It’s time to go road racing again this season as the Cup Series heads to the Empire State to compete at Watkins Glen International.
Sunday’s Go Bowling at the Glen (2:30 p.m. ET on NBC) is the second of three road course races this season.
The last six races at WGI have been won by six different drivers.
According to Racing Insights, here’s who is hot and not entering the 22nd race of the season.
Kevin Harvick
• Finished 4th at Pocono (2nd in Stage 1, 1st in Stage 2, led 30 laps); started 29th after pole-winning
qualifying lap was disallowed due to failed inspection)
• Won 6 of last 20 races
• Won 10 stages in 2018 (had 6 in all of 2017)
• 6 wins is most in a single season
• Led 1,000+ laps in single season for fourth time in career; all four times were in the last five years
• Finished in top 5 in 3 straight races and 7 of last 8
• In 21 races in 2018, has 17 finishes of 7th or better (including 6 wins)
• Finished in the Top 5 in 20 of last 25 races, dating back to last season
• Finished 13th or worse in 4 of last 6 Watkins Glen races
• Started 20th, 29th in Stage 1, 26th in Stage 2, finished 17th in this race one year ago
• Finished 7th or better in 6 of last 8 road course races, including win at Sonoma in 2017
Chase Elliott
• Finished 7th at Pocono (1st in Stage 1, 2nd in Stage 2, 14 laps led)
• Finished top 10 in the last two races
• Finished in Top 10 in 5 of last 8 races
• Two stage wins in 2018, both have come in the last two races (Had 3 in 2017)
• Finished 13th in both career starts at Watkins Glen (2016 & 2017)
• Started 4th, placed 3rd in Stage 1 and 18th in Stage 2, led 9 laps, finished 13th in this race one year ago
• Two Top 10s in 5 career road course starts (both at Sonoma)
Kyle Busch
• Won at Pocono (4th in Stage 1, 25th in Stage 1, 52 laps led); started 28th after 2nd-fastest qualifying lap was
disallowed due to failed inspection
• Won 6 of last 15 races
• Finished in Top 5 in 8 of last 9 races
• Finished in the Top 5 in 15 of 21 races this season
• Finished 7th or better in 3 straight Watkins Glen races
• Finished 9th or better in 11 of last 12 Watkins Glen races, including wins in 2008 and 2013
• Started 1st, 1st in Stage 1, 9th in Stage 2, 21 laps led, finished 7th in this race one year ago; pit for a 2nd time
on lap 23 due to a loose wheel
• Finished 7th or better in 7 straight road course races, including win at Sonoma in 2015
Ryan Newman
• Finished 8th at Pocono (13th in Stage 1, 13th in Stage 2)
• Top 10 in three of the last four races, had a total of three top-10s in the first 17 races of 2018
• Finished 11th or worse in 11 straight Watkins Glen races
• Last Top 10 at Watkins Glen was 2006 (finished 8th)
• Started 23rd, 15th in Stage 1, 32nd in Stage 2, finished 25th in this race one year ago
• Finished 15th or worse in last 4 road course races
Kurt Busch
• Finished 9th at Pocono (8th in Stage 1, 12th in Stage 2, 11 laps led); hit wall in Turn 1 after flat left-front tire on Lap 112 while running 15th
• Finished 9th or better in 3 straight races
• Top 10 in four of the last five Watkins Glen races, finished 11th in the other
• Started 18th, 28th in Stage 1, 8th in Stage 2, finished 6th in this race one year ago
• Finished 7th or better in 3 straight road course races and 11th or better in the last 8 road course races
Martin Truex Jr.
• Finished 15th at Pocono (23rd in Stage 1, 30th in Stage 2)
• Pocono ended a streak of 5 straight Top 5s
• Won 3 of last 8 races
• Finished in the Top 5 in 9 of last 11 races
• Finished 7th or better in 2 straight Watkins Glen races, including win in 2017
• Finished in Top 10 in 5 of last 7 Watkins Glen races
• Started 3rd, 2nd in Stage 1, 2nd in Stage 2, 24 laps led, won this race one year ago
• Won last two road course races
• Finished 7th or better in 4 of last 5 road course races
WHO IS NOT
Jamie McMurray
• Finished 20th at Pocono (17th in Stage 1, 8th in Stage 2, 1 lap led); penalized for speeding in pits on
lap 24
• Finished 12th or worse in 6 straight races
• Finished 15th or worse in 17 of 21 races this season
• Finished outside the top 10 in 6 of last 7 at Watkins Glen
• Three Top 10s in 15 career starts at Watkins Glen
• Started 9th, 6th in Stage 1, 34th in Stage 2, finished 14th in this race one year ago
• Two top 10s in the last eight road course races
Brad Keselowski
• Finished 38th at Pocono (7th in Stage 1, 7th in Stage 2, 1 lap led); DNF – lost a RR tire on lap 121 while
running 13th and hit the wall
• Finished 32nd or worse in last 2 races and 3 of last 4 (first time since 2013)
• Finished 7th or better in 5 of 8 career Watkins Glen starts
• Three time runner-up finisher at Watkins Glen, yet to win
• Started 8th, 5th in Stage 1, 7th in Stage 2, led 20 laps, finished 15th in this race one year ago; penalized
for driving through too many pit boxes on Lap 87
• Finished 7th or better in 3 of last 6 road course races
Austin Dillon
• Finished 13th at Pocono (21st in Stage 1, 16th in Stage 2)
• Finished 13th or worse in 3 straight races
• Finished 12th or worse in 15 of last 16 races
• Finished outside Top 10 in 18 of 20 races since Daytona 500 win
• Hasn’t finished better than 16th in 4 career starts at Watkins Glen (27.3 avg. finish)
• Started 27th, 13th in Stage 1, 30th in Stage 2, finished 26th in this race one year ago
• Hasn’t finished better than 16th in 9 career road course starts
Clint Bowyer
• Finished 11th at Pocono (6th in Stage 1, 3rd in Stage 2); started 31st after failing post-qualifying
inspection; penalized for speeding in pits on Lap 122
• Finished outside the top 10 in 4 straight races
• Led 331 laps in 2018, more than he had in the previous 4 seasons combined (145)
• Finished 6th or better in 4 of last 6 Watkins Glen races
• Started 12th, 35th in Stage 1, 29th in Stage 2, finished 5th in this race one year ago; started in the rear
due to unapproved adjustments in pre-race
• Finished in top 5 in 3 straight road course races and in Top 10 in 10 of last 13 road course races,
including win at Sonoma in 2012
Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
• Finished 22nd at Pocono (20th in Stage 1, 20th in Stage 2); spun on Lap 158
• Finished outside the top 10 in 10 of last 11 races
• Finished 14th or worse in 17 of 21 races in 2018
• Has not finished better than 18th in 5 career starts at Watkins Glen
• Started 22nd, 10th in Stage 1, 33rd in Stage 2, finished 20th in this race one year ago
• Never finished better than 18th in 11 career road course starts
Kyle Larson
• Finished 23rd at Pocono (12th in Stage 1, 5th in Stage 2); started 32nd after failing post-qualifying
inspection
• Finished 12th or worse in last 2 races and 3 of the last 4
• Finished 12th or worse in 3 straight Watkins Glen races
• One top 10 in 4 career Watkins Glen starts
• Started 2nd, 4th in Stage 1, 21st in Stage 2, finished 23rd in this race one year ago
• Finished 12th or worse in 8 of 9 career road course start
