Shane van Gisbergen will try to join Jeff Gordon and Chase Elliott as the only Cup drivers to win four consecutive road or street course races Sunday at Watkins Glen International.
With wins this season at Sonoma Raceway, the streets of downtown Chicago and Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City, van Gisbergen also can tie Denny Hamlin for the series lead in victories with a win at Watkins Glen.
Elliott won four consecutive road course races from 2019-20 (Watkins Glen, twice at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval, Daytona International Speedway). Gordon holds the all-time mark of six consecutive road-course wins from 1997-2000 at Sonoma Raceway and Watkins Glen.
Last year at Watkins Glen (which was held a month later in the playoffs), Chris Buescher beat van Gisbergen with a last-lap pass. Buescher is in the last provisional playoff spot by 23 points over Roush Fenway Racing Keselowski teammate Ryan Preece.
With three races remaining in the regular season, there are three spots left in the Cup playoffs that are occupied by winless drivers Tyler Reddick (plus 122 points), Alex Bowman (plus-63) and Buescher.
Details for Sunday’s Cup race at Watkins Glen International
(All times Eastern)
START: The command to start engines will be given at 1:54 p.m. ... The green flag is scheduled to wave at 2:05 p.m.
PRERACE: The Cup garage will open at 11 a.m. ... The drivers meeting will be at 12:50 p.m. ... Drivers introductions will be at 1:20 p.m.... The national anthems will be performed starting at 1:46 p.m.
DISTANCE: The race is 90 laps (220.5 miles) on the seven-turn, 2.45-mile road course in Watkins Glen, New York.
STAGES: Stage 1 ends at Lap 20. Stage 2 ends at Lap 40.
PURSE: $9,797,935
ENTRY LIST: Click here for the 40 cars entered at Watkins Glen International.
TV/RADIO: USA Network will broadcast the race starting with Countdown to Green at 1:30 p.m. ... Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio will have radio coverage.
FORECAST: WeatherUnderground — Sunny with a high of 91 degrees and winds from the south at 5 to 10 mph. It’s expected to be 88 degrees with a 0% chance for rain at the start of the Cup race.
LAST TIME: Chris Buescher outdueled Shane van Gisbergen in overtime, making contact while completing a last-lap pass for his first victory of the season.
