Ambrose Wins at Watkins Glen for Second Consecutive Years

The King and King of the road courses, for the second straight year (Getty)

USA Today

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. – Watkins Glen International's frontstretch grandstands erupted with approval as fans watched favorite villain Kyle Busch spin from the lead on the white-flag lap of Sunday's Finger Lakes 355.

Marcos Ambrose survived a wild last lap to win his first Sprint Cup race of the season and defend his title at Watkins Glen.

Marcos Ambrose and Brad Keselowski did their part to make sure they stayed on their feet.

Ambrose emerged victorious in a riveting duel to the checkered flag that had both cars skidding around the track, through grass and, ultimately, repeating their 1-2 finish in this Sprint Cup race a year ago.

With every twist and turn of the 2.45-mile circuit visible on big screens, fans roared during the last-lap theatre that ended with Ambrose making two final saves of his No. 9 Ford around two final turns before a dramatic drag race to the finish line. Even the runner-up was applauding.

"We were both cool about it and didn't dump each other," Keselowski said. "This is what I think racing in NASCAR is supposed to be — hard-nosed, going for the win, bumping and rubbing, without any of that intentional wrecking nonsense. Marcos gets that."

Busch, who led 43 laps, wasn't quite as thrilled with the outcome, storming into his hauler without speaking to reporters. Crew chief Dave Rogers said Busch's No. 18 Toyota slowed after running through leaked oil from Bobby Labonte's No. 47. Busch went through the runoff in Turn 1, and by the time he returned to the racetrack Keselowski was on his bumper and spun him, setting the stage for the duel.

"We knew (Labonte) blew a motor, and instead of getting off the racetrack like he should have, he tried to stay out there and run the extra two laps," Rogers said. "And when he did, he ran right through the (racing) groove."

Ambrose, who has finished third or better in his last eight NASCAR races at Watkins Glen (Nationwide and Cup), was more than happy to take advantage for his second career Cup win.

"We had a fast car. We were in position to take advantage when it went crazy," Ambrose said. "We got the win. We didn't luck into it. We deserved to get this win. We'll take it."

Jimmie Johnson finished a distant third, replacing Hendrick Motorsports teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. (28th after a late spin) as the points leader. Sonoma winner Clint Bowyerwas fourth and Sam Hornish Jr. fifth, his best Cup finish since 2009.

Sunday's outcome enriches the focus on the Chase for the Sprint Cup cutoff that's coming in four weeks.

Ambrose joined a group of five one-win drivers that are vying for one of two wild-card spots awarded to the winningest drivers ranked 11th through 20th. The top 10 in points and 11th-place Kasey Kahne (two wins) are in good shape, but Ryan Newman, Busch and Jeff Gordon are separated by 10 points for the second wild card.

That Busch, who said Saturday he was taking a "win-or-bust" mentality into the Chase run-up, finished seventh was some solace to Gordon (21st). A second win for Busch would have meant an uphill climb for Gordon and other one-win drivers. "Yeah, that would have impacted it in a big way," Gordon conceded.

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Finger Lakes 355 Results 

Final Driver Ratings for 2012 Finger Lakes 355 at the Glen

Micah Roberts’ Top 10 Driver Ratings
Finger Lakes 355
Watkins Glen International
Sunday, August 12, 2012 -  10:16 am (PDT)

Rating    Driver     Odds         Practice 1    Practice 2   Qualified    Sonoma*

 1. Tony Stewart 6/1                    4th             13th            7th              2nd 
Five-time winner; seven road course wins; using runner-up chassis from Sonoma.
 2. Marcos Ambrose 9/2              7th              4th             5th              8th 
2011 winner with a 2.3 average finish in four starts; using Sonoma chassis this week.
 3. Jeff Gordon 6/1                      5th              6th            12th             6th 
Four-time winner, the last coming in 2001; five Sonoma wins; coming off Pocono win.
 4. Juan Pablo Montoya 10/1     12th            2nd             1st             34th 
2010 winner, using same chassis this week; his only two Cup wins came on road courses.
 5. Kyle Busch 10/1                     9th              1st             2nd             17th 
2008 winner, won at Sonoma same year; rating diminished due to consistent breakdowns.
 6. Carl Edwards 25/1                  6th             3rd            18th             21st 
8.7 average finish in seven starts; had one of his best practice sessions of season.
 7. Clint Bowyer 20/1                  19th            15th            8th               1st 
Best career finish of ninth in 2009; using winning Sonoma chassis this week.
 8. Jimmie Johnson 8/1               8th              7th             3rd               5th  
One of five tracks on circuit he’s never won at; using winning 2010 Sonoma chassis.
 9. Brad Keselowski 20/1             3rd             8th             4th              12th 
Runner-up last season; strong average speeds in practice; using Sonoma chassis.
10. Martin Truex Jr. 25/1            11th            5th             9th              22nd 
Career best fourth-place finish last season; sixth or better in three of past five starts.

* Results from the June 24 race at Sonoma Raceway. Sonoma and Watkins Glen are the only road courses on the Cup circuit, though vastly different with Watkins Glen being a much faster course.

Odds courtesy of the LVH Super Book.

Micah Roberts, a former sports book director, has been setting NASCAR lines in Las Vegas since 1995. For more Roberts insights and post-practice analysis on the race, go to VegasInsider.com or follow on Twitter: MicahRoberts7. 

Betting Notes
I’m not exactly going out on a limb by saying Tony Stewart will win Sunday, but so be it. Those who go out on limbs on the road courses usually lose. In the end, the best drivers usually DO win on the road courses. It’s a very rare occasion that we see a driver win at Watkins Glen or Sonoma that we all collectively said, “I didn’t see that coming.“

Tony Stewart has the look of a winner this week at Watkins Glen (Getty)

In Stewart’s case, he’s got the all-time track record for wins (5), but more importantly, he looked great in practice. He’s also starting close to front (7th) which should make it easier for him to get up front than was the case in June at Sonoma where he started 24th and finished second. He’s using that same car again this week.

Marcos Ambrose has an amazing 2.3 average finish at Watkins Glen over his four starts and won last season, but he didn’t do anything extraordinary in practice like we’ve seen out of him in the past. He can still be expected to finish in the top-5, but I’m not fearing him this week as I have in the past.

I could see this race coming down to Juan Pablo Montoya, Jeff Gordon and Stewart. Again, not exactly going out on a limb.

If I had to go out on a limb and take a driver to do well that we may not first think of, it would begin with Brad Keselowski. The Penske cars have been very good over the last two season on the road courses and because of that, I also think Sam Hornish could have some value in matchups.

Brian Vickers had an impressive fourth-place finish at Sonoma and he seems to make the most of every opportunity while driving the MWR No. 55 car.

I also like Kevin Harvick to run well Sunday and maybe contend with the big guns which presents some value in matchups. Harvick won at Watkins Glen in 2006 and finished sixth last year. It seems that ever since Harvick became a Father, he’s not been heard from much on or off the track. It’s like he’s been going through the motions with decent, but not special finishes.

Carl Edwards has the look of a top-5 finisher as well this week and it should be interesting to watch how aggressive he is on the track as he tries to get his first win since Las Vegas last season. His impressive practices and great past history at Watkins Glen suggest that he’ll come close to getting the win.



Driver Quotes Following Qualifying

JAMIE MCMURRAY ON HIS LAP – QUALIFIED 10th: “It was okay. I haven’t had the speed that I really need this weekend. Juan (Pablo Montoya) was really good right before practice was over. We actually put a lot of their stuff in. We tightened the car up a lot but it seemed freer or looser there. The bottom of the esses was really wild for me. Sometimes it doesn’t look wild on TV, but in the car it was a handful. Really that was all the faster I could go. Our McDonald’s Chevy is okay. I don’t think that will be a great lap, but it’s going to be an okay lap.”

JUAN PABLO MONTOYA ON HIS LAP – POLE WINNER: “Our Target Chevy has been pretty good this weekend. It has been pretty stable; put it in qualifying trim it was really quick in practice. We ran a little slower than practice, but with the sun out, it’s like 20 degrees hotter. I don’t know. I had a pretty good lap. You can always say I could have got a little more, but sometimes when you want a little more you actually lose.”

JIMMIE JOHNSON ON HIS LAP – QUALIFIED 3RD: “It was a good lap. In Turn 6 through the Carousel I had a moment and a slide that I think I lost a fair chunk of time on. It’s tough to get a perfect lap around any road course. I wish that I didn’t slide that much because I feel like I could have been on the pole. But it was a great effort and I feel really solid about our car come race time.”

RYAN NEWMAN ON HIS LAP – QUALIFIED 6TH: “It was a good lap by U.S. Army Chevy today. We picked up from where we were in practice, which was a good thing because the track definitely lost some grip. It was a good job by all the guys are the U.S. Army Racingteam. I think we have a pretty good car. We just need to have a pretty clean race tomorrow, and I feel like we’re going to be in contention.”

TONY STEWART ON STEWART-HAAS – QUALIFIED 7TH: “It’s a good testament to what the team did this week. I was hoping we’d get a little bit more than that but we pretty much backed-up what we ran in practice. It’s a lot warmer now, so I’m pretty happy with that.

TONY STEWART ON HOW HE FEELS ABOUT SUNDAY'S RACE: “I don’t know. I think we can put up a single lap time but I’m not sure that we’re good in the long runs. But the good news is that we have all day today to let (Steve) Addington and the engineers go to work and look at the notes from yesterday and this morning and see what they can come up with tomorrow.”

Expect Sam Hornish to have a very good finish Sunday at the Glen (Getty) 

BRAD KESELOWSKI ON HIS LAP - QUALIFIED 4TH: “A really solid lap for the Miller Lite Dodge team. We haven’t qualified well this year but today was a great effort. Track position is key on road courses especially at a fast place like The Glen. I’m a little disappointed that we didn’t get the pole. I’m positive I could have squeezed another tenth out of it for sure. We’ll take it. We can see the front and will have a good pit selection. Our car is fast.”

BRAD KESELOWSKI ON WHERE HIS CAR IS FAST IN RACE TRIM? “Everywhere. Paul (Wolfe) has done a great job getting this Miller Lite Dodge prepared. We unloaded fast and have showed good speed throughout the weekend.”

SAM HORNISH JR IN HOW GOOD HIS CAR IS IN RACE TRIM: “So-so. We need to be better. I feel that we made a big gain overnight but not where we need to be yet. If we can make another gain like we did last night, we’ll be pretty good tomorrow.”

KYLE BUSCH ON HIS LAP AND EXPECTATIONS - QUALIFIED 2ND: “I think our lap was really, really good. The M&M’s Camry drove well. There were a couple corners where I got a little bit loose in and maybe that was kind of the hindrance of us running a little faster and sitting on the pole again today like we did last year. Great effort, the guys did a good job on qualifying second today. We can see the front at least and we’ll get good pit selection here in a little bit, hopefully. We’re going to try to work on keeping our track position all day tomorrow.”

“For the next five or whatever it is, it’s ‘win or bust’ yeah, basically. Finishing second or third or fourth isn’t going to get us anywhere.”

Watkins Glen Practice Notes: Kyle Busch Fastest in Final Session

Kyle Busch fastest in the final practice at the Glen (Getty)

By Micah Roberts

Because of rain eliminating one of the Watkins Glen practices on Friday, the teams got a Saturday morning bonus of 86 additional minutes of track time squeezed in before qualifying. Kyle Busch used the extra time to fine tune his set-up and laid down the fastest lap of 127.458 in the final of his 22 laps run.

Busch swept the 2008 road course season and has a 9.3 average finish at Watkins Glen that includes a third-place finish last season. Kyle’s top speed was over 2 mph faster than the top speed his brother Kurt set Friday in the only practice session run. Kurt Busch finished with the 20th fast lap in this practice.

Juan Pablo Montoya had the second fastest lap (127.446) of the session followed by Carl Edwards, Marcos Ambrose and Martin Truex Jr.

For Edwards, the third fastest lap has to be encouraging considering he’s always run well at Watkins Glen and is outside looking in for the final Chase position with five races remaining. He’s got an 8.7 average finish at the Glen with a career best of third in 2009. He’s finished 12th or better in his last six starts on the road course. Should he win this week, he will pass Jeff Gordon in the Chase standings by virtue of most points among drivers with one win.

The bad news for Edwards is that Gordon looks to have a car ideally set-up for this week. Gordon finished with the sixth fastest lap during the Saturday morning practice session. Prior to his sixth-place finish at Sonoma in June, Gordon tested this car at Road Atlanta and said most of the notes from that test session were geared more towards Watkins Glen because of similarities with the long straights. Between the two solid practice sessions for Gordon, he looks like he’ll be one of the drivers to beat on Sunday.

Jimmie Johnson had the seventh fastest lap of the session using the same chassis that won with at Sonoma in 2010. Johnson captured his fast lap in the final of his 15 laps on the morning. He was one of two drivers to run at least 10-consecutive laps with an average speed 2.5 mph faster than Clint Bowyer, the other driver to run 10 straight laps.

Bowyer, the Sonoma winner from June, finished with the 15th fastest lap. Five-time Watkins Glen winner Tony Stewart had the 13th fastest lap and 2006 winner Kevin Harvick was ninth fastest.

Top-5 Watkins Glen Practice 2 Speeds
1) Kyle Busch 127.458 mph
2) Juan Pablo Montoya 127.446
3) Carl Edwards 127.412
4) Marcos Ambrose 127.163
5) Martin Truex Jr. 127.095

Watkins Glen Practice 2 (Final) Speeds

Starting Lineup - Montoya Busch on the Pole



Kurt Busch Fastest in Friday's Lone Session

By Micah Roberts

Jeff Gordon looks strong in Friday's practice session at the Glen (Getty)

The NASCAR Sprint Cup series drivers were only able to get one practice session in Friday due to rain as they prepare for Sunday’s Finger Lakes 355 at Watkins Glen International. Rain wiped out the first session scheduled for 110-minutes and delayed the start of the final session leaving the 43 teams with considerably less time on the track than they had hoped for. Because of the lack of time, NASCAR has added an extra 85-minute session set to begin Saturday at 8:00 am (ET).

Kurt Busch came on strong in the late stages of the 61-minute session with the fastest lap at 125.055 mph. Busch is using the same car this week that finished third on the road course at Sonoma in June. While driving for Penske last season, Busch won at Sonoma and was also runner-up at Watkins Glen in 2010.

Ryan Newman was runner-up at the Glen in his first Cup attempt during his rookie year in 2002, but hasn’t been able to do better than eighth-place since. He took the first step by practicing well Friday with the second fastest lap (124.406), gaining his top speed in the late stages like Busch did.

Keeping up with the runner-up theme, Brad Keselowski finished second in last season’s Watkins Glen race. Keselowski was fastest for the first 50-minutes of practice until being topped by Busch and Newman. His lap of 124.126 mph help up good enough for third best in the session. Keselowski is using a chassis that was new for the Sonoma race and finished 12th.

Five-time Watkins Glen winner Tony Stewart finished with the fourth fastest lap (124.120) and looks to be in great shape to chase after his sixth win, which would give him eight road course wins over his career. Stewart is using the same car that battled to a runner-up finish at Sonoma after starting 24th. This will be the second start for the car.

Four-time Watkins Glen winner Jeff Gordon finished with the fifth fastest lap (124.044) of the session and looks to solidify his Chase chances even more with his second win of the season. Gordon is fresh of his rain-shortened win at Pocono last week and will be looking for his 10th career road course win, the last of which came at Sonoma in 2006.

Road course expert Marcos Ambrose finished with the seventh fastest lap using the same car that finished eighth at Sonoma. Between the two road courses, Ambrose has fared much better at Watkins Glen, sporting a 2.3 average finish in four starts, including his first Cup win there last season.

Juan Pablo Montoya has to be mentioned just because of the road skills that brought him a win at Monaco. He finished practice with the 12th fastest lap using the car that won at Watkins Glen in 2010. His only two Cup wins have come on the road courses. His other win came at Sonoma in 2007. It really doesn’t seem like he’s been in NASCAR that long, does it?

Just because he won at Sonoma in June and is using the same car this week, we’ll mention that Clint Bowyer finished with the 19th fastest lap in practice. Bowyer’s best finish at the Glen was ninth in 2009. Bowyer also finished the session with the most laps (18) run.

Denny Hamlin and Jeff Burton will be going to back-up cars as a result of wrecking into each other thanks to Patrick Long blowing an engine and spraying oil everywhere.

Saturday’s qualifying is scheduled to start at 11:40 am (ET) and Sunday’s race is expected to start at 1:16 pm.

Top-5 Watkins Glen Practice 1 Speeds
1) Kurt Busch 125.055 mph
2) Ryan Newman 124.406
3) Brad Keselowski 124.126
4) Tony Stewart 124.120
5) Jeff Gordon 124.044

Watkins Glen Practice 1 Speeds

Watkins Glen Practice 2 (Final) Speeds

Micah Roberts, a former sports book director, has been setting NASCAR lines in Las Vegas since 1995. For more Roberts insights and post-practice analysis on the race, go to VegasInsider.com or follow on Twitter: MicahRoberts7. 

2012 Finger Lakes 355 at the Glen Preview

Look for Tony Stewart to get his sixth win at Watkins Glen Sunday (Getty)

By Micah Roberts
VegasInsider.com

Jeff Gordon halted a 31-race winless streak by winning the rain shortened Pocono race last week for his 86th career win. The win pushed Gordon into a tie for the 12th and final Chase position with five races to go by virtue of having the most points among drivers with one win. If the Chase were to begin today, Gordon would advance over Newman due to having one more top-5 finish on the year than Newman.

Despite Gordon’s 2012 bad luck giving the impression he would have no shot at making the Chase just a few weeks ago, the crew over at the LVH Super Book have stayed steady with Gordon on his Championship odds at 15-to-1. Gordon’s car has never been in doubt all season, which is why despite not winning the last 31 races, he was still respected enough to never have opening odds offered at higher than 12-to-1 during any race.

To give an example of how respectfully low that number was before Gordon finally won, consider that Newman was 100-to-1 to win the title.

“(The Pocono win) only puts more pressure on us over these next several weeks, but we’re ready for the challenge," Gordon said earlier this week. "With all we’ve been through this year and this team staying together while not pointing fingers, we knew if we could get to Victory Lane it would make us stronger. We’ve put together a string of good runs and finishes, but we have to keep fighting for wins. I don’t know if one win will be good enough to secure a wildcard spot."

Following the Pocono win, the LVH now has Gordon listed at 10-to-1 odds to win the Championship.

The two other drivers still hoping for a shot at the Chase that have a win on the season are Kyle Busch and Joey Logano. Each are falling fast of late, but could pass both Newman and Gordon with a win within these next five races.

The five tracks all these hungry drivers will have to battle and have their fate ultimately decided by begins on the road course of Watkins Glen this week. They’ll then visit the 2-mile oval at Michigan, the half-mile short track at Bristol, the 1.5-mile high banked track at Atlanta and the three-quarter-mile flat track of Richmond.

That is about as diverse as a schedule can get over five race stretch and will take a driver just as diverse to get the job done. Between having the Hendrick Motorsports advantage and also having a very diverse background on all tracks, Gordon is right back in the mix of things. We could possibly see all four Hendrick cars in the 12-car Chase for the Championship, something we all thought -- except for the LVH -- was virtually impossible.

Gordon can quickly take care of business this week by winning at Watkins Glen, a track he’s won at four times, but none since 2001. Gordon also has five wins on the road course of Sonoma, but none there since 2006. He’s still been competitive on the road courses, finishing sixth at Sonoma in late June, but the competition is much better than it used to be in the past.

“We’ve not run very well at Watkins Glen in recent years and it’s been very disappointing to me and the team," Gordon said, "but I’m optimistic because I felt we made big improvements at Sonoma. We tested at Road Atlanta before that race, and I think it’s a better track for Watkins Glen than it is for Sonoma. But we won’t really know until we get on the track. I always love the road courses and Watkins Glen is always one of my favorites. It’s a fast road course and you’ve got to have grip and comfort in that car through the esses and the high speed corners. You’ve got to attack the race track in the braking zones, and the car has got to be there for you and stick. Recently, though, I just feel like we’ve been missing a little something here.”

Taking over the road course crown from Gordon was Tony Stewart, who has five Watkins Glen wins since Gordon won his last.

“When you’ve won five races, it gives you that confidence that you know how to win, and know what you have to do to get to victory lane," Stewart said. "I know what feel I need when we get here. It’s just a matter of going out and practicing and putting yourself in that position.”

Juan Pablo Montoya has captured a couple road wins and Marcos Ambrose won at the Glen last year. For Ambrose, he has an impossible, but true, average finish of 2.3 in four starts.

Even though the drivers make both right and left turns at Sonoma and Watkins Glen, the two tracks are about as different as New Hampshire and Homestead are compared to each other. Sonoma is the technical course with elevation changes where the driver is the key component. A Sonoma lap is about 30 mph slower than Watkins Glen, a track that allows for the car to be more relative.

Look for the regulars to be hunting for another win with the Michael Waltrip drivers having a shot as well. Clint Bowyer won at Sonoma in June and Martin Truex Jr has always fared well at Watkins Glen. Brian Vickers will be driving the No. 55 MWR entry. Vickers finished fourth at Sonoma and will be using the same car again this week.

Top-5 Finish Prediction:
1) #14 Tony Stewart (6/1)
2) #9 Marcos Ambrose (9/2)
3) #24 Jeff Gordon (6/1)
4) #42 Juan Pablo Montoya (10/1)
5) #33 Clint Bowyer (20/1)

Driver Notes & Quotes for Finger Lakes 355 at Watkins Glen

Marcos Ambrose is 9/2 favorite to win Sunday at Watkins Glen (Getty)

MARCOS AMBROSE ON WATKINS GLEN: “Watkins Glen is one of my favorite race tracks and it’s definitely been good to me in the past. It will always have a special place in my heart because it’s where I got my first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series win. It’s a track that suits my driving style, and I have a lot of success there in both the Nationwide and Cup Series. I have a lot of good memories from our win there last year, and I’mhopeful we can go out and win No. 2 this weekend. I’d like nothing more than to be climbing out of my Stanley Ford in Victory Lane at the end of the day on Sunday. My team has worked extremely hard the last few weeks and it would be a good shot of momentum for the second half of the season if we could pull off a win this weekend.”

AMBROSE CHASSIS SELECTION: The No. 9 RPM team has prepared chassis No. 772 for this weekend’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Race at Watkins Glen. This Stanley Ford was run previously this season at Sonoma.

ARIC ALMIROLA CHASSIS CHOICE: The No. 43 team has prepared chassis No. 760 for the Watkins Glen race. This car was last run one year ago at the 2011 Watkins Glen race.

GREG BIFFLE ON WATKINS GLEN: “I like road course racing. It breaks up the season a little. We’ve had a couple of top-10 finishes at Watkins Glen and I think it’s reasonable to shoot for a top-10 finish this weekend. There are a few drivers in this series who have a lot of road course experience and if I can just hold my own with them and get out of there with a top-10 or top-five finish, I think that would be a reasonable expectation.”

BIFFLE CHASSIS CHOICE: Primary: RK-764 Last ran Sonoma – finished 7th

MATT KENSETH ON WATKINS GLEN: “I think probably for me the most important part to your lap time at Watkins Glen is getting through the ‘esses’ the fastest. The more throttle you can use going up the hill and through the esses, the less you have to lift. It seems like that really adds a lot, or takes a lot away from your lap time, because that back stretch is long. All the turns are important and unique at Watkins Glen. When it comes to racing, I think the last turn is very important to get off that and into Turn one so that you don’t get passed there. The esses are always important leading up to the ‘bus stop’ because that is another passing zone. The more cushion you can get through the esses and the top of the hill, the less likely you are to get passed.”

KENSETH CHASSIS CHOICE: Primary: RK-771 (Last run at Sonoma)

CARL EDWARDS ON WATKINS GLEN: “I feel pretty good about Watkins Glen. We sat on the pole there a few years ago and had some good runs and almost won the race one year. We were running second and I ran off the second to last corner trying real hard. We have run really well there and I like that race track. To me it is the road course that suits my style more than any other I have been on. It is a really fun race.”

EDWARDS CHASSIS CHOICE: The Fastenal Blue Team will bring chassis RK-816 to Watkins Glen this weekend. Edwards raced this chassis at Sonoma in June where he finished 21st.

BRAD KESELOWSKI CHASSIS CHOICE: “Watkins Glen is an extremely fast road course. It’s not nearly as technical as Sonoma and it doesn’t require as much finesse, but you still have to hit your marks. At the Glen you need to concentrate on where you can brake heavily and where you can put the power down when you need to so that you carry big runs down the straightaway. To me, Watkins Glen is more of a stock car driver’s road course. You can throw your car around a little more than Sonoma, especially with the new runoff areas, because you don’t have to worry about getting stuck in the sand traps anymore. I’m still learning how to be a better road course racer, but it’s starting to click with me. I was really proud of our second-place run at the Glen last year. Hopefully we can be one spot better on Sunday.”

KESELOWSKI CHASSIS CHOICE: The No. 2 Miller LiteDodge Charger team will race chassis PRS-806 during Sunday’s Finger Lakes 335 at the Glen at Watkins Glen International (WGI). Keselowski last raced this chassis to a 12th-place finish at Sonoma in June.

SAM HORNISH JR CHASSIS CHOICE: Hornish and his Todd Gordon-led Penske Racing #22 Team will be racing their "PRS-808" Shell-Pennzoil Dodge Charger this weekend at Watkins Glen International. This is the same car that AJ Allmendinger raced at Sonoma in June, starting 17th and finishing 9th. This chassis was first raced at Richmond in April by Allmendinger, starting fourth and finishing 16th.. The "PRS-807" chassis will serve as the backup at the Glen this weekend. It was in the transporter serving as the backup at Phoenix, Bristol and Martinsville, but has never seen any track time to date. "We converted the car over to be our road course car and it proved to be a strong piece out in Sonoma," crew chief Gordon offered. "We don't have a large car inventory and some of that is intentional because we will be racing the new cars next season. It was determined shortly after the Sonoma race that it would also be our primary car for Watkins Glen this weekend."

DALE EARNHARDT, JR. ON WATKINS GLEN: “With me and a road course, it’s a lottery. I’ve had some good runs at Watkins Glen and had some fast carsthere. When we went there in 2008 with Tony (Eury) Jr., we rained out qualifying so we started up front and we led quite a good portion. We were really fast. I know I can go around there. It’s just straightaway, turn, straightaway, turn, and that’s really what I’ve been doing all my life. It’s a lot easier than Sonoma, a lot less technical. We showed up at the Road Atlanta test last week with the same problems as Sonoma and the same disappointment with the car. Then we made a lot of changes and a few of the changes in particular revolutionized the way the car drove and the way it felt. The stop watch was way faster so I’m excited. I’ve been real happy to go to all the racetracks this year. I particularly don’t look forward to going to Sonoma and Watkins Glen as much as I do the ovals, but I’m excited about Watkins Glen this trip. Hopefully we can go there and be competitive.”

EARNHARDT JR CHASSIS CHOICE: Crew chief Steve Letarte and the #88 crew will unload Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 88-747. This is a brand new chassis that has not been raced.

JIMMIE JOHNSON ON WATKINS GLEN: “The thing that gets me at The Glen so much is really fuel mileage. My driving style requires us to stop usually an additional time and I don’t know how to run a fast enough pace and save fuel at the same time there. It really gets me. I think back to a Nationwide race where I was driving Junior’s car and ran out (of fuel) with a few laps to go. It just happens to me there more than really anywhere. So, I’m hopeful that the EFI and the functionality of the EFI will help me there. And we’re working hard. We tested two days ago I guess it was, getting ready for The Glen. So, we’re putting in the whole effort. Hopefully I can be nice on the fuel mileage.”

JOHNSON CHASSIS CHOICE: Chassis No. 543 serves as the primary for Johnson at Watkins Glen. This is the same car Johnson has used for the last seven road races, including his 2010 Sonoma win. Chassis No. 590 serves as the backup.

TONY STEWART ON WATKINS GLEN: “It’s a race that we always look forward to. We’ve had a lot of success there and it’s just fun. It’s like taking Sonoma and just multiplying the speed times three. It’s just a lot faster track. It still has the same elevation changes, but you’re just running a lot quicker. Both Sonoma and Watkins Glen are two places on the schedulethat we really enjoy coming to.

“When you’ve won five races, it gives you that confidence that you know how to win, and know what you have to do to get to victory lane. I know what feel I need when we get here. It’s just a matter of going out and practicing and putting yourself in that position.”

STEWART CHASSIS CHOICE: This car debuted in impressive fashion in June at the road course in Sonoma, Calif., as Stewart took Chassis No. 14-731 from its 24th-place starting spot and rallied it to a strong second-place finish in the Toyota/Save Mart 350k. Sunday’s Finger Lakes 355k at The Glen will mark Chassis No. 14-731’s second career start.

KEVIN HARVICK ON WATKINS GLEN: ”Watkins Glen (International) is really fast, so the biggest thing there is to get your car good under braking so you can make passes during the race. Usually you can gain the most time is in the braking zones.”

HARVICK CHASSIS CHOICE: Kevin Harvick will pilot Chassis No. 395 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Seriesstable. This No. 29 Chevrolet was built new for competition in 2012 and was put through its first competitive laps at Sonoma when Harvick brought home a 16th-place finish after starting from the 26th position.

KASEY KAHNE ON WATKINS GLEN: “The toughest part of Watkins Glen for me is braking. You get on the brakes a lot harder than at Sonoma. But we’ve done a lot of road course testing this year, and that’s something I’ve worked on. Hopefully that extra practice will help this week.”

KASEY KAHNE CHASSIS CHOICE: crew chief Kenny Francis has selected Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 5-674 for Sunday's event. Kahne raced this car to a 14th-place finish on the road course at Sonoma in June. Kahne still is looking for a win at Watkins Glen, but he has found Victory Lane at the Cup circuit's other road course in Sonoma, Calif. He also has claimed two top-five finishes and two pole positions at the northern California track.

JEFF GORDON ON WATKINS GLEN: “(The Pocono win) only puts more pressure on us over these next several weeks, but we’re ready for the challenge. With all we’ve been through this year and this team staying together while not pointing fingers, we knew if we could get to Victory Lane it would make us stronger. We’ve put together a string of good runs and finishes, but we have to keep fighting for wins. I don’t know if one win will be good enough to secure a wildcard spot.

“We’ve not run very well at Watkins Glen in recent years and it’s been very disappointing to me and the team, but I’m optimistic because I felt we made big improvements at Sonoma. We tested at Road Atlanta before that race, and I think it’s a better track for Watkins Glen than it is for Sonoma. But we won’t really know until we get on the track. I always love the road courses and Watkins Glen is always one of my favorites. It’s a fast road course and you’ve got to have grip and comfort in that car through the esses and the high speed corners. You’ve got to attack the race track in the braking zones, and the car has got to be there for you and stick. Recently, though, I just feel like we’ve been missing a little something here.”

RYAN NEWMAN ON WATKINS GLEN: “I like road courses. They are difficult to pass on. It seems like there are only a couple of passing zones. I’ve always said the more corners there are without passing zones, the more opportunities there are to fall behind the guy who’s in front of the guy who’s in front of you. Road courses are unique in their own right. I wish we had a third one because I think they’re fun. To me, Watkins Glen provides better racing than Sonoma and I personally enjoy it a bit more. I really enjoy the challenge, the hustle of the racecar, the heavy braking. It’s not the easiest place to pass. Everybody kind of knows that. It’s a track-position race and fuel mileage has become a big part of the racing there. It’s usually a two-stop fuel race. You don’t get a lot of chances to work on your racecar, similar to places like Loudon and Richmond. To me, it’s just fun to hustle those cars around the racetrack. In road-course racing, the driver, in my mind, can make up more than he can at an oval just being able to hustle a car. You have the added mannerism; I guess you could say, of braking. When you brake at short tracks, it’s not the same as when you brake and downshift. So, you have to be a smooth downshifter, you have to be a good braker. Obviously, you have to turn right. There are extra characteristics, I guess, that you have to include at road courses that you don’t have to include at ovals. That separates the men from the boys, typically. We look forward to going there and doing well.”

NEWMAN CHASSIS CHOICE: Chassis No. 39-661 has been the No. 39 team’s road-course car for the past three races, having amassed two starts at the road course in Sonoma, Calif., and one in last year’s race at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International. Last year, Newman started sixth at Sonoma and was in the top-five for the race’s first 25 laps. But on lap 38, while entering the final turn on the course, Newman was caught up in a multi-car accident that ended his chance of victory and relegated him to a 25th-place finish. After starting fifth in last season’s race at Watkins Glen, Newman was bitten by strategy and finished 16th. After undergoing a facelift for the 2012 season, the car made its second start at Sonoma earlier this season.
Newman started 10th and battled ill handling the entire event, finishing 18th. This weekend will mark Chassis No. 39-661’s second start this season and fourth overall.

PAUL MENARD ON WATKINS GLEN: “The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series is the most competitive series in the world and we race the same guys every weekend. We’ve had some of the best (road course drivers) in the world like Boris Said and Ron Fellows struggle at Watkins Glen (International). Last year we were actually in position to gain a lot of points for the Wild Card position in the Chase (for the NASCAR Sprint Cup) and we blew a left-front tire with a couple laps to go. Little things like that ruin your finish.”

MENARD CHASSIS CHOICE: Paul Menard will pilot Chassis No. 361 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. This No. 27 Chevrolet was last seen on track at Watkins Glen in August 2011, where Menard finished in the 32nd position.

JAMIE MCMURRAY ON WATKINS GLEN: “I enjoy running the road course, at Watkins Glen. It’s fun to do something a little bit different than the usual, all left-hand turns. This track is really fast and allows you a few more opportunities to pass versus Sonoma. One of my favorite parts is If you can manage to get up the hill through the esses real well it gives you a good opportunity down the backstretch to set up passing into the inner loop. Hopefully we can put our McDonald’s Chevrolet in position for a run at the front of the field this weekend.”

McMURRAY CHASSIS CHOICE: Crew Chief Kevin “Bono” Manion and the No. 1 McDonald’s team will bring Chassis #1012 to Watkins Glen. Chassis #1012 will make its sixth appearance and third race at Watkins Glen. It has finished 17th at Watkins Glen twice, and in three races at Sonoma finished 15th twice and earlier this season finished 19th.

JEFF BURTON ON WATKINS GLEN: “I like Watkins Glen (International) a lot. Overall, I like road-course racing. The only thing I don’t like about road racing is getting knocked out. That seems to happen often. We were able to avoid it Sonoma. Unfortunately, we had an issue where Dale (Earnhardt Jr.) and I got together, but it was one of those things where neither one of us really did anything wrong. It was just a product of having 43 cars go into a corner that is a 90-degree turn. Some of it can’t be avoided and that’s what is difficult. Some of it is people just not caring who they run into, but some of it is people trying to avoid it. I think when these road-course racers join the field for these races; they are surprised how good we are it. What we lack in road-course racing experience, we make up for it by knowing how to handle these race cars. There is no car in the world like these Sprint Cup Series cars. These cars are animals. I’m not saying we are the best drivers in the world. It takes a different skill set to drive these cars. They aren’t point-and-shoot race cars.”

BURTON CHASSIS CHOICE: Jeff Burton will race chassis No. 357 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable this weekend at Watkins Glen International. This No. 31 Chevrolet, built specifically for road-course racing, was driven by Burton earlier this season, finishing in the 11th position at Sonoma. RCR teammate Kevin Harvick piloted this machine last year at Sonoma where he started 26th and finished ninth.

JUAN PABLO MONTOYA ON WATKINS GLEN: “I think Watkins Glen is a driver’s track, you’ve really got to hustle the car, and you can make a bit of a difference by doing so. We’ve always had a pretty good car there. I think the worse we’ve ever run is fourth or fifth so hopefully we’ll have a good day. There are a lot of places you can pass there, like into one, into the bus stop. You’ve got three of four good places where you can overtake. That’s one of those places that it’s a shame that we don’t use the full course because what they call ‘the boot’ is a lot of fun.”

MONTOYA CHASSIS CHOICE: Crew Chief Chris “Shine” Heroy and the No. 42 Target team will race with Chassis #1014 this weekend at Watkins Glen. This chassis was used for Montoya’s 2010 win at Watkins Glen and finished seventh there in 2011. In three starts at Sonoma, Chassis #1014 has finished 10th, 15th and 34th. Chassis #1014 has led 80 laps.

REGAN SMITH ON WATKINS GLEN: “The way we’ve raced the past two weekends at Indy and Pocono is the way we should be racing — inside or close to the top-10. There’s plenty of enthusiasm in the Furniture Row camp due to our recent performances. Todd (Berrier, crew chief) came on board before Indy and has done an excellent job in a short time. You can sense that our Furniture Row/Farm American Chevrolet is only going to get better. This weekend at Watkins Glen is special for me. I consider it my home track since I grew up near Syracuse (Cato, N.Y.). I really enjoy road racing and with all the friends and family who will be at Watkins Glen I want nothing more than to bring home a strong finish.”

KURT BUSCH ON WATKINS GLEN: “Well, Sonoma is a track where the corners are a lot slower and you’re struggling to put the power down. It’s pretty much the opposite of that situation when racing at Watkins Glen. It’s still a road course but the differences are pretty big. Watkins Glen has wide, sweeping, fast corners where it’s not as tough to put the power down like it is at Sonoma. It’s also just more of a momentum race track and so there’s a lot of speed at Watkins Glen, versus the finesse that you have to have at Sonoma to be successful.”

BUSCH CHASSIS CHOICE: This weekend’s Finger Lakes 355k at The Glen will be the second race of the 2012 season for this chassis. This is the same car with which Phoenix Racing competed in June at the road course in Sonoma, Calif. Busch qualified eighth and finished third in that race after a close battle for the lead in the closing laps. This chassis was built and raced by Hendrick Motorsports prior to becoming part of the No. 51 Phoenix Racing team’s stable. This particular chassis was used during the 2010 Save Mart 350k at Sonoma, when driver Jan Magnussen scored a 12th-place finish after starting 32nd. Prior to this season, the 2010 event at Sonoma was the last race for which this chassis was used.

BRIAN VICKERS ON WATKINS GLEN: “After our fourth-place finish at Sonoma I am really happy to get back in the car at a road course. With Watkins Glen’s high speeds, big breaking zones and good places to pass- I’m fairly confident it will be a good showing for us. You just have to stay out of trouble- or stay far enough ahead of the guy behind you that he won’t try to rough you up for the spot. The road racing has become a lot more physical in NASCAR over the past few years. As with any race, you have to be there at the end. I know Rodney will call a great race, the guys will give me a great Toyota and it will be my job to take care of it, have a good qualifying lap for track position, keep the brakes on it, and be there when it counts.”

VICKERS CHASSIS CHOICE: Primary Chassis No. 676 started 21st and finished fourth at Sonoma in June. Backup Chassis No. 661 served backup duties at Sonoma.

CLINT BOWYER CHASSIS CHOICE: Primary Chassis No. 632 is the same chassis that Bowyer won with at Sonoma in June. He started sixth and led 71 laps in the victory. It previously raced as the #47 at Sonoma. Chassis No. 690 is the backup and previously raced as the #56 in California and Michigan in 2011. Bowyer will make his seventh Sprint Cup Series start at Watkins Glen International on Sunday. In his six previous starts, Bowyer has one top-10 (ninth in 2009). On average he starts 21st and finishes 18th. He finished 11th in 2011 and led his first and only career lap at Watkins Glen. Clint Bowyer has scored a road couse win, this past June at Sonoma.

- FROM TEAM PRESS RELEASES

LVH Super Book Odds to Win 2012 Finger Lakes 355 at Watkins Glen

Ambrose has a 2.3 average finish in 4 starts (Getty)

FINGER LAKES 355
WATKINS GLEN INTERNATIONAL
SUNDAY, AUGUST 12, 2012

MARCOS AMBROSE 9-2
JEFF GORDON 6
TONY STEWART 6
JIMMIE JOHNSON 8
JUAN MONTOYA 10
KYLE BUSCH 10
KEVIN HARVICK 15
CLINT BOWYER 20
KASEY KAHNE 20
BRAD KESELOWSKI 20
DENNY HAMLIN 25
MARTIN TRUEX JR 25
CARL EDWARDS 25
KURT BUSCH 25
JOEY LOGANO 30
JAMIE McMURRAY 40
BORIS SAID 50
RYAN NEWMAN 50
GREG BIFFLE 50
DALE EARNHARDT JR 50
MATT KENSETH 50
BRIAN VICKERS 50
SAM HORNISH JR 60
JEFF BURTON 60
PAUL MENARD 60
DAVID GILLILAND 300
REGAN SMITH 300
ARIC ALMIROLA 300
BOBBY LABONTE 500
FIELD 60