This weekend, the NASCAR Cup Series makes their fifth visit to a road course when the teams take on Watkins Glen International for the first time since 2019. Coverage on Sunday starts with NASCAR America Sunday at 2 p.m. on NBCSN. That will roll into Countdown to Green at 2:30. The green flag is scheduled to fly around 3:10
p.m.
Records and facts
Last year's Go Bowling at the Glen was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the fact that NASCAR would not commit to widespread COVID-19 testing of all personnel.,
The most recent Cup race at Watkins Glen back in 2019 saw Chase Elliott dominate the proceedings. After qualifying on the pole, Elliott was in near complete control, leading 80 of 90 laps (including the final 28) to take his second straight victory at Watkins Glen and earn the maximum 60 points in the
process.
Elliott held off a late charge by Martin Truex Jr. in second. Denny Hamlin was third, then Erik Jones and Ryan Blaney.
Among active drivers, Elliott and Kyle Busch are the only drivers with more than one career win at Watkins Glen. Busch won the 2008 and 2013 races on the road course and was within a lap of adding on a third in 2012. You probably remember what happened there. Elliott has won the last two appearances. Four other
previous winners will be in Sunday's race (Truex, Hamlin, Kevin Harvick and Joey Logano).
Tony Stewart is the all-time winningest driver at Watkins Glen with five career victories. Jeff Gordon is second with four career wins (three in a row from 1997-1999). Mark Martin won three consecutive races from the pole (1993-1995). Five other drivers (Busch, Elliott, Marcos Ambrose, Ricky Rudd and Rusty Wallace)
have two wins each.
Track Facts
Track / Race Length: 2.45-mile road course, 90 laps (220.5 miles, 355.005 kilometers)
Banking: 6-10 degrees
Frontstretch: 2,150 ft.., flat
Backstretch: 2,600 ft., flat
Grandstand Seating: 38,900 (total capacity is closer to 95,000)
Pit Road Speed: 40 mph
Pace Car Speed: 45 mph
Opened: 1956 (first Cup race in 1957)
Website: http://www.theglen.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WatkinsGlenInternational
Twitter: http://twitter.com/WGI
Say What?!
"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." - Chase Elliott
"I like going to Watkins Glen. It’s a road course, but it’s kind of a high-speed road course. The difference in the two road courses, you think of Sonoma as like a Martinsville-type road course and you would think of Watkins
Glen like a 2-mile oval, like a California- or Michigan-type road course. Watkins Glen has some speed and has some wide-open spaces a little bit, but there is still a lot of great racing that happens there since you are able to out-brake people getting into the corners, or having a better run through the Bus Stop, or maybe getting by someone in the Carousel. It’s a fun place to race. I really like Watkins Glen and I hope we can have another solid run there with our SNICKERS Camry." - Kyle
Busch
"As a race car driver, I love coming to Watkins Glen. The fans make it so good and with all of the camping they do. The atmosphere is very good and so fun. Let me tell you, it’s a very, very fast track, especially for a road course, which makes it exciting, too." - Daniel
Suarez
Phil Allaway is the Frontstretch newsletter manager. He can be reached at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com. Photo is courtesy of NASCAR Media via Getty Images.
