Posted on by Nathan Solomon

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. — Rudy Fugle, crew chief for William Byron, said the No. 24 team’s goal was a top five Sunday at Watkins Glen International to keep control of their own destiny in the Regular Season Championship hunt.

Check.

Byron and company achieved that on a muggy, clear-sky afternoon in the Finger Lakes region, benefitting from a caution-free final stage to finish fourth at the 2.45-mile road course.

RELATED: Race results | At-track photos: Watkins Glen

But more importantly, Byron opened up a 42-point lead for the NASCAR Cup Series’ regular-season crown over Hendrick Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott, who finished 26th in that team’s first result outside the top 20 this season. A successful 45-point outing for the No. 24 group helped Byron stretch the gap even further over Hendrick’s Kyle Larson, who entered Sunday third in points but was slowed by brake issues early on.

“We had really good pace in practice yesterday and couldn’t really back it up as good as we wanted to,” Fugle told NASCAR.com. “Once we realized we didn’t have the pace to run in that top-two or -three pace, we kind of punted to the strategy that we went to, which really helped us get some stage points. William did a great job of managing the car at the end and then still finished fourth, so great points day.”

That overnight pivot resulted in a two-stop strategy, with a decision to pit before the end of Stage 1 at Lap 16 before stretching an estimated 36-lap fuel window all the way to Lap 55. Conserving fuel certainly isn’t a new strategy for the No. 24 team, as they picked up the win the previous weekend at Iowa on fumes after a pair of failed fuel gambles earlier at Michigan and Indianapolis.

But with the final 45 laps staying green and temperatures reaching nearly 90 degrees in Upstate New York, it tested every ounce of the 27-year-old’s will with first-time championship aspirations at the forefront.

“I’m a little tired. The cars were tough to drive there,” Byron said Sunday on pit road, cracking a smile in relief. “That was a really long final run. Just trying to get all I could out of the car and felt like we did a really good job strategizing for what our car needed.

“Ultimately, our strategy was because of qualifying and the way the first stage went, so we didn’t have the best track position to really race for the win. The best bet for us was to do the two-stop when that [Lap 30] caution came out, because we had just fresh enough tires, I feel like, and we got the front row on the restart and really was able to maintain.”

Should Byron hang on over the next two weeks to win the Regular Season Championship, that call could be the turning point of the battle among teammates. Byron finished second in Stage 2, earning nine stage points — the most among the top three Hendrick contenders.

Restarting second in the final stage, Byron was among the first drivers called down pit road as the laps ticked off, stopping a lap before Ryan Blaney — who led at the time and won Stage 2. Byron finished second among the drivers electing the two-stop strategy; Christopher Bell, who came home runner-up, was the other.

MORE: Cup Series standings | Three Up, Three Down: The Glen

A new road-course tire introduced by Goodyear in 2024 at The Glen proved difficult for the No. 24 team the last time out, when Byron finished outside the top 30 a year removed from a win. But this time, Fugle and company nailed it.

“We’ve always been fast here. Our expectation is to run top five when we come here,” Fugle explained. “… We just have to keep learning and adapting, and we’ve done a better job. We just get a little closer.”

Two races now remain in the regular season, and with Richmond Raceway on Saturday (7:30 p.m. ET, USA Network, HBO Max, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App), the Regular Season Championship is officially on the doorstep for the North Carolina native. As said Saturday at The Glen and echoed again post-race, Byron’s treating the final regular-season races as sort of trial run for the looming playoffs.

So far, so good.

“Just gotta keep digging,” Fugle said. “Gotta have a good race in Richmond, and then Daytona, anything bad can happen or good can happen. So we just want stay as big of a gap [ahead of Elliott] through next week as we can, and if we can’t extend it, then do it next week.”

Posted on by Zach Sturniolo

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. — A hot day at Watkins Glen International got even hotter on the radio of the No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing team’s radio during the final stage of Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race.

Struggling to find rear grip with 34 laps remaining, Ty Gibbs expressed his frustration to his team.

“We’re [expletive] right now, so we’ve got to do something different,” Gibbs said.

Chris Gabehart, competition director of Joe Gibbs Racing and race strategist for the No. 54 team, did not appreciate the tone of Gibbs’ assessment.

“Well, I’m sure you’ve got a real good understanding of that from inside the car,” Gabehart said, “so you can call the strategy if you want or we can keep rolling. But I (would) do the best I could to go as fast as I can.”

“10-4!” Gibbs replied.

MORE: Watkins Glen results | At-track photos

Ultimately, an up-and-down day for the No. 54 team ended with a 33rd-place result, Gibbs’ worst result since Circuit of The Americas in March and his third consecutive finish outside the top 20. Gabehart is a veteran crew chief despite stepping back from that role in 2025, serving as the shot-caller on the No. 11 pit box with driver Denny Hamlin from 2019-2024, collecting 22 wins together. Sunday, he said, was simply another growing moment for the 22-year-old Gibbs.

“Of course, it’s heated. It’s a hot day, and the driver’s working his butt off in there and doesn’t know the details of who’s on what for strategy,” Gabehart said. “There was a caution that fell there early in Stage 2 that really split the field a lot of different ways. So for drivers, that’s always the most confusing time because they don’t know how to measure their car against whom and what’s the next play in the playbook.

“And on the pit box, you’re working to figure all that out as those cautions fall. There’s only so much prep work that you can do prior to when it happens. Now, what do we do? And that’s the moment that was going on there.”

Gibbs was also at a disadvantage after needing to work hard to re-pass the No. 60 of Ryan Preece before a Christopher Bell pass on Alex Bowman forced Gibbs to check up as well. Gibbs spent significant time trying to work by Bowman, Gabehart said, contributing to the lack of grip left in Gibbs’ rear tires.

“This is a very difficult race to follow, even for the most experienced drivers,” Gabehart said. “The strategy just changes so much, and Ty is still trying to work through some of these nuances. So that’s racing.”

Their final pit stop of the day came at Lap 81, after Gibbs bargained an idea of his own: “How about we just pit then just stay out when the caution comes out? If not, then we’re already back here anyway.”

Gabehart obliged, bringing the No. 54 car in for four fresh tires in a gamble that didn’t pay off without a yellow flag.

“We talked it over and he was losing the rear tires pretty fast both runs,” Gabehart explained. “So once we got that late, he came on said, ‘Well, what if we pit here? What’s it really gonna cost us?’ I’m like, ‘Not much. Let’s go ahead and pit in case the caution comes out, then we’ll stay out and try to restart further forward for it.’ There just wasn’t much track position left to lose at that point.”

Gibbs’ season has had its fair share of hot-and-cold swings. After finishing third at Michigan, Gibbs went on a three-race run of top-15 finishes from 11th (Mexico City), 14th (Pocono) and 14th (EchoPark Speedway). The next three races that followed were all top 10s — second in Chicago, seventh at Sonoma and fifth at Dover. The latest trio of tracks haven’t been as kind with two 21st-place runs (Indianapolis, Iowa) before Sunday’s 33rd-place finish.

Part of what Gabehart tries to bring is a sense of balance, particularly in unique scenarios like Watkins Glen provided when the driver may be less informed than the crew on the pit box.

“It’s our job up top to try to rein that in when needed, or give enough information to be pertinent, but not so much that it’s confusing all those things,” Gabehart said. “And Ty is different than Denny is different than Chase Briscoe is different than Bell. They’re all different, right? So you’ve got to figure out how to get the most of them out of those moments, and today, I don’t think we did.”

Posted on by Cameron Richardson

Another road course and another dominant performance from Shane van Gisbergen as the Kiwi led 38 of the 90 circuits at Watkins Glen International to score his fourth Cup Series victory of 2025, matching Denny Hamlin for most among Cup drivers this season. Van Gisbergen became the first rookie at the Cup level to snag four checkered flags in a single season.

RELATED: Official race results | At-track photos

A straightforward Sunday in the Finger Lakes region of New York did come with its surprises as the Hendrick Motorsports camp struggled and regular-season title contenders faded. William Byron extended his points lead to 42 as teammates Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson, as well as Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin, finished outside the top 20.

With two races to go in the regular season, let’s take a look at three drivers moving in the right direction and three drivers on their back foot before Saturday night’s event at Richmond Raceway (7:30 ET, USA Network, MRN Radio, HBO Max, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

THREE UP ⬆️

1. Christopher Bell, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Started: 9th

Finished: 2nd

What happened: Bell put together his first top-five performance since Sonoma with a runner-up to van Gisbergen — a sequel to their Mexico City 1-2. It’s a huge shot in the arm for the No. 20 Toyota team after a trying day last weekend at Iowa.

What’s next: The last victory for Bell came early in the season amid a three-race winning streak that included Atlanta, Circuit of The Americas and Phoenix. Bell should be in line for a deep playoff run, but the No. 20 team needs to string some oval momentum together as its last three top-five runs have all come on road courses. That should change at Richmond. Bell has finished sixth or better in seven of his nine Cup starts at the Virginia short track.

bell at the glen
Sean Gardner | Getty Images

2. Daniel Suárez, No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

Started: 19th

Finished: 7th

What happened: With no plan set in stone for Suárez, every weekend for the rest of the season is an audition for a ride, and the Mexican driver put together one of his best of 2025 at Watkins Glen. Sunday marked his first top-10 run since Texas, all the way back in May.

What’s next: A surprise Richmond win isn’t likely for Suárez, but the No. 99 Chevrolet driver led 93 laps at the short track last year and finished 10th.

suarez at the glen
Sean Gardner | Getty Images

3. Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet 

Started: 4th

Finished: 10th

What happened: Chastain completed a day when all three full-time Trackhouse entries scored top 10s in Upstate New York. It didn’t come without some eventful occurrences on track as the No. 1 driver made contact with on-and-off rival Hamlin in Turn 7, causing Hamlin to collect Kyle Busch. It’s the first top-10 run for Chastain since Chicago.

What’s next: Similar to Bell, Chastain needs to get it going in the right direction on ovals. His last top-10 finish on an oval came in June at Michigan. Richmond has historically been a struggle for Chastain, but he has two top fives in the last four events at the track.

ross chastain at the glen
Sean Gardner | Getty Images

THREE DOWN ⬇️

1. Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Started: 26th

Finished: 39th

What happened: Larson dealt with a brake issue early on during Sunday’s race and ultimately spun on Lap 6 in Turn 1 at the 2.45-mile road course. Crew chief Cliff Daniels opted to take the No. 5 Chevrolet to the garage to repair a brake line and Larson returned to action on Lap 22 — 16 laps off the pace. Larson was scored with a 39th-place finish, but nabbed one extra point with the Xfinity Fastest Lap.

What’s next: Larson’s bid for the 2025 regular-season title is likely out of the picture and he’ll shift focus to gaining some momentum heading into the postseason with just two races to go before the playoff grid is set. Richmond awaits Saturday (7:30 p.m. ET, USA Network, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) where Larson has finished seventh or better in four of the six Next Gen events at the short track, including a victory in the 2023 spring race.

kyle larson with early brake issues at watkins glen
Zach Sturniolo | NASCAR Digital Media

2. Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Started: 20th

Finished: 26th

What happened: Elliott’s top-20 streak came to an end Sunday at Watkins Glen — a shocking result for the No. 9 driver who scored his first Cup victory at the New York road course. You have to go back to the Las Vegas playoff race last year to find when the Dawsonville, Georgia, native didn’t place within the top 20. Elliott lacked speed throughout the weekend and couldn’t break from the midpack aside from staying out at the end of Stage 1 to rack up seven points.

What’s next: Elliott now trails teammate Byron by 42 points in the hunt for the regular-season title. There’s a slim chance for the No. 9 to reclaim the spot within the next two races, but Elliott can start a new top-20 streak at Richmond as he hasn’t finished worse than 15th at the track since 2017.

elliott at the glen
Sean Gardner | Getty Images

3. Ty Gibbs, No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Started: 14th

Finished: 33rd

What happened: One of the better road-course racers this season did not have the car under him to compete for the win. Gibbs also had quite the back-and-forth with his No. 54 group on the team radio as the third-year driver was frustrated with the handling of his Toyota. Gibbs then came down pit road in the closing laps, which resulted in him falling outside the top 30 when the checkered flag waved.

What’s next: Gibbs needs to find Victory Lane in the next two weeks to secure a second straight berth in the Cup Series Playoffs. However, Richmond has not been his friend in his early Cup days with just one top-10 run in five starts.

gibbs at the glen
Chris Graythen | Getty Images
Posted on by Dustin Albino

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. – There isn’t much Chris Buescher despises more than points racing. He purely wants to win. 

But with less than two weeks remaining until the 2025 Cup Series Playoffs are set, Buescher found himself chasing points in Sunday’s Go Bowling at The Glen at Watkins Glen International. Scott Graves, crew chief of the No. 17 Ford, called an alternate strategy, putting Buescher in prime position to capitalize on points. 

Passing Alex Bowman — another driver that needs coveted points — late in the opening stage propelled Buescher to his second stage victory of the season. Graves kept the No. 17 car out at the end of the stage, hoping to run deep in the second stage to make it to the end of the race, making two pit stops as opposed to the bulk of the field doing three stops. Buescher faded quickly to begin Stage 2, so when a caution flew on Lap 28, it was the opportunity for him to pit for fresh Goodyear tires. 

Enough drivers opted not to flip Stage 2 to where Buescher didn’t score any stage points. He remained on the track until Lap 54 before making his second and final pit stop. 

Pitting at the edge of their fuel window, Buescher was able to cycle out of the pits in a heated battle with William Byron and Ryan Blaney. The No. 17 car passed them both and was in position to finish runner-up, a country mile behind Shane van Gisbergen. Christopher Bell made a late rally, passing Buescher on the final lap, dropping to third.

RELATED: Watkins Glen results | Cup standings with two races left in regular season

“It’s a tough decision, but unfortunately it’s the box we’re in, having to manage the two sides of it,” Graves told NASCAR.com. “A win would fix everything and, as fast as we were, who knows if we had just played the full-on race strategy, we might have had something for them. It’s hard to say. 

“We got a ton of points, won a stage, third-place finish — it’s a lot of points. We gained back to the 48, cut that deficit close to half and put some points on [Ryan Preece]. We just have to keep digging. Get through these next few weeks and keep trying.” 

The 44 points earned by Buescher ranked second for the race, trailing Blaney’s 45. He remains on the playoff bubble with two races remaining in the regular season, sitting 34 points ahead of RFK Racing teammate Preece [gained 11 points at Watkins Glen]. With potential wild card events looming at Richmond Raceway and Daytona International Speedway, should there be a new winner from below the elimination line, the battle would be for the next position not held on points, currently held by Alex Bowman. With Bowman finishing 20th on Sunday, Buescher gained 14 points, just 26 points behind. 

“At the end of the day, the next two weeks need to be solid weeks,” Buescher added. “We need to go there, bring fast Mustangs — and we need to win. I keep spewing the same line because I certainly hate points racing. While it didn’t give us a bad result by any means today, you have to think it hinders your best opportunity to win. It’s the situation we’re in — we get it.” 

Preece faded to 13th at the checkered flag on older tires. Dropping further behind the playoff bubble was a bummer for the northeast native, but he also is focused on winning.

“You can definitely manage those expectations, but I [expletive] hate losing, so it’s hard to do that,” Preece said. I want to go to Richmond, and I want to [expletive] do everything it takes to win. A lot of passion with racing, so it’s nice to be in the position where I’m racing again.”

Buescher has visited Victory Lane at each of the final two race tracks to conclude the regular season, both coming in 2023.

Posted on by Holly Cain

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. – Shane Van Gisbergen claimed his fourth NASCAR Cup Series road-course victory of the season Sunday afternoon and second win of more than 10 seconds on the field … and he made it look effortless.

The 36-year-old New Zealander led a race-best 38 of 90 laps – including the final 17 – at the historic Watkins Glen International circuit in picturesque upstate New York, his No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet officially crossing the finish line by 11.116 seconds ahead of Joe Gibbs Racing’s Christopher Bell.

RELATED: Race results | At-track photos: Watkins Glen

Van Gisbergen, a former Australian SuperCars Series multi-time champion, joins racing legend Dan Gurney in scoring his first five career NASCAR Cup Series victories on road courses, and he did it the same weekend as his Trackhouse team announced his multiyear contract extension.

“Good to get that one back,’’ said Van Gisbergen, in a nod to finishing runner-up in this race last year. “What an awesome race. Coming back through (the field after his final pit stop) I had lot of fun. The car was just amazing again. Another win. Awesome.

“It’s the stuff you dream about right?” a smiling Van Gisbergen acknowledged of the important weekend. “I’m just a very lucky guy to get to drive for an amazing bunch of people and just execute. The day just went flawlessly and I really enjoyed it. Thank you everyone.”

Van Gisbergen, in his first full-time season at NASCAR’s elite level, has been essentially unstoppable on the road courses. His four victories on the year – also at Mexico City, Chicago and Sonoma – gives him the rookie win record and he now ties perennial championship contender Denny Hamlin for most victories in the series this year.

SHOP: Race winner gear

For all intents and purposes, when it comes to this style of racing, his competition judges itself on how close it can come to him.

“I’m thrilled [today] because we’ve been struggling a little bit to find our rhythm,” said Bell, who passed Chris Buescher on the final lap to claim the runner-up position. “The cars have been good. Really awesome to have a good day, but frustrated to get our butts kicked by the 88 car doing such a great job. That team has really got it going on.”

The third-place finish for Chris Buescher, who edged Van Gisbergen for the win at Watkins Glen in 2024, still registered as a good day as far as his championship chances are concerned. The driver of the No. 17 RFK Racing Ford holds onto the final playoff position — by 34 points over RFK teammate Ryan Preece — among the 16 drivers currently eligible for the playoff field.

Two regular-season races now remain — at Richmond (Va.) Raceway next weekend and the Aug. 23 finale at Daytona International Speedway.

“Had a fast race car again and definitely took the opportunity to capitalize on some stage points early,” said Buescher, who collected 10 important points in winning Stage 1. “Still got back into second [place] there and was making some pretty good headway but just got used up really hard getting by a couple cars to get track position and it fell off pretty hard there at the end.”

Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron, the Regular Season Championship leader, finished fourth in the No. 24 Chevrolet. That showing — coupled with his teammate Chase Elliott’s 26th-place finish — extended Byron’s lead in the points standings to 42 over Elliott. This marks the first time this season Elliott has finished outside the top 20.

MORE: Cup Series standings

Joe Gibbs Racing’s Chase Briscoe finished fifth in the No. 19 JGR Toyota, making a last-lap pass on race pole-sitter, Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney. Van Gisbergen’s teammate Daniel Suárez was seventh, followed by 23XI Racing teammates Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick. Trackhouse’s Ross Chastain rounded out the top 10.

Thirteen drivers have automatic playoff bids by virtue of a regular-season win. Reddick, Hendrick Motorsports’ Alex Bowman and Buescher round out the 16 drivers provisionally eligible for the playoffs on the basis of points.

Preece and Richard Childress Racing’s Kyle Busch (-102 points) are just below the cutoff line. A new race winner at the Richmond short track or the Daytona Beach superspeedway, however, could drastically alter the playoff picture.

Kyle Larson, a two-time Watkins Glen winner, was knocked from contention early after a Lap 6 spin in the 90-degree first turn. Larson said his No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet was plagued by a brake issue, and the car went to the Cup Series garage for repairs. Larson finished last in the 39-car field, 15 laps down.

The Cup Series’ next race is the Cook Out 400, scheduled Saturday night at Richmond Raceway (7:30 ET, USA Network, HBO Max, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App).

NOTE: Post-race inspection in the Cup Series garage at Watkins Glen was completed without issue, confirming van Gisbergen as the race winner.

Posted on by Staff Report

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. — Hendrick Motorsports driver Kyle Larson went behind the wall with brake issues after just six laps in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Watkins Glen International.

Racing mid-pack after qualifying 26th, Larson went for a spin entering the 90-degree Turn 1, immediately radioing to his team, “I got no brakes.”

Crew chief Cliff Daniels called him down pit road, where the two-time Watkins Glen winner gingerly brought his No. 5 Chevrolet in for service. He went behind the wall moments later as Daniels said the team needed to change a brake line over the radio.

Larson spent the conclusion of Stage 1 behind the wall before rejoining the race under caution at Lap 22.

RELATED: Race results | At-track photos: Watkins Glen

“Incredibly unfortunate because I really wish that it would’ve shown up yesterday, or at any point sooner than five laps into the start of the race,” Daniels told NASCAR.com. “When we came in and realized how much brake fluid was coming out of the lines in that area, we just took our next steps to get it replaced, get it fixed, get the brakes bled and get the car back out there.

“Certainly a lot more assessment that we’ll need to do at the shop, pick it apart and figure out exactly what the root cause was.”

Larson returned to the race at Lap 22 during the caution ending Stage 1. Coming back on track at 16 laps down, he earned the free pass eight laps later during a debris yellow and finished 15 circuits behind.

Still, the No. 5 team had more to gain. Daniels explained the need to build their notebook and practice pit strategy with just two races remaining in the regular season. Larson even earned the point for the Xfinity Fastest Lap, throwing down a heater of 73.2 seconds around the 2.45-mile road course.

“It’s nice that we got the fast lap,” Daniels said. “The luster of it has gone away a little bit for us because we’ve had to do that twice now at road courses (Sonoma), but still a good team exercise to do. Kyle stayed dug in, the team stayed dug in and salvaged the best that we could.”

With a last-place finish, Larson dropped from 45 points behind teammate William Byron to 85 below, essentially ending his hopes at the Regular Season Championship. Three of the last five races have resulted in finishes of 28th or worse for the 2021 Cup Series champion, who is riding an inconsistent stretch since failing to complete the Double back in May.

MORE: Cup Series standings | Three Up, Three Down: The Glen

But as Richmond Raceway awaits on Saturday (7:30 p.m. ET, USA Network, HBO Max, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App), a place that Larson’s won twice, Daniels invites the naysayers.

“There’s not a whole lot to be said about right now, other than we’re just not getting the results,” Daniels said. “We’re going to keep building on the momentum that we have as a group: our operation, our chemistry and all the things that we’ve been kind of fostering and growing this year.

“Never bet against yourself, and just being realistic about where we are, the fact that we have shown up with speed the last handful of weeks, I’m really hopeful that people count us out.”

Posted on by Nathan Solomon

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. — A pair of overlooked road-course racers, Kyle Busch and Alex Bowman enter Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Watkins Glen (2 p.m. ET, USA Network, HBO Max, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App) in opposite points positions with just three races remaining until the 16-driver postseason field is set.

A two-time series champion, Busch heads to the Finger Lakes sitting minus-73 to the elimination line, in jeopardy of missing the playoffs for the second year in a row. It’s been 80 races since the last time the 40-year-old wound up in Victory Lane, the longest streak of his career, and he’s on a streak of 11 races without leading a lap.

RELATED: Starting lineup | At-track photos: Watkins Glen

But Busch heads to The Glen with a glimmer of optimism.

“Rowdy” owns two wins in the Finger Lakes (2008, 2013), and, statistically speaking, road courses have been Busch’s best track type in 2025 with top 10s in three of the four such races this year. The pinnacle nearly came at Circuit of The Americas in March, when the Richard Childress Racing driver led 42 laps and nearly held off Christopher Bell for what would’ve been a loud return to the winner’s circle.

Instead, the Las Vegas native looks to channel similar magic as his postseason hopes likely hinge on a win between now and Daytona in three weeks.

“Not real sure, just it’s kind of worked out that way for us,” Busch said Saturday when asked about his road-course racing success in 2025. “It’s just road courses are a little bit of an anomaly where it’s just a lot of inconsistencies in finishes and runs and what guys do towards the end of those races and the crashes they cause, so you just got to stay on track.

“You just race. Race the race and let it play out. Richmond’s one of my best places, statistically. Would like to think that we could be good there. Austin (Dillon, defending race winner) had a great race car there last year, and then Daytona has always been great for us at RCR with the speed that we’ve carried there each time.”

Busch’s six wins at the 0.75-mile Richmond Raceway are the second most of any track in his career (only to Bristol Motor Speedway with nine), and 10 of his last 13 starts there have resulted in top 10s. But with the speed the No. 8 driver has shown on the road, it’s certainly possible the Cup veteran finds his way into the mix as the laps wind down at The Glen.

On the other side of the coin, Bowman heads to The Glen at plus-63 above the bubble, where he’s safe … for now.

RELATED: Busch shows displeasure toward Bowman at Iowa

With Watkins Glen’s wild-card nature, a new winner — other than Tyler Reddick (already a near-lock at plus-122) — would significantly complicate the playoff picture for the No. 48 team. A lack of consistency oftentimes plagues the 32-year-old, but since a hard crash at Michigan that left the Hendrick Motorsports driver with back pain, he’s gotten hot. Over the last eight races, Bowman’s scored 11th or better in seven of them, calculating to an average finish of 8th — second best in the series during that span.

The 2024 Chicago Street Course winner, Bowman’s career average finish at road courses is 14.9 and he has top 10s in three of the four events this season, including fourth at Mexico City in June.

Bowman described his points position as “stressful” on Saturday at Watkins Glen. Along with Sonoma, he explained, Watkins Glen is his worst road course with no finish better than 14th in eight total starts; his numbers favoring the newer road courses on the circuit. And although he’s won at Richmond in the past, parlayed with Daytona as the regular-season finale, it amplifies the importance of Sunday’s 90-lapper at The Glen.

“You have to expect [a new winner] in the situation that we’re in,” Bowman said. “It’s three not-great race tracks for us. We’ve won at Richmond before, but we’ve been extremely hit-or-miss there over the years. We’re either really good or really bad every time that we’re there, so hopefully, we’re on the really good side of that. And Daytona, just got to put yourself in position to be there at the end.

“This one (Watkins Glen) is tough. I felt like I figured out how to make a little bit of pace last year, but still, passing is really difficult. I think we’re in a position where we have to take stage points, which makes winning this race extremely difficult … I don’t know if I just kind of adapted to the places that guys don’t have 20-year notebooks at. But shoot, I’ve been coming here for 10 years now, so, I don’t know. (Watkins Glen and Sonoma) have just been tough on me.”

Both Busch and Bowman will start Sunday’s race with track position, rolling off fifth and seventh, respectively, with major playoff implications up for grabs in the quaint northeastern town.

Posted on by Nathan Solomon

Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Watkins Glen International (2 p.m. ET, USA Network, HBO Max, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App) marks the first of just three races remaining until the 16-driver postseason field is finalized.

For championship contenders, the annual trip to Upstate New York is a key opportunity to chase playoff points and improve their standing before the 10-race fight for the Bill France Cup commences Labor Day Weekend at Darlington Raceway. But for others, the seven-turn road course nestled in the Finger Lakes presents one of the final opportunities to score a playoff-altering victory.

RELATED: Full starting lineup | Watkins Glen entries in photos

Shane van Gisbergen is the obvious favorite, heading to The Glen with three consecutive Cup Series road course wins in his pocket — all from the pole. According to NASCAR Insights, SVG leads the field in overall speed, long run speed and passing at road courses in the Next Gen car, while he’s also second in defense and sixth in restarts. The Kiwi displayed his restart prowess in the closing laps last year at Watkins Glen, going two-for-one in an overtime re-fire to take the lead in Turn 1.

But in a rare slip-up on the final lap, Chris Buescher snuck past SVG in the Carousel to earn his first and only victory of the season — which, unfortunately for him, came after already missing the playoffs.

Returning to Watkins Glen as the defending winner, the RFK Racing driver is again in jeopardy of missing the field of 16 postseason competitors. Finishing 22nd last week at Iowa, Buescher holds the 16th and final playoff spot by just 23 markers over teammate Ryan Preece. Road courses historically treat the No. 17 group well, as Buescher sits tied with Tyler Reddick for a series-best 15 top 10s in 21 Next Gen races. He’s the only driver with top 10s at The Glen in each of the last three seasons.

Kaulig Racing’s AJ Allmendinger is an underdog favorite this weekend as the 2014 Watkins Glen winner finds himself in a must-win position to make the playoffs. With a 10.8 average finish, The Glen is statistically Allmendinger’s best track on the circuit, the number placing him third amongst active drivers and ninth all time. According to NASCAR Insights, he’s top 10 in all five major categories in Next Gen road course races, making him an obvious threat to steal a playoff spot from the RFK Racing brigade.

A winner at the Indy Road Course in 2023, Michael McDowell is always a road course threat. He led the first 31 laps this year in the Chicago streets before a mechanical issue ended his day, but heads to New York with top fives pocketed in Mexico City and Sonoma. The Arizona native led laps in each of the last three races at The Glen, and according to NASCAR Insights, McDowell ranks as the best defender in Next Gen road course races. A win Sunday could most certainly be in the cards — and it would dramatically change the No. 71 Spire Motorsports team’s season.

MORE: McDowell on playoff pursuit at The Glen: ‘It’s do or die, for sure’

But aside from SVG, according to Racing Insights, the heaviest favorites to bowl a strike at The Glen already sit atop the regular-season standings. Points leader William Byron can extend his Regular Season Championship lead over teammates Chase Elliott (minus-18) and Kyle Larson (minus-45) with a strong showing on Sunday, but it won’t be easy; the three have combined to win five of the last six races at the 2.45-mile road course. Elliott won in 2018 and 2019 before Larson nabbed back-to-back wins of his own in 2021 and 2022. A year later, Byron finally cashed in.

Last year’s opening round playoff race at Watkins Glen had just two of the 16 playoff-eligible drivers finish inside the top 11. If that’s any indication of what Sunday’s 90-lapper could bring, we’re in for a wild weekend at the world-famous road course.

FANTASY: Set your lineup | Make a 36 for 36 pick

DRIVERS TO WATCH

SHANE VAN GISBERGEN: SVG’s batting .400 with four Cup Series road course wins in 10 starts. A win Sunday would tie Chase Elliott for second all time with four consecutive road course wins (only to Jeff Gordon’s six), but more importantly, give the Trackhouse Racing driver an additional points cushion with the playoffs on the horizon.

KYLE LARSON: The 2021 Cup Series champion is responsible for two road course wins in the last eight races, but an average finish of 29th in four starts this year is third worst in the series. That said, he still ranks inside the top 10 of all five NASCAR Insights Next Gen road course categories and has a pair of Watkins Glen wins to his name.

AJ ALLMENDINGER: Allmendinger’s first of three Cup Series wins came at The Glen in 2014, and the Californian has finished sixth or better in six of his last 11 road course starts. He’s earned 11 top 10 finishes on lefts and rights since 2022, sixth best in the series, and that includes a pair of part-time seasons.

TY GIBBS: The winner of the inaugural In-Season Challenge has only trended up this summer, finishing inside the top 15 in seven of the last nine. Gibbs finished second in Chicago and has five top fives in the last 11 road course races. The No. 54 driver also owns an Xfinity Series win at The Glen.

DENNY HAMLIN: The longtime Joe Gibbs Racing driver certainly doesn’t light up road courses too often, but he’s found by far the most success at Watkins Glen. Hamlin’s lone road course win came in New York nine years ago and he has five top fives at the track in the last eight races. The native Virginian also scored two of the last six WGI poles.

KYLE BUSCH: The two-time Cup Series champion has been most consistent on road courses in 2025, earning top 10s in three of four races this year with a near-win at COTA. He’s a former winner at The Glen (2008, 2013) and is second all time with 249 laps led, only needing 13 to tie Jeff Gordon’s record.

RACING INSIGHTS’ PROJECTIONS FOR THE GO BOWLING AT THE GLEN

Racing Insights’ advanced statistical formula incorporates current track, track type, recent performance, team data and pit-crew data to predict a projected winner and provide full race results. Updated on race day with practice and qualifying factored in.

FinishCar No.Driver
188Shane van Gisbergen
220Christopher Bell
324William Byron
49Chase Elliott
55Kyle Larson
645Tyler Reddick
717Chris Buescher
854Ty Gibbs
916AJ Allmendinger
1019Chase Briscoe
111Ross Chastain
1248Alex Bowman
1312Ryan Blaney
1471Michael McDowell
158Kyle Busch
1677Carson Hocevar
1711Denny Hamlin
1822Joey Logano
192Austin Cindric
206Brad Keselowski
2123Bubba Wallace
2299Daniel Suárez
2360Ryan Preece
2438Zane Smith
2534Todd Gilliland
267Justin Haley
274Noah Gragson
2847Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
2942John Hunter Nemechek
3041Cole Custer
3121Josh Berry
323Austin Dillon
3343Erik Jones
3435Riley Herbst
3510Ty Dillon
3651Cody Ware
3766Josh Bilicki
3878Katherine Legge
3944JJ Yeley
Posted on by Zach Sturniolo

Track: Watkins Glen International
Location: Watkins Glen, New York
Track length: 2.45 miles
When: Sunday, 2 p.m. ET
Where to tune in: USA Network, HBO Max, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App
Race purse: $9,797,935
Race distance: 90 laps | 220.5 miles
Stages: 20 | 40 | 90
Defending winner: Chris Buescher, September 2024
Starting lineup: Ryan Blaney scores surprise pole

RELATED: How to watch on USA Network, NBC

Pressure rises at The Glen as regular season winds down

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. — Only three races remain before the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs begin. Some drivers are chasing a Regular Season Championship. Some are still vying for one of the potential three spots still available in the postseason field.

But in New York’s Finger Lakes region Sunday afternoon, all will be chasing victory in the Go Bowling at The Glen.

MORE: Cup standings ahead of Watkins Glen

William Byron currently holds the lead in the season standings by 18 points over Hendrick Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott. But while the hunt for the regular-season title persists, Byron is also carrying a playoff-centric mindset into the Watkins Glen weekend, with the 2.45-mile road course featured ahead of the 0.75-mile Richmond Raceway and 2.5-mile superspeedway at Daytona International Speedway.

“I look at it as this is kind of its own three-race round right here, so good preparation for us,” Byron said Saturday. “As unpredictable as Watkins Glen, Richmond and Daytona can be, it’s honestly not much different than the Round of 8. You’ve got Talladega in there this year, so it could be a lot like this stretch.”

The New York course features a signature downhill drop into the 90-degree, right-handed Turn 1 before a 120-foot climb twists drivers through the esses. Both are key areas of the track — but in two entirely different ways.

“Your lap time and your speed is going to come from the esses and the bus-stop (chicane),” Michael McDowell said. “But you don’t pass so much there. You pass into Turn 1 and you pass into Turn 6. And so for practice, you’re focusing on both what do I need to make ultimate lap time, and am I good in these areas leading up to the passing zones? So it is unique from that standpoint. Where some of the other tracks are more straightforward of where you need to be strong, this, I think, is different for lap time than it is for the race.”

Unlike Byron, McDowell needs a victory to propel him into the postseason. Road courses have been the veteran’s strongest suit, but the driver of the No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet also won the 2021 Daytona 500, meaning Sunday isn’t his last chance to make a playoff run. Don’t tell that to him, though: The urgency for the No. 71 team couldn’t be higher.

“It’s do or die, for sure,” McDowell said. “I mean, yes, we have more opportunities. I mean, we can go to Richmond and run well too. Obviously, Daytona, I feel like we have a shot, but to me, this is the only way you control your own destiny is to win here. The other two are very tough to execute and have everything go your way. Time’s winding down, as you guys know, and the pressure always ramps up as the time’s winding down. But I’ve been in this spot before, and yeah, definitely feel confident that our road-course program’s been really good.”

MORE: Full Saturday recap

Michael McDowell drives at Watkins Glen.
Sean Gardner | Getty Images

From atop the pit box …

What do crew chiefs have in focus to win Sunday’s race?

On the surface, strategizing for a road-course race might seem cut and dry: Sacrifice track position and collect the stage points, or pit before the stages end, restart up front and go after the win.

But as Spire Motorsports crew chief Travis Peterson explained, too many variables can turn the best laid plans upside down.

“I don’t think any of the road courses are straightforward, and it’s just because there’s so many options,” Peterson, the crew chief for Michael McDowell, told NASCAR.com. “What it seems like to me is it comes down to more what everybody chooses to do than it does, ‘what’s the correct answer.’ Yeah, you may be on the right plan, but if everybody else does something different, at some point, you’re gonna be off-strategy and lose all your track position, and then what do you do? So that part of it makes it tough.”

RELATED: Watkins Glen schedule | Full 2025 schedule

Crew chief Alan Gustafson twice led Chase Elliott to Victory Lane at Watkins Glen, doing so in both 2018 and 2019.  Part of the trick is committing to one strategy early. The other part is remaining adaptable when circumstances change.

“I think you just have to make a decision,” Gustafson told NASCAR.com. “If you feel like you’ve got a legitimate opportunity to win the race, then you kind of sell out for that. If you don’t feel as good about it and an opportunity comes to get points — it’s just so tough. I know the race in the fall, all the top cars really went to get points, and then they get buried back there. It’s just so hard to make it up through.”

Last year’s contest took place as part of the Cup Series Playoffs. Multiple contenders incurred trouble, but those who didn’t opt to score stage points instead of chasing the win and were unable to pass their way back to the front of the field. Though some drivers are still searching for points, the outlook is expected to be different this weekend.

“There’s less people in a points scenario this time,” Peterson said. “However, there are guys near the cutline and there are guys going for regular-season championships. That played a huge factor to last (year’s) Watkins Glen because almost everybody in the playoffs went for stage points and allowed people outside behind that to flip the stage and get them. So how everybody plays that out, I think, is going to be interesting, and it’s going to be a very different dynamic than last year.”

RELATED: See where drivers will pit for Sunday’s race

NASCAR Cup Series pit stops at Watkins Glen.
Chris Graythen | Getty Images

History tells us …

Someone who hasn’t won yet this season may do so on Sunday. According to Racing Insights, seven of the 17 Next Gen road-course races in the regular season were won by a driver ranked 16th or worse in the playoff standings.

He may not be the favorite to win, but watch out for …

TY GIBBS. Gibbs has been a threat in each of this summer’s road races, leading 27 laps at Mexico City before finishing 11th, then notching a runner-up result on the Chicago Street Course and placing seventh at Sonoma Raceway. Gibbs posted the fourth-quickest lap in Saturday’s practice session and will start 14th in search of his first career Cup win.

Fantasy update

NASCAR Fantasy Live expert Dustin Albino provides insight for your Sunday lineup.

Many of the top road-course drivers were again towards the top of the scoring pylon on Saturday at Watkins Glen, though Ryan Blaney scored an upset pole award. William Byron led the way on 10- and 15-lap averages in practice. Kyle Larson was also sporty on long-run pace, but will start 27th Sunday. Chase Elliott is also mired back in 20th at the start. I’m leaving my lineup the same as it was earlier in the week, though I flirted with the idea of replacing Elliott with Chase Briscoe, who turned in another strong qualifying effort and finished runner-up at Sonoma Raceway last month. Given where Elliott is in the regular-season championship battle, I’m banking on the No. 9 team chasing stage points.

Lineup: Shane van Gisbergen, William Byron, Michael McDowell, Christopher Bell, Chris Buescher.

Garage: Chase Elliott.

MORE: Lineup advice in Fantasy Fastlane

Speed reads

Our biggest pieces of the week — get covered for race day from all angles.

• NASCAR at Watkins Glen: Key info, practice reports and more from doubleheader weekend | Read more
• Smith still angry at Hocevar: No. 38 Front Row racer unloads after Iowa contact | Read more
• Hill maintains innocence: Austin Hill shares perspective on Indy incident in NASCAR.com exclusive | Read more
• Chastain: ‘We’ve been slow’: No. 1 Trackhouse team eyeing quick turnaround before playoffs | Read more
• Racing Insights: Where your favorite driver is projected to finish Sunday | Read more
• Field of 16: Last chance for McDowell, Allmendinger to burst playoff bubble | Read more
• Turning Point to The Glen: Has Byron plowed his path to a regular-season title? | Read more
• At-track photos: Scenes, sights from New York’s Finger Lakes | View gallery
• Paint Scheme Preview: Fresh looks twisting through Watkins Glen | View gallery
• Power Rankings: Chris Buescher’s time to strike at The Glen | This week’s top 20

Posted on by Staff Report

Connor Zilisch was taken to a local hospital for treatment of a broken collarbone after falling from his car in Victory Lane, just after his win in Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Watkins Glen International.

Zilisch’s injuries forced him to miss Sunday’s Cup Series race, the Go Bowling at The Glen. Trackhouse Racing announced Saturday night that it would withdraw Zilisch’s No. 87 Chevrolet entry, wishing their driver a speedy recovery.

Zilisch was at Watkins Glen on Sunday, shown with his arm in a sling during an interview with USA Network’s crew during Stage 1. He again thanked the emergency responders, recounting his view of the incident.

“I was climbing out of the car, and obviously the window net was on the door and as soon as they started spraying water, my foot slipped and the last thing I remember was being halfway down and falling,” Zilisch said, “so glad it wasn’t any worse and that the collarbone the extent of the injuries, but I hate I couldn’t make it to the race today and give myself a shot to get a good result for Trackhouse and Red Bull.”

On Saturday, Zilisch led 60 of the 82 laps in the Mission 200, registering his sixth win of the Xfinity Series season. His celebration was abbreviated as he emerged from his No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet when he suddenly fell to the ground below, losing his footing as he made a triumphant pose on the door and roof of the car.

RELATED: Race results | At-track photos: Watkins Glen

Medical personnel at the track placed the 19-year-old driver on a backboard, and he was loaded into an ambulance for transport to the care center at the track. The CW broadcast reported that Zilisch was alert and speaking with the safety crew.

NASCAR Communications officials later announced that Zilisch was awake and alert, but that he would be transported to a local hospital for further evaluation. JR Motorsports posted later Saturday evening that Zilisch had been released.

Zilisch posted to social media Saturday night about the nature of his injuries, indicating that his collarbone was broken and sharing his appreciation for the rapid response of safety personnel.

Zilisch was slated to make his fourth career Cup Series start in Sunday’s race at Watkins Glen, the site of his first Xfinity Series victory last September.

Zilisch leads the Xfinity Series in both wins and points in his rookie year. His victory at The Glen broke a tie atop the standings with JRM teammate Justin Allgaier, the defending series champion.

RELATED: Xfinity Series standings | Xfinity Series schedule

The Xfinity Series resumes Aug. 22 at Daytona International Speedway, giving Zilisch an extra week to recover before the circuit’s next race. In terms of his readiness to return, Zilisch hedged when asked by USA Sports about his timetable. He did, however, mention a related story from teammate Shane van Gisbergen, who had a plate and screws inserted to remedy a broken collarbone after a mountain biking incident in March 2021.

“We’re still working with all the doctors to figure out what’s going to be the next steps, but I’ve got a little motivation from Shane, my teammate,” Zilisch said. “He had a plate put in and raced the weekend after, so I don’t know if I’ll be that quick but hopefully my young bones will heal fast and I’ll be able to get back in it as soon as possible.”

Zilisch missed a race earlier this year after suffering a lower back injury in a final-lap crash at Talladega Superspeedway in April. The injury forced him out of the Xfinity Series’ event at Texas Motor Speedway, where Cup Series regular Kyle Larson subbed in and drove his No. 88 Chevrolet to victory.