Posted on by Brandon White

The last time the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour visited Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park, in 2020, Craig Lutz brought home his third career win in the series.

Lutz formally reignited the long-standing tradition Thompson and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour have shared since 1985 by surviving a wild Phoenix Communications 150 on Thursday night for his first win on the 2022 season.

While Lutz was relieved to earn a victory after struggling for consistency through the first 10 races of the year, he said being able to reach Victory Lane at Thompson with veteran car owner Danny Watts was what made the night special.

“Danny Watts has put a lot into his Modified program for a long time,” Lutz said. “It’s been a while since he won. We got a win with him at New Smyrna, but to win a Tour race [at Thompson] is just incredible, and there’s so many people to thank. We’ve had a hell of a season so far, but we just turned it around right now.”

RELATED: Phoenix Communications 150 results

Once the field raced into Turn 1 on the opening lap, Lutz immediately knew he had a car capable of winning.

While Lutz quickly took control of the lead, raw speed alone was not going to be enough for him to pull off the win. A rash of cautions in the middle of the Phoenix Communications 150 created a handful of diverging strategies that mixed up the running order.

Lutz had to be both patient and lucky to resume his spot at the front of the field, but he successfully managed to survive the on-track chaos before passing Tommy Catalano for the win on a late restart.

Most of the carnage ended up happening in Lutz’s rearview mirror and did not exclude the two NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour championship frontrunners. Ron Silk and Jon McKennedy got together on two separate occasions, with the latter accident relegating Silk to 12th.

Silk’s misfortune ended up bringing Eric Goodale closer into the championship fight after he came home second. Goodale admitted his car was not quite strong enough to run down Lutz but stressed that victories are a top priority for him with just five races remaining.

“The points will take care of themselves,” Goodale said. “We’re just here to win races. We came up one short, but Craig had a rocket ship. I thought I was going to have a chance on that last restart, but the guys did a bang-up job on pit road and put me in a position to win. We’ll take it and move on.”

Although Goodale managed to keep his car clean for most of the night like Lutz, the third-place finisher in six-time NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion Doug Coby was not as lucky.

Coby drew the ire of his Tommy Baldwin Racing teammate Jimmy Blewett after a three-wide maneuver between the two of them and Tyler Rypkema resulted in Blewett crashing hard into the outside wall on the frontstretch, ending a strong night for Blewett.

The last thing Coby wanted was to see Baldwin’s car get damaged with Blewett behind the wheel, but he chalked everything up as a racing incident that ultimately went against Blewett’s favor.

“I was on the bottom, and [Blewett] chose to go in the middle,” Coby said. “He was hoping I would lift, but I was in there pretty good, and I tried to stay as low as I could. There’s three drivers three-wide, and I wasn’t the one who made it three-wide. I feel really bad, and I’m not looking to wreck Tommy’s car, but [Blewett] chose to go in the middle, and I have to protect my equipment.”

The dispute between Coby and Blewett, as well as the shift in the championship battle, was far from Lutz’s mind. He was overjoyed to celebrate with Watts and his crew after having yet to record a top-five this year entering the Phoenix Communications 150.

Lutz said the chaotic nature of the race made him uneasy as to whether his strategy would work, but he was proud of how hard everyone worked during the week and hopes the speed he showed Thursday becomes a recurring theme through the end of the season.

“This was one of those cars that was just perfect,” Lutz said. “All the guys had an awesome pit stop, and they made a great strategy call. I was nervous when we stayed out and everyone came for tires, but [this car] was pretty badass.”

McKennedy took control of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour standings by a small margin over Silk after finishing in fourth on Thursday. Justin Bonsignore completed the top five. Ryan Preece, Kyle Bonsignore, Timmy Solomito, Patrick Emerling and Spencer Davis made up the top 10.

A replay of the Phoenix Communications 150 at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park can be seen on the USA Network on Sunday, Aug. 21 at 1 p.m. ET.

The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour returns to action on Saturday, Aug. 27, at Langley Speedway. The race will be streamed live on FloRacing.

Posted on by Staff Report

Phoenix Communications 150

Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park

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  • Race results
Pos. Car No. Driver Sponsor Laps Diff.
1 82 Craig Lutz Danny’s Cesspool Pool Service 150  –
2 58 Eric Goodale GAF Roofing 150 0.948
3 10 Doug Coby Mayhew Tools 150 1.512
4 79 Jon McKennedy Middlesex Interiors 150 2.059
5 51 Justin Bonsignore Phoenix Communication Inc. 150 2.342
6 44 Ryan Preece Harshaw Paving/Olivas Market 150 2.784
7 22 Kyle Bonsignore Chalew Performance/MTT/Munn’s Auto 150 3.515
8 46 Timmy Solomito Riverhead Building Supply 150 4.645
9 7 Patrick Emerling Captain Pip Marina & Hideaway 150 4.796
10 29 Spencer Davis Ionx Supreme Lubricants 150 5.399
11 18 Ken Heagy Buoy One Seafood Market & Restaurant 150 5.994
12 16 Ron Silk Blue Mountain Machine and Future Homes 150 8.015
13 78 Walter Sutcliffe, Jr. Last Minute Racing 150 13.021
14 32 Tyler Rypkema Northeast Drilling/MUSCO 149 1 Lap
15 54 Tommy Catalano FX Caprara 149 1 Lap
16 64 Austin Beers* Dell Electric/Lumiere Electrical 149 1 Lap
17 26 Gary McDonald Lakeland Landscape/TRC Electrict 144 6 Laps
18 1 Melissa Fifield Pine Knoll Auto Sales 143 7 Laps
19 3 Donny Lia Propane Plus/Huntington Honda 138 12 Laps
20 50 Ronnie Williams Empower Financial Services/RB Enterprises 123 27 Laps
21 7 Jimmy Blewett John Blewett, Inc. 99 51 Laps
22 24 Andrew Krause Supreme Mfg. Co. 81 69 Laps
23 36 Dave Sapienza Sapienza Enterprises 81 69 Laps
24 34 J.B. Fortin Red Camel Racing/Johns Fuel/John Tree Removal 81 69 Laps

RACE STATISTICS

Time of Race: 1 hrs., 17 mins, 30 secs

Average Speed: 58.065 mph

Margin of Victory: 0.948 Seconds

Caution Flags: Laps 59-65 (Car #26 turn 4 through grass on frontstretch, no FP); 68-71 (Car #78 backstretch through grass no contact, FP #34); 76-79 (Car #24, #10, #32, #50, #36, #07 and #18 turn 4 contact, FP #78); 82-88 (Car #24, #34 and #26 turn 4 contact, FP #18); 91-96 (Car #7, #79, #16, #22, #51 and #3 contact turn 4, FP #78); 100-105 (Car #7 and #32 contact front stretch, FP #78); 133-137 (Car #16 between turn 1 & 2 contact with wall, FP #78); 139-142 (Car #3 and #64 turn 3 contact, FP #29). 8 for 43 laps.

Lap Leaders: Jimmy Blewett 1-2, Justin Bonsignore 3, Ronnie Williams 4-5, Craig Lutz 6-72, Jon McKennedy 73-89, Jimmy Blewett 90-93, Tommy Catalano 94-98, Craig Lutz 99-150.

Total Laps Led: Craig Lutz 119, Jon McKennedy 17, Jimmy Blewett 6, Tommy Catalano 5, Ronnie Williams 2, Justin Bonsignore 1.

7 changes involving 6 drivers.

Posted on by Brandon White

Phoenix Communications 150

Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park

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  • Qualifying Results
Pos No. Name Sponsor Best Tm Best Speed
1 7 Jimmy Blewett John Blewett, Inc. 19.073 117.968
2 16 Ron Silk Blue Mountain Machine and Future Homes 19.119 117.684
3 82 Craig Lutz Danny’s Cesspool Pool Service 19.133 117.598
4 51 Justin Bonsignore Phoenix Communication Inc. 19.136 117.579
5 10 Doug Coby Mayhew Tools 19.147 117.512
6 50 Ronnie Williams Empower Financial Services/RB Enterprises 19.148 117.506
7 64 Austin Beers* Dell Electric/Lumiere Electrical 19.149 117.5
8 58 Eric Goodale GAF Roofing 19.162 117.42
9 46 Timmy Solomito Riverhead Building Supply 19.19 117.249
10 54 Tommy Catalano FX Caprara 19.231 116.999
11 44 Ryan Preece Harshaw Paving/Olivas Market 19.232 116.993
12 29 Spencer Davis Ionx Supreme Lubricants 19.236 116.968
13 79 Jon McKennedy Middlesex Interiors 19.25 116.883
14 22 Kyle Bonsignore Chalew Performance/MTT/Munn’s Auto 19.262 116.81
15 32 Tyler Rypkema Northeast Drilling/MUSCO 19.262 116.81
16 3 Donny Lia Propane Plus/Huntington Honda 19.328 116.411
17 34 J.B. Fortin Red Camel Racing/Johns Fuel/John Tree Removal 19.342 116.327
18 36 Dave Sapienza Sapienza Enterprises 19.35 116.279
19 24 Andrew Krause Supreme Mfg. Co. 19.469 115.568
20 18 Ken Heagy Buoy One Seafood Market & Restaurant 19.598 114.808
21 26 Gary McDonald Lakeland Landscape/TRC Electrict 19.85 113.35
22 01 Melissa Fifield Pine Knoll Auto Sales 20.229 111.226
23 78 Walter Sutcliffe, Jr. Last Minute Racing 21.581 104.258
24 07 Patrick Emerling Captain Pip Marina & Hideaway –
Posted on by Staff Report

Editor’s note: Kurt Busch will be spotlighted in USA Network’s new unscripted series “Race for the Championship” airing this fall. The first episode is Thursday, Sept. 1, at 10 p.m. ET/PT. Watch the trailer here.

___

Kurt Busch has been ruled out for the next two NASCAR Cup Series races at Watkins Glen International and Daytona International Speedway, the 23XI Racing driver announced Thursday.

Busch will not be behind the wheel of the No. 45 Toyota for remainder of the regular season while concussion-like symptoms persist from his July 24 crash at Pocono Raceway. The Watkins Glen and Daytona races will be the fifth and sixth event, respectively, the veteran has missed.

“As much as I want to be in the car, the time is still not right,” Busch said in a statement. “… This decision is not an easy one, but the right one.”

 

As expected, Xfinity Series regular Ty Gibbs is slated to drive the No. 45 Toyota for 23XI at Sunday’s Go Bowling at The Glen (3 p.m. ET, USA Network, NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) and at Daytona. Gibbs started the last four events for the No. 45 team, collecting three finishes inside the top 17.

RELATED: Full schedule for Watkins Glen

There are just two races remaining before the NASCAR Playoffs begin, leaving questions surrounding Busch and the No. 45 team’s playoff outlook.

As it stands with 15 winners, Busch has been granted a waiver should he qualify for the Round of 16 by way of his win at Kansas Speedway earlier this season.

MORE: Update on Busch’s playoff eligibility  

Posted on by Brandon White

Phoenix Communications 150

Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park

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  • Practice Results
Pos No. Name Sponsor Best Tm Best Speed In Lap Laps Diff
1 10 Doug Coby Mayhew Tools 18.925 95.112 9 37
2 07 Patrick Emerling Captain Pip Marina & Hideaway 19.012 94.677 21 27 0.087
3 7 Jimmy Blewett John Blewett, Inc. 19.083 94.325 35 38 0.158
4 51 Justin Bonsignore Phoenix Communication Inc. 19.097 94.256 3 44 0.172
5 50 Ronnie Williams Empower Financial Services/RB Enterprises 19.1 94.241 4 28 0.175
6 3 Donny Lia Propane Plus/Huntington Honda 19.111 94.187 24 27 0.186
7 64 Austin Beers* Dell Electric/Lumiere Electrical 19.129 94.098 36 46 0.204
8 82 Craig Lutz Danny’s Cesspool Pool Service 19.133 94.078 5 26 0.208
9 79 Jon McKennedy Middlesex Interiors 19.169 93.902 5 34 0.244
10 58 Eric Goodale GAF Roofing 19.187 93.814 19 29 0.262
11 16 Ron Silk Blue Mountain Machine and Future Homes 19.212 93.691 3 39 0.287
12 22 Kyle Bonsignore Chalew Performance/MTT/Munn’s Auto 19.213 93.687 10 30 0.288
13 54 Tommy Catalano FX Caprara 19.215 93.677 13 39 0.29
14 29 Spencer Davis Ionx Supreme Lubricants 19.241 93.55 35 36 0.316
15 32 Tyler Rypkema Northeast Drilling/MUSCO 19.258 93.468 16 38 0.333
16 46 Timmy Solomito Riverhead Building Supply 19.28 93.361 28 29 0.355
17 36 Dave Sapienza Sapienza Enterprises 19.353 93.009 41 43 0.428
18 44 Ryan Preece Harshaw Paving/Olivas Market 19.384 92.86 21 31 0.459
19 24 Andrew Krause Supreme Mfg. Co. 19.445 92.569 33 34 0.52
20 34 J.B. Fortin Red Camel Racing/Johns Fuel/John Tree Removal 19.452 92.535 6 32 0.527
21 18 Ken Heagy Buoy One Seafood Market & Restaurant 19.51 92.26 20 24 0.585
22 26 Gary McDonald Lakeland Landscape/TRC Electrict 19.7 91.371 15 26 0.775
23 78 Walter Sutcliffe, Jr. Last Minute Racing 19.811 90.859 25 26 0.886
24 01 Melissa Fifield Pine Knoll Auto Sales 20.317 88.596 17 28 1.392
Posted on by Pat DeCola

Kevin Harvick is no longer chasing a playoff spot entering the penultimate race of the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series regular season. He’s now chasing history, though oddsmakers aren’t giving the No. 4 Mustang a vote of confidence in NASCAR betting.

In holding off Christopher Bell to win the Federated Auto Parts 400, Harvick won consecutive Cup Series races for the eighth time in his 22-year career. 

MORE: Watkins Glen odds

In the fifth instance of winning consecutive races – the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 and Pennzoil 400 in early 2018 – he won a third straight race, the 2018 TicketGuardian 500, to become the 14th different driver to win three straight Cup Series races in the modern era (since 1972). 

(Brad Keselowski and Kyle Larson became the 15th and 16th in 2018 and 2021, respectively.)

Only nine of those drivers have won three straight races multiple times, most recently in 2021 when Kyle Larson joined Dale Earnhardt as the only drivers with three consecutive wins twice in one season. 

If Harvick wins the Go Bowling at the Glen on Sunday, he will become just the 10th driver in 51 years of NASCAR’s modern era with multiple three-race winning streaks. And if he does win at Watkins Glen International, he’ll arrive at the Coke Zero Sugar 400 next weekend aiming to join only eight drivers with four straight wins.

Nearly 95% of the tickets at BetMGM are betting against that.

As of Thursday, Harvick is buried in race-winner odds (+2800) and has just 3.4% of the handle, nearly 30 percentage points behind Chase Elliott (+500), who’s dominating betting with 33.2% of the handle on 13.3% of the tickets.

For Harvick to win a third straight race, he must, at minimum, finish ahead of Ryan Blaney, against whom he’s a sizable underdog in featured matchup betting at BetMGM:

Ryan Blaney (-165) vs. Kevin Harvick (+130)

The last time Harvick entered this race after a win the previous week (2003), he finished fifth in the third of 20 career NASCAR Cup Series starts at Watkins Glen, tied with Kurt Busch for most among active drivers. But he ranks fifth in top-five finishes, sixth in laps led, and sixth in average finish (minimum of five starts). 

Harvick has just one top-three finish in 14 starts after winning the 2006 AMD at the Glen, which came eight years before Ryan Blaney made his Cup Series debut and 10 years before Blaney made his first career Cup Series start at The Glen.

Blaney isn’t a popular pick in race-winner betting – 1.7% of the tickets and 1.5% of the handle – nor featured matchup betting. His odds have increased – opened at -185 – as he receives just 5% of the handle on 10% of the tickets.

Chase Elliott (-120) vs. Tyler Reddick (-110)

Chase Elliott has cooled since his 1-2-1-2-1 run from Nashville to Pocono but remains a heavy favorite in NASCAR Cup Series championship odds at +300. No other driver is better than +800.

Despite the 19th-most career starts at Watkins Glen, Elliott is tied with Kyle Busch for the most wins (two) and ranks second to Busch in laps led (141). He most recently finished second in last year’s Go Bowling at the Glen, which was the first Cup Series start for Tyler Reddick at the track.

Elliott has 94% of the handle against Reddick, who has one career Cup Series start at Watkins Glen.

Chris Buescher (-135) vs. Michael McDowell (+105)

Neither Chris Buescher nor Michael McDowell have done anything of note at Watkins Glen. In 18 combined starts, they have zero wins, zero top-10 finishes, zero laps led, and average finishes of 21.3 (Buescher) and 27.4 (McDowell).

That isn’t scaring off oddsmakers; neither driver is among the favorites, but neither is buried alongside Kyle Tilley, Mike Rockenfeller, and others in the +10000 cellar. Buescher is tied for the 11th-best odds (+2000), while McDowell is tied for 17th (+3300).

And Buescher is getting public love to both win the race – third-highest handle at 6% – and defeat McDowell – 97% of the handle.

Todd Gilliland (-120) vs. Harrison Burton (-110)

Todd Gilliland and Harrison Burton are making their Watkins Glen and featured matchup debuts. 

Gilliland started in the Camping World Truck Series 2021 United Rentals 176 at The Glen, and Burton started in the Xfinity Series’ 2021 Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey 200 at The Glen, but neither have started a Cup Series race at the track.

Neither driver is a popular race-winner pick with a combined 1.7% of the tickets and 2.4% of the handle. Gilliland is dominating featured matchup betting; he has 92% of the handle on 96% of the tickets.

You can view updated Go Bowling at the Glen odds and more online sports betting opportunities at the BetMGM online sportsbook.

Posted on by Reid Spencer

It would be easy to identify the favorite in Saturday’s Sunoco Go Rewards 200 if it weren’t for the interlopers from NASCAR’s Cup Series.

Reigning Cup Series champion Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron, Ross Chastain and Cole Custer all are entered in the NASCAR Xfinity Series race (3 p.m. ET on USA Network, NBC Sports App, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Nevertheless, the 2.45-mile road course at Watkins Glen International may still be the special province of Xfinity Series leader AJ Allmendinger.

WATKINS GLEN: Entry list | Weekend schedule

The driver of the No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet has won three of the four road course races in the series so far this season — at Circuit of The Americas, Portland International Raceway, and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course.

Driving for JTG Daugherty Racing in 2014, Allmendinger picked up the first of his two Cup Series victories at The Glen. In three Xfinity Series starts at the track, he finished second all three times (though his runner-up result in 2019 was followed by disqualification for a ride-height violation).

In 22 Xfinity Series starts on road courses, Allmendinger has posted a remarkable nine victories and 18 top fives. So, if any driver can fend off challenges from the Cup regulars, Allmendinger can.

“Watkins Glen will always be a special place for me,” said Allmendinger, who also is running the Cup race this weekend. “The crowd is always amazing, and the memories from my first Cup win will last forever.

“Ever since they repaved the track (in 2015), it’s been a challenge for me, but with the Next Gen car in the Cup Series, it may be completely different. Hopefully, we will have two really great finishes for the weekend.”

Posted on by Staff Report

Several of the drivers that have already won this season and have earned a spot in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs still need to clinch their postseason position by earning enough points that no matter where they finish in the remaining races of the regular season, they will not fall out of the top 30 in points. Once a driver has achieved that points total, they have officially clinched a spot in the postseason. Below is a breakdown of the drivers that can clinch their spot in the postseason this weekend:

MORE: Full weekend schedule | Watkins Glen winners

Already Clinched

The following 10 drivers have clinched a spot in the 16-driver postseason field: Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson, Ross Chastain, Joey Logano, Christopher Bell, Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, William Byron, Denny Hamlin, Tyler Reddick.

Can Clinch Via Previous Wins

The following drivers could clinch on previous wins with a win by Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson, Ross Chastain, Joey Logano, Christopher Bell, Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, William Byron, Alex Bowman, Denny Hamlin, Daniel Suarez, Tyler Reddick, Austin Cindric, Chase Briscoe or Kurt Busch:

  • Alex Bowman: Would clinch regardless of finish
  • Daniel Suarez: Would clinch regardless of finish
  • Austin Cindric: Would clinch regardless of finish
  • Chase Briscoe: Would clinch regardless of finish
  • Kurt Busch: Would clinch regardless of finish

The following drivers could clinch on previous wins with a win by Ryan Blaney, Martin Truex Jr., Aric Almirola, Erik Jones, Bubba Wallace or Austin Dillon:

  • Alex Bowman: Would clinch with 4 points
  • Daniel Suarez: Would clinch with 22 points
  • Austin Cindric: Would clinch with 40 points
  • Chase Briscoe: Would clinch with 47 points

The following drivers could clinch on previous wins with a win by Chris Buescher:

  • Alex Bowman: Would clinch with 1 point
  • Daniel Suarez: Would clinch with 22 points
  • Austin Cindric: Would clinch with 37 points
  • Chase Briscoe: Would clinch with 44 points

The following drivers could clinch on previous wins with a win by Justin Haley:

  • Alex Bowman: Would clinch regardless of finish
  • Daniel Suarez: Would clinch with 3 points
  • Austin Cindric: Would clinch with 20 points
  • Chase Briscoe: Would clinch with 28 points

The following drivers could clinch on previous wins with a win by Ricky Stenhouse Jr.:

  • Alex Bowman: Would clinch regardless of finish
  • Daniel Suarez: Would clinch regardless of finish
  • Austin Cindric: Would clinch regardless of finish
  • Chase Briscoe: Would clinch regardless of finish
  • Kurt Busch: Would clinch with 41 points

The following drivers could clinch on previous wins with a win by Cole Custer:

  • Alex Bowman: Would clinch regardless of finish
  • Daniel Suarez: Would clinch regardless of finish
  • Austin Cindric: Would clinch regardless of finish
  • Chase Briscoe: Would clinch regardless of finish
  • Kurt Busch: Would clinch with 33 points

The following drivers could clinch on previous wins with a win by Michael McDowell, Brad Keselowski or a win by another winless driver lower in the standings:

  • Alex Bowman: Would clinch regardless of finish
  • Daniel Suarez: Would clinch regardless of finish
  • Austin Cindric: Would clinch regardless of finish
  • Chase Briscoe: Would clinch regardless of finish
  • Kurt Busch: Would clinch with 23 points

The following drivers could clinch on previous wins with a win by Harrison Burton or a win by another winless driver lower in the standings:

  • Alex Bowman: Would clinch regardless of finish
  • Daniel Suarez: Would clinch regardless of finish
  • Austin Cindric: Would clinch regardless of finish
  • Chase Briscoe: Would clinch regardless of finish
  • Kurt Busch: Would clinch with 16 points

The following drivers could clinch on previous wins with a win by Todd Gilliland or a win by another winless driver lower in the standings:

  • Alex Bowman: Would clinch regardless of finish
  • Daniel Suarez: Would clinch regardless of finish
  • Austin Cindric: Would clinch regardless of finish
  • Chase Briscoe: Would clinch regardless of finish
  • Kurt Busch: Would clinch regardless of finish

Can Clinch Via Win

The following drivers would clinch on their win alone: Ryan Blaney, Martin Truex Jr., Alex Bowman, Daniel Suarez, Austin Cindric, Chase Briscoe and Kurt Busch.

The following drivers could clinch with a win:

  • Aric Almirola: Would clinch with 44 points
  • Erik Jones: Would clinch with 56 points
  • Bubba Wallace: Could only clinch with help
  • Austin Dillon: Could only clinch with help
Posted on by Zach Sturniolo

The final road course of the NASCAR Cup Series regular season is upon us.

The Go Bowling at The Glen rolls on Sunday (3 p.m. ET, USA Network, NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), bringing with it several key story lines as the 26-race regular season makes stop No. 25.

With plenty to preview, let’s set the scene for the weekend:

INTERNATIONAL FLAIR

This weekend’s Cup race features some stacked global resumes. It also features a record of seven nations represented throughout the field.

The field, of course, is highlighted by 2007 Formula One World Champion Kimi Räikkönen, a 21-time winner there who stood atop 103 podiums in his 19-year F1 career. The Finnish driver will make his Cup debut in Trackhouse Racing’s PROJECT91 entry, the No. 91 Chevrolet sponsored by Recogni and iLOQ.

RELATED: Weekend schedule | Cup Series standings

Joining him will be German racer Mike Rockenfeller in Spire Motorsports’ No. 77 Chevrolet. Rockenfeller shouldn’t be overlooked as a true competitor this weekend, boasting wins in both the 24 Hours of Le Mans and Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway in his career. Both Räikkönen and Rockenfeller tested a Next Gen car at Virginia International Raceway on Aug. 11 courtesy of NASCAR’s driver orientation program, reserved for elite drivers in other forms of motorsport.

Daniil Kyvat, another former F1 competitor, represents a Russian entry as he returns to the No. 26 Toyota for Team Hezeberg alongside teammate Loris Hezemans, piloting the No. 27 Ford as a native of the Netherlands. British driver Kyle Tilley is back in the No. 78 Ford for LiveFast Racing, while Trackhouse regular and Sonoma Raceway winner Daniel Suárez hails from Mexico.

Each of the 32 remaining racers is from the United States.

GOOD IMPRESSIONS

NASCAR Cup Series teams hit the track for practice just after midday on Saturday (12:05 p.m. ET, NBC Sports App, USA Network at 12:30 p.m. ET, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), with the 39-car field split into Group A and Group B based on NASCAR’s metric formula. Each group will get 20 minutes of practice ahead of qualifying (1:05 p.m. ET, USA Network, NBC Sports App, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Qualifying at the road course features a 15-minute timed session for each group. The fastest five in each group will advance to the second round, where those 10 drivers will fight for the Busch Light Pole Award in a 10-minute session. The fastest single lap from the second round will earn the pole position.

MORE: Qualifying groups | Paint Scheme Preview

WATKINS GLEN STORY LINES

— Kevin Harvick won each of the past two races after snapping a 65-race winless streak at Michigan International Speedway to become the season’s 15th different winner.

— Despite sitting fourth in the regular-season points standings, Martin Truex Jr. is currently out of the playoffs, trailing Ryan Blaney by 26 points for the final available position.

— Truex has four straight top-three finishes at Watkins Glen, including a win in 2017.

— Chase Elliott can secure the Regular Season Championship by leaving Richmond with a 61-point lead over second place. Blaney currently holds the second spot and trails by 116 points.

— Ryan Blaney has earned 53 more points than Martin Truex Jr. in the four races on road courses in 2022.

Source: Racing Insights

GOODYEAR TIRES

Goodyear held a tire test at the 2.45-mile road course in May where Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron, RFK Racing’s Chris Buescher and Joe Gibbs Racing’s Martin Truex Jr. helped the tire company learn what compound to use for this weekend’s race.

The end result features the same tire codes used at Road America and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course, with one code used on the left-front and right-rear positions and another code on the right-front and left-rear spots, the former of which was used on all four corners of the car at Circuit of The Americas.

“With this Next Gen car, with the bigger, wider tire, we’ve been able to go a little ‘softer’ with our tread compounds almost across the board,” said Greg Stucker, Goodyear’s director of racing. “When we had just the two road courses on the Cup schedule – those being Watkins Glen and Sonoma – both tracks were dramatically different and required distinct tires. Now, with six road courses on the 2022 schedule, Sonoma is still on its own due to it being much more technical, but Watkins Glen falls more into line with some of the other tracks. The Glen is on the high-speed end of the scale among the road courses, but this 18-inch bead diameter tire – which is about an inch-and-a-half wider than the previous, 15-inch tire – has enabled us to give the teams a good step up in grip this weekend.”

DEEP RACING ROOTS AT THE GLEN

— Watkins Glen was constructed at its current location in 1956 but had its real beginning in 1948 when a Cornell University law student from Ohio, Cameron Argetsinger, acquired a sports car but had no place to race it. He designed a 6.6-mile circuit comprised of public roads in the Village of Watkins Glen where his family owned a cottage.

— He convinced the Chamber of Commerce of the Village of Watkins Glen and nine other agencies to hold the first post-World War II street race in the country. The annual race on the public roads at the tip of Lake Seneca was hugely successful from 1948-1951 drawing a large field of cars, large crowds and premier drivers.

— After a few years of racing at a temporary course, a permanent facility was built in the town of Dix, which borders Watkins Glen. Engineering professors from Cornell designed the 2.3-mile layout and specified the pavement. The first professional race was a NASCAR Grand National (Cup) race held on Aug. 4, 1957. Buck Baker led all 44 laps in the caution-free race beating Fireball Roberts by nearly half a mile. They returned in 1964 and 1965 on the annual ‘Northern Tour.” Billy Wade won 1964, Marvin Panch 1965.

— Watkins Glen has hosted nearly every major United States sanctioning body and professional racing series: NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series, ARCA, Can-AM, Trans-AM, NASCAR Busch North and K&N (now ARCA East), NASCAR Modified, NASCAR Trucks, IMSA Firehawk and Camel GTO, CART, IndyCar, NASCAR Grand-Am, Formula 1, Formula 5000, IMSA and others.

— In 1961, the track ran the first of 19 Formula One races that ended after 1980 due to deteriorating track conditions not meeting F1 standards.

— In 1992, the Inner Loop Chicane was added giving the track its 2.45 distance. In 1997, International Speedway Corporation became the sole owner of the facility.

Source: Racing Insights

ODDS ARE …

With two victories and a runner-up finish in his last three Watkins Glen starts, Chase Elliott should be one of the least surprising favorites this weekend, entering at 5-1 odds, according to BetMGM.

The 2020 Cup champion scored his first career win on the New York course in 2018 and is, in total, a seven-time road-course winner. Elliott’s still looking for his first of the Next Gen era, however, despite finishing runner-up at Road America.

And that brings us to whom he finished behind — Tyler Reddick. The Richard Childress Racing driver has won each of the past two road races (Road America, Indianapolis) for his first career Cup victories and enters with the second-best odds to win Sunday (6-1). Kyle Larson, the defending Watkins Glen winner and series champion, is listed at 8-1 odds.

Perhaps one sleeper to watch this weekend will be Chris Buescher (20-1). Coming off a third-place finish at Richmond Raceway, Buescher touted notable speed in the May tire test that has made the No. 17 Ford a factor in road races this season. The 2015 Xfinity champion finished runner-up to Daniel Suárez at Sonoma, placed sixth at Road America and rallied from an early fire to finish 10th at Road America.

MORE: Complete list of odds for Sunday

FANTASY LIVE

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The 2022 Fantasy Live points leaders are Chase Elliott (876), Ryan Blaney (758) and Martin Truex Jr. (735).

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ALSO ON NASCAR.COM

Get additional camera views by logging on to NASCAR Drive, where each week a select number of in-car cameras will be available — as well as a battle cam and an overhead look.

NASCAR has partnered with LiveLike to add fan engagement in the NASCAR Mobile App. Log in to the mobile app during the race for polls, quizzes, the cheer meter and more — and see instant results from NASCAR fans like you.

Posted on by Zack Albert

Last time out for the NASCAR Cup Series on a road course, chaos convened with regularity at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway layout’s first corner, a hard, 90-degree right-hander. Sunday’s next round, on the twists of New York’s Watkins Glen International has some on-paper similarities but also some key nuances that may stem some of the scrambling.

When Sunday’s Go Bowling at The Glen gets the green flag (3 p.m. ET, USA, NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), the field will sort itself into another right-hand bend, this one nicknamed “The 90.” But instead of a super-wide frontstretch narrowing into a snug turn, Watkins Glen has slightly less running room, which will likely curb any widespread fanning out.

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“Not as much, but I mean Watkins Glen definitely has the opportunity for that,” said Joey Logano, a winner at the Glen in a weekend sweep in 2015. “I think what happens in Indy is you have six lanes of racing room that funnels down into like two, maybe three. And so you’re forced to do something. It kind of puts everyone in a bad spot because if you don’t do something, someone’s going to do it to you. So you either take it or someone’s gonna take it from me. So that just kind of makes a recipe for disaster in a way and cars are pretty durable, so everyone’s OK with bumping and banging now. So it just becomes kind of messy.

“The same thing could happen at Road America but it doesn’t. Why? Because the track’s only three lanes wide, and you can’t go four-wide. There’s no room – like, you’re in the grass. So that’s what prevents that. Watkins Glen’s similar. Three-wide is … you can get four, but that’s gonna be a little tight, right? Probably not many people do that. But three will definitely happen down there. There’s more room for that.”

A late-race restart in last month’s Indianapolis race was the boiling point for several drivers. Tyler Reddick steered clear of the Turn 1 disorder on the way to his second Cup Series win of the season, but several other contenders with road-race pedigrees did not.

The pace of Watkins Glen’s first turn, where drivers carry more speed through the corner, may also help with some of those concerns. The New York course transitions into a slight right in Turn 2, then carries momentum up the hill through the esses; at Indy, that first close-quarters right proceeds to another sharp, 90-degree left in the more technical infield section.

“I mean, I guess it is a 90-degree Turn 1, but just much different, a faster-pace turn,” says points leader Chase Elliott, a two-time Watkins Glen winner whose day at Indy was torpedoed by the late restart ruckus. “The lead-up to how you restart at Watkins Glen is just much, much different. That approach into Turn 1 doesn’t ask everyone to be dumb, so I don’t think it’ll be quite that bad. And like I said, I think the pace of the track is going to fix the majority of what you saw there at Indy.”

“I feel like when you talk about road-course aggression, we’ve had two race tracks with very inviting Turn 1s, you know,” said rookie Austin Cindric, a former Glen winner in the Xfinity Series. “That’s COTA and Indy. I don’t remember having really any much of a driver standards conversation after Sonoma, and I’m sure the Roval will be the same way, and I expect Watkins Glen to be somewhat similar to those race tracks. Even Road America, a pretty narrow race track, so you can’t really pull off the seven-wide into a corner.”

Watkins Glen hosts the next-to-last race of the regular season as the hunt for Cup Series playoff positioning winds to its conclusion. 15 drivers have virtually clinched postseason berths with victories so far, and Ryan Blaney is 26 points up on Martin Truex Jr. as the battle currently stands for the final spot in the field of 16.

MORE: Latest Watkins Glen odds

The four road-course events so far this year have all been won by Chevrolet drivers – the first two split by Trackhouse Racing teammates Ross Chastain (Circuit of The Americas) and Daniel Suárez (Sonoma), and the most recent two swept by Richard Childress Racing’s Reddick (Road America, Indy).

Truex – another victim to the Turn 1 turmoil at Indianapolis – has a solid recent history that ranks as promising for a Watkins Glen rebound, with four consecutive top-three finishes there. But the driver of the No. 19 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing indicated after last weekend’s race at Richmond that the Chevy camp’s run of road-course success with the Next Gen car model would present a hurdle.

“Any other year, I’d be ecstatic to go there,” Truex said. “But with this car, our worst tracks have been road courses this year, Toyota in general. So none of us have been good. We haven’t been able to figure out how to get the braking, how to get the car to brake and then still drive off the corner and vice versa. We can only get one or the other. We can’t get both. The Chevys are destroying us.”