Erik Jones is riding a rail that could take him all the way to Victory Lane at Watkins Glen International this weekend. Jones comes into Sunday’s race (3 p.m. ET, NBCSN, NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) with three straight top-three finishes. Plus, he has finished in the top 10 in each of his two career starts at the New York road course.
But Jones will need to get past his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Martin Truex Jr., among others, in order to get that elusive win and lock into the playoffs. That’s because Truex has won three of the past five road-course races in the Monster Energy Series, including the one at Sonoma Raceway a little more than a month ago.
Here’s a breakdown of what to expect in the GoBowling at The Glen on Sunday:
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TRACK DETAILS
Watkins Glen International is a 2.45-mile road course with seven turns with a variety of banking in the turns, ranging from 6 to 10 degrees. The length of the frontstretch is 2,150 feet, and the backstretch is 2,400 feet. The track width varies from 36′ to 48′ wide, and there is an elevation change of 115 feet.
Sunday’s race will consist of three stages with Stage 1 and Stage 2 both scheduled for 20 laps and the final stage scheduled for 50 laps for a total of 90 laps (220.5 miles).
RULES PACKAGE
Watkins Glen will feature the 2019 rules package for road courses, and that means no aero ducts and a tapered-spacer engine expected to reach 750 horsepower.
For tires, the Goodyear Eagle Road Course Radials will be used, and each team will get three sets for practice, one set for qualifying and five sets for the race (four race sets plus one set transferred from practice or qualifying).
Watkins Glen is a faster and less technical road course than Sonoma Raceway, so this week’s race will require a different tire setup. Because of all the speed at Watkins Glen, the tread compound used will be more heat resistant.
Goodyear will also bring its wet weather radials for use at Watkins Glen should NASCAR decide that conditions warrant. Each team is allowed up to three sets of “wets” for practice/qualifying and up to three sets for the race.
STATS
— Martin Truex Jr. has won three of the last five road-course races in the Monster Energy Series. In the other two races in that span, he finished second and then was leading the race on the final lap before Jimmie Johnson spun him in 2018 at the Charlotte road course.
— Chase Elliott became the youngest road-course winner at 22 years, eight months and eight days old last year with his victory at Watkins Glen. He also joined his Hall of Fame father Bill on a list of drivers who captured their first Monster Energy Series win on a road course.
— There have been no repeat winners over the past seven races at Watkins Glen, so Sunday stands a chance of providing a new winner and more playoff story lines.
— At 3.5, Daniel Suarez is second to Buck Baker in best average finish at Watkins Glen all-time (minimum two starts). Erik Jones is the only other active driver in the top 10 with an average finish of 7.5.
Source: Racing Insights
LIVE COVERAGE
The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series will have a busier-than-usual Saturday with two practices and qualifying all on the same day. First practice kicks off at 10:35 a.m. ET, with final practice at 1:05 p.m. and Busch Pole Qualifying set for 6:40 p.m. The race is on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET. NBCSN, NBC Sports App, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio are your spots to follow along. In addition, the NASCAR Mobile App and NASCAR.com will feature live leaderboards, in-car cameras and more for your viewing pleasure.
2018 RACE WINNER
Chase Elliott broke through for his first-ever win in the Monster Energy Series, setting off the famed siren at the Dawsonville Pool Room. Elliott led a race-high 52 laps in his No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, crossing the finish line 7.56 seconds ahead of Martin Truex Jr. in second place. Elliott went on to win at Dover and Kansas during the 2018 NASCAR Playoffs and carries four victories in NASCAR’s top series into this weekend’s race.
ACTIVE WATKINS GLEN WINNERS
Kyle Busch (2), Martin Truex Jr., Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano and Chase Elliott (1).