RELATED: See the full lineup
RELATED: Complete race lineup
Defending race winner Joey Logano won the XFINITY Series Coors Light Pole Award on Friday and will lead Saturday’s Zippo 200 at The Glen (2 p.m. ET, CNBC) field to green.
This is the No. 12 driver’s second pole win at the New York road course, his first coming last season prior to his XFINITY Series win at the track.
Logano’s Team Penske teammate Brad Keselowski will line up next to him on Saturday’s front row in his No. 22 Ford.
Richard Childress Racing‘s Paul Menard, Chip Ganassi Racing‘s Kyle Larson and Joe Gibbs Racing‘s Kyle Busch complete the top five on the leaderboard; all are Sprint Cup Series regulars.
XFINITY Series points leader Elliott Sadler qualified 10th.
The Zippo 200 at The Glen will kick off at 2 p.m. ET Saturday with TV coverage on CNBC.
RELATED: Tune in this weekend on USA, CNBC
PRACTICE 2: Results | Fastest laps run
JTG Daugherty Racing driver AJ Allmendinger led the second Sprint Cup Series practice Friday at Watkins Glen International wheeling his No. 47 Chevrolet to a high speed of 127.551 mph.
Allmendinger’s sole Sprint Cup Series career win came at the New York road course in 2014.
Martin Truex Jr. finished the second session runner-up to Allmendinger at a speed of 127.481 mph. The Furniture Row Racing driver was fastest in Friday’s opening round. It’s been a good week for Truex, who signed a new two-year contract with Furniture Row earlier this week.
Roush Fenway Racing‘s Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (127.416 mph), Joe Gibbs Racing‘s Kyle Busch (127.381 mph) and JGR’s Matt Kenseth (127.280 mph) completed the top-five fastest on the leaderboard.
Sprint Cup Series points leader Kevin Harvick was 11th-fastest in the second run of the day (126.857 mph) in his No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet.
The Sprint Cup Series returns to the track Saturday at 12:15 p.m. ET (CNBC) for Coors Light Pole Qualifying before hitting the track on Sunday for the Cheez-It 355 at The Glen (2:30 p.m. ET, USA, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
PRACTICE 1: Results | Fastest laps run
Martin Truex Jr. led the opening Sprint Cup Series practice on Friday at Watkins Glen International with a high speed of 126.883 mph.
The Furniture Row Racing driver is seeking his first win at the New York road course.
Denny Hamlin finished the first session second to Truex at a speed of 126.343 mph.
Casey Mears (125.896 mph), Carl Edwards (125.654 mph) and Kyle Busch (125.643 mph) completed the top-five fastest on the leaderboard.
Defending race winner Joey Logano was sixth-fastest in the opening run (125.469 mph).
In the final minutes of practice Clint Bowyer‘s No. 15 Chevrolet spun after suffering from what the driver says were “brake problems.” Bowyer’s fastest lap was 123.219 mph, making him 32nd-fastest in the 40-car field. Danica Patrick also spun early due to brake issues.
RELATED: Standings post-Pocono
WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. — Chris Buescher has seemingly embraced the spoiler role of his upset victory last weekend at Pocono Raceway, saying he’s “throwing a wrench at a lot of people’s brackets” in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup playoffs.
In the five remaining races that will determine the 16-driver postseason field, though, the 23-year-old rookie has work to do — namely making up the six-point deficit to reach the required top-30 threshold in the series standings. Before Friday’s on-track activity at Watkins Glen International, Buescher said he was confident that he and his Front Row Motorsports No. 34 Ford team could cross the points portion off the checklist.
“They are hustling and working extremely hard to make sure we make this Chase,” Buescher said about his team’s efforts to make the tight turn from weather-delayed Pocono to Watkins Glen ahead of Sunday’s Cheez-It 355 at the Glen (2:30 p.m. ET, USA, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). “We are going to get there. I have a ton of confidence in these guys. I love where our program was heading previous to Pocono. We have been on the right path and we will make up those points.”
Buescher, last year’s XFINITY Series champion, said he hasn’t had much chance to celebrate last Monday’s surprise win in the Pennsylvania 400, saying that the short week between Pocono and Watkins Glen was consumed by road-racing practice in Utah on Tuesday and making the media rounds with a full schedule of phone interviews the last two days.
“It is a really good problem to have,” Buescher said. “I killed my phone battery twice in one day, which is a new record for me. It has been wild how everything has played out and I haven’t had time for it to settle in and feel like we won a race. It has been so crazy.”
Though Buescher’s performance has lagged behind fellow first-year drivers Chase Elliott and Ryan Blaney this season, his Pocono breakthrough has given him a feather in his cap that his fellow rookies can’t claim on their portfolios. His first victory came in his 27th Sprint Cup start, making him the first rookie winner since Joey Logano converted the feat in 2009.
Buescher’s first full season in NASCAR’s premier series coincides with the first year of a technical alliance between Roush Fenway Racing and the Bob Jenkins-owned Front Row organization, a partnership that he hopes pays dividends in the push to the playoffs. In the meantime, the momentum from a maiden trip to Victory Lane can’t hurt.
“It is just a matter of getting the team jacked up and everybody on the same idea going forward that this is for real, a big moment,” Buescher said. “This win with the Chase being the way it is and the point system different from last year in XFINITY, a win basically turns our whole season around. It changes everything. It is no longer one win and you move up a spot or two in points. It is one win and you potentially have a spot in the playoffs of our sport.
“We are not there yet because we have to get into that top 30, but with that win it gets everybody excited to get to that point.”
RELATED: Earnhardt Jr. injury timeline | Dale Jr. through the years
WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. — Dale Earnhardt Jr. gave every indication that he has plenty to race for beyond his recovery from concussion-like symptoms in a wide-ranging media availability Friday at Watkins Glen International. Retirement, it appears, will have to wait.
That point was underscored when he revealed that he had been in career-extending contract negotiations with team owner Rick Hendrick before being sidelined from NASCAR competition by his most recent episode of brain trauma.
Earnhardt, who will miss his fourth consecutive Sprint Cup Series race this weekend, said Friday that the intent was to honor his current contract, which runs through the 2017 season, and that he had met with the longtime team owner approximately two months ago with the goal of extending it. “That’s the direction we are going,” Earnhardt said, “as soon as I can get healthy and get confident in how I feel and feel like I can be great driving.”
Hendrick Motorsports general manager Doug Duchardt said Friday that returning Earnhardt to proper health has taken priority over any contract talks.
“I think really what’s on hold is just getting his health back and then, there’s no question, our feelings for Dale and, I think, his feelings for us and I think when the time is right we’ll address all that,” Duchardt said. “But right now I think the No. 1 focus is getting him feeling better.”
Any contract talks would focus on 2018 and possibly beyond, but for the time being, the plans for the No. 88 Chevrolet are not nearly as large in their scope. Alex Bowman was a last-ditch substitute driver for Earnhardt on July 17 at New Hampshire, and four-time series champ Jeff Gordon emerged from retirement as the No. 88’s interim driver in the two races that followed (Indianapolis, Pocono).
Duchardt said Friday that as previously announced, Gordon would substitute for Earnhardt in this Sunday’s Cheez-It 355 at the Glen (2:30 p.m. ET, USA, MRN, SiriusXM) and in two weeks at Bristol Motor Speedway. Beyond that, there are no further contingencies set in stone.
Gordon, who has finished 13th (Indy) and 27th (Pocono) in his relief efforts, mentioned last week that he would be available as a fill-in for as long as necessary. Duchardt said the team would re-assess the driver status for the No. 88 after Earnhardt Jr.’s next doctor’s examination.
“It’s just when he feels better, his name is still over the door of the car and he’s going to go back in that car,” Duchardt said. “And so there’s no other agenda other than that. I think Jeff’s done a great job. I think he helps the team as far as helping them maintain momentum and continue to grow. He helps the other three drivers. When we get into debriefs, because he knows all the personalities involved, he knows the crew chiefs involved, he can ask and prod and probe to the different guys and they’re all used to that and they know him, so I think it not only helps the 88, it helps the whole organization when Jeff’s there. It’s just a natural fit.”
Friday marked Earnhardt’s first trip to the track since his diagnosis with concussion-related symptoms was revealed July 14. After meeting with the media, Earnhardt said he was eager to chat with Gordon and his No. 88 crew, which has been steadfast in keeping his name over the car’s door and windshield.
Duchardt had his own chance to reconnect with Earnhardt on Friday morning, catching up on all things NASCAR and then some.
“My conversations with Junior are usually wide-ranging, from race cars to the fantasy football league we run … which is coming up,” Duchardt said. “My three hours with him this morning was just like my normal three hours with Junior any other time. For me, that was great. I missed him. I missed having those conversations and the sense of humor and all that stuff. I’m anxious to get him back, if not selfishly, to be back and interacting with him on all that stuff.”
WELCOME, N.C. — ECR Technologies (ECR), the high-performance research, development and engine production company located on the Richard Childress Racing (RCR) campus in Welcome, North Carolina, is now a wholly owned division of RCR Enterprises, LLC. With the strong brand equity that ECR has built in worldwide motorsports since 2007, the company will continue to use the name ECR Engines.
The state-of-the-art company has grown over the past nine years to provide engines for NASCAR teams such as RCR, Germain Racing, JTG Daugherty Racing, Circle Sport – Leavine Family Racing, and others in the Sprint Cup, XFINITY and Camping World Truck Series.
Beyond NASCAR, ECR also produces engines for the Chevrolet Corvette Daytona Prototypes competing in the 2016 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards, SCCA, dirt and asphalt short track, and sprint car racing.
ECR was formed in 2007 when Richard Childress Racing and Dale Earnhardt, Inc. combined their engine development and production efforts. The subsidiary of RCR Enterprises has earned more than 250 victories, including two Daytona 500s, three Brickyard 400 championships, and championships in the NASCAR XFINITY Series, Camping World Truck Series, and ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards. ECR Engines won the 2014 and 2015 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship with the Chevrolet Corvette Daytona Prototype.
With a focus on leading-edge development and world-class engine production, ECR Engines enjoys technical partnerships with market leaders in innovation, including Chevrolet, WIX Filters, Lucas Oil, Zeiss, PTC, Cometic Gasket, Bosch, Clevite, ARP, Smith Brothers, Spring Technologies, Total Seal, and others.
Here are the hot topics, trending news and key story lines to get you ready for the weekend’s race at Watkins Glen International.
WEATHER
Mostly sunny and in the 80s this weekend, according to the National Weather Service. A far cry — and more pleasant outlook — from the fog and rain at Pocono last weekend.
KEY TIMES
Sprint Cup Series: Sprint Cup qualifying is on Saturday this weekend, at 12:15 p.m. ET (CNBC). The race starts at 2:30 p.m. ET Sunday. Remember, TV coverage for Sunday’s race is on USA.
XFINITY Series: Qualifying is on Friday at 4:45 p.m. ET on NBCSN, a change from the usual Saturday qualifying. The race is at 2 p.m. ET on Saturday, televised on CNBC.
CATCH DRIVERS LIVE
We stream every driver press conference in the media center at NASCAR.com/presspass. Some of the notables this weekend:
Dale Earnhardt Jr. at noon ET on Friday; Chase Elliott at 11:15 a.m. ET on Friday; Carl Edwards at 2:05 p.m. ET on Friday.
LAST TIME
Kevin Harvick gambled on fuel, and couldn’t quite make it to the end. His No. 4 Chevrolet’s fuel tank going dry in Turn 6 on the final lap allowed Joey Logano to catch up and make the race-winning pass in the final two corners of the road course — although Harvick did everything he could to throw a block. It was Logano’s first win at Watkins Glen.
YOU SHOULD KNOW …
• Keep an eye on AJ Allmendinger. The road-course ace needs a win to make the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, and this is his best chance. He won here in 2014 for his only Sprint Cup victory.
• Sunday will be historic. Jeff Gordon, subbing for Dale Earnhardt Jr., will make his 800th career Sprint Cup Series start, and Matt Kenseth will make his 600th career Sprint Cup start. Additionally, Michael McDowell will make his 200th career Sprint Cup start.
• Dale Earnhardt Jr. will be at Watkins Glen for at least Friday, when he’ll meet the media. He’s recovering from concussion-like symptoms and will miss his fourth consecutive race.
THE FAVORITE
Carl Edwards. His career average finish here is second only to Kyle Larson (who’s made just two starts at The Glen), and he’s driving a Toyota — that alone is enough to ensure you will run toward the front these days.
Others to consider: AJ Allmendinger, Tony Stewart, Kyle Busch, Joey Logano.
THE SLEEPER
Kurt Busch. He’s not really known as a road-course expert, but Busch has quietly improved here over the years. Staying out of trouble is key for the No. 41 team. If he keeps his Chevrolet on the track, watch out.
Others to consider: Jamie McMurray, Ryan Newman.
STAFF PICKS
Kyle Larson: 1
Carl Edwards: 1
Martin Truex Jr.: 1
Tony Stewart: 1
Joey Logano: 1
AJ Allmendinger: 1
Kyle Busch: 1
PRACTICE 2: Results
Kyle Busch propelled his No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota at 123.006 mph to notch the fastest speed in Thursday’s final XFINITY Series practice at Watkins Glen International. Busch was also quickest in Thursday’s opening session at The Glen.
Kyle Larson recorded the second-fastest lap, wheeling his No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates Chevrolet at 122.994 mph around the New York road course.
Team Penske teammates Brad Keselowski (No. 22 Ford, 122.577 mph) and Joey Logano (No. 12 Ford, 122.520 mph) were third and fouth-quickest, respectively, while Justin Allgaier completed the top five using a 122.378 mph lap from his No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet.
Points leader Elliott Sadler ranked 11th on the speed charts in his No. 1 JR Motorsports Chevrolet.
The XFINITY Series is back on track Friday at 10 a.m. ET (NBCSN) for final practice.
PRACTICE 1: Results
Wheeling his No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota at 122.390 mph, Kyle Busch topped the leaderboard in Thursday’s opening XFINITY Series practice at Watkins Glen International.
Joey Logano was next on the speed charts, powering his No. 12 Team Penske Ford at 122.015 mph around the New York road course.
Kyle Larson came up third-fastest in his No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates Chevrolet (121.699 mph), while Richard Childress Racing‘s Paul Menard ranked fourth in the field with a fast lap of 121.595 mph from the No. 2 Chevrolet.
XFINITY Series regular Justin Allgaier rounded out the top five, notching a speed of 121.591 mph in his No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet.
During the session, Darrell Wallace Jr.’s No. 6 Roush Fenway Racing Ford took a ride through the sand beside the track. The team cleaned off the sand to post the 15th-fastest speed (118.796 mph).
RELATED: Dale Jr. updates fans on his plans for future | Junior’s injury timeline
Dale Earnhardt Jr., sidelined since early July by concussion-like symptoms, will be at Watkins Glen International on Friday as NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams begin preparations for Sunday’s Cheez-It 355 at The Glen.
The Hendrick Motorsports driver will not be back behind the wheel of the familiar No. 88 Chevrolet but he is scheduled to meet with members of the media at noon ET Friday. The event will be live streamed on NASCAR.com.
Press Pass: Stream Earnhardt Jr.’s interview Friday at noon
It will be his first appearance at a track since he finished 13th at Kentucky Speedway on July 9. Five days after that race, HMS officials announced he had not been cleared by doctors to return to competition.
Alex Bowman handled the driving duties for the team the following week at New Hampshire. Jeff Gordon, four-time Sprint Cup Series champion and winner of 93 Sprint Cup events, took over at Indianapolis and Pocono, and will remain the team’s driver this weekend at The Glen as well as at Bristol on Aug. 20.
Gordon, who retired from competing after the 2015 season, has nine career road-course victories, including four at The Glen. Sunday’s race will mark career start No. 800 for the 45-year-old.
MORE: Gordon through the years
Earnhardt’s continued absence from the car was announced Aug. 2. Team owner Rick Hendrick said missing the Watkins Glen race, followed by an off-week for the series “will certainly be a benefit.”
“Dale will be back when he’s ready, and we’re looking forward to that happening, but the priority continues to be his health and well-being,” he said. “We’ll keep our focus on that and let the doctors guide us.”
Earnhardt has fallen from 13th to 20th in the series points standings. He has yet to win this year, meaning if he returns before the start of this season’s Chase for the Sprint Cup, he would need either a victory or the points necessary to earn a berth in the 10-race playoff.
RELATED: All the Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award finalists
The tragedy of Sept. 11, 2001 took so much from Jim Giaccone. But it led him to this: honoring the memory of the brother he lost by helping others affected by that dark day.
Giaccone’s older brother, Joseph, died in the attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City. Joseph was among the 658 employees of the Cantor Fitzgerald financial services firm who were killed. Devastated by grief, Giaccone somehow found the drive to carry on and honor his brother by giving back to others — especially children — who likewise were carrying on in the aftermath of 9/11.
During his personal aftermath, Giaccone found his future in the form of Tuesday’s Children, an organization dedicated to providing long-term support to those directly impacted by the events of 9/11 and other communities impacted by terrorism and traumatic loss.
Giaccone’s involvement in Tuesday’s Children is multi-faceted, as a fundraiser, through service on the organization’s Mentoring Advisory Board and Family Advisory Board and through what is arguably his most significant contribution: serving as a mentor.
His works have not gone unnoticed. Giaccone, from Bayville, New York, is one of four finalists for The NASCAR Foundation’s 2016 Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award Presented by Nationwide. The award will be presented by France — The NASCAR Foundation’s Chairwoman Emeritus and founder — on Sept. 27 during the inaugural Honors Gala at the Marriott Marquis in New York City. The foundation will donate $100,000 to the charity represented by the award winner and $25,000 to each of the other three finalists’ charities. The award winner will be determined via an online vote now underway and running through Sept. 26 at 5 p.m. (ET) at NASCAR.com/Award.
Giaccone, 55, mentors teenage brothers Nicholas and Matthew Reda, who lost their father on 9/11. Suffice to say this is a reciprocal relationship. Giaccone and the boys find healing and comfort in one another. But their time spent together involves more than words. The healing is helped by sharing real-life tasks involving practical skills, such as building rockets and fishing, both activities the boys enjoyed with their father.
Said Giaccone: “I am not a man of great wealth where I can personally make a difference financially. My most valuable asset is my time.
“It’s a delicate balance when I try to explain what I get out of this. But obviously, anything that I’ve gained over the last 15 years I would trade in a second for my brother’s life. But … that’s not reality. Through the programs that Tuesday’s Children is running and seeing the works that they do … it’s almost become a therapy for me, to be honest. When I leave Nicholas and Matthew, it’s almost as if I have a ‘runner’s high.’ I feel calmer. If those boys get half of what I get out of this, it’s a win-win.”
More than 10 years and hundreds of hours of service to Tuesday’s Children have given Giaccone many rewarding experiences. He wants more, because there is so much more work to do. He has expanded his volunteer efforts to include helping others both domestically and abroad, truly living his life to reflect the organization’s motto to “Let Our Past Change the Future.”
Giaccone is a longtime NASCAR fan, dating to his childhood when enjoying racing was a family tradition. One of his most cherished memories of NASCAR — and of his life, overall — is from August 2001 when he and his brother went to Nazareth (Pennsylvania) Speedway to take part in a fan driving experience.
“I had gone to Las Vegas and done the Richard Petty Driving Experience twice, so I organized the trip (to Nazareth).” Giaccone said. “It was pretty special …”
As is being a Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award finalist, and representing Tuesday’s Children — in New York City on Sept. 27.
“It’s very humbling to be considered,” Giaccone said.
To learn more about this year’s finalists for The NASCAR Foundation’s Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award presented by Nationwide, and to cast your vote today, go to www.NASCAR.com/Award. Voting is open now until September 26 at 5 p.m. ET.