Fantasy Fastlane: Who can stop Shane van Gisbergen at Watkins Glen?

There is a new king of the road, and his name is Shane van Gisbergen. The New Zealander has made an instant impact on road courses and is entering rarified territory. He is human, though, and the "bus stop" at Watkins Glen International got the best of him on the final lap last year, allowing Chris Buescher to sneak by for the victory. With road courses being heavily featured on the schedule, there are plenty of viable options for your lineup this weekend.

New to Fastlane this year is my weekly NASCAR 36 for 36 pick, where you can play along. It's a season-long points battle introduced last year in which strategy is the primary emphasis. With 36 chartered cars to start the season and 36 races on the 2025 schedule, players can choose each car once for the duration of the season.

MUST START:

Shane van Gisbergen | View stats

Trackhouse Racing, No. 88 Chevrolet

Odds (DraftKings): 27-20

Don't overthink this one. Van Gisbergen has won three straight road-course events from the Busch Light Pole Award, tying Jeff Gordon for the longest streak in Cup history. He aims to become the third driver to win four straight road-course races overall (Gordon and Chase Elliott). Should SVG claim another trophy, he will join Dan Gurney as the only driver to score their first five victories on road courses. It's SVG vs. the field this weekend.

MUST START:

Chris Buescher | View stats

RFK Racing, No. 17 Ford

Odds (DraftKings): 20-1

Buescher outright got the best of van Gisbergen last year at Watkins Glen. He is the only driver to have top-10 finishes in all three Next Gen races at the famed road course. Buescher's 24th-place starting spot was the deepest a driver has come in the field and won at Watkins Glen. He sits on the playoff bubble, and it's time for the No. 17 team to contend for a victory.

MUST START:

Chase Elliott | View stats

Hendrick Motorsports, No. 9 Chevrolet

Odds (DraftKings): 16-1

Before Buescher sealed the deal last year, Hendrick Motorsports had won five straight Watkins Glen races. Elliott earned consecutive wins in 2018 (his first Cup victory) and 2019, and he was in contention in 2021 and 2022. The last two New York trips haven’t been ideal, but Elliott leads all drivers with 11 top-five finishes on road courses in the Next Gen car, despite not having a victory.

MUST START:

Christopher Bell | View stats

Joe Gibbs Racing, No. 20 Toyota

Odds (DraftKings): 11-1

Before Chase Briscoe finished runner-up last month at Sonoma Raceway, it was Bell who led JGR on road courses. Since last fall’s race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval, Bell has four top-five finishes in the last five attempts at turning left and right. He was victorious at Circuit of The Americas in March and has three road course triumphs on his resume. Bell has three top 10s in four Watkins Glen starts.

SLEEPER PICK:

AJ Allmendinger | View stats

Kaulig Racing, No. 16 Chevrolet

Odds (DraftKings): 20-1

It wasn't long ago when Allmendinger was the standard at road-course excellence. His success makes him a great sleeper candidate, with three road course victories -- including a 2014 win at Watkins Glen with then-JTG Daugherty Racing -- and an Xfinity Series record 11 road-course triumphs. Since the Next Gen car's implementation in 2022, Allmendinger cracks the top five on road courses in every key metric: Speed (third), Long-Run Speed (fourth), Passing (second), Defense (fifth) and Restarts (second), according to Racing Insights.

SLEEPER PICK:

Michael McDowell | View stats

Spire Motorsports, No. 71 Chevrolet

Odds (DraftKings): 14-1

McDowell is high on the list in four of those metrics, including being the best defender. That was evident at Sonoma, when the No. 71 machine lacked raw pace but still managed a fourth-place finish. One week prior, McDowell cruised out front, leading a race-high 31 laps at the Chicago Street Course before mechanical gremlins transpired.

STAY AWAY FROM:

Ryan Blaney | View stats

Team Penske, No. 12 Ford

Odds (DraftKings): 70-1

Playing the strategy game, one of Blaney's five stage wins in 2025 came at Chicago. He also showed contending pace at Sonoma. That hasn't translated to ideal results, though, as the No. 12 team has yet to crack the top five in the final rundown in the Next Gen car. The good news for Blaney fans is that WGI is among his best road courses, with three top-10 finishes in eight starts.

STAY AWAY FROM:

Daniel Suárez | View stats

Trackhouse Racing, No. 99 Chevrolet

Odds (DraftKings): 45-1

Going to a road course normally provides an opportunity for Suárez to sneak into the picture, scoring his first Cup win at Sonoma in 2022. However, the four road races this year have been dreadful for the No. 99 team, tallying 56 points total. Watkins Glen is his most consistent road course, being one of three tracks where he has at least three top fives at (Atlanta and Texas). But Suárez has no momentum leading into the weekend, with 12 straight finishes outside the top 10.

STAY AWAY FROM:

Austin Cindric | View stats

Team Penske, No. 2 Ford

Odds (DraftKings): 65-1

The same case could be made for Cindric. The 2020 Xfinity Series champion stamped his name on road courses, but Penske’s road-course program in Cup has been unpleasant for a few years. His 48 points scored on road courses this year are the seventh worst in the series. On the bright side, that's one point more than Kyle Larson (47).

FEATURED MATCHUP:

Zane Smith vs. Carson Hocevar

The former Spire Motorsports teammates were feuding after Smith got turned for the fourth consecutive race. Hocevar’s third-place finish at Watkins Glen in 2024 jumps off the page, but Smith wasn’t far behind in fifth. Naturally, Smith is a respectable road-course competitor, having grown up karting. He gets my vote entering the weekend.

FEATURED MATCHUP:

Shane van Gisbergen vs. Kyle Larson

With a pair of recent victories at Watkins Glen, Larson could get some buzz this weekend. He's among the most successful drivers to ever compete on road courses with four wins. But this is a tale of two stories this year on road courses. Larson has an average finish of 29th in the four road courses this season, while it's been an uphill battle for anyone to stop van Gisbergen. Give me SVG all day.

FEATURED MATCHUP:

William Byron vs. Ross Chastain

Chastain was in the mix last year at Watkins Glen, winning the pole and finishing fourth. Byron dominated the event in 2023 and followed that up with a triumph at Circuit of The Americas in 2024. Consistency is key, and the No. 24 team has eight top 10s in the last 11 road-course events.

FEATURED MATCHUP:

Chris Buescher vs. Michael McDowell

Toughest matchup of the week. Buescher sits 23 points ahead of RFK Racing teammate Ryan Preece, and he might have points as a prime focus this weekend. That's ideal for setting a lineup but tough when doing a matchup. McDowell’s only way into the playoffs is a victory, and he's among the best on road courses. Overthinking? Sure, but that leads me to think he will finish ahead of Buescher.

MY LINEUP: Shane van Gisbergen, Chris Buescher, Chase Elliott, Christopher Bell, William Byron.

GARAGE: Michael McDowell.

36 for 36: Pulling Preece from my 36 for 36 pick was a bonehead move last week. Granted, the No. 60 Ford showed little hope in practice and finished 30th in Stage 1. Once again, the No. 60 is a viable option for Watkins Glen, having scored the 10th-most points on road courses (107) in 2025. I'm leaning toward Kyle Busch entering the weekend, however, who is tied for seventh on that same list (123), and both of his top fives this year have come on road courses.