Jimmie Johnson is 40/1 to win at Watkins Glen

Jimmie Johnson has no wins at the Glen.

WATKINS GLEN PERFORMANCE: Although Jimmie Johnson has yet to score a win at the road course at Watkins Glen International, he has accumulated four top-five finishes and eight top-10s, with his best finish of third coming in 2007 and 2012. Johnson won the pole position at the 2.45-mile road course in 2009. He has an average starting position of 7.6 and finishing position of 16.2 at the venue.

JOHNSON’S SPECIAL GLOVES: During the Watkins Glen race weekend, Johnson and others will wear Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s signature skeleton gloves to raise awareness for the Dale and Amy Earnhardt Fund at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Johnson’s gloves are black and white. Following the race, Johnson will autograph the gloves and they will be auctioned on the NASCAR Foundation auction site Aug. 8. The funds will support patients and their families in pediatric injury rehabilitation, research and prevention.

POCONO REWIND: Johnson made his 600th career NASCAR Cup Series start last weekend at Pocono Raceway. He overcame a 35th-place starting position, picking up 21 positions and finishing the first stage in 14th. The driver finished 11th in the second stage and then ran in the top 10 for the majority of the final stage. A late-race pit stop strategy for four fresh tires didn’t pan out the way the team had hoped and Johnson was only able to recover to the 17th position at the finish.

DARLINGTON THROWBACK REVEALED: On Monday, Lowe’s revealed its Darlington throwback paint scheme that will run at the track on Sept. 2. The black, rally-striped KOBALT Chevy was selected for the theme “Seven Decades of NASCAR” as a tribute to Johnson’s win on May 12, 2012. The victory was Johnson’s 56th career win and the milestone 200th win for Hendrick Motorsports. See the paint scheme here.

DARLINGTON CELEBRATION: Fans attending the race at Darlington Raceway will have an exclusive opportunity to hear from many of the stars and legends of NASCAR at Darlington’s “Saturday Night Celebration” event taking place at the track on Sept. 1. Seven-time Cup Series champion Johnson will appear alongside NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty. For more information, click here.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CHAD: No. 48 team crew chief Chad Knaus will celebrate a birthday this weekend at Watkins Glen. The Rockford, Illinois, native will turn 47 on Sunday, Aug. 5. and is expecting his first child later this month with wife Brooke.

VIP EXPERIENCE: Johnson has two more VIP experiences remaining for the 2018 season. The package gives fans the opportunity to meet the driver of the No. 48 Lowe’s for Pros Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in a one-on-one setting and includes a meet-and-greet, an autograph and a photo with Johnson along with a behind-the-scenes garage tour and an amazing, exclusive gift. Packages remain for Indianapolis and Dover. For more information, visit: https://jimmiejohnsonvip.com/.

LOCAL CREW MEMBER: Mark Ellis, the No. 48 transporter driver, hails from Utica, New York. Ellis went to Thomas R. Proctor High School, roughly 140 miles from Watkins Glen International, and before becoming a teammate at Hendrick Motorsports, Ellis was a crew member on the 2014 NHRA Drag Racing Top Fuel championship-winning team with driver Tony Schumacher. A bowling aficionado, Ellis is a member of the Professional Bowlers Association and is in his second season at Hendrick Motorsports.

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2018 Season 13th in points 21 starts 0 wins 0 pole positions 2 top-five finishes 7 top-10 finishes 15 laps led     Career 600 starts 83 wins 35 pole positions 224 top-five finishes 348 top-10 finishes 18,678 laps led     Track Career  16 starts 0 wins 1 pole position 4 top-five finishes 8 top-10 finishes 17 laps led

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Clint Bowyer has top-fives in last three road races

Clint Bowyer is 8/1 to win Sunday at Watkins Glen

KANNAPOLIS, North Carolina (July 30, 2018) – Clint Bowyer might seem a little crazy, but he’s certainly no dummy. When retired Buffalo Bills special teams ace Steve Tasker tried to autograph a football for Bowyer two weeks ago, the No. 14 Rush Truck Centers Ford driver quickly saw a sure-fire way to make his home life lot easier. 

Bowyer agreed with the idea to have Tasker sign the football to his wife Lorra, a lifelong Bills fan. The Emporia, Kansas native brought the football home to his wife a few days later. 

“On Sunday mornings in the offseason, we go out to breakfast and I’m decked out in my Kansas City Chiefs shirt and Lorra’s got on her Buffalo Bills sweatpants,” Bowyer said with a laugh. “So, I think she’ll be happy with a signed football from Steve Tasker.” 

Lorra Bowyer is a native of Pen Yann, New York – a town of 5,000 about 120 miles east of Buffalo. More importantly this week, Pen Yan is about 30 miles from Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International, where her husband and the rest of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series field will race Sunday in the GoBowling at The Glen. 

Bowyer met Tasker and Bills general manager Brandon Beane when he visited the Bills stadium and training facility July 19 to promote this weekend’s race. While his football loyalty is more toward the Chiefs, the Upstate New York area has a special place in Bowyer’s heart after spending time with the in-laws over the years. 

“I love this place,” he said. “There are so many lakes and the area is so beautiful. Not sure I want to spend winters here but, when we visit, we have a good time.” 

Bowyer hopes he’ll also have a good time Sunday in the GoBowling at the Glen. It’s the second of three road-course races on the 2018 Cup Series schedule. Bowyer warns there’s very little comparison between the high speeds of the Watkins Glen track and Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway, where Bowyer finished third on June 24. He said the key to success at Watkins Glen is getting his rhythm and timing to account for the high speeds. 

“There is such a sensation of speed at Watkins Glen,” said Bowyer, who has posted top-five finishes in all three road-course races he’s entered since joining Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) in 2017. “It is a wild racetrack and you have to be on your toes. If you slip up the least little bit, you are not only going to crash, you are going to crash hard. I think of it like this – Sonoma is like a short track and Watkins Glen is like a superfast, 1.5-mile track. That’s the speed difference.” 

Bowyer played a fuel-mileage strategy last year to earn a fifth-place finish at Watkins Glen. He hopes for similar success Sunday when his No. 14 Ford will carry the Rush Truck Centers paint scheme. Rush Truck Centers has been the primary partner on the No. 14 team since Bowyer arrived at SHR in 2017 and has been with the organization since 2010. The Texas-based company has used Bowyer and the team to appeal to NASCAR fans as one way to recruit the technicians it needs to operate the largest network of commercial truck and bus dealerships in the country, with locations in 22 states. According to Rush Truck Centers, the trucking industry is expected to need 200,000 diesel technicians over the next 10 years to keep up with maintenance demands. 

Rush Truck Centers wants to make NASCAR fans aware of these opportunities and knows that, with Bowyer’s background, he is the right guy to help get the message out. Bowyer arrives at Watkins Glen after finishing 11th at Pocono last weekend. The Rush Truck Centers team is fifth in the standings with two victories, six top-five finishes and 10 top-10s with just five races left in the regular season. 

Bowyer owns the fourth-most playoff points behind leader Kyle Busch, SHR teammate Kevin Harvick and Martin Truex Jr. As the playoffs approach, Bowyer said every point matters. 

"We just need to be consistent and run well,” he said. “Our road-racing program is really strong at SHR and I expect it will be again this weekend in Watkins Glen. We’ve run better than we’ve finished of late, and we need to get back to finishing like we should. I hope that’s what happens this weekend.” 

If Bowyer can continue his recent road-course prowess Sunday in the GoBowling at The Glen, then maybe his autograph will be just as popular as Tasker’s in Upstate New York. Even if his wife prefers her Bills memorabilia. 

CLINT BOWYER, Driver of the No. 14 Rush Truck Centers Ford for Stewart-Haas Racing: What is the key to a fast lap at Watkins Glen? 

“The Glen is so tricky. It’s such a momentum racetrack and a very fast racetrack. For me, the part you have to get right if you want a good lap is going up through the esses. You have to hold that loud pedal down as much as possible and go wide open through the esses and on in to that ‘Bus Stop.’ That Bus Stop is where you can find a lot of speed. You have to roll through there, not upset the car or bounce off those curbs too hard and make your car loose.” 

What is the difference between Sonoma and Watkins Glen? 

“You are way more at ease at Sonoma. It’s a finesse, rear-grip, take-care-of-your-tires type of track. I think it is a much more technical track. When you go to Watkins Glen, it’s a ton of fun but it’s a whole different beast. It’s wide open. It’s balls to the wall. You have to be extremely good on braking and have a fast racecar. Both of them are a ton of fun and so unique. That is the thing. We race and chase each other in circles non-stop. It is refreshing to have a break like this when we come to these road courses.”

William Byron comes off career-best performance, heads to Watkins Glen

William Byron is 300/1 to win Sunday at Watkins Glen.

GAINING MOMENTUM: Coming off a career-best NASCAR Cup Series finish at Pocono Raceway last Sunday, William Byron will head to Watkins Glen with plenty of momentum. The Charlotte, North Carolina, native had a great weekend at Pocono, qualifying sixth and although he was one of many competitors sent to the rear following post-qualifying technical inspections, Byron didn’t waste any time moving forward once the 400-mile race was underway. He advanced to 15th by the end of Stage 1, earned a stage point for finishing 10th in the second segment, and led 10 laps at the beginning of the final segment before bringing home a career-best sixth-place result. Byron currently leads the Cup Series rookie of the year standings by 71 points.

TOP-SIX: Byron’s career-best sixth-place finish last weekend at Pocono marked the 23rd time a Hendrick Motorsports driver age 20 or younger has finished sixth or better in a race – a NASCAR Cup Series record. In the last 272 races, a driver age 20 or younger has finished in the top six a total of 12 times, every one of whom drove the No. 24 car for Hendrick Motorsports. Byron’s Pocono result was only the third time a driver age 20 or younger finished in the top six at the Pennsylvania track, and all three drove for Hendrick Motorsports – Kyle Busch in June 2005, Chase Elliott in June 2016, and Byron in July 2018. Rolling off the grid 38th, Byron tied the lowest starting position of a driver age 20 or younger to finish inside the top six in a race since 1952.

HERTZ RETURNS: The Hertz colors will return to the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 this weekend at Watkins Glen International, albeit with an update as the scheme is now primarily yellow with black numbers and lettering. The Hertz Corporation, one of the world’s largest vehicle rental companies, joined 12-time NASCAR Cup Series champions Hendrick Motorsports as a primary sponsor of Byron and his iconic No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 team earlier in 2018. Following The Glen, Hertz will be the primary sponsor for three additional races in 2018: Talladega Superspeedway in October and the final two races of the season in November, ISM Raceway and Homestead-Miami Speedway.

WATKINS GLEN STATS: Byron will make his third start at Watkins Glen this weekend and his first in the Cup Series. The 20-year-old raced on the 2.45-mile road course in the 2015 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race, when he started second and finished seventh, and again in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2017, when he started 15th and finished 10th. Overall, Byron has run nine road course races across four different NASCAR series – Cup, Xfinity, Truck and K&N Pro – finishing inside the top 10 in all but two of those races. His best road course finish is a third-place result in the K&N Pro Series East race at Sonoma in June of this year while running double-duty. He scored a 25th-place finish in the Cup race that same weekend. No. 24 team crew chief Darian Grubb has led a Cup team to victory at Watkins Glen before – he won with Tony Stewart in August 2009. However, only one Cup rookie has ever scored a road course win – Juan Pablo Montoya at Sonoma Raceway in 2007 – so it’s certainly a challenging feat.

HERTZ SWEEPSTAKES: To celebrate the partnership with Byron and Hendrick Motorsports, Hertz is currently running a sweepstakes where with the booking of a Hertz rental car, fans have a chance to be entered to win a VIP race weekend experience in Phoenix by using the provided promotional code when booking the rental car. The grand prize includes a trip for four to Phoenix from Nov. 9-12, four VIP tickets to the Nov. 11 race at ISM Raceway, a meet-and-greet with Byron, a tour of the No. 24 Hertz hauler, pit box seating with pit and garage access, round-trip airfare, a three-night hotel stay, and, of course, a Hertz rental car. The sweepstakes runs from July 1 to Aug. 15. Click here for more information or to
enter.

CATCH BYRON AT THESE APPEARANCES: Byron will participate in the Watkins Glen tweet-up in Victory Lane on Sunday, Aug. 5, at 10:30 a.m. local time. He’ll also make an appearance at the Team Chevy stage on Sunday at 11:30 a.m. local time. Fans can visit the Chevy stage in the midway to see the Q&A with Byron.

TDJF SKELETON GLOVES: Byron will join his Hendrick Motorsports teammates in wearing Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s signature skeleton-themed gloves to support The Dale Jr. Foundation this weekend at The Glen. Both Byron and Earnhardt will sign the yellow skeleton gloves that Byron will wear for this weekend’s race and auction them off to raise money for the Dale and Amy Earnhardt Fund at Nationwide Children’s Hospital as part of the annual “Driven to Give Gloves” program. The fund supports the courageous patients and their families in the area of pediatric injury rehabilitation, research and prevention.

MICAH ROBERTS' TAKE: #24 William Byron (300/1) - He had a couple of top-fives at Sonoma in the K&N West Series, but finished 25th, one lap down, there in June during his first Cup road race attempt. Last season in the Xfinity Series he finished 10th at Watkins Glen. His positive at the Glen is the track is much faster than the technical Sonoma course and his team is getting faster each week.

Expect both JTH Daugherty Camaros to race well at Watkins Glen

A.J. Allmendinger is 25/1 to win at Watkins Glen.

JTG DAUGHERTY RACING
WATKINS GLEN INTERNATIONAL ADVANCE

Event: GoBowling at The Glen
Date/Time: Sunday, August 5 at 2:30pm ET
TV Network/Radio: NBC | MRN Radio | SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90

AJ ALLMENDINGER, NO. 47 KROGER CLICKLIST CAMARO ZL1
RACING AT WATKINS GLEN INTERNATIONAL: “Watkins Glen International is always going to be a special place for me,” Allmendinger said. “It’s the site of my first win in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, and it’s just an awesome place to have a race in the Finger Lakes of New York. Watkins Glen is like the superspeedway of road courses. There are such long straightaways that you’re able to pick up some speed on, and then you really have to make sure you get into the corners right to be able to keep that speed and momentum up. There are a couple of passing opportunities. Fuel mileage always plays a key factor in that race. The bus stop is always somewhat challenging. Through the bus stop and the end of the carousel is where you can make up a lot of time. I’ve had races where my car hasn’t been great through the bus stop, but I’ve been able to make that back up through the carousel. Every turn is important at Watkins Glen because there are so few compared to Sonoma, but you also need to have the aerodynamics for the straightaways. But overall, I have so much fun road course racing since it’s in my racing background and I’m just really looking forward to having a good weekend for our Kroger ClickList team and our Kroger racing partners coming out for the event.”

MICAH ROBERTS' TAKE: #47 A.J. Allmendinger (25/1) - This is his only chance to make the Playoffs as he currently sits 23rd in points. he's certainly capable of it and always seems to finis his way to the front after qualifying well. He's led laps in seven of his last nine road course races, all opf which he started ninth or better, which includes poles in both 2015 races. His only career Cup win came at Watkins Glen in 2014. 

CHRIS BUESCHER, NO. 37 VELVEETA CAMARO ZL1
100th CAREER CUP SERIES RACE: “Heading to Watkins Glen International this weekend, and I’m ready to get back to road course racing,” Buescher said. “This is also my 100th career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race, and to be able to do that at a track that I think we can be really successful at gets me really excited to head up to New York this weekend. I can’t thank everyone at JTG Daugherty Racing and Kroger enough to have given me the opportunity to get to 100 races, and I can’t wait for the next 100 and the next 100 after that.”

RACING AT WATKINS GLEN INTERNATIONAL: “While Watkins Glen is also a road course, it’s nothing like racing at Sonoma Raceway,” Buescher said. “We have such long straightaways that you really can pick up some speed, and there aren’t as many turns at Watkins Glen than there are at Sonoma. We had a really strong run there last season, and I really lean on AJ (Allmendinger) a lot when we go to road courses, and I know that can only make us better. He’s the best when it comes to these places and I’m really fortunate to have him as a teammate. It won’t be hard to miss our Velveeta Camaro ZL1 on track, and it’ll look even better in Victory Lane on Sunday.”

MICAH ROBERTS' TAKE: #37 Chris Buescher (200/1) - He won a 2014 Xfinity Series race at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and in 2013 won an ARCA race at Elkhart Lake's Road America. He's got road course skills and it showed at Sonoma in June where he finished 12th. He finished ninth in each of the first two stages.
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FAST FACTS – AJ ALLMENDINGER
Career Starts: 356
Wins: 1- 8/10/2014 Watkins Glen International
Top-fives: 11
Top-10s: 55
Pole Awards: 4
First Pole: 4/10/2010 ISM Raceway
Last Pole: 8/9/2015 Watkins Glen International
First Start: 3/25/2007 Bristol Motor Speedway
Best Start: 1st – 8/9/2015 Watkins Glen International (most recent)
Best Finish: 1st – 8/10/2014 Watkins Glen International
Driver DOB: 12/16/1981
Hometown: Los Gatos, CA
Crew Chief: Tristan Smith

FAST FACTS – CHRIS BUESCHER
Career Starts: 99
Wins: 1 – 8/1/2016 Pocono Raceway
Top-fives: 4
Top-10s: 8
Pole Awards: 0
First Start: 3/22/2015 Auto Club Speedway
Best Start: 9th – 6/25/2017 Sonoma Raceway
Best Finish: 1st – 8/1/2016 Pocono Raceway
Driver DOB: 10/29/1992
Hometown: Prosper, TX
Crew Chief: Trent Owens

Chase Elliott carries momentum into Watkins Glen

Chase Elliott is 15/1 to win at Watkins Glen.

TRENDING UPWARD: After scoring fifth- and seventh-place finishes the last two weekends, Chase Elliott has compiled some impressive statistics. The third-year driver has won two stages and collected a total of 38 stage points, both of which are the most among all drivers in the past two weeks. Elliott’s average running position (4.06) over those two races also leads all drivers. The driver of the No. 9 has earned 100 points over the last two weekends, ranked second only to Kevin Harvick, who has amassed 103.

SUNENERGY1 RETURNS: For the second time this season, SunEnergy1, one of the world’s largest privately held solar energy companies, will adorn the hood of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. SunEnergy1 will serve as the primary sponsor for Elliott in four NASCAR Cup Series races in 2018.

NEW LOOK FOR SUNENERGY1: The SunEnergy1 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 will debut a new look this weekend at Watkins Glen. Elliott’s No. 9 Chevy has been transformed to look similar to Kenny Habul’s SunEnergy1 Racing No. 75 IMSA ride that is primarily blue and features flames on the hood and TV panel. Habul is the founder and CEO of SunEnergy1.

ROAD COURSE ROUNDUP: In the 22-year-old driver’s five previous starts in the Cup Series at road courses (Sonoma and Watkins Glen), Elliott has collected two top-10 finishes and averaged a starting position of 9.4 and finishing position of 11.8. Earlier this season, Elliott started and finished inside the top five at Sonoma Raceway, earning his career-best road course finish of fourth. The driver of the No. 9 has also made six road course starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series (two apiece at Road America, Watkins Glen and Mid-Ohio). Elliott finished inside the top 10 in all six starts and collected top-five finishes in four. In the Xfinity Series, the third-year driver averages a starting position of 7.8 and finishing position of 5.0 at road courses. Elliott garnered victories in his only road course starts in the NASCAR Truck Series (Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, 2013) and K&N Pro Series West (Sonoma Raceway, 2016).

FIRST CAREER WIN: If Elliott wins this weekend at Watkins Glen International, he could join an impressive list of drivers who scored their first career win on a road course. One notable name on the list is his father, Bill Elliott, who captured his first career win at Riverside International Raceway on Nov. 20, 1983.

WATKINS GLEN STATS: Elliott is set to make his third Cup Series start at Watkins Glen International on Sunday. In the Dawsonville, Georgia, native's previous two starts at The Glen, he averages a starting position of 10.0 and finishing position of 13.0. Last season at the 2.45-mile road course, Elliott qualified fourth and raced inside the top 10 for much of the 90-lap event before ultimately finishing 13th after having to pit for fuel in the closing laps.

DRIVEN TO GIVE GLOVES: During the Watkins Glen race weekend, Elliott and 31 of his Cup Series competitors will wear Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s signature skeleton gloves to raise awareness for the Dale and Amy Earnhardt Fund at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Elliott has chosen blue gloves – they are modeled after the four butterflies that make up the Nationwide Children’s Hospital logo (blue, white, orange and yellow). Following the race, each pair of gloves will be autographed by the driver wearing them and put up for auction on the NASCAR Foundation auction site on Aug. 8. The funds will support patients and their families in pediatric injury rehabilitation, research and prevention.

POCONO REWIND: For the second consecutive weekend, Elliott and the NAPA AUTO PARTS team collected a stage win. The driver led 14 laps on his way to a solid seventh-place finish at Pocono Raceway. Elliott is currently 14th in the NASCAR Cup Series playoff standings with four races to go until the cutoff race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sept. 9.

BIRTHDAY WISHES FOR ALAN: No. 9 team crew chief Alan Gustafson will celebrate his 43rd birthday on Sunday, Aug. 5, in Watkins Glen. Gustafson, who grew up just down the road from historic Daytona International Speedway, got his start in racing turning wrenches on the go-karts of childhood friend Casey Yunick, the grandson of legendary car builder and mechanic Smokey Yunick.

Watkins Glen Track Facts: 2018 Go Bowling at The Glen

Martin Truex Jr has won the past two races on road courses.

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series 2018 Top 16 at Watkins Glen International

Rank	Driver	Races	Poles	Wins	Top Fives	Top 10s	DNFs	Average Finish	Driver Rating
1	Kyle Busch	13	2	2	5	11	0	9.8	110.7
2	Kevin Harvick	17	0	1	3	8	1	13.5	89.7
3	Martin Truex Jr	12	0	1	4	7	0	12.1	95.8
4	Joey Logano	9	0	1	3	5	0	14.0	85.1
5	Clint Bowyer	12	0	0	2	5	0	14.2	83.0
6	Kurt Busch	17	1	0	3	8	3	16.6	93.4
7	Brad Keselowski	8	0	0	4	5	0	10.8	102.8
8	Kyle Larson	4	0	0	1	1	0	17.0	82.0
9	Denny Hamlin	12	0	1	3	6	3	17.7	87.4
10	Ryan Blaney	2	0	0	0	1	0	13.5	79.9
11	Aric Almirola	7	0	0	0	0	1	24.6	57.2
12	Chase Elliott	2	0	0	0	0	0	13.0	91.5
13	Jimmie Johnson	16	1	0	4	8	2	16.2	93.0
14	Erik Jones	1	0	0	0	1	0	10.0	92.2
15	Alex Bowman	2	0	0	0	0	0	32.5	35.9
16	Ricky Stenhouse Jr	5	0	0	0	0	1	26.0	54.4

* – Based on last 13 races at Watkins Glen International (2005 – 2017).

Loop Data Leaders: Watkins Glen International

Monster Energy Series - Top 3 In Key Loop Data Statistics
Driver Rating		Avg. Running Position		Laps Led
Daniel Suárez	113.1	Daniel Suárez	5.967	Kyle Busch	216
Kyle Busch	110.7	Erik Jones	10.578	Brad Keselowski	114
Brad Keselowski	102.8	Kyle Busch	11.226	Kevin Harvick	65
Fastest Laps Run		% of Laps in the Top 15		Quality Passes
Kyle Busch	125	Daniel Suárez	95.6%	Kyle Busch	270
Brad Keselowski	66	Erik Jones	75.6%	Kurt Busch	253
Kurt Busch	53	Kyle Busch	75.3%	Kevin Harvick	247
Loop Data stats are from 2005 - Present

Watkins Glen International Data Season Race #: 22 of 36 (08-05-18) Track Size: 2.45-miles Number of Turns: 7 Race Length: 90 laps / 220.5 miles Stage 1 & 2 Lengths: 20 laps (each) Final Stage Length: 50 laps Top 10 Driver Ratings at Watkins Glen Daniel Suarez........................... 113.1 Kyle Busch............................... 110.7 Brad Keselowski....................... 102.8 AJ Allmendinger......................... 97.1 Martin Truex Jr........................... 95.8 Kurt Busch................................. 93.4 Jimmie Johnson.......................... 93.0 Erik Jones.................................. 92.2 Chase Elliott............................... 91.5 Kevin Harvick............................. 89.7 Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2017 races (13 total) among active drivers at Watkins Glen International. Qualifying/Race Data 2017 pole winner: Kyle Busch, Toyota 126.925 mph, 69.490 secs. 08-04-17 2017 race winner: Martin Truex Jr., Toyota 104.132 mph, (02:07:03), 08-06-17 Track qualifying record: Marcos Ambrose, Ford 129.491 mph, 68.113 secs. 08-09-14 (Set in Round 1 of 3) Track race record: Martin Truex Jr., Toyota 104.132 mph, (02:07:03), 08-06-17

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 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Watkins Glen was in 1957, won by Buck Baker (83.064 mph, 08/04/1957).

·        After a six-year absence, NASCAR returned to The Glen in 1964 and 1965.

·        Then after a 21-year absence, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series returned to The Glen, and has run one race a year there since 1986.

·        The first Monster Energy 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.

·        The famous road course underwent a repave in 2015.

·        There have been 35 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races at Watkins Glen International, one race per season.

Starts

·        274 drivers have competed in at least one Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Watkins Glen; 167 in more than one.

·        Jeff Gordon leads the series all-time in starts at Watkins Glen with 24.

·        Matt Kenseth leads all active series drivers in starts at WGI with 18; followed by Kurt Busch and Kevin Harvick with 17 each.

·        Tony Stewart (16 starts) leads the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in average starting position at Watkins Glen with a 5.875.

·        Kyle Busch (13 starts) leads the series among active drivers in average starting position at WGI with a 7.462.

Poles

·        Driver/owner Buck Baker won the inaugural Busch Pole Award at Watkins Glen in 1957 with a speed of 87.071 mph. He went on to win the inaugural race from the pole.

·        A total of 20 Monster Energy Series drivers have won Busch poles at Watkins Glen, led by NASCAR Hall of Famers Dale Earnhardt, Mark Martin and Jeff Gordon with three each.

·        Five drivers have won multiple poles in the Monster Energy Series at WGI –Kyle Busch is the only active driver with multiple WGI poles (two).

·        Mark Martin is the only Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver to post consecutive Busch poles at Watkins Glen (three) – 1993, 1994, and 1995.

·        Youngest Watkins Glen pole winner: Kyle Busch (08/15/2011 – 26 years, 3 months, 13 days).

·        Oldest Watkins Glen pole winner: Morgan Shepherd (08/13/1989 – 47 years, 10 months, 1 day).

·        Seven different manufacturers have won at least one Monster Energy Series Busch Pole Award at Watkins Glen; led by Chevrolet with 14 poles, followed by Ford (8), Toyota (three), Dodge, Mercury, Oldsmobile, and Pontiac (one each).

Wins

·        A total of 21 different Monster Energy Series drivers have won at Watkins Glen International, led by Tony Stewart with five victories; followed by Jeff Gordon with four.

·        Kyle Busch leads all active Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers in wins at WGI with two (2008, 2013).

·        Jeff Gordon leads the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in overall road course wins with nine (Sonoma, five; Watkins Glen, four); Tony Stewart has the second most road course wins all-time with eight (Watkins Glen, five; Sonoma, three).

·        Kyle Busch leads the MENCS in road course wins among active drivers with four (two at Sonoma – 2008, 2015, and two at Watkins Glen – 2008, 2013).

·        NASCAR Hall of Famer Bobby Allison holds the series record for the most wins at a single road course track with six at Riverside International Raceway.

·        Four series drivers have posted consecutive wins at Watkins Glen, including three consecutive by Mark Martin (1993, ’94, ‘95) and Jeff Gordon (1997, ’98, ‘99).

·        The other two drivers to win consecutive races at Watkins Glen are Tony Stewart (2004, ’05) and Marcos Ambrose (2011, ’12).

·        Youngest Watkins Glen winner: Kyle Busch (08/10/2008 – 23 years, 3 months, 8 days).

·        Oldest Watkins Glen winner: Geoff Bodine (08/11/1996 – 47 years, 3 months, 24 days).

·        Joe Gibbs Racing leads the series in wins at Watkins Glen International with seven victories - Tony Stewart (four: 2002, ’04, ’05, ‘07), Kyle Busch (two: 2008, ‘13) and Denny Hamlin (one: 2016).

·        Nine of the 35 (26.5%) Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races at Watkins Glen have been won from the Busch Pole; the most recent was Kyle Busch in 2008.

·        The Busch Pole position (1st) is the most proficient starting position in the field, producing more winners (nine) than any other starting position at Watkins Glen.    

·        None of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races at Watkins Glen have been won from a starting position outside the top 20.

·        The deepest in the field that a race winner has started at Watkins Glen is 18th, by Steve Park in 2000.

·        Six different manufacturers have won in the MENCS at Watkins Glen; led by Chevrolet with 17 victories; followed by Ford with eight, Pontiac and Toyota with four and Buick and Mercury each have one.

·        Three Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers posted their first career win at Watkins Glen: Steve Park (08/13/2000), Marcos Ambrose (08/15/11) and AJ Allmendinger (08/11/14).

·        All six of the active series winners at Watkins Glen participated in at least one or more races before visiting Victory Lane.

·        Martin Truex Jr. (2017) competed at Watkins Glen 11 times before winning; the longest span of any the six active series winners.

·        Matt Kenseth lead the series among active drivers with the most Monster Energy Series starts at Watkins Glen without visiting Victory Lane at 18 starts.

Additional Finishing Position Stats

·        A total of 25 different drivers have finished runner-up in the Monster Energy Series at Watkins Glen, led byBrad Keselowski and Mark Martin with three runner-up finishes each.

·        A total of 74 different Monster Energy Series drivers have finished inside the top-five at Watkins Glen, led byMark Martin with 12 top-five finishes at The Glen; followed by Ricky Rudd and Tony Stewart with eight each. Kyle Busch leads all active drivers in top-five finishes at WGI with five.   

·        A total of 112 different drivers have finished in the top-10 in the Monster Energy Series at Watkins glen, led by Mark Martin with 16 top-10 finishes at The Glen; followed by Tony Stewart and Kyle Busch with 11 each.

·        Scott Pruett leads the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in average finishing position at Watkins Glen with a 5.800.

·        AJ Allmendinger leads all active series drivers in average finishing position at WGI with a 9.333.

Track/Event Specific Stats

·        Since the advent of electronic scoring (1993) the closest margin of victory (MOV) in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series at Watkins Glen is the 2001 race won by Jeff Gordon over Jeff Burton with a MOV of 0.172 second. Last season’s race was third-closest margin of victory in track history.

·        Top five closest Margins of Victory in the MENCS at WGI:

Rank	Margin of Victory	Date	Winner	Runner-Up
1	0.172	8/12/2001	Jeff Gordon	Jeff Burton
2	0.384	8/13/2000	Steve Park	Mark Martin
3	0.414	8/6/2017	Martin Truex Jr.	Matt Kenseth
4	0.440	8/11/1996	Geoff Bodine	Terry Labonte
5	0.486	8/11/2013	Brad Keselowski	Kyle Busch

·        There have been two Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races resulting with NASCAR Overtime at Watkins Glen:

Date	Scheduled No. of Laps	Actual No. of Laps	NASCAR Overtime Laps	Winner
8/15/2011	90	92	2	Marcos Ambrose
8/14/2005	90	92	2	Tony Stewart

·        Only one of the 35 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races at Watkins Glen has been shortened due to weather conditions - the 1992 race – only 51 of the scheduled 90 laps were completed.

·        The 8/14/2011 race was the only MENCS race at Watkins Glen that has been postponed to another date due to weather (8/15/2011).     

·        Qualifying has been cancelled due to weather conditions in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series at Watkins Glen six times: 1965, 2000, 2004, 2005, 2007 and 2008.

·        Jeff Gordon leads the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in laps led at Watkins Glen with 262 laps led in 24 starts; Kyle Busch leads the series in laps led at WGI among active drivers with 216 in 13 starts.  

Female Competitor Stats

·        Danica Patrick and Patty Moise are the only two female Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers to compete at Watkins Glen International.

Driver	Starting Position	Finishing Position	Date
Danica Patrick	25	22	8/6/2017
Danica Patrick	31	21	8/7/2016
Danica Patrick	22	17	8/9/2015
Danica Patrick	43	21	8/10/2014
Danica Patrick	35	20	8/11/2013
Averages	31.2	20.2
Driver	Starting Position	Finishing Position	Date
Patty Moise	33	30	8/14/1988
Patty Moise	30	33	8/10/1987
Averages	31.5	31.5

NASCAR in New York

·        There has been a total of 100 NASCAR national series races among 15 tracks held in the state of New York.

Track Name	City	MENCS	NXS	NCWTS	Total Races
Watkins Glen International	Watkins Glen	35	24	5	64
Monroe County Fairgrounds	Rochester	8	0	0	8
Islip Speedway	Islip	6	0	0	6
Bridgehampton Race Circuit	Bridgehampton	4	0	0	4
Fonda Speedway	Fonda	4	0	0	4
New York State Fairgrounds	Syracuse	3	0	0	3
Albany Saratoga Speedway	Malta	2	0	0	2
Altamont-Schenectady Fairgrounds	Altamont	2	0	0	2
Hamburg Speedway	Hamburg	2	0	0	2
Vernon Fairgrounds	Vernon	2	0	0	2
Airborne Speedway	Plattsburg	1	0	0	1
Buffalo Civic Stadium	Buffalo	1	0	0	1
Montgomery Air Base	Montgomery	1	0	0	1
State Line Speedway	Busti	1	0	0	1
Wine Creek Race Track	Owego	1	0	0	1
TOTALS		73	24	5	102

·        The first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race held in the state of New York was at Monroe County Fairgrounds on 07/02/1950 – Curtis Turner won from the pole.

NASCAR In New York

·        189 drivers in NASCAR national series history have their home state recorded as New York.  

·        14 of the 189 (7.4%) have posted at least one victory in NASCAR’s national series.

·        11 of 14 winners have won in the Monster Energy Series; led by Geoff Bodine with 18 wins.

·        Only two of the New York natives have won at Watkins Glen International in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series – Geoff Bodine (1996) and Steve Park (2000).

Drivers From New York
Rank	Driver	MENCS	NXS	NCWTS	TOTAL
1	Geoff Bodine	18	6	0	24
2	Jim Reed	7	0	0	7
3	Al Keller	2	0	0	2
4	Steve Park	2	3	1	6
5	Brett Bodine	1	5	0	6
6	Jim Hurtubise	1	0	0	1
7	Lloyd Moore	1	0	0	1
8	Bill Rexford	1	0	0	1
9	Greg Sacks	1	1	0	2
10	Regan Smith	1	6	0	7
11	Jack White	1	0	0	1
12	Todd Bodine	0	15	22	37
13	Mike McLaughlin	0	6	0	6
14	Donny Lia	0	0	1	1
	TOTAL	36	42	24	102

2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Results
Date	Track	Busch Pole	Stage 1	Stage 2	Stage 3	Race Winner	OEM
2/18/2018	Daytona	Alex Bowman	Kurt Busch	Ryan Blaney	N/A	Austin Dillon	Chevrolet
2/25/2018	Atlanta	Kyle Busch	Kevin Harvick	Brad Keselowski	N/A	Kevin Harvick	Ford
3/4/2018	Las Vegas	Ryan Blaney	Kevin Harvick	Kevin Harvick	N/A	Kevin Harvick	Ford
3/11/2018	ISM	Martin Truex Jr	Kyle Busch	Kurt Busch	N/A	Kevin Harvick	Ford
3/18/2018	Auto Club	Martin Truex Jr	Martin Truex Jr.	Martin Truex Jr.	N/A	Martin Truex Jr	Toyota
3/26/2018	Martinsville	None-Weather	Denny Hamlin	Ryan Blaney	N/A	Clint Bowyer	Ford
4/8/2018	Texas	Kurt Busch	Kevin Harvick	Kyle Busch	N/A	Kyle Busch	Toyota
4/15/2018	Bristol	Kyle Busch	Brad Keselowski	Brad Keselowski	N/A	Kyle Busch	Toyota
4/21/2018	Richmond	Martin Truex Jr.	Joey Logano	Joey Logano	N/A	Kyle Busch	Toyota
4/29/2018	Talladega	Kevin Harvick	Brad Keselowski	Paul Menard	N/A	Joey Logano	Ford
5/6/2018	Dover	Kyle Larson	Kevin Harvick	Kevin Harvick	N/A	Kevin Harvick	Ford
5/12/2018	Kansas	Kevin Harvick	Ryan Blaney	Kyle Larson	N/A	Kevin Harvick	Ford
5/19/2018	All-Star Open	N/A	Alex Bowman	Daniel Suarez	N/A	AJ Allmendinger	Chevrolet
5/19/2018	All-Star Race	Matt Kenseth	Kevin Harvick	Kyle Busch	Kevin Harvick	Kevin Harvick	Ford
5/27/2018	Charlotte	Kyle Busch	Kyle Busch	Kyle Busch	Kyle Busch	Kyle Busch	Toyota
6/3/2018	Pocono	Ryan Blaney	Martin Truex Jr	Kevin Harvick	N/A	Martin Truex Jr	Toyota
6/10/2018	Michigan	Kurt Busch	Ryan Blaney	Kevin Harvick	N/A	Clint Bowyer	Ford
6/24/2018	Sonoma	Kyle Larson	AJ Allmendinger	Denny Hamlin	N/A	Martin Truex Jr	Toyota
7/1/2018	Chicagoland	Paul Menard	Aric Almirola	Kevin Harvick	N/A	Kyle Busch	Toyota
7/7/2018	Daytona	Chase Elliott	Ricky Stenhouse Jr	Ricky Stenhouse Jr	N/A	Erik Jones	Toyota
7/14/2018	Kentucky	Martin Truex Jr.	Martin Truex Jr.	Martin Truex Jr.	N/A	Martin Truex Jr.	Toyota
7/22/2018	New Hampshire	Kurt Busch	Martin Truex Jr.	Chase Elliott	N/A	Kevin Harvick	Ford
7/29/2018	Pocono	Daniel Suarez	Chase Elliott	Kevin Harvick	N/A	Kyle Busch	Toyota
2018 Top Five Performers In Each Statistical Category
Rank	Drivers	Wins		Rank	Drivers	Runner-Ups
1	Kevin Harvick	6		1	Kyle Larson	4
2	Kyle Busch	6			Kyle Busch	4
3	Martin Truex Jr	4		3	Kevin Harvick	3
4	Clint Bowyer	2			Martin Truex Jr	3
5	Austin Dillon	1		4	Brad Keselowski	1
	Joey Logano	1			Bubba Wallace	1
	Erik Jones	1			Chase Elliott	1
					Clint Bowyer	1
Rank	Drivers	Top Fives			Kurt Busch	1
1	Kevin Harvick	16			Ryan Blaney	1
2	Kyle Busch	15			Daniel Suarez	1
	Martin Truex Jr	14
4	Clint Bowyer	6		Rank	Drivers	Top 10s
	Denny Hamlin	6		1	Kevin Harvick	17
	Kyle Larson	6			Kyle Busch	17
				3	Joey Logano	15
Rank	Drivers	Poles		4	Martin Truex Jr	14
1	Martin Truex Jr	4		5	Brad Keselowski	12
2	Kyle Busch	3
3	Kurt Busch	3		Rank	Drivers	Laps Led
4	Kevin Harvick	2		1	Kevin Harvick	1,082
	Ryan Blaney	2		2	Kyle Busch	1,036
	Kyle Larson	2		3	Martin Truex Jr	647
				4	Ryan Blaney	464
				5	Kurt Busch	434

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series - Milestones
STARTS
Driver: Joey Logano	Has	Needs
Milestone:	348	2
Will become the 74th driver to make 350 or more Monster Energy Series starts.
Driver: Chris Buescher	Has	Needs
Milestone:	99	1
Will become the 201st driver to make 100 or more Monster Energy Series starts.
Driver: Chase Elliott	Has	Needs
Milestone:	98	2
Will become the 202nd driver to make 100 or more Monster Energy Series starts.
WINS
Driver: Jimmie Johnson	Has	Needs
Milestone:	83	1
Tie Bobby Allison and Darrell Waltrip for fourth on the all-time series wins list.
Driver: Kyle Busch	Has	Needs
Milestone:	49	1
Tie Ned Jarrett and Junior Johnson for 11th on the all-time Monster Energy Series wins list.
Driver: Kevin Harvick	Has	Needs
Milestone:	43	1
Tie Bill Elliott (44) for 16th on the all-time MENCS wins list.
Driver: Denny Hamlin	Has	Needs
Milestone:	31	1
To tie Dale Jarrett for 24th on the all-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series wins list.
BUSCH POLES
Driver: Ryan Newman	Has	Needs
Milestone:	51	3
Tie Bill Elliott for eighth on the all-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series poles list.
Driver: Jimmie Johnson	Has	Needs
Milestone:	35	1
To tie Rusty Wallace and Rex White for 18th on the all-time series poles list.
Driver: Kyle Busch	Has	Needs
Milestone:	30	1
To tie Fonty Flock for 23rd on the all-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series poles list.
Driver: Kasey Kahne	Has	Needs
Milestone:	27	2
To tie Kyle Busch and Ricky Rudd for 25th on the all-time Monster Energy Series poles list.

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series - Milestones
Second-Place Finishes
Driver: Kevin Harvick	Has	Needs
Milestone:	53	3
Tie Buck Baker for ninth on the all-time series second-place finishes list.
Driver: Jimmie Johnson	Has	Needs
Milestone:	46	2
Tie Lee Petty for 11th on the all-time series second-place finishes list.
Driver: Kyle Busch	Has	Needs
Milestone:	44	2
Tie Jimmie Johnson for 12th on the all-time series second-place finishes list.
Top Fives
Driver: Jimmie Johnson	Has	Needs
Milestone:	224	1
To become the 11th series driver all-time to post 225 or more top fives
Top 10s
Driver: Jimmie Johnson	Has	Needs
Milestone:	348	1
Tie Rusty Wallace for 11th on the series all-time top-10 finishes list
Driver: Kevin Harvick	Has	Needs
Milestone:	324	1
Will beomce the 15th series driver to post 325 or more top-10 finishes in the MENCS.
Driver: Martin Truex Jr.	Has	Needs
Milestone:	174	1
Tie Greg Biffle for 42nd on the series all-time top-10 finishes list
Laps Led
Driver: Jimmie Johnson	Has	Needs
Milestone:	18,678	322
To become the ninth driver in the MENCS all-time to lead 19,000 laps.
Driver: Kyle Busch	Has	Needs
Milestone:	15,416	584
To become the 10th driver in the MENCS all-time to lead 16,000 laps.
Driver: Kevin Harvick	Has	Needs
Milestone:	12,173	827
To become the 12th driver in the MENCS all-time to lead 13,000 laps.
Driver: Matt Kenseth	Has	Needs
Milestone:	11,751	249
To become the 16th driver in the MENCS all-time to lead 12,000 laps.
Driver: Kurt Busch	Has	Needs
Milestone:	9,311	689
To become the 18th driver in the MENCS all-time to lead 10,000 laps.
Driver: Denny Hamlin	Has	Needs
Milestone:	9,087	913
To become the 18th driver in the MENCS all-time to lead 10,000 laps.