Chase Elliott primed for possible third straight win at Watkins Glen

Posted on August 5, 2021August 5, 2021 by Reid Spencer

When NASCAR resumes racing after the longest break in the schedule in three decades, we should be prepared to hand the winner’s trophy to Chase Elliott after 90 laps at Watkins Glen International, right?

After all, the reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion won the last two races at the 2.45-mile road course, and he’s the heavy favorite to win a third straight in Sunday’s Go Bowling at the Glen (3 p.m. ET on NBCSN, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Elliott’s road course credentials are impeccable. The driver of the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet picked up his first career victory at The Glen in 2018 and followed that with another win in 2019. (There was no race at Watkin Glen in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic).

All told, seven of Elliott’s 13 Cup victories have come on road courses, including both his wins this year—in the inaugural event at Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas, and the long-awaited return of the NASCAR Cup Series to Road America.

“We’re excited to get back to Watkins Glen,” says Elliott, who beat runner-up Martin Truex Jr. in his last two trips to The Glen. “Any time you can run well and win somewhere, it’s always nice to go back.

“Winning in the Cup Series, in general, is something to be proud of, in my opinion, regardless of where it is or who you beat. The last couple of trips to The Glen, I’ve enjoyed battling Martin. I feel like we share a lot of mutual respect and have for many years, so I have enjoyed those battles with him.”

There’s one obstacle to Elliott’s march to Victory Lane on Sunday. After finishing 18th at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in the last Cup event before the Olympics break, he’ll start 11th at Watkins Glen.

In the last 16 events at the historic road course in New York’s Finger Lakes District, the winner has come from the top 10 on the grid 14 times—the exceptions being Tony Stewart from 13th in 2009 and Joey Logano from 16th in 2015. Elliott’s two victories at the track came from third in 2018 and from the pole a year later.

Truex starts two positions ahead of Elliott, so the driver of the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota also will have work to do.

“I think the last two second-place finishes, it was just track position,” says Truex, who picked up his lone victory at WGI in 2017. “The 9 (Elliott) ended up in front of us, and we couldn’t pass him. That’s a really, really fast place, and it can be difficult to pass. His car was better in different spots than mine.

“From lap times, we were faster both years — I could get to him, but he was fast in the right places where I couldn’t pass him. I will have to hopefully figure out how to get faster in a few key areas.”

The three Team Penske drivers—Brad Keselowski, Logano and Ryan Blaney—will start from the top three spots on the grid, in that order. Keselowski finished second in three consecutive races (2011-2013), twice to road-course ace Marcos Ambrose and once to Kyle Busch.

Logano won at The Glen in 2015 and finished second to Denny Hamlin a year later, but in his last three starts there, he has a best result of 23rd. Blaney’s best finish was fifth in 2019, in his fourth Cup start at the track.

With the Cup debut at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course to follow, Sunday’s Go Bowling at the Glen is the first of two straight road course races and the 23rd event of the 26-race Cup regular season.

At WGI, two very important battles are set to take place. Hamlin, who is winless this year, is fighting to retain his series points lead over Kyle Larson, with 15 playoff points and an automatic playoff berth on the line for the regular-season champion.

Hamlin holds a 13-point lead over four-time winner Larson, who has clinched a playoff berth thanks to his multiple trips to Victory Lane.

At the bottom of the Playoff grid, Tyler Reddick leads Richard Childress Racing teammate Austin Dillon by five points in a heated battle for the final playoff position.

BUBBLE WATCH: Drivers are cutting it close on cutline

Posted on August 5, 2021 by Reid Spencer

It’s the last-chance showdown for drivers hoping to make the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Playoffs.

With one race left in the regular season, seven drivers already have clinched berths — regular-season champion and five-time winner John Hunter Nemechek, Ben Rhodes, Austin Hill, Todd Gilliland, Zane Smith, Matt Crafton and defending series champion Sheldon Creed.

That leaves three spots available entering Saturday’s United Rentals 176 at Watkins Glen International (12:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Carson Hocevar, Stewart Friesen and Chandler Smith currently occupy the last three playoff-eligible positions. Given that Smith holds a 40-point lead over Derek Kraus — the first driver out — it’s likely Kraus will have to win the race to advance to the postseason.

The same is true for Tyler Ankrum and 2016 series champion Johnny Sauter, who are 44 and 51 points below the cutoff, respectively.

Smith, on the other hand, simply needs to avoid disaster — and to avoid the whammy of a driver below him in the standings winning the race.

“I think the biggest thing for us going to Watkins Glen is just not beating ourselves,” said Smith, who will start third behind Hill and Gilliland. “We’ve got to finish the race, make sure we are 25th or better, have a solid day on my end and the pit crew’s end and hope everything goes our way.”

Former NASCAR Cup Series driver Paul Menard will drive a fifth truck for ThorSport Racing on Saturday. Though the Truck Series hasn’t competed at Watkins Glen since 2000, Menard has a combined 27 national series starts there — 11 in the Xfinity Series and 16 in Cup.

To win the race, however, Menard will have to overcome a 39th-place starting position.

Posted on August 5, 2021 by Staff Report

Chase Purdy will miss Saturday’s United Rentals 176 Camping World Truck Series race at Watkins Glen International (12:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) after testing positive for COVID-19, GMS Racing announced Thursday morning.

Purdy, the driver of the No. 23 Chevrolet, is experiencing mild symptoms and will be forced to miss the race in accordance with NASCAR protocol and CDC guidelines. Xfinity Series regular AJ Allmendinger will pilot the truck in his absence.

“Late yesterday afternoon, GMS Racing driver Chase Purdy tested positive for COVID-19 with mild symptoms,” the team said in a statement. “1n accordance with NASCAR protocol and the CDC guidelines, Purdy will not compete in Saturday’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event at Watkins Glen International. AJ Allmendinger has agreed to substitute as the replacement driver of the No. 23 Bama Buggies Chevrolet. We wish Chase a steady recovery and hope to see him compete at the series’ next event at World Wide Technology Raceway in Gateway.”

Still in search of his first top 10 of the season, Purdy is ranked 19th in the series’ points standings.

Allmendinger will be making his first Truck Series start since 2008. He has three top 10s in 13 career starts dating back to 2006.

Posted on August 4, 2021August 5, 2021 by Team Release

MOORESVILLE, N.C. — Michael Annett, driver of the Pilot Flying J Chevrolet for JR Motorsports, has been medically cleared by NASCAR to return to the seat of the No. 1 car for the Xfinity Series race at Watkins Glen International (Saturday, 4 p.m. ET), the team announced Wednesday. Annett rejoins JRM’s four-car lineup after successful surgery to repair a stress fracture in the 35-year-old’s right femur and the allotted recovery time.

“I can’t thank Dr. Beaver and Dr. Heisel and everyone at OrthoCarolina enough for all of their hard work to get me back in the car in just over three weeks,” Annett said. “The work that Dr. Beaver did during the surgery that allowed me to recover in such a short amount of time is amazing.

“I owe a lot to Austin (Dillon) and Josh (Berry) for filling in for me for those two races, but I cannot wait to be back at the track with my guys and set up a great run into the playoffs.”

Berry scored an eighth-place finish substituting for Annett at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, while Dillon drove to an 11th-place effort the previous week at Atlanta Motor Speedway. This weekend, Berry will accompany the Pilot Flying J team as backup driver for Annett, in the event one is needed.

Annett is currently 11th in the NXS driver point standings and will look to build on eight top-10 finishes this season in the run up to the playoffs. Annett has received a medical waiver from NASCAR regarding his playoff status.

Posted on August 4, 2021August 4, 2021 by Staff Report

See where your favorite NASCAR Cup Series driver is pitting for Sunday’s Go Bowling at The Glen (3 p.m. ET, NBCSN/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) at Watkins Glen International.

Posted on August 4, 2021 by Press Release

LAS VEGAS (August 4, 2021) – Allied Esports, a global esports entertainment company and a subsidiary of Allied Esports Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ: AESE), and NASCAR today announced an event tour that will bring gaming activations to racing fans in 2021.

The Allied Esports Truck, North America’s first and only 18-wheel gaming truck, will make seven stops at NASCAR Cup Series race Midways and Fan Zones starting August 6-8 at Go Bowling at the Glen in Watkins Glen, New York and concluding November 7 at the NASCAR Cup Series Championship in Phoenix, Arizona.

The 80-foot, 35-ton mobile gaming arena, which includes a main stage, caster booth, roof deck and full production capabilities, will host gameplay featuring Rocket League and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, as well as iRacing on simulators. Participating fans will have the chance to play for prizes and giveaways throughout each weekend activation. On select dates, fans will also have the first opportunity to get their hands on a limited demo of the new NASCAR 21 video game from Motorsport Games.

“The integration of gaming into major sporting events is a family focused, entertaining way to attract new audiences and brands,” said Jud Hannigan, CEO of Allied Esports. “The Allied Esports Truck shines a spotlight on gamers and the communities they live in, and we are thrilled to partner with NASCAR to bring racing and gaming fans across the country a new race weekend experience.”

“Gaming has had a massive impact on the world of NASCAR over the past year and a half – to the point where it is now undeniably part of the sport’s DNA in the digital age,” said Nick Rend, managing director of gaming, NASCAR. “With that in mind, as fans across the nation return to our race tracks this summer and fall, we believe it’s crucial that gaming plays a central role in that on-site NASCAR experience – and Allied Esports is helping us accomplish that in a truly unique way.”

The Allied Esports Truck will make appearances at the following NASCAR Cup Series races:

August 6-8 – Go Bowling at the Glen, Watkins Glen, New York

August 21-22 – FireKeepers Casino 400, Michigan International Speedway, Brooklyn, Michigan

August 27-28 – Coke Zero Sugar 400, Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, Florida

October 2-3 – YellaWood 500, Talladega Superspeedway, Talladega, Alabama

October 23-24 – Hollywood Casino 400, Kansas Speedway, Kansas City, Kansas

October 30-31 – NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Race at Martinsville, Martinsville, Virginia

November 4-7 – NASCAR Cup Series Championship at Phoenix Raceway, Avondale, Arizona

The Allied Esports Truck made its sporting event debut at the 2018 DAYTONA 500. Since then, the popular mobile competition arena has been a regular attraction at some of the biggest gaming, sports, entertainment and consumer events, including Super Bowl LIII, CES, DreamHack, WonderCon, KAABOO, E3, VidCon and Posty Fest.

Posted on August 4, 2021 by Marcus DiNitto

On Sept. 9, the first day of the 2021 NFL season, legal sports betting is expected to launch in Arizona, and through NASCAR’s expanded partnership with Penn National Gaming and Barstool Sports, race fans can look forward to new and fun ways to wager on their favorite sport.

Penn, which announced in January 2020 an acquisition of a 36% stake in Barstool for $163 million, was the first of three official sports betting sponsors to sign on with NASCAR, joined later by BetMGM and WynnBET. While the initial Penn/NASCAR deal was inked in February 2020, Arizona represents a new frontier for the partnership.

Sports betting laws vary, often significantly, from state to state. In Arizona, sports betting licenses are granted to sports facilities and are sub-licensed to sportsbook operators. The Phoenix Suns chose FanDuel, the Diamondbacks are going with Caesars, and the PGA Tour tabbed DraftKings.

NASCAR, which owns Phoenix Raceway, site of the Cup Series Championship in November, believes Barstool can help grow betting interest in the sport in Arizona and beyond.

“Barstool is the sportsbook for the every person,” said Joe Solosky, NASCAR’s managing director of sports betting. “Barstool is going to capitalize on getting NASCAR fans to use their sportsbook, and we’re also going to get new fans to watch NASCAR and go to our events because they’re a Barstool fan or ’Stoolie.’ ”

New ways to bet

For NASCAR fans and bettors, Barstool plans to roll out a suite of new wagering options.

Most prominently, Penn promises to feature NASCAR in “Barstool Exclusives,” the first tab listed on the betting app. The section includes odds boosts and the opportunity to bet with or against the picks of Barstool personalities.

“The Barstool Exclusives section is where we put two things. We put our odds boosts there, and we also put content that you can’t get anywhere else,” Jeff Kaplan, head of finance and strategy for Penn Interactive, told NASCAR.com. “It’s things that come from the minds of the personalities at Barstool, like Dave Portnoy, like Big Cat, Rone and Smitty and many, many others.”

While Kaplan said it’s too early to know the specifics about what wagering options the content and trading teams may come up with, he floated a few possibilities NASCAR fans could see.

“There might be a head-to-head rivalry that’s brewing. You may be able to parlay some races together or some driver performances together,” he said. “One of the things we’ve done in golf that’s worked really well is odds for four golfers to finish in the top 20. I can see us doing something unique like that with NASCAR, where we say here are three drivers and here are the odds that all three finish in the top 10. That’s a fun market, and it keeps your engagement for the entire race.”

Also, cross-sport props, once reserved for the Super Bowl, are becoming part of the everyday sports betting experience. As the Buccaneers vs. Chiefs betting menu listed props such as “Who will have more points: Damian Lillard or the Chiefs,” Barstool bettors may see props or parlays mixing the season-opening NFL game with the Cup race in Richmond two days later.

We’re speculating here, but how about: “Total TDs in Cowboys-Bucs vs. Total cautions in the Federated Auto Parts 400?”

“I think you’ll see a lot of cross-sports stuff from us, because that’s a good way to introduce bettors to new sports,” Kaplan said. “And bettors who bet on multiple sports are more loyal to the sportsbooks.”

And with the expansion of the Penn/NASCAR partnership centered around Arizona, Kaplan added, “I could see us doing some really unique things on Championship Weekend as well.”

Fast forward to Nov. 7 and beyond

After Sept. 9, the next key date for Penn’s Arizona foray is Nov. 7. There won’t be a full-scale retail sportsbook built at Phoenix Raceway by Championship Weekend, but you can be sure Barstool will have a big presence at the track.

While specific plans are TBD, there will be multiple pop-up stations around the facility where Barstool personalities will engage with race fans. Brand ambassadors will walk interested bettors through the registration process and show them how to place a bet on the app.

Even if you don’t happen to be in Phoenix that weekend, you’ll almost certainly hear about Barstool and NASCAR.

“They don’t necessarily have to be physically located somewhere to get people excited,” Kaplan said of Barstool personalities. “They’re shouting from the rooftops online on Twitter, on Instagram, on TikTok. You can engage with that content whether you’re in New Jersey, Arizona, Pennsylvania, Oklahoma, anywhere around the world, it doesn’t matter.”

The possibility of an actual sportsbook being built at some point during the 10-year length of this partnership is real, too.

“As (NASCAR looks) to turn the Raceway into more of a multifaceted venue, where there’s concerts and there’s car shows or different events, as that number creeps up, it becomes more and more attractive for us to think about putting in a fully operational retail sports book,” Kaplan said. “But what we and NASCAR agreed to is we can create an awesome experience for users and fans without that retail sportsbook space.”

Added Solosky, “We want to get this right. This is at least a 10-year partnership, and we’re looking at it that way. … Longer term, the venue has a ton of space in terms of places that could potentially have a brick-and-mortar sportsbook.”

Marcus DiNitto is a writer and editor living in Charlotte, North Carolina. He has been covering sports business for nearly two-and-a-half decades and sports betting for more than 10 years. His first NASCAR betting experience was in 1995 at North Wilkesboro Speedway, where he went 0-for-3 on his matchup picks. Read his articles and follow him on Twitter; do not bet his picks.

Posted on August 4, 2021August 4, 2021 by Staff Report

Brad Keselowski has won the pole position for Sunday’s Go Bowling at The Glen (3 p.m. ET, NBCSN/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), the NASCAR Cup Series’ first race back after a two-week break. He leads a 1-2-3 sweep of Team Penske drivers in the top starting spots.

Keselowski’s No. 2 Team Penske Ford will take the green flag first at Watkins Glen International, which is back on the schedule after the COVID-19 pandemic canceled the series’ planned visit there in 2020. Keselowski is seeking the first road-course win of his Cup Series career.

LINEUPS: Cup Series | Xfinity Series | Camping World Truck Series

Teammate Joey Logano is set to line up second in the No. 22 Ford, and Ryan Blaney is scheduled to start third in another Penske entry, the No. 12 Mustang.

Justin Allgaier, a three-time winner on road courses in the Xfinity Series, won the pole for Saturday’s Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey 200 (4 p.m. ET, CNBC/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) in the No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet. Austin Hill, the Camping World Truck Series’ most recent winner, is on the pole for Saturday’s United Rentals 176 (12:30 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) in the No. 16 Hattori Racing Enterprises Toyota.

As NASCAR adapted to COVID-19 protocols last season, practice and qualifying were eliminated at a majority of national-series events to limit at-track time, exposure and to cut race weekend costs. To determine starting lineups, competition officials used grouped draws, added inversions for weekend doubleheaders, and eventually adopted a performance-metrics formula. That metrics format remains in place this season, drawing on performance from both individual races and season-long results.

NASCAR’s metrics formula for 2021 weighs:

25 percent: Driver’s finishing position from the previous race
25 percent: Car owner’s finishing position from the previous race
35 percent: Team owner points ranking
15 percent: Fastest lap from the previous race

See the full lineup for Sunday’s Cup Series race below.

Start pos.	Driver	Car #	Team
1	Brad Keselowski	2	Team Penske
2	Joey Logano	22	Team Penske
3	Ryan Blaney	12	Team Penske
4	Kyle Larson	5	Hendrick Motorsports
5	Kevin Harvick	4	Stewart-Haas Racing
6	Denny Hamlin	11	Joe Gibbs Racing
7	Christopher Bell	20	Joe Gibbs Racing
8	Aric Almirola	10	Stewart-Haas Racing
9	Martin Truex Jr.	19	Joe Gibbs Racing
10	Alex Bowman	48	Hendrick Motorsports
11	Chase Elliott	9	Hendrick Motorsports
12	Ross Chastain	42	Chip Ganassi Racing
13	Tyler Reddick	8	Richard Childress Racing
14	Matt DiBenedetto	21	Wood Brothers Racing
15	William Byron	24	Hendrick Motorsports
16	Austin Dillon	3	Richard Childress Racing
17	Kurt Busch	1	Chip Ganassi Racing
18	Ricky Stenhouse Jr.	47	JTG Daugherty Racing
19	Cole Custer	41	Stewart-Haas Racing
20	Kyle Busch	18	Joe Gibbs Racing
21	Daniel Suarez	99	Trackhouse Racing Team
22	Erik Jones	43	Richard Petty Motorsports
23	Ryan Preece	37	JTG Daugherty Racing
24	Chris Buescher	17	Roush Fenway Racing
25	Michael McDowell	34	Front Row Motorsports
26	Bubba Wallace	23	23XI Racing
27	Chase Briscoe	14	Stewart-Haas Racing
28	Ryan Newman	6	Roush Fenway Racing
29	Corey LaJoie	7	Spire Motorsports
30	Justin Haley	77	Spire Motorsports
31	Anthony Alfredo	38	Front Row Motorsports
32	Garrett Smithley	53	Rick Ware Racing
33	Kyle Tilley	78	Live Fast Motorsports
34	Josh Bilicki	52	Rick Ware Racing
35	Quin Houff	00	StarCom Racing
36	James Davison	51	Petty Ware Racing
37	RC Enerson	15	Rick Ware Racing

Practice and qualifying are tentatively scheduled for eight Cup Series races this year. Two races remain with Busch Pole Qualifying on the schedule — Aug. 15 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s road course and the season-ending championship race Nov. 7 at Phoenix Raceway.

Posted on August 4, 2021 by Staff Report

COVINGTON, GA – Dead Down Wind, the outdoor industry leader in scent elimination and Tink’s, America’s #1 Buck lure for almost 50 years, are excited to present the first-ever Racks & Laps Sweepstakes.

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“This is an extraordinary opportunity for both new and experienced hunters and race fans alike,” said Amanda Popp, Marketing Director for the brands. “We know NASCAR fans love to hunt or are considering it and just haven’t had the right opportunity. Tink’s and Dead Down Wind are proud to create the hunting experience of their dreams and help get them to MIS for a VIP Experience for two never to be forgotten in the fall of 2022.”

“There is a natural connection between NASCAR fans and a love of the outdoors and this sweepstakes is the perfect way to combine the two,” said Michigan International Speedway President Rick Brenner. “We look forward to hosting the winners next year for an unforgettable VIP weekend at NASCAR’s Most Entertaining Track.”

About Arcus Hunting

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Posted on August 3, 2021 by Zack Albert

Ryan Blaney said Tuesday that Team Penske’s search for a new crew chief for his No. 12 Ford next season is still in progress.

Todd Gordon will step aside from that role next year, having announced June 28 that he would retire at the conclusion of the season, ending a 10-year run as a NASCAR Cup Series crew chief for Roger Penske’s organization. Blaney did not provide a timetable for when the team would determine Gordon’s replacement, but said that preparations for next season are already underway.

“That search is still ongoing,” said Blaney, who is eighth in the Cup standings in his second season paired with Gordon. “It’s been trying to balance that out of focusing on this year, but then also you can’t just forget about next year. You’re always trying to … you need to prepare. You can’t wait until November, December and then try to do something. That’s still a work in progress.”

Blaney’s remarks came in an afternoon media availability ahead of Sunday’s Go Bowling at The Glen (3 p.m. ET, NBCSN/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), the NASCAR Cup Series’ first race after a two-week break. Blaney has secured a spot on the provisional playoff grid based on his win at Atlanta Motor Speedway back in March. That victory was his second with Gordon atop the No. 12 team’s pit box.

Blaney says he has prospective candidates on his list who could step into the role, noting that replicating the calming influence of Gordon would be a positive attribute for his next crew chief to possess.

“There’s some people in mind that I think are really good fits,” Blaney said, “but who I’m looking for is someone … I thought me and Todd got along so well because we’re kind of, at the race track, we’re almost a yin and yang kind of thing. I can get fired up on the radio, and Todd is very calm and it evens itself out of those personalities when we’re doing our jobs. Someone like that.

“Like I said, that just is ongoing, but someone who can get me when tense situations do come up of getting me back where we need to be, and that’s how it always should be. You kind of have to have both of them. I think if you’re two people who clash a lot and have the same personalities, that can sometimes be good but sometimes it can be a little rough. That’s where I’d want it to start, and all the crew chiefs I’ve worked with have all been open-minded on really listening to your ideas and what you have to say about the race cars and integrating them, so that’s never been an issue. But that personality side that I talked about, for me personally, it’s big.”