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Bubble Watch: Where drivers closest to cutline stand before Watkins Glen
By Staff Report | Published: August 18, 2022 12
Sean Gardner | Getty Images
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Michael McDowell
Points below cutline: 373 | Full standings
Trending -- Cooling Off: McDowell has eight top 10s in the last 16 races but has struggled over the last two weeks with finishes of 28th or worse.
Watkins Glen outlook -- Cold: McDowell hasn't really been a factor at Watkins Glen with a career-best result of just 12th in 2017. However, road courses have favored the driver of the No. 34 this year as he has three straight finishes of eighth or better on such tracks.
Points below cutline: 373 | Full standings
Trending -- Cooling Off: McDowell has eight top 10s in the last 16 races but has struggled over the last two weeks with finishes of 28th or worse.
Watkins Glen outlook -- Cold: McDowell hasn't really been a factor at Watkins Glen with a career-best result of just 12th in 2017. However, road courses have favored the driver of the No. 34 this year as he has three straight finishes of eighth or better on such tracks.
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Cole Custer
Points below cutline: 363 | Full standings
Trending -- Cooling Off: Custer has picked up two top-10 finishes in his last six races but those are his only top 10s of the season.
Watkins Glen outlook -- Cold Start: Custer finished 18th in his only start at the road course last season.
Points below cutline: 363 | Full standings
Trending -- Cooling Off: Custer has picked up two top-10 finishes in his last six races but those are his only top 10s of the season.
Watkins Glen outlook -- Cold Start: Custer finished 18th in his only start at the road course last season.
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Torey Fox | NASCAR Digital Media
Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Points below cutline: 356 | Full standings
Trending -- Cold: Stenhouse has 10 consecutive finishes of 13th or worse entering Watkins Glen. He hasn't scored a top-10 finish since the Coca-Cola 600, where he finished seventh.
Watkins Glen outlook -- Cold: Stenhouse has just one lap led on the road course and has a best finish of 15th in eight career starts.
Points below cutline: 356 | Full standings
Trending -- Cold: Stenhouse has 10 consecutive finishes of 13th or worse entering Watkins Glen. He hasn't scored a top-10 finish since the Coca-Cola 600, where he finished seventh.
Watkins Glen outlook -- Cold: Stenhouse has just one lap led on the road course and has a best finish of 15th in eight career starts.
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Logan Riely | Getty Images
Justin Haley
Points below cutline: 305 | Full standings
Trending -- Cold: Haley owns just one top 10 in the last 12 races and has finished 17th or worse in the last five races.
Watkins Glen outlook -- Cold Start: Haley finished 29th in his lone Watkins Glen start and has no finish better than 12th on road courses this season.
Points below cutline: 305 | Full standings
Trending -- Cold: Haley owns just one top 10 in the last 12 races and has finished 17th or worse in the last five races.
Watkins Glen outlook -- Cold Start: Haley finished 29th in his lone Watkins Glen start and has no finish better than 12th on road courses this season.
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Sean Gardner | Getty Images
Chris Buescher
Points below cutline: 286 | Full standings
Trending -- Hit or Miss: Buescher is coming off his best run of the season with a third-place finish at Richmond and has two top 10s in the last three races.
Watkins Glen outlook -- Cold: Buescher doesn't own a top 10 at Watkins Glen but had a career-best 11th-place finish at the track in 2017. He's been a contender on road courses this season with three straight top 10s on them.
Points below cutline: 286 | Full standings
Trending -- Hit or Miss: Buescher is coming off his best run of the season with a third-place finish at Richmond and has two top 10s in the last three races.
Watkins Glen outlook -- Cold: Buescher doesn't own a top 10 at Watkins Glen but had a career-best 11th-place finish at the track in 2017. He's been a contender on road courses this season with three straight top 10s on them.
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James Gilbert | Getty Images
Austin Dillon
Points below cutline: 262 | Full standings
Trending -- Cold: Dillon owns three straight finishes of 13th or worse and has failed to finish six races this season. He finished 16th at Richmond.
Watkins Glen outlook -- Cold: In seven starts at the New York road course, Dillon has never finished better than 15th. He got his first road course top-10 finish at Circuit of The Americas earlier this year.
Points below cutline: 262 | Full standings
Trending -- Cold: Dillon owns three straight finishes of 13th or worse and has failed to finish six races this season. He finished 16th at Richmond.
Watkins Glen outlook -- Cold: In seven starts at the New York road course, Dillon has never finished better than 15th. He got his first road course top-10 finish at Circuit of The Americas earlier this year.
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Bubba Wallace
Points below cutline: 249 | Full standings
Trending -- Richmond Snapped Hot Streak: Last Sunday at Richmond ended a career long streak of four straight top 10s for the driver of the No. 23 Toyota. However, Wallace still walked away from the short track with a 13th-place finish.
Watkins Glen outlook -- Cold: In three starts at Watkins Glen, Wallace has a best finish of 23rd but can ride some confidence to the road course after scoring a top five at Indianapolis.
Points below cutline: 249 | Full standings
Trending -- Richmond Snapped Hot Streak: Last Sunday at Richmond ended a career long streak of four straight top 10s for the driver of the No. 23 Toyota. However, Wallace still walked away from the short track with a 13th-place finish.
Watkins Glen outlook -- Cold: In three starts at Watkins Glen, Wallace has a best finish of 23rd but can ride some confidence to the road course after scoring a top five at Indianapolis.
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Sean Gardner | Getty Images
Erik Jones
Points below cutline: 226 | Full standings
Trending -- Hit or Miss: After a strong showing at Michigan, Jones was caught up in a multi-car wreck at Richmond that forced him to DNF. He still owns three finishes of eighth or better in the last nine races.
Watkins Glen outlook -- Mostly Warm: Jones owns three top 10s in four starts at Watkins Glen but finished 27th last year with Petty GMS. Road courses also haven't been a high point for him this year with three straight finishes of 15th or worse.
Points below cutline: 226 | Full standings
Trending -- Hit or Miss: After a strong showing at Michigan, Jones was caught up in a multi-car wreck at Richmond that forced him to DNF. He still owns three finishes of eighth or better in the last nine races.
Watkins Glen outlook -- Mostly Warm: Jones owns three top 10s in four starts at Watkins Glen but finished 27th last year with Petty GMS. Road courses also haven't been a high point for him this year with three straight finishes of 15th or worse.
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James Gilbert | Getty Images
Aric Almirola
Points below cutline: 214 | Full standings
Trending -- Richmond Snapped Cold Streak: Almirola scored his first top 10 since Atlanta at Richmond but it was only his seventh top-10 run of the year.
Watkins Glen outlook -- Cold: Almirola doesn't own a finish better than 12th in 10 starts at Watkins Glen and hasn't finished inside the top 10 in his last 15 road course starts.
Points below cutline: 214 | Full standings
Trending -- Richmond Snapped Cold Streak: Almirola scored his first top 10 since Atlanta at Richmond but it was only his seventh top-10 run of the year.
Watkins Glen outlook -- Cold: Almirola doesn't own a finish better than 12th in 10 starts at Watkins Glen and hasn't finished inside the top 10 in his last 15 road course starts.
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James Gilbert | Getty Images
Martin Truex Jr.
Points below cutline: 26 | Full standings
Trending -- Warm: While Richmond wasn't the run Truex was looking for and he lost ground to Blaney, the JGR driver owns four finishes of seventh or better in the last five races.
Watkins Glen outlook -- Red Hot: Truex owns four straight top-three finishes at the New York road course and was a winner of the 2017 race. However, Toyotas haven't had the best of luck on road courses this year and Truex has three consecutive finishes of 13th or worse on them this year.
Points below cutline: 26 | Full standings
Trending -- Warm: While Richmond wasn't the run Truex was looking for and he lost ground to Blaney, the JGR driver owns four finishes of seventh or better in the last five races.
Watkins Glen outlook -- Red Hot: Truex owns four straight top-three finishes at the New York road course and was a winner of the 2017 race. However, Toyotas haven't had the best of luck on road courses this year and Truex has three consecutive finishes of 13th or worse on them this year.
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Ryan Blaney
Points above cutline: 26 | Full standings
Trending -- Warming Up: Blaney rounded out the top 10 at Richmond but increased his lead above the cutline over Truex. While winless this season, Blaney owns six top 10s in the last 10 races and inked a multi-year extension with Team Penske this week.
Watkins Glen outlook -- Hit or Miss: Blaney finished 14th in the most-recent Watkins Glen race but has two finishes of eighth or better in five career starts at the road course.
Points above cutline: 26 | Full standings
Trending -- Warming Up: Blaney rounded out the top 10 at Richmond but increased his lead above the cutline over Truex. While winless this season, Blaney owns six top 10s in the last 10 races and inked a multi-year extension with Team Penske this week.
Watkins Glen outlook -- Hit or Miss: Blaney finished 14th in the most-recent Watkins Glen race but has two finishes of eighth or better in five career starts at the road course.
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Sean Gardner | Getty Images
The playoff picture couldn't be tighter with one open spot remaining and two races left before the postseason begins. See where drivers sit before Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series race at Watkins Glen International (3 p.m. ET on USA Network, NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), with stats and ratings provided by Racing Insights.