To the casual fan, the second of the two road courses on the schedule might look the same (Infineon in Sonoma California in June was the first), according to this week’s favorite Kyle Busch, they are very different.
Busch describes how different course layouts are by comparing Infineon to Martinsville, the smallest Sprint Cup oval, while comparing Watkins Glen to Talladega, the longest oval on the circuit.
“Watkins Glen seems like it’s an easier road course for these cars and for us to be on,” Busch told the media. “They’re not as agile as other sports cars are. We’re 3,400-pound racecars where other sports cars are maybe 2,500 or 2,800 pounds. You can throw them around a lot easier. Their brakes are a lot better and they stop a lot better. With as big and heavy of tanks as these (Sprint Cup cars have), we seem to have a problem, already, not running into each other.”
Busch drove to victory here in 2008 and hasn’t finished outside the Top 10 at the Glen since that win. Coming off a second place finish at Pocono last week, a track that many drivers admit acts like a road course, Busch is in a great position to pick up his fourth win of the season.
Tony Stewart is another driver on NASCAR bettors’ radar. He’s the series leader among active drivers with five wins at the Glen and last won here in 2009. Stewart could score his first victory of the season Sunday and his stats at the Glen, including the highest driver rating among the Top 12 drivers, seem to bear that out. However, he has been missing something this season that keeps him out of the favorite’s column. Should the magic return this weekend, Stewart could certainly be a threat.
Jeff Gordon might be ready to add a third victory and spoil the party for everyone else. He has four wins here and has been enjoying a decent season. Keep in mind, that the last time he won here was in 2001 and, while Stewart has the highest driver rating among the Top 12, Gordon has the lowest.
Wildcard watch
Under NASCAR’s new season points, the driver who is inside the Top 20 in points and who has at least one win, will be in line to make the season ending Chase for the Championship. With five races left until the cutoff that determines who will race for the title, several drivers are vying to make it inside the Top 20.
This week, the driver with the best shot to do that and win is Marcos Ambrose. Ambrose is 23rd in the standings and while he is winless at the Glen, he has finished third, second and third in his last three races here. With a record like that, and the motivation to win, he can’t be ignored.
Another driver on wildcard watch is Juan Pablo Montoya. He’s 21st in points, won last year’s event and has finished in the Top 10 in each of the last three races, but has been so off his game this season that a win Sunday would be a genuine surprise.
Head-to-head
This week’s primetime matchup pairs Jimmie Johnson vs. Carl Edwards. Both are winless at the Glen, but are at the top of the standings. Both drivers share three Top-5 finishes here and both will be racing in the Nationwide event Saturday. Johnson and Edwards will try to stay out of trouble in order to maintain their points, but Edwards has been coming on strong in the late stages of races, so look for him to finish ahead of the No. 48 Sunday.
Neither Clint Bowyer nor Dale Earnhardt Jr. are known as road course kings. Both are winless, but have been making noise lately as they try to prove they’re legitimate contenders. While Earnhardt does have two Top-5 finishes, the last in 2004, he also has two DNF’s. Look for Bowyer to come out ahead in this matchup.
Bottom Line
Starting inside the Top 10 at Watkins Glen can make for an easy trip to Victory Lane. Twenty of the 28 races at Watkins Glen have been won by a car in a Top-10 starting position.
Favorites
Kyle Busch(+800)
Tony Stewart (+700)
Jeff Gordon (+800)
Wildcard
Marcos Ambrose (+400)
