Kevin Harvick is 35/1 to win at Indy road course

 

KEVIN HARVICK Indianapolis Road Course Advance No. 4 Unibet Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing

Event Overview

●  Event:  Verizon 200 at the Brickyard (Round 24 of 36) ●  Time/Date:  1 p.m. ET on Sunday, Aug. 15 ●  Location:  Indianapolis Motor Speedway ●  Layout:  2.439-mile, 14-turn road course ●  Laps/Miles:  82 laps / 200 miles ●  Stage Lengths:  Stage 1: 15 laps / Stage 2: 20 laps / Final Stage: 47 laps ●  TV/Radio:  NBC / IMS Radio Network / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Notes of Interest

●  The Verizon 200 at the Brickyard marks the debut of Unibet as a primary sponsor of driver Kevin Harvick and the No. 4 team of Stewart-Haas Racing. Unibet is a part of the Kindred Group, one of the top online gambling operators with business across Europe, the U.S. and Australia. The Unibet brand is building on its years of European experience in the responsible gambling and player sustainability field and extending that mindset to its U.S. operations, with motorsports being a key platform. Unibet will return to the No. 4 car as a primary partner Oct. 31 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway.   ●  Unibet is doubling down on Harvick at Indianapolis by also sponsoring him in the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at the 2.439-mile, 14-turn road course. Harvick is making his third and final Xfinity Series start of 2021 and he will again drive for B.J. McLeod Motorsports in the No. 99 Unibet Ford Mustang. Of Harvick’s 348 career Xfinity Series starts, 13 have come on road courses. He has finished in the top-10 every time. In fact, his worst finish is merely a seventh-place drive at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International on Aug. 12, 2006, and in that race, Harvick still managed to lead 19 laps. He has 10 top-five finishes highlighted by two wins – Aug. 4, 2007 at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal and Aug. 11, 2007 at Watkins Glen.   ●  The Verizon 200 at the Brickyard is the sixth of a ground-breaking seven Cup Series races to be held on road courses in 2021. From 1988 to 2017, there were only two road courses on the schedule – Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway and Watkins Glen. The Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway Roval was added in 2018, giving the series just three road-course venues. The initial 2021 schedule doubled that tally with Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas, Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course all being added. And when COVID-19 restrictions forced the cancellation of the series’ planned stop earlier this year at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California, the road course at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway was put in its place, serving as the series’ second race of 2021.   ●  Harvick, driver of the No. 4 Unibet Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing, has made a total of 47 NASCAR Cup Series starts on road courses. He has 20 starts at Sonoma, 20 at Watkins Glen, three at the Charlotte Roval, two on the Daytona road course, one at COTA and one at Road America. He has scored two wins – Watkins Glen in 2006 and Sonoma in 2017 – along with 10 top-fives and 24 top-10s with 195 laps led.   ●  When Harvick scored his first road-course victory at Watkins Glen in 2006, he had to beat his current team owner to do it. Tony Stewart – the “Stewart” in Stewart-Haas Racing – had won the past two NASCAR Cup Series races at the seven-turn, 2.45-mile road course and was poised to capture a third straight win as he was leading Harvick with four laps to go in the 90-lap race. But Harvick, who had already led once for 24 laps, passed Stewart on lap 87 as the two drag-raced down the frontstretch and into turn one. Harvick held onto the lead despite Stewart in his rearview mirror, earning a margin of victory of .892 of a second.   ●  Harvick’s second career road-course win also had a connection to Stewart. When Harvick won at Sonoma in 2017, he gave Stewart-Haas Racing its second straight victory at the 10-turn, 1.99-mile road course. The winner in 2016? None other than Stewart. It ended up being his 49th and final NASCAR Cup Series victory as Stewart retired from NASCAR racing at the conclusion of the season.   ●  Harvick’s last road-course win was his first in a Ford. When Harvick won at Sonoma in 2017, he became the 83rd different driver to win a NASCAR Cup Series race behind the wheel of a Ford. Harvick has now won 23 Cup Series races with Ford, which makes him one of only 13 drivers to win 20 or more races with the manufacturer. He is currently tied with Rusty Wallace and Carl Edwards for 11th on the all-time Ford win list.   ●  Harvick has four road-course wins outside of the NASCAR Cup Series. Two came in the NASCAR Xfinity Series – Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in 2007 and Watkins Glen in 2007 – and two were in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West – Sonoma in 1998 and Sonoma in 2017. Harvick’s K&N Series win at Sonoma in 1998 was three years before his Cup Series debut on Feb. 26, 2001 at North Carolina Speedway in Rockingham.

Kevin Harvick, Driver of the No. 4 Unibet Ford Mustang

For 20 years you’ve driven through the tunnel and into Indianapolis Motor Speedway knowing that you would be racing on the oval. This year when you arrive at Indy, you’ll be racing on the road course. What will that be like? “For me, driving through that tunnel and understanding the history and everything that comes with racing on the oval at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is something that I always look forward to. I can’t imagine driving backward on the frontstretch and driving the road course in the infield. It’s an oval thing for me. When you look at the oval and you look at the history of the racetrack and everything that comes with that – some guys may not have grown up like that, so some people will have a much different opinion – but for me the oval just holds a huge place in racing and it holds a huge place in the things that I look forward to every year. I remember the first time I pulled in there for a test in 2001 and you roll into the racetrack and you think, ‘Man, I just accomplished everything in my childhood dreams, rolling into the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.’ Getting to go out on that racetrack and hearing the echoes of the cars through the grandstand is something that I’ll never forget, standing there on the front straightaway. I’m sure I’ll get over it as we start to get into practice and realize it’s just another race but, for me, it’s going to be a difficult hurdle to overcome.”   You might prefer the oval over the road course, but at least this year’s race has fans back in the grandstands. “Our sport has done a phenomenal job navigating the whole COVID situation. As we’ve gone through a better part of this year having fans back at the racetracks with some sense of normalcy – that’s been a lot of fun. To see the enthusiasm from the sponsors to the fans and everybody else being back at the racetracks – it’s fun to see people’s faces again, and you can see who they are, and to have a conversation and stand around and talk and not have to be in a designated area to do this or that has been a relief. We’ve had some great crowds and our sport’s done just a great job in navigating everything.”   The Indy road course is one of seven road-course races this year. What are your thoughts on having so many road courses on the schedule? “I’m good with the road courses. I think when you look at Road America, it was a huge success. That’s a great facility with a permanent road course that’s been there a long time. I grew up a Rick Mears fan wanting to race in the Indy 500, so not racing on the oval for me is a gut check. As a kid, that’s where I wanted to race and that was my dream – to race on the oval. As you look at road-course racing in general, it has become a part of our sport, and a very good part of our sport because of the fact that it gives us other opportunities to go to other facilities. When you look at COTA and you look at Road America, I think those were great additions to the schedule. Road-course racing is going to be a part of the Cup Series for a long time.”   How do you prepare for the road course at Indy? “For us and our Unibet Ford Mustang, it’s drastically different preparation and, for me, it’s learning a new track, trying to make sure that before you go there you have everything memorized and doing the things it takes to be able to know where you’re going when you get on the racetrack. You just don’t have much practice in order to get everything figured out. All the transmission ratios and stuff are all locked in before you get there. So, hopefully, our simulator is working well and we get the lap times close and can get all the gear ratios and things like that figured out before we get there. But it’s a fair amount of preparation just because of the fact that you have to memorize the facility and you’re having to lock some stuff in before you even get to make a lap of practice on the racetrack. So, it’ll be interesting.”   One of the things that we used to see a lot of when NASCAR raced at road courses were ringers – road-course specialists brought in specifically for that race – but that’s really gone away in the last 10 years. Why? “When I first came into this series, nobody wanted to go to Watkins Glen and nobody wanted to go to Sonoma, and then road-course racing became cool somewhere along the line. And I think as drivers – I know for me in 2003 – we really decided to put a lot of effort into our road-racing program and we were able to get much better at it than what we had been the previous two years. And as that progression happened, everybody started to get better at it, and the benefit of the road-race ringer kind of went away. It was more equal, and that little bit that the road-race guys had in road-race knowledge, they lost in car knowledge – not having the familiarity with the Cup car and how unique they are to drive.”

Watkins Glen NASCAR Betting Preview: 2021 Go Bowling 235

 

GO BOWLING AT THE GLEN PICKS, PREDICTIONS, ODDS

Aug. 4, 2021

Micah Roberts
NASCAR Expert
VegasInsider.com

The NASCAR Cup Series took the last two weeks off and I must admit that I was wandering aimlessly the last two Sundays bored out of my skull. But the drivers are back this Sunday with the Go Bowling 235 at the 2.45-mile seven-turn Watkins Glen International road course, the fifth of seven road course races in 2021. The two weeks off were a welcome sight for Denny Hamlin’s team.

“It’s definitely different to get a break like this, but I think it was good for everybody, especially the team guys, to get that break,” Hamlin said. ”But now it’s time to get back to business. I’m confident we’ll bring a fast car to The Glen, so we just have to go out there and execute.”

I think the break may have let Hamlin get a much-needed reset himself. He leads the Cup Series in points (874) and is tied for the lead in top-fives (11) and top-10s (15), but doesn’t have a win after 22 races. He had seven wins last season. I think what stands out most for me during Hamlin’s drought is that 13 different drivers have won a race this season.

NASCAR GO BOWLING AT THE GLEN ANALYSIS

Kevin Harvick won a series-leading nine races last season and hasn’t won this season in a bizarre fall. He’s only had six top-fives and I can’t remember him being an actual contender to win in any race this season. I’ve seen blips of speed at stages in races, but his car always goes away from him.

Harvick and Hamlin combined for 16 wins last season and have none so far. Nothing changed with the cars and rules package. They’re the same as last season. Did everyone else just get better and catch up, or did someone lose some 2020 set-up notes?

Harvick hasn’t been very good on the road courses lately so I’d have to be baited by a better price than the 20-to-1 odds to win that William Hill is offering, but I’m listening and flirting with the SuperBook bait at 40-to-1 odds. I’m attracted and now making up reasons why it’s not a horrible bet, such as he led the most laps at New Hampshire finishing sixth the last time the 750 horsepower low downforce race package was used. His teammate Aric Almirola won the race, the first win for Stewart-Haas Racing this season.

Harvick has a 2006 win at Watkins Glen in his 19 starts averaging a 12th-place finish. He was seventh in his last race there in 2019. Remember, New York shut down the state during the pandemic so no race at the Glen. The same goes for the 2020 Sonoma race because of California’s rules.

GO BOWLING AT THE GLEN BETTING RESOURCES

• Date: Sunday, August 8, 2021
• TV-Time: NBCSN, 3:00 p.m. ET
• Venue: Watkins Glen International
• Location: Watkins Glen, New York
• Distance: 220.86 miles, 90 laps
• Defending Champion: Chase Elliott (2019)

As you may have noticed over the course of this season, I’m not a big fan of all the road races or throwing dirt on the Bristol bullring, but I like Watkins Glen because it has some tradition and it’s a fast track. I can’t remember who said it this week, but one of the drivers said Sonoma was Martinsville while Watkins Glen was California Speedway to explain how different the two road courses were. Chase Elliott’s crew chief Alan Gustafson also had a good breakdown on why Watkins Glen is unique.

“Watkins Glen is different from other road courses,“ said Gustafson, who turned 46 on Thursday. “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.”

I like Watkins Glen and Sonoma, and that’s it. Who came up with the idea that NASCAR fans love road courses? Is this their marketing plan to attract new audiences?

“When I first came into this series, nobody wanted to go to Watkins Glen and nobody wanted to go to Sonoma, and then road-course racing became cool somewhere along the line,” Harvick said. “And I think as drivers – I know for me in 2003 – we really decided to put a lot of effort into our road-racing program and we were able to get much better at it than what we had been the previous two years. And as that progression happened, everybody started to get better at it, and the benefit of the road-race ringer kind of went away. It was more equal, and that little bit that the road-race guys had in road-race knowledge,they lost in car knowledge – not having the familiarity with the Cup car and how unique they are to drive.”

Ah yes, the road course ringer. Ron Fellows stepped in to win three Xfinity and two Truck Series races at the Glen. Boris Said was another. Marcos Ambrose is in Australia now but dominated in two Cup wins (2011, 2012) and four Xfinity Series wins at Watkins Glen. Let’s not forget road aces Robby Gordon (2003) and Juan Pablo Montoya (2010).

GO BOWLING AT THE GLEN CONTENDERS

• Chase Elliott +200
• Kyle Larson +450
• Martin Truex Jr. +600
• Kyle Busch +750
• Denny Hamlin +1100
• More NASCAR Futures
• (Odds Subject to Change)

So 40-to-1 with Harvick is a nice long shot to consider. I’m also going to have a bet on 2016 Watkins Glen winner Hamlin, who Circa Sports is offering at +1350, and I also like his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Christopher Bell at 20-to-1 odds to win. Bell’s only Cup win came in February on the Daytona road course. He also was runner-up in his last two races in the 750 HP package at Road America and New Hampshire.

I’m also mulling over Ross Chastain at 50-to-1 odds (William Hill) because of his consistency using the 750 package. Check out his last five starts using it: eighth at New Hampshire, seventh at Road America, runner-up at Nashville, seventh at Sonoma, and fourth at COTA. Both the Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolets, along with Kurt Busch (25/1), have been strong lately. Chastain’s team is giving him great cars.

READ MORE HERE....TOP-5 FINISH PREDICTIONS ON VEGASINSIDER.COM

Hendrick Motorsports Driver quotes for 2021 Go Bowling 235

 

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.”

Denny Hamlin is +1350 to win 2021 Go Bowling 235 at the Glen

Denny Hamlin

11 FedEx Express Toyota
Joe Gibbs Racing

Sunday Race Info:
Race: Go Bowling at The Glen
Date/Time: Sunday, August 8/3:00 p.m. ET
Distance: 90 laps/220.5 miles
Track Length: 2.45 miles
Track Shape: 11-Turn Road Course

Express Notes:

New Hampshire Recap: The race started under damp conditions, and misty rains picked up quickly in the first few laps. Fresh tires on wet pavement led to three Joe Gibbs Racing drivers, including Hamlin, getting sideways on Lap 6. The FedEx Office Camry suffered minor damage resulting from contact during the slide, and the team was pushed back to 17th. NASCAR then put out the red flag to wait out the rainy conditions. After an hour-and-40-minute delay, the race resumed with the #11 no worse for the wear. The car was still fast, and Hamlin started making his way to the front. The FedEx Racing pit crew was speedy, too, gaining Hamlin spots on pit road twice during Stage 2. The team stayed in the top five, including leading a lap, throughout the segment. But during the team’s stage-break pit stop, a lug nut became lodged behind the left front wheel as the crew changed tires. As Hamlin took off from his pit box, he instantly felt the wheel was loose and was forced to return to pit road the following lap. The tire-changing mishap pushed him back to 26th, but he used the remaining laps in Stage 3 to battle back to a 10th-place finish.

Watkins Glen Preview: The NASCAR Cup Series is back after two weeks off and is headed to the New York Finger Lakes for road course racing at Watkins Glen International. This will be the first race at the track in two years and Hamlin’s 15th career race at the track. In those 14 previous races, he’s won once while finishing in the top five four times and the top 10 seven times.

Hamlin Statistics:
Track: Watkins Glen International
Races: 14
Wins: 1
Top-5: 4
Top-10: 7
Laps Led: 12
Avg. Start: 12.7
Avg. Finish: 16.3

Hamlin Conversation – Watkins Glen:

The series hasn’t raced at Watkins Glen in two years. How difficult an adjustment will it be to go back and be ready?

“We’ll prepare for it just like we do with all the other road courses, where all the drivers will get in the simulators and get acclimated to it pretty quickly. But Cup drivers are so good at being presented with a challenge and stepping up and being extremely good at it. I expect some of the first laps of the race will be some of the fastest laps of the race because these guys are so tuned in. Although it will be different because it has been two years, for most drivers who have been doing it for 10-plus years, it will be a quick adjustment.”

How do you feel about coming back to racing after a couple of weeks off?

“It’s definitely different to get a break like this, but I think it was good for everybody, especially the team guys, to get that break. But now it’s time to get back to business. I’m confident we’ll bring a fast car to The Glen, so we just have to go out there and execute.”

FedEx Express Along for the Ride at Watkins Glen: The NASCAR Cup Series will make its visit to Watkins Glen International on Sunday, and the FedEx Express station JGXA in the LA Empire District is going Along for the Ride. JGXA was the first station to deliver the COVID-19 vaccine in the PACWEST and has delivered the most vaccines of any station in the LA Empire District. FedEx Express is proud to recognize the 325 employees at JGXA for their dedication and commitment to their customers and the community.

Kyle Busch is 8/1 to win 2021 Go Bowling 235 at the Glen

 

KYLE BUSCH Welcome Back   HUNTERSVILLE, North Carolina (Aug. 3, 2021) – As the NASCAR Cup Series heads to Watkins Glen (N.Y.) for Sunday’s Go Bowling at the Glen, there’s more than one reason to welcome back NASCAR’s top series to Upstate New York.   The series will return to action Sunday after a two-week summer hiatus while its television partner, the NBC family of networks, has been immersed in coverage of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The historic road course at Watkins Glen will also host NASCAR for the first time in two years as last year’s scheduled race there was not held because of the COVID-19 pandemic.   Sunday’s race on the 2.45-mile, seven-turn road course will be the fifth of seven road-course events on the schedule this season.   For Kyle Busch, driver of the No. 18 SNICKERS Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR), Watkins Glen is one of his favorite road courses on the schedule, as he has brought home two victories, six top-five finishes, and 12 top-10s in 15 starts there.   After Busch’s inaugural Cup Series victory at The Glen in 2008, he nearly won for the second time in his 2011 and 2012 visits there before breaking through again in 2013. A third career victory Sunday in New York’s scenic Finger Lakes Region would continue to solidify Busch and the SNICKERS team as a contender each time the series comes to town.   As far as overall road-course proficiency, Busch is tied with David Pearson and Mark Martin with four Cup Series road-course wins apiece. That’s some pretty good company, already. But with a fifth road-course win, he could tie Darrell Waltrip, Tim Richmond and Dan Gurney on the road-course win list. The top three in all-time road-course wins in the Cup Series includes Chase Elliott and Jeff Gordon with seven apiece, while Tony Stewart is the all-time leader with nine wins.   So as Busch heads to Upstate New York for some road racing this weekend in his SNICKERS Camry, he would like nothing more than to welcome Watkins Glen back to the schedule with a third win there, which would be a timely victory with only four regular-season races remaining before the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs begin on Labor Day weekend.

KYLE BUSCH, Driver of the No. 18 SNICKERS Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing:

You’ve had some success at Watkins Glen. What makes it challenging and different than some other road courses you race at?   “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.”   What are your expectations for Watkins Glen this weekend?   “Watkins Glen has obviously been a really good place for me over the years and a place I really enjoy. We’ve just got to keep coming to the track and executing like we have. There are a lot of factors in strategy that affect a road-course race and hope we can execute like we have been and get another win. Certainly, the extra bonus points any time we can get them could be a big deal in the playoffs.”   What is the most fun part of a lap at Watkins Glen?   “To me, going through turn one and up through the esses is pretty cool and a lot of fun. It’s challenging, yet a lot of fun. As you come down the front straightaway, it’s a downhill braking zone, so you feel like you don’t have to brake as soon as you need to, but you need to in order to get slowed down for turn one. You try to stay out and get a good, hard cut to the right for turn one and accelerate out of there as quickly as you can to get set up for the esses. (You) stay wide on the left and then turn into the right-hander in (turn) two – smooth. You’re getting out of the gas but not using too much brake, just rolling off in there. As the car gets in there and loads, it actually takes a really big set because that’s when you start going back uphill. So the car will load up and that’s when you get back in the gas really wide open. And then you have to turn back to the left and be able to roll back out of it just enough to make the car bend. And then you’re back wide open again to the right-side guardrail and just keeping it tight through the right-hander that we call turn five.”   What is the most challenging part of a lap at Watkins Glen?   “I’d say the most challenging thing is the culmination of the Inner Loop and the Carousel. All of that together is a lot harder to figure out how to make speed through there than just going through there traditionally. That’s an area of the racetrack a lot of guys really try to abuse. They’ll get off on the right side, get off on the left side and throw dirt up on the racetrack and then it just makes for a real mess.”   What does it take to be successful at Watkins Glen?   “At Watkins Glen, the biggest thing is pit strategy. Obviously, you’ve got to pick and choose when you’re going to pit and stick to your plan. Whether or not we can still do it on two stops, I’m unsure of. You definitely have to be good at being able to carry speed there, obviously, through the esses and down the long backstretch. That seems to be the key part of the racetrack.”

Event Overview:

● Event: Go Bowling at The Glen ● Time/Date: 3 p.m. EDT on Sunday, Aug. 8 ● Location: Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International ● Layout: 2.45-mile, seven-turn road course ● Laps/Miles: 90 laps, 220.5 miles ● Format: Stage 1: 20 laps / Stage 2: 20 laps / Final Stage: 50 laps ● TV/Radio: NBCSN / MRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Aric Almirola is 100/1 to win 2021 Go Bowling 235 at the Glen

 

Aric Almirola Watkins Glen Advance Go Bowling Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing

Event Overview

● Event: Go Bowling at The Glen (Round 23 of 36) ● Time/Date: 3 p.m. EDT on Sunday, Aug. 8 ● Location: Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International ● Layout: Seven-turn, 2.45-mile road course ● Laps/Miles: 90 laps / 220.5 miles ● Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 20 laps / Stage 2: 20 laps / Final Stage: 50 laps ● TV/Radio: NBCSN / MRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Notes of Interest

●  Three weekends ago at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, Almirola claimed the victory after leading 46 laps at the 1.058-mile flat oval to earn his third career NASCAR Cup Series win in 374 starts. After a year full of adversity and bad luck, the victory earned the No. 10 team, which was 27th in the standings and facing a must-win situation if it was going to compete for this year’s Cup Series championship, put itself in prime position to earn one of the 16 coveted berths in the 10-race playoffs that begin Labor Day weekend. Almirola’s award-winning YouTube series “Beyond the 10” captured his entire race day here.    ●  Almirola’s best finish of 12th at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International came in his most recent start in 2019. Due to COVID-19 protocols, the Cup Series did not visit The Glen in 2020.   ●  Road-Course History: Aric Almirola has 26 road-course starts in the NASCAR Cup Series. He has two top-10 finishes with a best of eighth at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway, four top-20s at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International with a best finish of 12th, three top-20s on the Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway Roval with a best finish of 14th, and a top-12 finish in the Feb. 9 Busch Clash on the Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway road course – his best road-course finish of the year.   ●  Crew chief Mike Bugarewicz is no stranger to visiting a road-course victory lane. In 2016, Bugarewicz won at Sonoma with Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) co-owner and NASCAR Hall of Famer Tony Stewart during his final year as a fulltime driver in the NASCAR Cup Series.   ●  In 2019, Almirola and professional bowler Jason Belmonte created the “World’s Fastest Strike” by throwing a bowling ball out of the No. 10 Go Bowling Ford at 140 mph at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Click here to watch the strike, and dive deeper into the day with the full video here.   ●  The No. 10 Go Bowling car is already on a “roll.” On August 3, Stewart-Haas Racing Esports driver Graham Bowlin won the Coca-Cola iRacing Series race from Watkins Glen International in the No. 10 Go Bowling Ford Mustang. See the full article here.   ●  Go Bowling will adorn the No. 10 Ford this weekend at Watkins Glen for the first time this season. Almirola has worked with Go Bowling and the Bowling Proprietors’ Association of America (BPAA) since 2013. Bowling has been a top activity in the Almirola household and is a favorite activity across the NASCAR fan base, striking the perfect partnership.   ●  The NASCAR Cup Series, which began its 38-race season on Feb. 11 with the non-points paying Duel at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway and ends Nov. 7 at Phoenix Raceway, is coming off a two-week break in the schedule as broadcast partner NBC and its family of networks has been immersed in coverage of the Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Almirola and his family took the time to head south for a vacation in Key West, Florida, where they spent the week lobster hunting. Coincidentally, Almirola’s prize for winning at New Hampshire was the coveted Lobster Trophy, providing some humor on his social media channels and the NASCAR spoof account @nascarcasm.   ●  Almirola’s 2020 season proved successful when he earned a career-high 18 top-10 finishes, six top-fives and led 305 laps. During the season, Almirola went on a five-race streak of top-five finishes and earned nine consecutive top-10s.   ●  Career Stats: Almirola has career totals of three wins, two poles, 26 top-five finishes, 82 top-10s and 893 laps led in 374 NASCAR Cup Series starts.   ●  “Go Bowling America” provides bowlers of all age groups the opportunity to bowl in a fun, non-competitive league and receive a new entry-level performance bowling ball for completing the league. National Bowling Day is Aug. 14, and Go Bowling is celebrating by giving everyone in America who registers at GoBowling.com a free bowling game coupon.  For details and to find a participating bowling center, visit www.GoBowling.com. At GoBowling.com, consumers can also register to win a bowling experience of a lifetime with Tony Stewart. He’ll be hosting the grand prize winner and a guest at his home for a private, in-person bowling experience they’ll never forget.   ●  Beyond the 10 YouTube Series: In 2021, Almirola continues to share his life beyond the No. 10 Ford with season three of his award-winning YouTube series. Fans and media can subscribe on YouTube to see Almirola’s personality on and off the track. Episodes have already featured life as a dad, a husband and an athlete, and it gives fans a unique perspective on what goes on in the life of a professional NASCAR driver. Fans can also follow Almirola’s social media channels: @Aric_Almirola on Twitter and Instagram, and @AricAlmirola on Facebook. Almirola’s latest Beyond the 10 episode addresses the question “are NASCAR drivers athletes” in honor of the Olympic break.   ●  After the season’s first 22 points-paying events, Almirola and the Go Bowling Ford team sit 14th in the playoff standings with 377 points, 497 behind leader Denny Hamlin.

Aric Almirola, Driver of the No. 10 Go Bowling Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

You’ve partnered with Go Bowling since 2013. Why is it such a great fit for you personally, as well as with Stewart-Haas Racing?   “I grew up bowling in Tampa as a kid. Those summers were so hot down there, and you never knew what the weather was going to do, so bowling was something that was always available if we wanted an indoor activity. Fast forward to today, I have a family that loves to bowl and it’s one of our favorite activities to do together. When it comes to this partnership in racing, you couldn’t ask for more fan crossover from one sport to the other. Everyone loves bowling and NASCAR fans and families are bowling fans. Everyone at Go Bowling does such an incredible job with spreading the word and making it fun and inviting at the track for the fans. I’m excited that I get to be a part of spreading the word again driving the No. 10 Go Bowling Ford at the Go Bowling at The Glen.”    You and Jason Belmonte threw a bowling ball out of your car at 140 mph to execute the World’s Fastest Strike. How was that?   “That was one of the most insane events I’ve ever been a part of. So much technology and effort went into making that happen. We had to get a special ball and pins created that didn’t explode upon impact. We missed four times before finally getting the strike on the fifth throw. We didn’t even know we would get it. One of the bowling balls even jumped over the tire barrier Charlotte Motor Speedway built for us. The ball ended up in turn two. We were on the frontstretch. Thank goodness we hit it on the fifth try because we went back to try again to get more camera angles and the engine died on us just three tries later. Good thing Jason Belmonte is the No. 1 bowler in the world. All I had to do was drive straight.”    Are you excited to get to the road course at Watkins Glen after your win and a two-week break?   “I’m really looking forward to getting to Watkins Glen. It’s one of my most confident road courses of all the ones we go to, now. I’m looking forward to going there and being competitive with a little extra incentive coming off the win, and it’s the Go Bowling at The Glen and we’re in the Go Bowling car, so I’m even more excited to go out and give it my all.”    What is it like coming off a win at such a pivotal point in your season?   “It’s such a feeling of relief, joy and excitement all at once. The coolest thing about the win is that we’ve just been through such a tough year, and to be able to keep fighting and grinding with this 10 team that is doing its job to bring the best racecar it can each weekend is all you can ask for. We want to keep this moment going and win some stages and get some playoff points and we really want to win another race to peak at the right time for the playoffs. We have to take advantage of this momentum we have and I’m excited to be heading to a road course with less pressure.”

Odds to win 2021 Go Bowling 235 at the Glen

LAS VEGAS SUPERBOOK AT THE WESTGATE

NASCAR CUP SERIES

ODDS TO WIN GO BOWLING 235

WATKINS GLEN INTERNATIONAL

SUNDAY, AUGUST 8, 2021 - 3:00 PM ET

Chase ELLIOTT 2/1
Kyle LARSON 9/2
Martin TRUEX JR 5/1
Kyle BUSCH 8/1
Joey LOGANO 10/1
Denny HAMLIN 12/1
Christopher BELL 20/1
Ryan BLANEY 25/1
Alex BOWMAN 25/1
William BYRON 25/1
Kurt BUSCH 25/1
Ross CHASTAIN 40/1
Brad KESELOWSKI 30/1
Kevin HARVICK 40/1
Tyler REDDICK 50/1
Matt DIBENEDETTO 60/1
Chase BRISCOE 80/1
Michael McDOWELL 100/1
Chris BUESCHER 100/1
Daniel SUAREZ 100/1
Aric ALMIROLA 100/1
Cole CUSTER 200/1
Austin DILLON 300/1
Erik JONES 300/1
Ryan PREECE 500/1
Ricky STENHOUSE JR 1000/1
Bubba WALLACE 1000/1
Ryan NEWMAN 1000/1
Corey LAJOIE 5000/1
Justin HALEY 5000/1
Anthony ALFREDO 5000/1
Josh BILICKI 10000/1
James DAVISON 10000/1
Garrett SMITHLEY 10000/1
Kyle TILLEY 10000/1
Quin HOUFF 10000/1
RC ENERSON 10000/1

Chasing History: Elliott could tie Tony Stewart on all-time road course wins list

When it comes to road racing in the NASCAR Cup Series, Hendrick Motorsport’s driver Chase Elliott is instantly mentioned as one of the favorites to watch, and with good reason. Elliott has won six of the last seven road course races the NASCAR Cup Series has competed at; including the most recent at Road America a few weeks ago.

With his latest foray into Victory Lane at Road America, Elliott has locked up his seventh NASCAR Cup Series road course win and with it moved solely into third all-time on the Cup road course wins list, just one win shy of NASCAR Hall of Famer Tony Stewart in second with eight road course victories. NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon holds the NASCAR Cup Series record for the most road course wins in the series with nine.

 

All-Time Top Road Course Winners in the NASCAR Cup Series and the Tracks They Won At

Road Course Winners	Total RC Wins	Sonoma	Watkins Glen	Daytona RC	Charlotte RC	COTA	Road America
Jeff Gordon	9	5	4	0	0	0	0
Tony Stewart	8	3	5	0	0	0	0
Chase Elliott	7	0	2	1	2	1	1

 

Seven of the 2020 series champion’s 13 career Cup wins have come on road courses - Watkins Glen 2018, 2019; Charlotte ROVAL 2019, 2020; Daytona Road Course 2020; Circuit of The Americas 2021; Road America 2021. Now Elliott returns to Watkins Glen International where he has won the last two series events held at the track and is looking to get his third straight this weekend.

If Elliott were to win this weekend at Watkins Glen, he would break the tie with Kyle Busch for the most wins at the 2.45-mile track among active drivers and would become the third different driver in series history to win three consecutive races at Watkins Glen joining NASCAR Hall of Famers Mark Martin (1993, ’94, ‘95) and Jeff Gordon (1997, ’98, ‘99).

The 25-year-old from Dawsonville, Georgia has made four series starts at Watkins Glen International posting two wins (2018, 2019) and an average finish of 7.0.

NASCAR returns to Watkins Glen International

Kyle Larson won first road race at Sonoma.

With great anticipation the NASCAR Cup Series returns to New York’s Watkins Glen International for the 23rd race of the 2021 season, the Go Bowling at The Glen, this Sunday, August 8 at 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. Not only has the NASCAR Cup Series been on a two-week Summer hiatus while the Olympics were held, but the series also hasn’t been to Watkins Glen International since 2019 due to restrictions and schedule changes brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Watkins Glen International is one of four tracks left in the regular season to decide who makes it to the Playoffs in 2021. This weekend will be the 38th running of a NASCAR Cup Series race at Watkins Glen. The 2.45-mile road course located near Watkins Glen, NY is a multi-elevational course that provides great highspeed racing.

The previous 37 NASCAR Cup Series races have produced 22 different poles winners and 23 different race winners. The first NASCAR Cup Series race at Watkins Glen International was in 1957 and won by NASCAR Hall of Famer Buck Baker (83.064 mph, 08/04/1957). Over the years the series has changed the race length at Watkins Glen three times. The first NASCAR Cup Series race at Watkins Glen was scheduled for 101.2-miles in 1957, the second race was 161.7-miles (1964) and the third race was 151.8-miles (1965). Every race since has been scheduled for 220.5-miles (90 laps).

NASCAR Hall of Famers Dale Earnhardt (1990, ’92, ‘96), Mark Martin (1993, ’94, ‘95) and Jeff Gordon (1998, ’03, ‘14) lead the NASCAR Cup Series in poles at Watkins Glen International with three poles each. Joe Gibbs Racing’s Kyle Busch leads all active drivers in poles at Watkins Glen with two (2011, ‘17). This weekend’s starting lineup was set per Metric Qualifying and as a result Team Penske’s Brad Keselowski will start from the pole, and his teammate Joey Logano will join him on the front row.

NASCAR Hall of Famer Tony Stewart leads the NASCAR Cup Series in victories at Watkins Glen International with five (2002, ’04, ’05, ’07 and ’09); one win shy of tying the series record for most road course wins at a single track at six held by NASCAR Hall of Famer Bobby Allison at Riverside Raceway (). Hendrick Motorsport’s Chase Elliott (2018, 2019) and Joe Gibbs Racing’s Kyle Busch (2008, 2013) lead all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers in wins at Watkins Glen International with two victories each. Elliott is also the most recent winner at the 2.45-mile track dominating the 2019 NASCAR Cup Series event leading 80 of the 90 scheduled laps (88.9%).


Hamlin continues to try to hold Larson off for the regular season title

Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin has just four regular season races left to hold off Hendrick Motorsport’s Kyle Larson for the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series Regular Season Championship. Larson has closed the points gap to as little as two points following the second race at Pocono, but since then Hamlin has been able to open the points cushion up between the two to 13 points heading into this weekend at Watkins Glen International.

Hamlin has held the NASCAR Cup Series driver standings lead since the second race of the season at the Daytona Road Course. This season Hamlin has yet to win but has put up 11 top fives (tied for series-most this season with Larson), and 15 top 10s (tied for series-most this season with Larson and Kevin Harvick).

Larson on the other hand was 12th in the NASCAR Cup Series driver standings following the second race of the season 51 points back from Hamlin. Since then, Larson has rallied off four wins (series-most) and has matched Hamlin in top fives (11) and top 10s (15) closing the points lead over second in the standings to just 13 points.

Over the next four races expect the battle between Hamlin and Larson to heat up. Not only does the winner of the Regular Season Championship get a trophy and the prestige but also 15 Playoff points to take into the postseason.

Looking ahead to the next four races here are the career statistics for Hamlin and Larson at each track:


Watkins Glen International

Denny Hamlin has made 14 starts at the 2.45-mile road course posting one win (2016), four top fives and seven top 10s. His average finish at the track is 16.3.

Kyle Larson has made six series starts at the 2.45-mile road course putting up one top five and three top 10s. His average finish at the track is 13.7.


Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Both Denny Hamlin and Kyle Larson will be making their series track debuts next weekend at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course. It will be the first time the NASCAR Cup Series has competed on the 2.439-mile road course configuration at Indianapolis.


Michigan International Speedway

Denny Hamlin has made 30 starts at the 2.5-mile highspeed oval posting two wins (2010, 2011), nine top fives and 15 top 10s. His average finish at the track is 13.2.

Kyle Larson has made 12 starts at Michigan accumulating three wins (2016, 2017 sweep), five top fives and six top 10s. His average finish at the track is 12.4.


Daytona International Speedway

Denny Hamlin has made 31 starts at the ‘World Center of Racing’ grabbing three wins (all Daytona 500s – 2016, 2019, 2020), 11 top fives and 12 top 10s. His average finish at the track is 16.0.

Kyle Larson has made 14 starts at Daytona posting five top 10s. His average finish at the track is 21.1.

If Hamlin or Larson win the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series Regular Season Championship, the winner will become just the fourth different driver in series history to win the prestigious award.