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Robby Gordon and Marcos Ambrose may be near the front again this week.By the Numbers: The Glen
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For the first time in its history, the Busch Series heads to a road course for the second consecutive week. Once again, the right-hand turns will be important. Once again, fuel mileage and pit strategy will win the race. And once again, the focus goes on a handful of drivers -- men who have proven skills on the road.
Ron Fellows comes to mind. He's not a series regular, but he's seasoned when it comes to road racing, particularly at Watkins Glen.
Kurt Busch and Ryan Newman come to mind. They aren't lumped in with the specialists, yet the Penske teammates have won the last two Watkins Glen races.
Yet top of mind reveals -- for reasons historically and recently -- two drivers who can get it done on the road courses: Marcos Ambrose and Robby Gordon.
Interesting Fact
1Driver who finished in the top 10 in both road-course races this season: Marcos Ambrose. He finished eighth at Mexico City and seventh at Montreal.
2Finishing position for Robby Gordon in the last two Watkins Glen races. In his only other Busch Series start at the track (2001) he finished fifth.
Fun Fact
10/2/48Date that the first race was held at Watkins Glen International, a four-lap qualifying race for the Watkins Glen Grand Prix. A year later, Lee Petty won his first race on the same date at Heidelberg Raceway in Pittsburgh, Pa., NASCAR's first year of operation.
All the Facts
3Drivers who are entered in Saturday's race and also made their first career Busch Series start at Watkins Glen: Ron Fellows (1997), Boris Said (1998) and Robby Gordon (2001).
3Drivers entered in Saturday's race who have previously won a Busch race at Watkins Glen: Ron Fellows (3), Ryan Newman and Kurt Busch.
4Drivers with an average running position inside the top 10 in the last two Watkins Glen races: Kurt Busch (2.325), Robby Gordon (6.106), Kevin Harvick (6.976) and Jeff Burton (9.290).
5.77Average starting position for Watkins Glen winners.
6Top-10 finishes in six career road-course races for Kevin Harvick in the Busch Series.
6.6Average lead changes per race at Watkins Glen among an average of 4.85 leaders per race. Watkins Glen averages 5.5 cautions per race.
28Career starts for Andy Pilgrim at Watkins Glen, spanning across seven racing series. Pilgrim, who will drive JR Motorsports' No. 88, has three victories, five poles and 17 top-fives at the track.
30.83Percent of passes made in Turn 1 in the last two races at Watkins Glen. Turn 11 has seen 24.75 percent of passes, and the frontstretch has seen 22.90 percent of passes.
32Laps during the last two Watkins Glen races in which Robby Gordon had the fastest car. Only one other driver (Kurt Busch, 27) had more than eight.
85Percent of Watkins Glen winners who started inside the top 10 (11 of 13 races).
106Green-flag passes by Denny Hamlin in the last two Watkins Glen races, the most of any driver.
148.5Driver Rating for Kurt Busch, who never fell below 15th in last year's race at Watkins Glen and led 41 of the 83 laps.
178Laps led by Ron Fellows in his seven Busch Series starts at Watkins Glen, nearly three times the second-ranked driver (Joe Nemechek, 62). Fellows' average finish is 11.6.
350Points that Robby Gordon has scored in the last two races at Watkins Glen. Only one other driver (Martin Truex Jr., 305) has scored more than 300.
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Watkins Glen
Previous Winners
| Year | Winner | Make |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Terry Labonte | Oldsmobile |
| 1992 | Ernie Irvan | Chevrolet |
| 1993 | Bill Elliott | Ford |
| 1994 | Terry Labonte | Chevrolet |
| 1995 | Terry Labonte | Chevrolet |
| 1996 | Terry Labonte | Chevrolet |
| 1997 | Mike McLaughlin | Chevrolet |
| 1998 | Ron Fellows | Chevrolet |
| 1999 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Chevrolet |
| 2000 | Ron Fellows | Chevrolet |
| 2001 | Ron Fellows | Chevrolet |
| 2005 | Ryan Newman | Dodge |
| 2006 | Kurt Busch | Dodge |
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