Tuesday, August 7, 2012

2012 Watkins Glen Odds & Ends: Finger Lakes 355


At Watkins Glen International:
History
·         After several events were held on the streets of Watkins Glen, a permanent facility was opened in 1956.
·         The first NASCAR Sprint Cup race was in 1957, won by Buck Baker.
·         After a six-year absence, NASCAR returned to The Glen in 1964 and 1965.
·         After a 21-year absence, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series returned to The Glen, and has run one race a year there since 1986. This weekend’s race will be the 27th running since its return in 1986.
Notebook
·         There have been 29 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Watkins Glen International since the first race there in 1957.
·         Buck Baker won the first pole and race.
·         Tim Richmond won the first pole and race upon the series’ return in 1986.
·         There have been 17 different pole winners.
·         The race winner has started first in nine of 29 races. The last race winner to start from the pole was Kyle Buschin 2008.
·         Mark Martin leads all drivers with wins from the pole with three in a row between 1993, 1994 and 1995.
·         19 of the 29 races at Watkins Glen have been won from a top-five starting position.
·         21 of the 29 races at Watkins Glen have been won from a top-10 starting position.
·         The deepest in the field that a Watkins Glen race winner has started was 18th by Steve Park in 2000.
·         18 different drivers have won races, led by Tony Stewart, with five.
·         Jeff Gordon set the all-time NASCAR Sprint Cup record for road-course victories with his victory in 2001, his seventh on a road course. He has since won two more (both at Sonoma), for a career total of nine.
·         Three active drivers with more than one start have an average finish in the top 10: Marcos Ambrose (2.2 in four starts), Tony Stewart (7.0 in 13 starts), Carl Edwards (8.7 in seven starts), and Kyle Busch (9.2 in seven starts).
·         Two drivers have scored their first career NSCS wins at Watkins Glen International: Marcos Ambrose(08/15/2011) and Steve Park (08/13/2000).
·         Youngest NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Watkins Glen International winner: Kyle Busch (08/10/2008 – 23 years, 3 months, 8 days).
·         Oldest NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Watkins Glen International winner: Geoff Bodine (08/11/1996 – 47 years, 3 months, 24 days).
Watkins Glen International Data
Race #: 22 of 36 (08-12-12)
Track Size: 2.45-miles
Number of Turns: 7
Race Length: 90 laps / 220.5 miles
Top 12 Driver Rating at Watkins Glen
Tony Stewart............................. 124.8
Marcos Ambrose....................... 118.0
Juan Pablo Montoya.................. 112.6
Kyle Busch............................... 106.8
Jimmie Johnson......................... 100.7
Kurt Busch................................. 94.7
Denny Hamlin............................. 93.5
Carl Edwards.............................. 93.5
Jeff Gordon................................. 90.1
Kevin Harvick.............................. 89.2
Brad Keselowski......................... 88.1
Martin Truex Jr............................ 87.6
Note: Driver Rating compiled from 2005-2011 races (seven total) at Watkins Glen International.
Qualifying/Race Data
2011 pole winner:
Kyle Busch, Toyota (126.421 mph, 69.767 sec., 08-13-11)
2011 race winner:
Marcos Ambrose, Ford (99.417 mph, 2:16:02, 08-14-11)
Track qualifying record:
Kyle Busch, Toyota (126.421 mph, 69.767 sec., 08-13-11)
Track race record:
Mark Martin, Ford (103.030 mph, 2:11:54, 08-13-95)
NASCAR in New York
·         There have been 67 NASCAR Sprint Cup races in New York:
Track Name
City
NSCS
Watkins Glen International
Watkins Glen
29
Airborne Speedway
Plattsburg
1
Albany Saratoga Speedway
Malta
2
Altamont-Schenectady Fairgrounds
Altamont
2
Bridgehampton Race Circuit
Bridgehampton
4
Buffalo Civic Stadium
Buffalo
1
Fonda Speedway
Fonda
4
Hamburg Speedway
Hamburg
2
Islip Speedway
Islip
6
Monroe County Fairgrounds
Rochester
8
Montgomery Air Base
Montgomery
1
New York State Fairgrounds
Syracuse
3
State Line Speedway
Busti
1
Vernon Fairgrounds
Vernon
2
Wine Creek Race Track
Owego
1
·         180 drivers in NASCAR’s three national series (all-time) have their home state recorded as New York.
·         There have been 14 race winners from New York in NASCAR’s three national series:
Driver
NSCS
NNS
NCWTS
Geoff Bodine
18
6
0
Jim Reed
7
0
0
Al Keller
2
0
0
Steve Park
2
3
1
Brett Bodine
1
5
0
Jim Hurtubise
1
0
0
Lloyd Moore
1
0
0
Bill Rexford
1
0
0
Greg Sacks
1
1
0
Regan Smith
1
0
0
Jack White
1
0
0
Todd Bodine
0
15
22
Mike McLaughlin
0
6
0
Donny Lia
0
0
1

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