi-fived his crew, before hopping on the roof of his car to soak in the moment, as the fans showered him in cheers.

    “That’s the coolest thing I’ve ever seen and I just want you all to know that. And, I am very grateful. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Let’s go get some more.”

    The adulation continued in victory lane, as Darrell Wallace Jr., teammate Alex Bowman, the aforementioned Kyle Busch and his father, NASCAR Hall of Fame member Bill Elliott, congratulated Chase Elliott.

    “I don’t know how to describe it,” said Bill Elliott. “I was standing over there and kind of letting the laps run down and I was thinking, you know, what’s going to go wrong now? He (Chase Elliott) held it together and low and behold, (Martin) Truex runs out of gas. It’s just that luck went our way today.”

    While Chase Elliott and the rest of the Hendrick Motorsports organization struggled for most of the season, he picked up his the last three races, with stage victories and Top-10 finishes in each.

    WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. – AUGUST 05: Chase Elliott, driver of the #9 SunEnergy1 Chevrolet, leads Martin Truex Jr., driver of the #78 5-hour ENERGY/Bass Pro Shops Toyota, during the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series GoBowling at The Glen at Watkins Glen International on August 5, 2018 in Watkins Glen, New York. Photo: Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images

    Starting the afternoon in upstate New York third, Elliott quickly challenged Denny Hamlin for the race lead snaking up the esses, before being usurped by Busch in the inner-loop on the second lap. On the 27th circuit, Elliott hugged the tail-end of Busch from the bus stop to Turn 10, before Busch pulled aside to let Elliott take the lead.

    While he didn’t lose it again, Martin Truex Jr. took the fight to him in the closing 14 laps, getting his closest to passing Elliott in the final three laps. Truex missed a mark in the inner-loop with two to go and Elliott pulled away. Heading into Turn 1 on the final lap, however, Elliott carried too much speed into the turn and ran wide, allowing Truex to pull alongside him briefly. The fight ended down the short chute when Truex ran out of fuel.

    “Yeah, so I had a decent gap coming to the white and I felt really good about it,” Elliott said. “I felt too good about it apparently. I got into (Turn) 1 a little hard and started wheel hopping and had to knock it out of gear to keep from spinning out and got… obviously I missed the corner because of that. Luckily, I had a good enough gap to where he didn’t get up next to me and didn’t miss it too bad. So, what a day.”

    Elliott’s victory was the 250th Strictly Stock Series victory for Hendrick Motorsports. It also made Elliott the 192nd different driver to win in the series.

    He leaves Watkins Glen 11th in points, 315 back of Kyle Busch.

  • Who’s In, Who’s Out – Watkins Glen Playoff Preview

    Who’s In, Who’s Out – Watkins Glen Playoff Preview

    With only five regular-season races remaining, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series heads to Watkins Glen International this weekend. Only seven drivers are locked into the Playoffs with wins. Kevin Harvick has six victories followed by Kyle Busch with five, Martin Truex Jr. with four and Clint Bowyer with two. Joey Logano, Erik Jones and Austin Dillon have each visited victory lane once this season.

    That leaves nine spots available as the top 16 will move on to compete for the championship when the Playoffs begin. While several drivers will advance based on points, time is running out for everyone else. At this point, a win is the only guarantee. Here’s a look at seven drivers who are vying for those last few coveted positions.

    Drivers on the bubble include Hendrick Motorsports teammates Chase Elliott who is 129 points above the cutoff and Jimmie Johnson who is 15th in the Playoff standings with 107 points to spare. Alex Bowman is in the final Playoff spot (+56).

    Elliott had his career-best road course finish this past June at Sonoma and has momentum on his side after scoring a fifth at Loudon and a seventh last weekend at Pocono.

    “In the last couple of years, I feel like we’ve run better at Watkins Glen,” Elliott said. “We had a good run at Sonoma earlier this season, so hopefully we learned some things that we can do this weekend. I’ve never really had the results to show (at Watkins Glen), but we usually always have had some speed and pace.”

    He may have a little extra motivation for that elusive first win when he hits the track at Watkins Glen. His father, Bill Elliott, earned his first career victory at a road course, Riverside International Raceway, on Nov. 20, 1983.

    Johnson has never won at Watkins Glen but he has earned four top-five finishes, eight top-10s and one pole. He’s hoping to end the drought this weekend and grab his first checkered flag of the season.

    “I took to the Watkins Glen track pretty quickly in the then-Busch Series days and in the Cup Series, I’ve been a top-three car at times and we have had a few top-fives,” he said. So, I hope to find that little bit extra to hold on with the long-run speed. I seem to be able to be competitive on the short runs so I need to take care of my brakes for the long runs.”

    Bowman has had only two Cup Series starts at Watkins Glen with a best finish of 29th but he brought home a ninth place finish in June at Sonoma Raceway.

    “The tracks are pretty different, but it definitely gives me some road-course confidence at least at being good at Watkins Glen,” he said. “I think Watkins Glen is probably a little easier than Sonoma is from a driver’s standpoint. Excited to get there and be in a really fast car. I know our road course stuff is really strong, so it should be fun.”

    Ricky Stenhouse Jr. is in 17th place, 56 points outside Playoff contention. In five starts at the track, he only has an average finish of 26th so it’s unlikely the Roush Fenway Racing driver will make any significant gains this weekend.

    “Last year we struggled with our brakes so we have made some changes to our braking package this year,” he said. “Pit strategy usually becomes a factor. Last year it came down to fuel mileage. If we can stay out of trouble and keep our Ford on track, I’m confident that we can have a solid finish this weekend.”

    Paul Menard is also 56 points outside the cutoff for the Playoffs. He made his Cup Series debut at the track in 2003 and this weekend will mark his 15th start at the Glen. With an average finish of 22.4, the Wood Brothers team will have an uphill battle.

    “The Fords overall have been strong, and the No. 21, with the alliance with Team Penske, has historically been fast,” he said. “We should have a good baseline to start from, and I’m anxious to see how the car drives.”

    Ryan Newman is currently 88 points outside the cutoff. In 16 starts at Watkins Glen, the Richard Childress Racing driver has captured one top five and three top 10s with an average finish of 17.8. He discussed the challenges of racing at this unique track and how it compares to Sonoma Raceway.

    “Watkins Glen is definitely the faster of the two road courses,” he said, “so the speed there is definitely up compared to what we felt at Sonoma Raceway. The speed is the biggest adjustment we have to make. I think for our trip this time, it’s all about getting adjusted to the new asphalt, the new grip level and the new tire combination.”

    “We really don’t know how racy the track is going to be,” Newman continued. “Usually new asphalt lends itself to a single groove, so it’s been a while since we’ve been to a road course that’s been repaved. The tire and asphalt combination and how well we can race will dictate our strategy, our pit strategy and what we are planning to do when we race the last lap.”

    Daniel Suarez sits 96 points below the cutoff but he enters the completion at Watkins Glen with momentum after his first career pole and a career-best finish of second at Pocono Raceway. In his only Cup Series start at the track last year, he finished third.

    After his runner-up finish last weekend, Suarez spoke about his confidence going forward.

    “Yeah, actually I was just talking about that,” he said, “how good is this result for our race team and for everyone in the No. 19 group because we know how good we run in The Glen, and we had a good result my first time there in the Cup car. We are not expecting anything less. We have good momentum right now on our side, and hopefully, we can keep that going.”

    As the regular season winds down, the completion will increase as the drivers battle for the ultimate prize, a victory that will catapult them into the Playoffs. Tune into NBC on Sunday at 3 p.m. as the action continues.

    Follow @angiecampbell_ for the latest NASCAR news and feature stories.

     

    Standings
    RK DRIVER POINTS WINS POLES TOP 5 TOP 10
    1 Kyle Busch 891 6 3 15 17
    2 Kevin Harvick 843 6 2 16 17
    3 Martin Truex Jr. 762 4 4 14 14
    4 Clint Bowyer 677 2 0 6 10
    5 Joey Logano 690 1 0 5 15
    6 Erik Jones 533 1 0 3 10
    7 Austin Dillon 402 1 0 1 3
    8 Kurt Busch 677 0 3 3 12
    9 Brad Keselowski 644 0 0 5 11
    10 Kyle Larson 626 0 2 6 11
    11 Denny Hamlin 618 0 0 6 11
    12 Ryan Blaney 612 0 2 4 10
    13 Aric Almirola 587 0 0 1 9
    14 Chase Elliott 569 0 1 5 10
    15 Jimmie Johnson 547 0 0 2 7
    16 Alex Bowman 496 0 1 2 8
    *** Monster Energy NASCAR Cup playoffs cut-off ***
    17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 440 0 0 2 3
    18 Paul Menard 440 0 1 1 4
    19 Ryan Newman 408 0 0 0 6
    20 Daniel Suarez 400 0 1 2 5
    21 William Byron 390 0 0 0 2
    22 Jamie McMurray 375 0 0 1 3
    23 AJ Allmendinger 338 0 0 1 3
    24 Chris Buescher 325 0 0 2 2
    25 Bubba Wallace 319 0 0 1 2
    26 David Ragan 308 0 0 0 1
    27 Kasey Kahne 306 0 0 1 1
    28 Michael McDowell 305 0 0 0 1
    29 Ty Dillon 279 0 0 0 1
    30 Matt DiBenedetto 234 0 0 0 1
    31 Trevor Bayne 185 0 0 0 0
    32 Gray Gaulding 113 0 0 0 0
    33 Matt Kenseth 108 0 0 0 0
    34 Landon Cassill 97 0 0 0 0
    35 Cole Whitt 87 0 0 0 0
    36 D.J. Kennington 82 0 0 0 0
    37 Corey LaJoie 75 0 0 0 0
    38 Jeffrey Earnhardt 69 0 0 0 0
    39 Reed Sorenson 41 0 0 0 0
    40 Harrison Rhodes 23 0 0 0 0
    41 Kyle Weatherman 16 0 0 0 0
    42 Mark Thompson 15 0 0 0 0
    43 Chris Cook 6 0 0 0 0
    44 Tomy Drissi 5 0 0 0 0
    45 Derrike Cope 4 0 0 0 0
    46 Danica Patrick 2 0 0 0 0
    47 Cody Ware 1 0 0 0 0

     

     

  • Full weekend schedule for Watkins Glen

    Full weekend schedule for Watkins Glen

    Staff Report | NASCAR.com

    The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and the NASCAR Xfinity Series will be at Watkins Glen International for some road course racing. Check out the full schedule below, which is subject to change.

    Note: All times are ET

    Friday, August 3
    12:35-1:25 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series practice, NBC Sports App (Follow live)
    2:05-3:25 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series final practice, NBC Sports App (Follow live)

    PRESS PASS (Watch live)
    10:15 a.m.: Bubba Wallace
    11:15 a.m.: Joey Logano
    11:30 a.m.: AJ Allmendinger
    11:45 a.m.: Christopher Bell

    Saturday, August 4
    10:05-11:20 a.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Follow live)
    11:35 a.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series qualifying, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Follow live)
    1-2:15 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series final practice, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Follow live)
    3 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series Zippo 200 (82 laps, 200.9 miles), NBC/NBC Sports App (Follow live)
    6:35 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Busch Pole Qualifying, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Follow live)

    PRESS PASS (Watch live)
    9 a.m.: Martin Truex Jr.
    9:15 a.m.: Daniel Suarez
    11:45 a.m.: Kyle Busch
    5:15 p.m.: Post-NASCAR Xfinity Series race
    7:30 p.m.: Post-Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series qualifying

    Sunday, August 5
    3 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series GoBowling at The Glen (90 laps, 220.5 miles), NBC/NBC Sports App (Follow live)

    PRESS PASS (Watch live)
    11:30 a.m.: Alex Bowman
    5:30 p.m.: Post-Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race

    MORE: How to find NBCSN

  • Kenseth finishes runner-up at The Glen

    Kenseth finishes runner-up at The Glen

    Matt Kenseth maintained his thin lead for the cutoff spot in the playoffs with a season-best second-place finish in the I Love New York 355 at The Glen at Watkins Glen International.

    Kenseth started the day from 15th and worked his way up to ninth. He short-pitted the end of the first stage and finished 24th when the stage concluded.

    He moved up the running order when those who didn’t short-pit the stage hit pit road under the stage break and drove to a third-place finish in the second stage.

    Kenseth didn’t pit under this caution, but did so when Landon Cassill’s car left a tire carcass on the race track on Lap 51. While pitting when he did left him possibly two to three laps short of making it to the end on fuel, the veteran Kenseth conserved just enough to not only make it to the end, but be in position to win.

    With two laps remaining, Martin Truex Jr. took over the race lead on a questionable fuel load, and Kenseth was in hot pursuit. Truex almost fumbled the lead twice on the final lap, with a botched entry of the inner-loop and locking up the brakes entering Turn 10. It allowed Kenseth to inch closer and closer, but he couldn’t get to Truex and settled for second.

    “Well, that last run after we pitted, we knew we were a little bit short, a few laps short,” Kenseth said. “You know, Martin had a really fast car and deserved to win the race. You know, and we started saving early in that run, just tried to manage the gap. I felt pretty good about our fuel savings and how much we saved. Of course I never really know, I just go by what Jason (Ratcliff) and them tell me. But I felt pretty good about where we were on fuel, but I think Martin had such a big lead, he was able to just kind of slow up as much as I did and make sure he had enough speed just to stay in front of me. It was kind of funny, them last three laps we were both saving pretty hard, and then Jason told me we were good with one to go, and so I stood on it and he stood on it, too. He even missed Turn 6 and tried to give it to me, but I couldn’t get close enough to take advantage.”

    Kenseth leaves with a 28-point lead over Clint Bowyer for the final playoff spot.