Watkins Glen International Data
Season Race #: 22 of 36 (08-09-15)
Track Size: 2.45-miles
Number of Turns: 7
Race Length: 90 laps / 220.5 miles
Top 10 Driver Ratings at Watkins Glen
Tony Stewart 120.4
Kyle Busch 108.4
AJ Allmendinger 100.5
Jimmie Johnson 100.1
Brad Keselowski 97.5
Carl Edwards 95.0
Kurt Busch 94.3
Martin Truex Jr. 90.7
Kevin Harvick 89.0
Jeff Gordon 85.7
Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2014 races (10 total) among active drivers at Watkins Glen International.
Qualifying/Race Data
2014 pole winner:
Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet
129.466 mph, 68.126 secs. 08-09-14
2014 race winner:
AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet
90.123 mph, (02:26:48), 08-10-14
Track qualifying record:
Marcos Ambrose, Ford
129.491 mph, 68.113 secs. 08-09-14
(Set in Round 1 of 3)
Track race record:
Mark Martin, Ford
103.030 mph, (02:11:54), 08-13-95
Watkins Glen Driver Tale of the Tape
AJ Allmendinger (No. 47 Kroger’s/Bush's Beans Chevrolet)
· One win, two top fives, four top 10s
· Average finish of 7.833, second-best
· Average Running Position of 12.288, third-best
· Driver Rating of 100.5, third-best
· 16 Fastest Laps Run, 12th-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 120.332, fourth-fastest
· 363 Laps in the Top 15 (67.0), fifth-most
· 114 Quality Passes, 11th-most
Clint Bowyer (No. 15 Maxwell House Toyota)
· One top five, three top 10s
· Average finish of 15.778, ninth-best
· Average Running Position of 15.912, 11th-best
· Driver Rating of 83.3, 13th-best
· 2 Fastest Laps Run, fifth-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 119.569, 12th-fastest
· 427 Laps in the Top 15 (52.6), 12th-most
· 106 Quality Passes, 12th-most
Kyle Busch (No. 18 M&M's Crispy Toyota)
· Two wins, four top fives, eight top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 11.300, fourth-best
· Average Running Position of 12.453, fifth-best
· Driver Rating of 108.4, second-best
· 74 Fastest Laps Run, 10th-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 120.360, second-fastest
· 638 Laps in the Top 15 (70.6), fourth-most
· 183 Quality Passes, sixth-most
Kurt Busch (No. 41 Haas Automation Chevrolet)
· Two top fives, six top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 16.900, 10th-best
· Average Running Position of 15.864, 10th-best
· Driver Rating of 94.3, seventh-best
· 51 Fastest Laps Run, fourth-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 120.288, fifth-fastest
· 564 Laps in the Top 15 (62.4), eighth-most
· 190 Quality Passes, fourth-most
Carl Edwards (No. 19 STANLEY Toyota)
· Five top fives, seven top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 8.400, third-best
· Average Running Position of 12.370, fourth-best
· Driver Rating of 95.0, sixth-best
· 15 Fastest Laps Run, 11th-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 119.959, sixth-fastest
· 666 Laps in the Top 15 (73.7), third-most
· 203 Quality Passes, second-most
Jeff Gordon (No. 24 AXALTA Chevrolet)
· Four wins, six top fives, nine top 10s; three poles
· Average finish of 21.600, 13th-best
· Average Running Position of 17.075, 12th-best
· Driver Rating of 85.7, 10th-best
· 42 Fastest Laps Run, series-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 119.314, 13th-fastest
· 479 Laps in the Top 15 (53.0), 11th-most
· 164 Quality Passes, eighth-most
Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Ground Toyota)
· One top five, four top 10s
· Average finish of 20.000, 12th-best
· Average Running Position of 15.543, eighth-best
· Driver Rating of 85.7, 11th-best
· 11 Fastest Laps Run, second-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 119.911, seventh-fastest
· 468 Laps in the Top 15 (57.6), 10th-most
· 181 Quality Passes, seventh-most
Kevin Harvick (No. 4 Jimmy John's/ Budweiser Chevrolet)
· One win, two top fives, seven top 10s
· Average finish of 14.500, eighth-best
· Average Running Position of 15.555, ninth-best
· Driver Rating of 89.0, ninth-best
· 11 Fastest Laps Run, sixth-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 119.817, ninth-fastest
· 543 Laps in the Top 15 (60.1), ninth-most
· 161 Quality Passes, ninth-most
Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet)
· Four top fives, seven top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 12.100, fifth-best
· Average Running Position of 10.079, second-best
· Driver Rating of 100.1, fourth-best
· 28 Fastest Laps Run, ninth-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 120.338, third-fastest
· 715 Laps in the Top 15 (79.1), second-most
· 208 Quality Passes, series-most
Brad Keselowski (No. 2 Miller Lite Ford)
· Three top fives, three top 10s
· Average finish of 12.200, sixth-best
· Average Running Position of 14.117, seventh-best
· Driver Rating of 97.5, fifth-best
· 39 Fastest Laps Run, eighth-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 119.878, eighth-fastest
· 290 Laps in the Top 15 (64.2), seventh-most
· 66 Quality Passes, 13th-most
Jamie McMurray (No. 1 McDonald's Chevrolet)
· One top five, two top 10s
· Average finish of 19.300, 11th-best
· Average Running Position of 17.508, 13th-best
· Driver Rating of 83.7, 12th-best
· 9 Fastest Laps Run, third-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 119.734, 10th-fastest
465 Laps in the Top 15 (51.4), 13th-most
· 130 Quality Passes, 10th-most
Tony Stewart (No. 14 Bass Pro Shops / Mobil 1 Chevrolet)
· Five wins, seven top fives, ten top 10s
· Average finish of 7.500, series-best
· Average Running Position of 5.661, series-best
· Driver Rating of 120.4, series-best
· 106 Fastest Laps Run, 13th-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 120.785, series-fastest
· 678 Laps in the Top 15 (93.6), series-most
· 195 Quality Passes, third-most
Martin Truex Jr (No. 78 Furniture Row/Visser Precision Chevrolet)
· Three top fives, five top 10s
· Average finish of 12.444, seventh-best
· Average Running Position of 12.885, sixth-best
· Driver Rating of 90.7, eighth-best
· 6 Fastest Laps Run, seventh-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 119.686, 11th-fastest
· 536 Laps in the Top 15 (66.0), sixth-most
· 188 Quality Passes, fifth-most
Cheez-It 355 at The Glen
By Micah Roberts
VegasInsider.com
It's time for the best type of racing we'll see all season in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series where driver skill is heightened and ownership power is lessened. Yes, it's road course racing at Watkins Glen International in New York, the second road course race of the season.
It's terrible we only get two road course races, and it's even worse that one of the road races aren't in the Chase. Now, we put the two road courses in the same category because they're roads, but they're so vastly different from the ovals. From a road course stand point, Watkins Glen is about as different from Sonoma Raceway as Martinsville is to Daytona.
This is a much faster course then what we saw in June at Sonoma with all its elevation changes.
An example of how vastly different they are can be looked at the qualifying speeds from the last race on each. A.J. Allmendinger was on the pole at Sonoma with speed at 96.31 mph. Jeff Gordon won last years pole at Watkins Glen at 129.466 mph. Sonoma, technical. Watkins Glen, fast straightaways.
We don’t talk a lot about A.J. Allmendinger for 34 of the 36 races each year, but in those two races -- the road courses -- is where he becomes one of the favorites. He won his first and only career race at The Glen last season in a brilliant effort where took the lead with three laps to go over road ace Marcos Ambrose. The win made him eligible for the Chase, which he hopes to duplicate Sunday.
Ambrose is no longer racing in America, which means that Allmendinger chances of winning are greatly enhanced. And it’s logically his only real chance to make this years Chase.
Kyle Busch started his incredible run of winning four of five races at Sonoma. He beat brother Kurt Busch to the finish line by a half-second. Clint Bowyer, Kevin Harvick and Joey Logano rounded out the top-five.
Watkins Glen runs different than Sonoma, but it still takes a skilled all-around driver to master both the left and right turns where entering and exiting turns is where the best take advantage. There are quite a few drivers that raced mostly on ovals their entire life that regularly struggle when asked to make right and left turns.
The last season Kyle Busch had that was similar to what he’s doing lately was in 2008, a year where he swept both road races. He also won at The Glen in 2013. There’s no reason to believe he won’t be racing for the win, and no reason to believe he shouldn’t be considered the favorite. That is unless you believe his 40th-place finish in last years Watkins Glen race is relevant.
Jeff Gordon is widely considered the best NASCAR road racer because of his nine career wins. However, the fact remains that he hasn’t won on a road course since 2006 at Sonoma and he hasn’t won at Watkins Glen since 2001. From 1997-99, Gordon won three straight Watkins Glen events. However, he hasn’t had a top-five there since that 2001 win.
Gordon looks to be in decent position to make the Chase on points even if he doesn’t win a race, but like Allmendinger, this might present his best chance to seal the deal. Three top-fives in 21 races isn’t very Gordon-like, and a terrible way to send out the four-time champ.
Car owner Rick Hendrick should have heads rolling in the garage to make things better for the driver that took the Hendrick name into the Hall of Fame. For whatever reason, Gordon hasn’t been given equipment that matches Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr. within the stable. That’s too bad, but don’t be surprised if you see that spark ignited within the No. 24 team in the near future.
Brad Keselowski is a driver that averages a 19th-place finish at Sonoma, but was runner-up for three straight season at Watkins Glen from 2011-13. Last season he finished 35th, but look for another finish fighting for the win. This time he doesn’t have to race Ambrose won two of the races Keselowski finished second in.
Kurt Busch finished third in this race last season and had a career-best second-place in 2010. He’s been better at Sonoma, where he won in 2011, but the Stewart Haas horsepower is going to have him fare well on the straights. Look for a possible 1-2 Busch brothers finish again like Sonoma, just maybe not the same order of finish.
Kyle Larson adapted well at Watkins Glen last season with fourth-place and Carl Edwards has finished in the top-five in the last two. Edwards won at Sonoma last season. Harvick won at The Glen in 2006 and was seventh last season.
Watkins Glen is one of four tracks that Johnson has never won on over his career, but he’s always run competitively off the ovals with a 13.9 average in 13 starts. His lone road course win came at Sonoma in 2010.
Top-5 Finish Prediction:
1) #41 Kurt Busch (10/1)
2) #18 Kyle Busch (5/1)
3) #19 Carl Edwards (12/1)
4) #2 Brad Keselowski (10/1)
5) #47 A.J. Allmendinger (7/1)
Drivers to Watch - Watkins Glen
By Sportsbook.ag
The NASCAR circuit will make the short trip north from the Poconos to Watkins Glen for the Cheez-It 355 this week, a 90-lap, 220.5-mile race that has been held on at this venue since 1957. This is just one of two road courses during the season, the other being Sonoma Raceway, and will bring plenty of specialty drivers to race specifically at these type of tracks.
Both Tony Stewart (2002, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2009) and Jeff Gordon (1997, 1998, 1999, 2001) have proven to be a couple of the best drivers when at these type of venues, but without them taking home the trophy in any of the past five years, it is time for some new names to make a mark on the winding asphalt.
Last year it was A.J. Allmendinger who took the checkered flag at the end of the 220+ miles, earning his first career victory behind a time of 2:26:48 with an average speed of 90.123 MPH.
Watkins Glen has been a hotbed for new names to get wins since the likes of Gordon and Stewart with Juan Pablo Montoya (2010), Marcos Ambros (2011, 2012) and Allmendinger (2014) all getting Sprint Cup Series wins at road courses only. In the first visit to a road course this year, the Busch brothers, led by Kyle, went one-two at Sonoma and it was Kyle who has won here (2008 and 2013) twice before as well.
With only five more races before “The Chase”, let’s find a few racers who could do well on the turns at Watkins Glen this week.
Drivers to Watch
A.J. Allmendinger (9/2) - There is a reason that a guy who is 24th in the Sprint Cup Series standings is the favorite this week to win; he is a much better road racer. In 2015, he has just three top-10 finishes over 21 starts and has failed to crack the top-five once, even at Sonoma where he failed to finish the race. Despite that, he is solid on the twisting road courses and is 6-for-13 in getting top-10s at such tracks in his career while having his one win here last year. He has another top-five in that time and his 94.7 driver rating is seventh among current drivers at Watkins Glen. It had been since the beginning of March that the 34-year-old had cracked the top-10 this season, but he was able to get his act together leading up to this race and ended last week’s race in the Pocono’s in seventh after a pole of 22nd. His team is coming around at the right time to put up a huge performance at the Glen on Saturday.
Kyle Busch (6/1) - Busch is the other obvious choice here and although his odds put him lower than Allmendinger, his experience at winning over his career and recent success make him a nice pick. He took down Sonoma back in June and was also the victor here in 2013, two of his four career victories on road courses. Not only has he been very successful at finishing off the races at these types of tracks, but he has been on fire since returning to the Sprint Cup Series in May and has won four of his 10 races in that time. Busch has won in four of the last six weeks, and looked to have another win under his belt last week after winning the pole, but ran out of gas at the end and finished in 21st after leading for 19 laps. Look for Busch to once again show up in a big way and continue his quest to make “The Chase.”
Brad Keselowski (8/1) - Keselowski has limited experience at Watkins Glen, but in his five career visits to the track has earned himself three top-five finishes; all second places over three consecutive seasons between 2011 and 2013. He has a driver rating of 102.8 here (5th-best) and has spent 78.3% of his time (637 laps) in the top-15 (2nd-most) with an average green flag speed of 119.971 MPH (5th-fastest). His season has been similar to his results at the Glen as he has one victory while typically finishing just outside of first with three runners-up. Two of those came in the past three weeks; including in Pennsylvania as he took a start of ninth and led for three laps before giving it up to Matt Kenseth. The 31-year-old knows how to win as evidenced by his 17 career victories and he could be in line for his first win on a road course at the Cheez-It 355.
Kasey Kahne (30/1) - Kahne has hit road courses 23 times in his career, and has a solid average finish of 18.7 while also earning a victory in Sonoma in 2009. He has been having a very rocky 2015 campaign, and has not done better than 19th at any of his last five stops as he comes off of a 43rd last week. But still, he is ranked 16th in the Sprint Cup standings with six top-10s in 21 races, with the last unsurprisingly coming at Sonoma where he grabbed an eighth after starting in 26th. Kahne has faded recently, but he should pick things up once again and have no issues competing for a top-10 finish with a chance at the top spot.
Trevor Bayne (Field: 100/1) - Much of the reason that Bayne is so low in the odds is that he has nearly zero experience racing on the road courses in the Sprint Cup Series. His visit to Sonoma this year was his first exposure to such a track and he actually fared quite well with a standing of 24th; a nice improvement over his start of 33rd. The youngster is fighting for a spot in “The Chase” for the first time after doing no better than 53rd in the past and has done so behind three of his career six top-10s this year; including two in the past seven races. Of the underdogs here this week, Bayne seems to be the best bet as his stock will continue to rise and he has plenty of wins coming in his future.
Odds to win Cheez-It 355 at the Glen
AJ Allmendinger 9/2
Kurt Busch 6/1
Kyle Busch 6/1
Brad Keselowski 8/1
Jimmie Johnson 8/1
Kevin Harvick 8/1
Joey Logano 10/1
Carl Edwards 12/1
Jeff Gordon 15/1
Martin Truex Jr. 15/1
Tony Stewart 15/1
Clint Bowyer 20/1
Denny Hamlin 20/1
Dale Earnhardt Jr. 30/1
Jamie McMurray 30/1
Kasey Kahne 30/1
Matt Kenseth 30/1
Sam Hornish Jr 30/1
Greg Biffle 50/1
Kyle Larson 50/1
Ryan Newman 50/1
Paul Menard 60/1
Aric Almirola 100/1
Austin Dillon 100/1
Boris Said 100/1
Casey Mears 100/1
Danica Patrick 100/1
Justin Allgaier 100/1
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 100/1
Field (Any Other Driver) 100/1
Driver Handicaps: Watkins Glen
By: Pete Pistone
Racingone.com
To assist in making your fantasy racing picks, MRN.com's Pete Pistone helps steer you toward Sunday’s Cheez-It 355 at Watkins Glen International.
Who's HOT at Watkins Glen
Kyle Busch: Since finishing 33rd in his Watkins Glen Sprint Cup debut in 2005, Busch hadn’t finished outside the top 10 until last year, a strong stretch that included wins in 2008 and 2013. He won Sonoma and looks for the road course sweep on Sunday.
AJ Allmendinger: Déjà vu all over again. Has his best shot to steal a win and a spot in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Sunday at Watkins Glen, just like it was last year when he scored career victory number one and brought JTG Daugherty Racing into the playoffs.
Kevin Harvick: A former winner at Watkins Glen might have a bit of a chip on his shoulder after last week’s early Pocono exit due to engine failure.
Carl Edwards: Won Sonoma last year and has scored recent top-10 finishes at Watkins Glen. Not to mention...Joe Gibbs Racing is on a hot streak right now.
Tony Stewart: If anyone needs to return to form at Watkins Glen, it's Stewart – who has not competed at the track in two years due to his leg injury in 2013 and last year’s Kevin Ward Jr. tragedy. His last win at the track came in 2009.
Carl Edwards: A road course win at Sonoma last year and respective fourth and fifth-place finishes at Watkins Glen his last two outings makes Edwards an intriguing driver to keep an eye on Sunday.
Who's NOT
Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Road course racing has never been a favorite for Earnhardt Jr. and his Watkins Glen record indicates just that with a 24.1 average finish in his last 10 starts.
Greg Biffle: The Roush Fenway Racing driver has never been synonymous with road racing success during his NASCAR career and Biffle's 19.7 average finish would indicate he won’t be a favorite on Sunday.
Paul Menard: The Richard Childress Racing driver was 32nd last year and has only a 12th-place finish in 2012 as a best effort at the track in his career.
Kasey Kahne: Just like last year the clock is ticking on Kahne's chances to get a win and make the Chase, but the odds are stacked against him at Watkins Glen. The Hendrick Motorsports driver has a 19.8 average finish dating back to 2005.
Denny Hamlin: You have to go back to 2010 to find a top-10 finish at Watkins Glen for Hamlin, who carries an average finish of 20th over his last 10 starts into Sunday.
Who to Keep an Eye On at Watkins Glen
Jeff Gordon: For the final time the guy who was considered NASCAR's "King of the Road" at The Glen for many years races at the historic track. The season’s not going the way Gordon had hoped and he’s finished 36th and 34th in his last two Watkins Glen outings, but there will still be a lot of attention on the '24' car Sunday.
Jimmie Johnson: Mired in the mid-season doldrums like the rest of the Hendrick stable, Johnson looks to pull out of it on Sunday. Johnson had a string of three straight top 10s at the track snapped with last season’s 28th-place finish.
Sam Hornish Jr.: He takes over the Richard Petty Motorsports ride that Marcos Ambrose enjoyed so much success with at Watkins Glen during the course of his NASCAR career. Hornish has had a miserable season but is in a car that certainly should be capable of contending for the win.
Martin Truex Jr.: He’s been OK at Watkins Glen during his career but Truex Jr. no doubt feels he has one coming on a road course after a frustrating day in Sonoma back in June.
Clint Bowyer: His race to the Chase would be a lot smoother with a good day and possible win at Watkins Glen after finishing third at Sonoma in June. He was a dismal 27th last year after two straight top-10 runs prior.
MotorRacingNetwork.com Staff Picks
Pete Pistone: Kyle Busch
John Singler: Jeff Gordon
Jeff Wackerlin: Kurt Busch
Can Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart win on NASCAR's road less traveled?
By Micah Roberts
Sportingnews.com
Of the 32 NASCAR Sprint Cup races held at Watkins Glen International's 2.454-mile 11 turn road course, 21 have been won from a top-five start position.
That stat alone should make desperate racing legends Tony Stewart and Jeff Gordon more confident for Sunday's Cheez-It 355. Stewart will start third, Gordon fifth.
Sprint Cup's second and final road race of the season is scheduled for a 2:18 p.m. ET green flag in upstate New York. NBC Sports Network television coverage begins at 2 ET.
Stewart and Gordon have combined to win nine races at the Glen over their careers, but neither has won anywhere on the Sprint Cup circuit this season.
Gordon, in his final Cup season, has three top-five finishes through 21 races. Stewart has none. Gordon is 10th in points, but has no guarantee of making the Chase without a win. Stewart, 25th in points, must win to make the Chase. Only the top 16 in points make the field.
These two have battled hard on the roads and have even had post race altercations. Gordon was "king of the roads" before Stewart stole his crown. Now neither is best at The Glen or Sonoma. Sprint Cup's best road-race driver the previous five seasons, Marcos Ambrose, is no longer in the series.
So who is the new king of the roads?
Kyle Busch is making a good case for himself just because of winning at Sonoma in June. He's won twice on each of the road courses, including a 2008 sweep.
But AJ Allmendinger has a legitimate claim as defending champion at Watkins Glen. He starts on the pole, where nine of the 32 Glen winners have started. Winning in consecutive years would put him with Ambrose, Stewart and Gordon, who have each done it.
And what if Gordon tried to grab his crown back? He hasn't had a top-five finish at Watkins Glen since winning there in 2001, but he had the fastest lap during Friday's final practice session. Last season he led the first 29 laps before having a mechanical issue.
Allmendinger gets the edge because start position is so important, but Busch is almost equal to the rating.
Cheez-It 355 driver ratings
Rt. Driver Odds Practice 1 Practice 2 Qualified Sonoma*
1. AJ Allmendinger 6/1 2nd 28th 1st 37th
Only career win came in this race last season. Nine of 32 Glen winners have started on pole.
2. Kyle Busch 6/1 9th 4th 8th 1st
Two-time winner, the last in 2013; looking to sweep road course season just like he did in 2008.
3. Jeff Gordon 15/1 15th 1st 5th 16th
NASCAR record nine road course wins, four at the Glen. No top top-five at the Glen since 2001.
4. Jimmie Johnson 15/1 3rd 20th 9th 6th
One of four Cup tracks he's never won at. Career-best third-place twice, 13.9 average finish.
5. Kurt Busch 6/1 13th 6th 14th 2nd
Has had more success at Sonoma, but was runner-up in 2010 and finished third last season.
6. Kevin Harvick 8/1 17th 9th 4th 4th
2006 winner, which was also his last top-five. Consistent with 12.6 average finish in 14 starts.
7. Brad Keselowski 8/1 8th 15th 11th 19th
Was runner-up three consecutive years, 2011-13, twice losing to Marcos Ambrose.
8. Martin Truex Jr. 15/1 18th 7th 2nd 42nd
Always a steady performer on the road with a Sonoma win to credit; career-best third in 2013.
9. Tony Stewart 15/1 14th 10th 3rd 12th
Track record five-time winner, but missed past two Glen races. Perfect spot for a bounce back.
10. Clint Bowyer 20/1 1st 32nd 18th 3rd
Career best fourth-place in 2012, same season he won at Sonoma; tenacious, scrappy on roads.
* Results from the June 28 Sonoma race, the other road course on the Sprint Cup schedule. Sonoma is more of a technical course while Watkins Glen runs much faster.