Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips News and Notes

Huelva Good! Sour Cream Dips at The Glen PreQ

It is time again for the second trip to those crazy road course tracks as the series heads to Watkins Glen International. Entering the race Juan Pablo Montoya is the early week favorite after he recorded his best finessing position of the season at Pocono (2nd place). Montoya should more than likely won at Indianapolis the previous week but had a late race speeding penalty on pit road relegating him to an 11th place finish. Still, Montoya has been on a roll as he has posted eight straight finishes in the top 12 as he has moved into the 8th position in the point standings. Montoya would love nothing more than to post his second career win at Watkins Glen and solidify himself in the Chase for the Championship – the first time he would be a Chase participant. Look for the #42 Target/Polaroid Chevrolet to be among the front runner once again.

Sitting just behind Montoya is the series point’s leader Tony Stewart. Stewart has been dominant as of late posting his ninth consecutive top 10 finish. Although it was just a “lowly” 10th place finish Stewart and his team displayed championship potential as they overcame plenty of problems to start the race only to end the day in the top 10. Stewart has not been to victory lane at Watkins Glen since the 2005 season. It would not be a surprise to see the #14 Old Spice/Office Depot Chevrolet go to victory lane for the third time this season in the Huelva Good! Sour Cream Dips at The Glen.

It is difficult to figure out what is going on with Dale Earnhardt Jr. in his second season with Hendrick Motorsports. After a solid inaugural season behind the wheel of the #88 Mountain Dew Chevrolet in which he posted one win and was a contender in the Chase for the Championship Junior has all but disappeared this season. He has posted just three top 10s on the season as he sits 23rd in the point standings. Junior has failed to finish better than 20th position 12 times this season and is doubtful he will do so this weekend at the Glen. In nine career starts at the track he has posted zero top 10s with an average finish of 22nd place. He has run even more poorly in the last four starts at Watkins Glen averaging just a 27th finish position. Junior is not worth the risk at this point in the season.

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Watkins Glen preview
By Micah Roberts
VegasInsider.com

This week's race heads to Northern New York at Watkins Glen for the second and final road race of the season. At Sonoma in June, Kasey Kahne won his first ever road race on the technical course full of elevation changes. This week won’t be as difficult as the race at Sonoma. Most of the drivers on tour don’t like road racing that much, but Watkins Glen is the easiest of the two courses to drive.

Before Kahne had won at Sonoma, all the road course races had been dominated by a select few. Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, and Robby Gordon had won the majority of all road races over the last decade. Kahne’s win on at Sonoma, coupled by Kyle Busch’s sweep of the road course season last year give hope to several of the long shot candidates this week.

Kahne came in as a nice 30/1 choice at Sonoma, so the question is, do we have a shot at winning in the same fashion this week. The candidates are slim, but yes, there is a chance of seeing someone winning that pays good odds, especially at the easier of the two courses.

The best shot of winning a road race fro someone that has yet to win on one comes from Marcos Ambrose, a driver that hasn’t won a race on any type of track. Despite his lack of wins, Ambrose comes in as a 10/1 choice because the bookmakers have seen that Ambrose is a serious contender to win. In his last two road course races, Ambrose has finished third in each.

Jimmie Johnson usually has odds of 5 or 6/1 for all of his races, however, on the road courses, Johnson is given nice odds of 20/1 or higher because he’s not known for his road course skills. Of the two road courses, Watkins Glen presents the best opportunity for Johnson to win because it isn’t so technical and has lots of long straightaways. Johnson is getting better on the courses each and every time he races on them. At Sonoma this year, Johnson finished fourth.

Tony Stewart comes in as the favorite this week, not only on the basis of his four Watkins Glen wins, but the fact that he‘s finished second in his last two road course races. He is just so smooth in and out of every turn maximizing his speed at every opportunity when others get too cautious around the unfamiliar right turns.

Kyle Busch won this race last season and if there is any time for him to step up it’s this week with only five races left in the race to the chase. Busch has the tenacity required to win a road race and with his chips down, he may go all-in this week. Look for Busch to let it all hang out and go for the win.

Jeff Gordon hasn’t won at Watkins Glen since 2001, but has four career wins on the track. He leads all NASCAR drivers with nine career road course wins over his career. He has said over the last few years that the team isn’t putting as much emphasis on their road cars just because it only represents two races a year. Whether he’s saying that just because he hasn’t won for some time, or that his car really is inferior, can only be speculated upon, but Gordon’s skills merit him enough to still be considered a top candidate to win. Unlike most seasons though, Gordon’s odds are in the 8/1 range. In the past Gordon had been as low as under 2/1 to win any road course race.

Juan Pablo Montoya may be the hottest driver on tour right now. He’s finished in the top-10 in three of the last four races and he’s now going to a facility that is plenty to his liking. Montoya finished fourth in this race last season and has his only Cup win on the road course at Sonoma.

TOP 5 Finish Prediction:

1) #14 Tony Stewart (4/1)
2) #18 Kyle Busch (8/1)
3) #48 Jimmie Johnson (20/1)
4) #42 Juan Pablo Montoya (10/1)
5) #24 Jeff Gordon (8/1)

Driver Highlights - Watkins Glen
VegasInsider.com

Note: All driver statistics that follow are from Watkins Glen International. The Loop Data statistics – Driver Rating, Average Running Position, etc. – in this release, however, cover the last three races at Watkins Glen. NASCAR’s scoring loops began collecting data for statistical purposes in 2005.

Marcos Ambrose (No. 47 Kingsford/Clorox/Bush's Baked Beans Toyota) 12/1

# One top five, one top 10
# Average finish of 3.0
# Driver Rating of 94.5, ninth-best
# Average Green Flag Speed of 118.395 mph, eighth-fastest

Kurt Busch (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge) 15/1

# Two top 10s; one pole
# Average finish of 21.4
# Average Running Position of 16.4, 12th-best
# Driver Rating of 96.4, eighth-best
# 28 Fastest Laps Run, second-most
# 236 Laps in the Top 15 (65.2%), fourth-most
# 88 Quality Passes, fourth-most

Kyle Busch (No. 18 M&M's Toyota) 8/1

# One win, one top five, three top 10s
# Average finish of 12.5
# Average Running Position of 15.7, 10th-best
# Driver Rating of 100.0, fourth-best
# 25 Fastest Laps Run, third-most
# Average Green Flag Speed of 118.463 mph, sixth-fastest
# 202 Laps in the Top 15 (55.8%), 10th-most
# 91 Quality Passes, third-most

Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont/National Guard Patriot Academy Chevrolet) 8/1

# Four wins, six top fives, eight top 10s; two poles
# Average finish of 13.4
# Average Running Position of 12.2, sixth-best
# Driver Rating of 97.4, seventh-best
# 17 Fastest Laps Run, fourth-most
# 226 Laps in the Top 15 (62.4%), seventh-most
# 77 Quality Passes, 12th-most

Robby Gordon (No. 7 Red Stag/Kid Rock Toyota) 15/1

# One win, seven top fives, seven top 10s
# Average finish of 10.6
# Driver Rating of 94.2, 10th-best
# 11 Fastest Laps Run, sixth-most
# 196 Green Flag Passes, ninth-most
# Average Green Flag Speed of 118.563 mph, fourth-fastest
# 83 Quality Passes, seventh-most

Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Toyota) 20/1

# One top five, three top 10s
# Average finish of 6.7
# Average Running Position of 9.0, third-best
# Driver Rating of 106.2, third-best
# 8 Fastest Laps Run, 10th-most
# Average Green Flag Speed of 118.552 mph, fifth-fastest
# 234 Laps in the Top 15 (86.7%), fifth-most
# 82 Quality Passes, eighth-most

Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet) 25/1

# One win, two top fives, five top 10s
# Average finish of 11.3
# Average Running Position of 11.6, fourth-best
# Driver Rating of 98.4, fifth-best
# 5 Fastest Laps Run, 13th-most
# Average Green Flag Speed of 118.359 mph, 10th-fastest
# 285 Laps in the Top 15 (78.7%), third-most
# 85 Quality Passes, sixth-most

Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet) 20/1

# Three top fives, four top 10s
# Average finish of 13.1
# Average Running Position of 7.7, second-best
# Driver Rating of 106.8, second-best
# 9 Fastest Laps Run, eighth-most
# Average Green Flag Speed of 118.606 mph, third-fastest
# 320 Laps in the Top 15 (88.4%), second-most
# 74 Quality Passes, 13th-most

Juan Pablo Montoya (No. 42 Target Chevrolet) 10/1

# One top five, one top 10
# Average finish of 21.5
# Average Running Position of 11.8, fifth-best
# Driver Rating of 97.7, sixth-best
# 13 Fastest Laps Run, fifth-most
# Average Green Flag Speed of 118.689 mph, second-fastest

Tony Stewart (No. 14 Office Depot/Old Spice Chevrolet)

# Four wins, six top fives, eight top 10s
# Average finish of 5.7
# Series-best Average Running Position of 3.6
# Series-best Driver Rating of 134.0
# Series-high 84 Fastest Laps Run
# Series-best Average Green Flag Speed of 119.458 mph
# Series-high 350 Laps in the Top 15 (96.7%)
# 107 Quality Passes, second-most

Odds and Ends - Watkins Glen
VegasInsider.com

Driver Rating at Watkins Glen

Tony Stewart 134.0
Jimmie Johnson 106.8
Denny Hamlin 106.2 Kyle Busch 100.0
Kevin Harvick 98.4
Juan Pablo Montoya 97.7
Jeff Gordon 97.4
Kurt Busch 96.4
Marcos Ambrose*
94.5 Robby Gordon 94.2

Note: Driver Rating compiled from 2005-2008 races 4 total) at Watkins Glen.
* -- Ambrose has one Watkins Glen start.

Qualifying/Race Data

2008 pole winner: None (inclement weather)
2008 race winner: Kyle Busch, 97.148, 8-10-08)
Track qualifying record: Jeff Gordon (124.580 mph, 70.798 seconds, 8-8-03)
Track race record: Mark Martin (103.300 mph, 8-13-95)

Estimated Pit Window: Every 30-32 laps, based on fuel mileage.

Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips Driver Rating

With a trip to historic Watkins Glen International next on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule for Sunday’s Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at The Glen, plenty of talk will center on the road-course “experts” who annually challenge the NASCAR regulars on the 2.45-mile circuit. Yet to find the most successful drivers at The Glen, look no farther than two of the top three drivers in the series standings. Tony Stewart and Jeff Gordon share the lead in victories at the circuit with four apiece. Gordon won his four races over a five-year span. He won his first of three consecutive triumphs in 1997, and added a victory in 2001. He has six top-five finishes at The Glen, eight top 10s and two poles. He’s led nine of 16 races for 227 laps.

Stewart scored his first Watkins Glen victory in 2002, winning four times in six years (2004-05 and 2007). He has six top fives and eight top 10s, with an average finish of 5.7. Stewart led six of 10 races for 191 laps, and placed second in last year’s race, 2.275 seconds behind Kyle Busch( No. 18 M&M’s Toyota). In addition to his victories at Watkins Glen, Stewart also won twice at the other road course on the Sprint Cup Series schedule, Infineon Raceway, in addition to finishing second there in June following an exciting battle with Kasey Kahne (No. 9 Budweiser Dodge). Stewart, who has a spot in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup all but locked up, can conceivably clinch this weekend. He needs to have a 781-point lead over 13th-place leaving Watkins Glen to guarantee himself a spot in the Chase. Currently, his lead over 13th-place Kyle Busch is 726 points.

“While both road courses, the two tracks are still pretty different,” Stewart said. “At Watkins Glen, you don’t have to finesse the throttle near as much as you do at Sonoma. When you get the car turned, you can get in the gas and then stay in the gas. Watkins Glen is much faster than Sonoma. I think there are the same amount of passing opportunities, but because of the speeds that you’re able to run at The Glen, brakes become a much bigger factor than I think they are at Sonoma. It’s pretty much a horsepower track.

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Driver Handicaps: Watkins Glen
By Racingone.com

This weekend the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads to Watkins Glen International for Sunday's Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at The Glen. To help you make your fantasy racing picks, RacingOne brings you our weekly detailed look at some of the field for the 90-lap event.

Who's HOT at Watkins Glen
• Tony Stewart and Jeff Gordon lead all drivers with four wins each.
• Denny Hamlin has a 6.7 average finish in three starts.
• Marcos Ambrose won the Nationwide race and finished third in the Sprint Cup race in 2008.
• Robby Gordon, the 2003 winner, has finished in the top five in five of the last seven races.
• Defending race winner Kyle Busch is coming off three consecutive top 10s.
• Kevin Harvick has one win and four top 10s in his last six starts.
• Three-time winner Mark Martin leads all drivers with 12 top fives.

Keep an Eye on at Watkins Glen
• Kasey Kahne will be shooting for the 2009 road course sweep along with his first top 10 at Watkins Glen.
• Carl Edwards has finished in the top 10 in his last three starts at Watkins Glen.
• Ron Fellows, a five-time NASCAR winner at the Glen (NNS, NCWTS), leads a group of road course specialists enetered in this weekend's race.
• Juan Pablo Montoya has one Sprint Cup road course win (Sonoma) and four top 10s in five starts.
• Jimmie Johnson and Martin Truex Jr. have respective average finishes of 5.0 and 5.5 with the COT at Watkins Glen.
• AJ Allmendinger finished seventh in first road course start with Richard Petty Motorsports at Infineon Raceway in June.

Track Performers
Tony Stewart has competed in 21 road course events, and his 7.6 average finish tops all drivers. Jeff Gordon, who has an 11.3 average finish, leads all drivers in road course wins (9) and laps led (664) in 33 starts. Mark Martin, Denny Hamlin, Juan Pablo Montoya, Clint Bowyer, Ryan Newman, Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards and Kevin Harvick are the only other drivers that have an average finish of 15.0 or better on road courses.

RacingOne Staff Picks

Jeff Wackerlin: Marcos Ambrose
Pete Pistone: Tony Stewart
Rachael West: Jeff Gordon
Kym Opalenik: Mark Martin

Top 30 Driver Notes - Ordered by Current Standings

(All stats/notes are in regards to The Glen unless noted)

1. Tony Stewart: Has captured four wins and eight top 10s in 10 starts; Has finished first or second in the past five races; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 546) that finished second at Infineon Raceway.

2. Jimmie Johnson: Has four finishes of seventh or better in seven starts; Finished fourth at Infineon Raceway in June; Will pilot the same car (chassis No. 534) that finished seventh at Pocono Raceway in June.

3. Jeff Gordon: Has four wins and eight top 10s in 16 starts; Leads all drivers with 227 laps led; Has nine career road course victories; Finished ninth at Infineon Raceway in June; Tested at Road Atlanta to prepare for both road course events this season.

4. Kurt Busch: Has posted an average finish of 13.3 in three starts with Penske Racing; Won the pole with the team in 2006; Finished 10th last year for second top 10; First top 10 came with Roush Racing in 2004; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 617) that finished 15th at Infineon Raceway in June after a late race tangle with Jimmie Johnson; The team tested another car at Road Atlanta and will apply that data to the car for this weekend.

5. Denny Hamlin: Has yet to finish outside the top 10 in three starts; Best finish, of second, came in 2007; Has yet to lead a lap; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 241) that finished fifth at Infineon Raceway in June.

6. Carl Edwards: Is coming off three consecutive top 10s; Has a 10.2 average in four starts; Has yet to lead a lap; Will pilot the same car (chassis No. 656) that finished 13th at Infineon Raceway.

7. Kasey Kahne: Has yet to finish in the top 10 in five starts; Best finish is a pair of 14th-place runs; Going for 2009 road course sweep after winning at Infineon Raceway in June; Team looks to carry over a good brake package that was used at Infineon.

8. Juan Montoya: Finished fourth in this event last year; Was running sixth in 2007 until he was sent spinning on lap 72 to a 39th-place finish; Will debut a car (chassis No. 811) this weekend that was tested at Road Atlanta in July.

9. Ryan Newman: Scored three top 10s with Penske Racing from 2002-2008; Will make first track start with Stewart-Haas Racing; Finished 17th with the team in June at Infineon Raceway.

10. Mark Martin: Won three consecutive races in the mid 90s; Scored 12 consecutive top 10s from 1989-2000; Will make first track start with a team other than Roush; Will also mark first start since 2006; Will pilot the same car (chassis No. 550) that finished 35th at Infineon Raceway in June.

11. Matt Kenseth: Finished 12th in last two events; His last of three top 10s, in nine starts, came in 2004; He finished 18th at Infineon Raceway in June.

12. Greg Biffle: Has one top 10 in six starts; 21st-place finish last year raised average finish to 28.7; Finished 28th at Infineon Raceway in June.

13. Kyle Busch: Is the defending race winner; Led 52 laps from the pole after qualifying was rained out; Has finished in the top 10 in last three starts; He will pilot the same car (chassis No. 240) that finished 22nd at Infineon Raceway in June after it experienced brake problems.

14. Brian Vickers: Has posted an average finish of 29.5 in two starts with Team Red Bull; Lone top 10 came in second of three starts with Hendrick Motorsports.

15. Clint Bowyer: Has posted a 17.7 average finish in three starts; Will pilot the same car (chassis No. 278) that finished eighth at Infineon Raceway in June.

16. David Reutimann: Finished 33rd in first track start in 2008; Will race the same car (chassis No. 617) that finished 31st at Infineon Raceway in June.

17. Jeff Burton: Has posted an average finish of 27.8 in four starts with Richard Childress Racing; Last of three top 10s (seventh) came with Roush Racing in 2002; Will make 16th track start in the same car (chassis No. 246) that finished 34th at Infineon Raceway.

18. Marcos Ambrose: Finished third in first track start in 2008; Won the Nationwide race the day prior; Finished third at Infineon Raceway in June.

19. Joey Logano: Will make first track start in the Sprint Cup Series; Finished seventh in last year's Nationwide Series race; Scored a 19th-place finish at Infineon Raceway in June after contact late in the race; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 234) that raced at Infineon.

20. Jamie McMurray: Only top 10 in six starts came in 2006 when he finished third; The third-place finish came in his first track start with Roush Fenway; Has one career road course pole (Infineon, 2007); Will drive the same car (chassis No. 661) that finished 14th at Infineon Raceway.

21. Casey Mears: Will make first track start with Richard Childress Racing; Posted a 17.0 average finish in last two starts with Hendrick Motorsports; Only top 10 (fourth) in six starts came with Ganassi in 2004; Will race the same car (chassis No. 228) that had a good run going at Infineon Raceway before getting spun off course.

22. Kevin Harvick: Winner of the 2006 race; Coming off fifth top 10 in eight starts; Will drive the same car (chassis No. 241) that finished 29th at Infineon Raceway in June.

23. Dale Earnhardt Jr: Led 33 laps and finished 22nd with Hendrick Motorsports in 2008; Posted three top 10s with Dale Earnhardt Inc. in eight previous starts; Will race the same car (chassis No. 514) that finished 26th at Infineon after he was spun off course in the closing laps.

24. Martin Truex Jr: Has posted a 5.5 average finish in last two starts; Fifth-place finish in 2008 was first top five; Will debut a new car (chassis 65) this weekend.

25. Elliott Sadler: Has posted a 16.0 average finish in two starts with Gillett Evernham; Lone top 10 in 10 overall starts came with Yates Racing in 2006; Will race the same car (chassis No. 243) that finished 10th at Infineon Raceway in June.

26. AJ Allmendinger: Finished 11th with Team Red Bull in 2008; He finished seventh in first road course start with Richard Petty Motorsports at Infineon Raceway in June.

27. Sam Hornish Jr: Finished 32nd in first track start in the Sprint Cup Series in 2008; Finished 38th at Infineon Raceway in June after getting spun in Turn 7 while in the sixth position; Tested at Road Atlanta last week.

28. Reed Sorenson: Will make first track start with Richard Petty Motorsports; Best finish in three previous starts with Ganassi was a 12th in 2006; Team says he's recovered from the effects of carbon monoxide he inhaled at Pocono; Jacques Villeneuve was slated to be the back-up driver.

29. Bobby Labonte: Has one pole, two top-five and six top-10 finishes in 16 starts; Last top 10 came in 2001 with Joe Gibbs Racing; Will race the same car (chassis No. 662) that finished 20th at Infineon Raceway in June.

30. David Ragan: Has posted a 31.0 average finish in two starts; Had a solid run going at Infineon Raceway in June until he got spun out in the final laps; Will debut a new chassis (No. 660) in the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at The Glen.

NASCAR hits the road
By Brobury Sports

Road course racing comes to NASCAR for the second time this season, this one from Watkins Glen International.

There are only five more races before the Chase for the Cup begins and this road course could ultimately determine who makes the Chase.

Matt Kenseth (season standings 11th), Greg Biffle (12th), Kyle Busch (13th) and Brian Vickers (14th) are right on the border of making the Chase and none of them besides Busch are less than +4000 this week.

Here’s a look at Sunday’s Heluva Good race, broadcast at 2 pm EST on ESPN.

Tony Stewart (+450)

Stewart has 10 career races at Watkins Glen with four wins and six Top 5’s. He also has an average finish of 5.7. Stewart finished second at Sonoma back in June which is the other road course race on the circuit.

Jeff Gordon (+600)

Third in the season standings, Gordon has four wins at Watkins Glen in 16 tries and has Top 10’s in eight of them. Gordon is NASCAR’s all-time leader for road course (Sonoma plus Watkins Glen) victories with nine.

Kyle Busch (+600)

As mentioned above, Busch needs to take advantage of this race to move up in the standings. Busch won at Sonoma and Watkins Glen last year, but finished just 22nd at Sonoma earlier this year.

Juan Pablo Montoya (+700)

Eighth in the season standings, Montoya finished 6th, 4th and 6th in his last three road course races. He also finished second last week at Pocono and he looks like very good value at these odds.

Marco Ambrose (+700)

Another driver known for his road course racing, Ambrose finished 3rd at Watkins Glen last August and then 3rd at the Sonoma race this year. It will be surprising if he is not among the top finishers on Sunday.

Johnson edges Busch for Watkins Glen pole

Watkins Glen, NY (Sports Network) - Jimmie Johnson nipped Kurt Busch in Friday's qualifying at Watkins Glen International to take the pole position for the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at The Glen.

Johnson lapped the 2.45-mile, 11-turn road course at 123.633 m.p.h. (71.340 seconds) in his No.48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet for his 20th career Sprint Cup Series pole, but his first since November 2008 at Phoenix. The three-time defending series champion also recorded his first pole in his 16th road course event.

"We did all the right things today," Johnson said. "The car could have been a little bit better. For us, it was a little bit adventurous from time to time in qualifying trim, but I guess we had fewer problems than everybody else in putting in really good laps."

Johnson, who has yet to win a race at either Watkins Glen or Sonoma, CA., was only .008 seconds quicker than Kurt Busch in qualifying.

"I could have gone off track real easy, so I felt like I drove too conservative, and I didn't think we come up shy (of Johnson)," Busch said.

Denny Hamlin qualified third four days after scoring an emotional victory at Pocono. Hamlin's grandmother, Thelma Clark, passed away last Friday in Tampa, FL at the age of 91.

"Our car just had speed in it," Hamlin said. "It was good during Sonoma, and I think we led just as much as (race winner) Kasey (Kahne) did. We were battling for the win there. I didn't expect anything different here. This is actually our better of the two road courses."

Marcos Ambrose and David Stremme rounded out the top-five.

Ryan Newman was sixth, followed by Greg Biffle, Kyle Busch, the defending race winner, Boris Said and Juan Pablo Montoya. Said, a road course ace, grabbed the highest starting position among those drivers who were required to qualify on time.

Tony Stewart, the current points leader and four-time winner at Watkins Glen, qualified 13th, while Jeff Gordon, also a four-time winner here, was surprisingly 31st.

Joe Nemechek, Brian Simo and David Gilliland failed to qualify.

Sunday's race is scheduled to start just after 2:00 p.m. (et).

Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at The Glen PostQ

Could this be the weekend that Jimmie Johnson records that elusive first road course win? Johnson has yet to go to victory lane at either Infineon Speedway for Watkins Glen International in his career and is looking to end that streak in the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at The Glen. He has a very strong car taking the pole while also ranking as the top driver on our Speed chart. Johnson has four top 10s in seven races at The Glen with an average finish of 13th place. He has been hungry for a road course win to prove that he can win on any track type. The #48 Lowe’s Chevrolet team will be strong this weekend. The question is will Johnson be strong enough to win? We think so.

If there is going to be one driver that Johnson may be watching in his rear view mere at the start of the race it is Marcus Ambrose. Ambrose, who is not considered to be a rookie although this is his first full season, has been running surprisingly well at the Cup level. He posted a third place finish in this race last season in just his third Cup start coming from dead last. He had the best car during the Saturday practice sessions running away from the field during Happy Hour. Ambrose has proven to be a skilled road course driver and could record his first career NASCAR win. The #47 iRacing.com/Little Debbie Toyota is a must have for this race.

There is a tough battle going on for the final two transfer spots to make the Chase for the Championship. Teammates Matt Kenseth and Greg Biffle hold down the 11th and 12th position respectively holding just over a 100 point lead over Kyle Busch and David Reutimann. Kenseth could however take a big hit to that lead this weekend. Kenseth has never been a big fan of the road course events but has managed to average a 16th place finishing position in nine career starts at The Glen. That could come back to haunt him with just five races remaining before the start of the Chase. He will have to overcome a horrible starting position on a rood course track which is always a tough thing to do as he begins the race in the 42nd position. He was not much faster in the practice sessions sitting just 34th on our Speed chart. With a 21st ranking in NASCAR’s river Rating category we suggest avoiding the #17 DeWalt Ford for this race.

profantasysports.com

Watkins Glen - Practice Notes
By Micah Roberts
VegasInsider.com

After Saturday’s final practice sessions for Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup series race at the road course of Watkins Glen, a few drivers have stood out over the rest with consistent spectacular times during both sessions. The top road course practice times don’t necessarily produce the winner two times a year, but they do give a great indication of who should be running in the top-10 and at least compete for the win.

The star of the day was Australian Marcos Ambrose who was fastest in both of Saturday’s practices. After running 12 laps with the third best average speed in the first session, Ambrose came out in Happy Hour, ran the fastest laps, and then parked his car after only eight laps signaling that they were good to go for Sunday’s race.

Ambrose has run close to the same practice times. In his last two Cup road course races, including this seasons Sonoma race, but this race will be the first time that he won’t have to start from the rear. Because of a great qualifying session, Ambrose will start fourth which surely help his cause to gaining his first career Cup win.

Despite his poor start position in the last two road races, Ambrose still managed to finish third in both. Considering that 16 of the 26 Watkins Glen winners have started within the top four, Ambrose practice times look all the more attractive in making him a top candidate to win this week.

Sunday’s pole sitter, Jimmie Johnson, was third fastest in the early session and second during happy hour. Johnson has never won a road course event among his 43 career victories, but looks to have his best opportunity ever. In all 15 of Johnson’s career road starts, he has never been so crisp and clean, while being so fast, during practice while maneuvering both right and left turns.

Kurt Busch impressed a lot of the teams in the garage with his practices on Friday and Saturday. Busch was fastest in the first session Friday and sixth in Saturday’s happy hour. In the first session Saturday,

Busch had the 12th fastest lap but ran the most laps with the second fastest average times. Between both sessions, no one ran more laps than Busch for the day which means the team should be dialed in for long runs, something road courses present more than most.

Busch has never won a road course race, but his start position at second coupled with his great two days of practice, and stellar long run times make him a great candidate to get that first road win.

Juan Pablo Montoya had a great day of practices coming in fourth quickest early and tenth during happy hour running 19 laps. His one and only career Cup win came on the road course of Sonoma, not to mention he is one of the hottest drivers on the tour. The guy won Monte Carlo, come on, who can say that?

That accomplishment alone should separate status levels altogether. However, Montoya is playing the NASCAR points race at the moment and is very focused on the making the chase with only five races remaining. If it came push to shove late in the race, it’s likely Montoya makes that move to get the win, but the way the team has been talking, they just want a top five and the points that come with it.

Tony Stewart has the best seven year resume at Watkins Glen of anyone in track history. He had sluggish times on Friday, but came out solid with a 14th best early and then seventh fastest in happy hour. His four wins and two second-place finishes over that seven year span give him more clout for this race as a candidate to win than any of the top drivers in practice.

The key to race is likely to be who becomes the luckiest during their green flag pit stops. There should only be two stops required which means that someone who comes in early just before an ill-timed caution, which always seems to happen, will have position over those who haven’t pitted.

It’s such a long haul around the track that no one up front wants to be that guy stuck out late. Look for early pit stops before their 30 to 35 lap possibility, and then trying to stretch out that final fuel stop to the maximum possibility to avoid being caught in a pickle. Easier said than done, but that looks to be the common strategy.

Based on the practices with the amount of laps run, drivers like Johnson and Busch stand out as ones who will be really good on that final stretch if in position.

Watkins Glen Top Happy Hour Speeds:
1) Marcos Ambrose 123.021 mph - AVG: 8 laps @ 122.556
2) Jimmie Johnson 122.483 mph - AVG 23 laps @ 121.614
3) Denny Hamlin 122.189 mph - AVG 20 laps @ 121.346
4) Carl Edwards 122.149 mph - AVG 19 laps @ 121.221
5) Boris Said 122.096 mph - AVG 26 laps @ 120.849
6) Kurt Busch 121.963 mph - AVG 26 laps @ 121.370
7) Tony Stewart 121.961 mph - AVG 22 laps @ 121.273

Saturday’s First Practice Speeds:
1) Marcos Ambrose 122.643 mph - AVG 12 laps @ 121.213
2) Sam Hornish Jr 122.379 mph - AVG 15 laps @ 120.890
3) Jimmie Johnson 122.335 mph - AVG 16 laps @ 121.614
4) Juan Pablo Montoya 122.317 mph - AVG 17 laps @ 121.169
5) Max Papis 122.267 mph - AVG 11 laps @ 121.130 ?

Top Rated drivers far as candidates to win Sunday’s Watkins Glen race based on this weekend’s practice, past performances at the Glen, a mix of Sonoma, and current state of their team.
1) Kurt Busch
2) Tony Stewart
3) Jimmie Johnson
4) Marcos Ambrose
5) Juan Pablo Montoya
6) Kyle Busch
7) Jeff Gordon
8) Denny Hamlin
9) Kevin Harvick
10) Carl Edwards

Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at the Glen Odds and Predictions
by Christopher G. Shepard

A 10th-place finish last week at Pocono kept Tony Stewart in first place --197 points in front of challenger Jimmie Johnson in NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series with five races to go until the Chase for the Sprint Cup as NSCS heads to New York’s Finger Lakes region for the circuit’s second road-course of the season, the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at the Glen on Sunday at 1 p.m.

Gamblers should note that with Denny Hamlin’s win last week there have been 12 different drivers to win races in 2009; this tied 2008’s all-time record. While the Glen’s defending champion, Kyle Busch, won this race last as the pole-sitter.

Who will win the 2009 Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at the Glen?

The Sprint Cup points reset starts in September in New Hampshire but there is no time like the present for Kyle Busch to secure his Chase spot by doing well this Sunday at Watkins Glen. Currently, Busch is on the bubble at 13th (having improved one spot after Pocono last week). He’ll need to make up 101 points in the next five races to do so, but if he does, Kyle will be one of the leaders since he’ll claim 30 bonus points for his three Sprint Cup wins this season. But he’ll have to make the Chase and at the Glen he has a great opportunity to close the gap. I think Busch still has some issues to overcome but I think it is realistic that we’ll see Kyle definitely in the Top 10 and perhaps even the Top 5 when the race is finished.

Other drivers I’d keep an eye on are Jeff Gordon and Stewart. There is a reason why these two drivers are in the Top 3 in the NSCS standings and in contention to win each and every week. Stewart definitely has the hottest car right now and at 7/2 it might make sense as a hedge bet either to win or to finish in the Top 3.

The driver I like to win on Sunday, however, is the former F/1 driver who has seemed to find his groove over the past two weeks. Of course I am talking about the Chevy Target No. 42 car and Juan Pablo Montoya. JPM has come on strong in the last two races and has to be confident coming into Watkins Glen. Montoya finished second last week at Pocono and should have won the Brickyard 400 had it not been for a speeding penalty on pit road. It seems like JPM has figured out the ovals as well as the road courses.

Now Montoya rolls into The Glen having moved up two spots to eighth place in the NSCS standings. In two starts on the New York road course JPM has one Top-5 finish. Given JPM’s open wheel background you have to give him serious consideration whenever NASCAR goes out-of-the-oval. Watkins Glen couldn’t come at a better time for JPM, who is trying to secure a spot in the Sprint Cup Chase. Of course, a lot will depend upon pit-position-strategy and where on the grid he starts, but JPM always qualifies well on the road courses. He’s won one pole this year and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him win another pole, and perhaps another victory. But, if not, I can’t see how JPM finishes out of the Top 3 on Sunday.

Pick! Juan Pablo Montoya, No. (13/2)

2009 Heluva Good!- Lucky Dog Long Odds Special at the Glen

Kevin Harvick, who hasn’t done much since he won the Bud Shootout the first race of the season, finds his Shell/Penzoil Chevy in 22nd place in the standings and the grim reality is that he won’t make the Chase this year. It would be the first time in four consecutive seasons that has happened but he is -503 points from Greg Biffle’s 12th and final spot. However, despite is down season this year, Harvick has been resurgent in his past four races. Two weeks ago at Indianapolis he managed a sixth-place finish, his first Top 10 in 15 races and third of the season. To put it in perspective last year Harvick had 19 Top-10s. Last week Harvick finished in 12th place at Pocono and gained a spot in the NSCS standings. Harvick has raced at the Glen eight times and sports five Top-10 finishes and won in 2006. Loop Data is another factor that points to a favorable finish for Harvick. At the Glen Harvick is the fifth best rated driver with a 98.4 and is fourth in average running position at 11.6. But the one statistic that really pops out is that Harvick is third on the list for fastest laps run at the Glen which makes him my Lucky Dog Long Odds pick.

Pick! Kevin Harvick, No. 29, (18/1)

2009 Heluva Good!- Odds for Top 3 Finish at the Glen

Marcos Ambrose almost notched his second consecutive Top-10 finish last week at Pocono but got knocked out of the race on lap 175 as David Reutimann’s car spun out of control and knocked the 47 car into the wall near pit-row and Ambrose ended his day in 34th place. Despite the disappointing way he finished the race Ambrose is currently in 18th place and going into the Glen has a good chance of moving up in the standings after Sunday as he is one of the “road course specialists.” Last year Ambrose came into Watkins Glen and won his first Nationwide Series race and the very next day followed it up with a third place finish in the Sprint Cup race. I wouldn’t be surprised if Ambrose improves on last year’s third place finish at the Glen.

Pick! Marcos Ambrose, No. 47, (9/5)

Docsports.com

Watkins Glen International: Preview and Predictions
By Smooth44

While the double-file restart rule has kept fans interested in these races it is the Chase now has many fans on the edges of their seats every Sunday. And with just 5 races left the Chase is really heating up. And this week at the Glen figures to be another intense day for drivers. And drivers will have to deal with the added challenge of switching to the stock car which some have handled well while others have struggled. Stewart is amongst the drivers who has handled the change over well winning 4 times at this track while other well-known drivers like Jeff Gordon continue to struggle here, finishing 29th at this event last year. Watkins Glen is known as a fast track with turns that drivers can handle with speed given the fact there is a lot of concrete for drivers to grip. Weather may be a factor as it appears there is rain in the area so this could make for a few surprises. Tony Stewart looks like the easy pick but I don't see much value at the current odds so here is who I like:

1. Mike Martin (50 to 1) - These odds seem absurd for someone fighting to stay in the Chase and also someone who has proven in the past that he can handle this track. Granted, his success was a decade ago when he won 3 consecutive races here but you have to believe that experience and success gives him a legitimate shot today.

2. Juan Pablo Montoya (9 to 1) - Montoya has the road course experience to challenge the field today and odds suggest he has a legitimate shot to pull it off. He has one win and 4 top tens in his 5 road course starts making him very desirable at these odds.

3. Denny Hamlin (13 to 1) - Hamlin got it done for us last week and I will ride the momentum and take a shot again this week. Hamlin has finished in the top 10 in all 3 of his starts here including 2nd last year. He is also using the same car that he he just placed 5th with at Infineon, the other road course.

4. Jeff Gordon (18 to 1) - Gordon at 18 to 1? I will bite! Gordon finished 29th at this event last year and champion drivers love getting redemption after an embarrassing performance. Gordan ran well at Infineon and this has him feeling optimistic about this weekend. Let's not forget that Gordon has taken the checkered 4 times at this event and this ties him for the most.