The NASCAR Cup Series is back to road racing, this time they are at Watkins Glen, the Go Bowling at The Glen. Here is everything you need to know for Sunday’s race.
NASCAR Cup Series Go Bowling at Watkins Glen Race Preview
Last time we were in Watkins Glen, we were treated to a thrilling finish between Shane Van Gisbergen and Chris Buescher. Can SVG finish one position better and get his fourth road-course win of the year? Or will Chris Buescher certify his spot in the playoffs with a win?
Race Preview:
The Go Bowling At The Glen is a 90-lap, 220-mile race around the Watkins Glen International circuit. The stage cautions will be on laps 20 and 40, and then the checkered flag will fly on lap 90. There is 9,797,935 dollars in the prize purse for this race. Teams will have both dry and wet weather tires for this race. These are the same tires previously used at Sonoma.
Teams will have 7 sets of the dry weather tires, 5 for the race, 1 for qualifying that transfers to the race, and 1 for practice. If it does rain, teams will have 6 sets of the wet-weather tires. 4 for the race, 1 for qualifying, and 1 for practice.
The Track-Watkins Glen International:
Watkins Glen International is one of NASCAR’s staple road courses, known for its long straights, challenging curves, and big elevation changes. It is the super speedway of road courses. Originally a series of county roads, a permanent facility was built in 1956, but it has seen changes in its years since. Watkins Glen has hosted most major racing series across the world: F1, IndyCar, WEC, and IMSA. But the NASCAR Series calls it their home road course.
Buck Baker won the first race in 1957, driving a Chevrolet. Tony Stewart holds the record for wins, having five different victories at the track. There is a tie between active drivers for most wins, with Kyle Busch, Larson, and Chase Elliott all having two wins here. Martin Truex Jr set the lap record in 2019, a 1:10.540-second lap.
Drivers To Watch:
Four drivers are joining the field for this race, they are:
- J.J. Yeley, #44 Chevy, NY Racing
- Josh Bilicki, #66 Ford, Garage 66
- Katherine Legge, #78 Chevy, Live Fast Motorsports
- Connor Zilisch, #87 Chevy, Trackhouse Racing
As for who is going to win this race, I think we all have our eyes on one man. Shane Van Gisbergen. He has just been lights out fast on all the road courses since Mexico City. If he wins this race, he ties Denny Hamlin for the most victories of the regular season. Look out for the #88 Chevy on Sunday.
For our Ford potential winners, I think we could see RFK go back-to-back at Watkins Glen with either Chris Buescher or Ryan Preece. I think Chris has the speed, and Preece has slowly become a contender to win one of these days. Look out for the RFK Nos. 17 and 60 on Sunday.
Toyota is a bit of a long shot for winners. Chevrolet has run this track, except for last year when Ford won. The last Toyota victory at the Glen, 2017 with Martin Truex Jr., but I think that Christopher Bell is the best shot for a Toyota victory. Won on the road course in Austin, he raced the Truck on Friday. I also think that Chase Briscoe should be considered. We have seen that the team excels at tracks where they were strong with Truex at Pocono, Sonoma, and Truex was good here, too. Briscoe and Bell, the Toyota contenders this weekend.
How To Watch The Cup Series at Watkins Glen:
Here is the weekend schedule for the Go Bowling at The Glen:
Saturday, August 9th:
- Practice:
- 12:05 PM Eastern
- Coverage is on TruTV and the SiriusXM NASCAR Radio channel
- Qualifying:
- 1:10 PM Eastern
- Coverage continues on TruTV and SiriusXM
Sunday, August 10th:
- The Go Bowling At The Glen:
- 2:00 PM Eastern
- Coverage is on USA, HBO Max, and NBC Sports
- Radio coverage is on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, courtesy of MRN
Last Word On Motorsports will have all the updates from NASCAR’s Watkins Glen weekend.
Main Photo: Sean Gardner, Getty Images
Recording Date: 9/15/2024
