NASCAR National Series News & Notes - Watkins Glen International

NASCAR Cup Series

Next Race: Go Bowling at The Glen

The Place: Watkins Glen International

The Date: Sunday, August 20

The Time: 3 p.m. ET

The Purse: $7,154,312

TV: USA, 2:30 p.m. ET

Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Distance: 220.5 miles (90 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 20),

Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 40), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 90)

NASCAR Xfinity Series

Next Race: Shriner’s Children 200 at The Glen

The Place: Watkins Glen International

The Date: Saturday, August 19

The Time: 3:30 p.m. ET

The Purse: $1,257,045

TV: USA, 3 p.m. ET

Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Distance: 200.9 miles (82 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 20),

Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 40), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 82)

NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series

Next Race: Clean Harbors 175

The Place: Milwaukee Mile Speedway

The Date: Sunday, August 27

The Time: 3 p.m. ET

The Purse: $644,030

TV: FS1, 2 p.m. ET

Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Distance: 177.625 miles (175 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 55),

Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 110), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 175)

NASCAR Cup Series

New York State Of Mind: NASCAR rolls into Watkins Glen this weekend

Pressures to make the Playoffs are mounting as the NASCAR Cup Series prepares for the penultimate race of the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series regular season, the Go Bowling at The Glen at Watkins Glen International, this Sunday, August 20 at 3 p.m. ET on the USA Network, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90).

Watkins Glen International is the fifth of six road courses on the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series schedule; joining Circuit of The Americas (Winner: Tyler Reddick), Sonoma Raceway (Martin Truex Jr.), Chicago Street Race (Shane van Gisbergen) and Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course (Michael McDowell). After this weekend, the only road course left on the 2023 schedule will be the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL on Oct. 8, 2023.

This weekend will mark the 40th running of a NASCAR Cup Series race on the historic 2.45-mile multi-elevational Watkins Glen International road course located near Watkins Glen, New York in the Finger Lakes region of the state. Racing in the Watkins Glen area began on the streets of the city, but after several events were held, a permanent facility was opened in 1956. The first NASCAR Cup Series race at Watkins Glen International was on August 4, 1957 and won by owner/driver Buck Baker with an average speed of 83.064 mph driving a 1957 Chevrolet. Over the years, the Cup Series has changed the race length at Watkins Glen three times. The first NASCAR Cup Series race at Watkins Glen was scheduled for 101.2 miles in 1957, the second race was 161.7 miles (1964), and the third race was 151.8 miles (1965). Every race since has been scheduled for 220.5-miles (90 laps).

The previous 39 NASCAR Cup Series races at Watkins Glen International have produced 22 different poles winners and 24 different race winners. NASCAR Hall of Famers Dale Earnhardt (1990, ’92, ‘96), Mark Martin (1993, ’94, ‘95) and Jeff Gordon (1998, ’03, ‘14) lead the NASCAR Cup Series in poles at Watkins Glen International with three poles each. Richard Childress Racing’s Kyle Busch (2011 and 2017) and Hendrick Motorsports’ Chase Elliott (2019 and 2022) lead all active drivers in poles at Watkins Glen with two each. This weekend, four of the 22 NASCAR Cup Series pole winners at Watkins Glen International are entered in the Go Bowling at The Glen.

Active WGI Pole Winners (4)

Poles

Seasons

Chase Elliott

2022, 2019

Kyle Busch

2017, 2011

Denny Hamlin

2018

AJ Allmendinger

2015

NASCAR Hall of Famer Tony Stewart leads the NASCAR Cup Series in victories at Watkins Glen International with five wins (2002, ’04, ’05, ’07 and ’09); one win shy of tying the series record for most road course wins at a single track at six held by NASCAR Hall of Famer Bobby Allison at Riverside Raceway (1971, ’73, ’75, ’79, ’81 sweep).

Hendrick Motorsports teammates Chase Elliott (2018, 2019) and Kyle Larson (2021, 2022) and Richard Childress Racing’s Kyle Busch (2008, 2013) lead all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers in wins at Watkins Glen International with two victories each. The 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson is the most recent winner at the 2.45-mile track, winning last season’s event by a scant .882-second over second-place AJ Allmendinger. Eight of the 24 NASCAR Cup Series winners at Watkins Glen International are active this weekend, and three of the eight are looking for their first win of the 2023 season – Chase Elliott, AJ Allmendinger and Kevin Harvick.

Active WGI Race Winners (8)

Wins

Seasons

Kyle Larson

2022, 2021

Chase Elliott

2019, 2018

Kyle Busch

2013, 2008

Martin Truex Jr

2017

Denny Hamlin

2016

Joey Logano

2015

AJ Allmendinger

2014

Kevin Harvick

2006

All the NASCAR Cup Series on-track activity begins with practice and Busch Light Pole Qualifying at 12:30 p.m. ET on the USA Network.

Truex can clinch Regular Season Championship at WGI

Joe Gibbs Racing driver and current NASCAR Cup Series point standings leader, Martin Truex Jr., can clinch the 2023 Regular Season Championship presented by Coca-Cola this weekend at Watkins Glen International in the Go Bowling at The Glen on Sunday, August 20 at 3 p.m. ET (on USA, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) by being ahead of the driver in second in the standings by 61 points at the conclusion of the race. He also has a possibility of clinching at 60 points ahead of second, but it would depend on the tiebreaker. If Truex scores 56 points this weekend at Watkins Glen International, he will automatically clinch the Regular Season Championship. The New Jersey native has grown his points cushion over second place Denny Hamlin to 60 points following the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course.

“Every single race is important,” said Martin Truex Jr. “I don’t know how anyone can say they don’t matter. We are looking at locking up 15 bonus points by trying to get the Regular Season Championship. It’s an opportunity to lock up a lot of bonus points and that’s what matters in the Playoffs. Every race is equally important. All 26 matter and all 26 can earn you points and do things that will help you in the Playoffs. For us, it’s business as usual and these races are all important.”

Though mathematically possible to not achieve the clinch this weekend, Truex’s likelihood of becoming the second driver to win multiple Regular Season Championships on Sunday is a decent possibility. If he accomplishes the feat, only Truex (2017 and 2023) and Kyle Busch (2018 and 2019) would have more than one. In total, only five drivers have won the NASCAR Cup Series Regular Season Championship – Truex (2017), Busch (2018, 2019), Kevin Harvick (2020), Kyle Larson (2021) and Chase Elliott (2022).

Playoffs Clinch Scenarios: Watkins Glen International

With Front Row Motorsports’ Michael McDowell’s big win last weekend at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course, 13 drivers have clinched a spot in the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs. That leaves three spots still up for grabs with only two races left in the regular season, which means at least one or more spots will be earned on points. Below is a breakdown of the drivers that can clinch their spot in the postseason this weekend:

Already Clinched

The following 13 drivers have clinched a spot in the 16-driver postseason field: Martin Truex Jr., Denny Hamlin, William Byron, Christopher Bell, Kyle Larson, Ross Chastain, Ryan Blaney, Chris Buescher, Kyle Busch, Tyler Reddick, Joey Logano, Michael McDowell and Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

Can Clinch Via Points

If there is a repeat winner or a win by a driver who cannot advance to the Playoffs, the following drivers could clinch by being 56 points above the 3rd winless driver in the standings. The same point requirements listed below would hold true if a new win comes from among Kevin Harvick or Brad Keselowski.

Kevin Harvick: Would clinch regardless of finish
Brad Keselowski: Would clinch regardless of finish

If there is a new winner from Bubba Wallace or another winless driver lower in the standings but still eligible to advance to the Playoffs, the following drivers could clinch by being 56 points above the 2nd winless driver in the standings.

Kevin Harvick: Could only clinch with help

Can Clinch Via Win

The following drivers would clinch on their win alone: Kevin Harvick, Brad Keselowski, Bubba Wallace, Daniel Suárez, Ty Gibbs, Chase Elliott, Alex Bowman, AJ Allmendinger, Austin Cindric, Justin Haley, Aric Almirola, Ryan Preece, Corey LaJoie, Todd Gilliland, Erik Jones, Austin Dillon, Harrison Burton, Chase Briscoe, Ty Dillon

Wallace vs. Suárez: The battle for the final Playoff spot

Following another new 2023 winner at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course (Michael McDowell) last weekend, 23XI Racing’s Bubba Wallace, now in the 16th and final NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs transfer spot on points, finds himself with a 28-point cushion on Trackhouse Racing’s Daniel Suárez in 17th, the first spot outside the Playoffs. With just two races to go in the 2023 regular season, tensions are running high as both drivers will be vying for the final postseason position this weekend at Watkins Glen International.

23XI Racing’s driver Bubba Wallace is looking to earn a spot in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs for the first time in his career. In 24 starts this season, he has put up four top fives and six top 10s. His average finish on the year in 17.2. But Wallace will have his work cut out for him this weekend, as Watkins Glen is one of his more challenging tracks on the schedule. In four starts at the 2.45-mile road course, he has put up a best finish of 23rd, and an average finish of 27.8. He finished 35th in this event last season due to a suspension issue. If Wallace can hold-on to his position through this weekend at Watkins Glen, his chances of earning his first appearance in the postseason would increase as the regular season finale is at one of his best tracks – Daytona International Speedway.

Sitting directly in Wallace’s review mirror is Trackhouse Racing’s Daniel Suárez in the 17th position in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff standings outlook, 28 points behind Wallace in 16th. Suárez is hoping to catch Wallace in these next two races and secure his spot in the postseason. Suárez earned his first Playoff berth of his career last season and will want nothing more than to go back to the Playoffs.

“We just need to keep doing what we are doing,” said Daniel Suárez. “That’s qualify well and earn stage points and get a good finish. There is still a lot of racing left and we know we can do this. If we have as good a car at Watkins Glen as we had at Indianapolis, we know we can win there. That’s true about Daytona as well.”

In contrast to Wallace, Suárez has excelled at Watkins Glen International making five career starts at 2.45-mile course posting three top-five finishes and an average finish of 12.0 – ninth best among active drivers. He finished fifth in last season’s Watkins Glen Cup race.

Former Cup champion Chase Elliott’s Playoff streak in jeopardy

The five-time NASCAR Cup Series Most Popular Driver (2018-2022) and 2020 series champion, Chase Elliott, heads into the final two races of the regular season ranked 19th in the Playoff standings outlook, 80 points back from Bubba Wallace in the 16th and final transfer spot on points. Though it is mathematically possible for him to earn his way into the Playoff on points, Elliott would need a considerable amount of help to do it, and most likely the Georgia native will need a win to get in. Elliott’s streak of making the Playoffs the last seven consecutive seasons, dating back to his rookie year, is in jeopardy.

Elliott’s had a season unlike any in his career. This year he has missed races due to injury and suspension, but through it all has still managed to give himself a shot at the postseason with two races to go. He came close to winning last weekend when he finished runner-up to Michael McDowell at Indianapolis.

“Just needed just a little bit more and came up a bit short,” said Elliott. “But congrats to Michael (McDowell), man. He did a good job. Ran a great race and stayed mistake free, and that’s what you’ve got to do to win.”

This season Elliott has made 17 starts putting up six top fives and nine top 10s. Watch for Elliott to challenge for the win again this weekend at Watkins Glen International. Elliott has taken to the New York road course quite nicely, having made six starts at 2.45-mile course posting two poles, two wins (2018, 2019) and four top fives. Plus, he leads all active drivers in average finish at Watkins Glen with a 5.667.

Road Course Aces: NASCAR’s best at road racing

The NASCAR Cup Series drivers will be challenged by the twists and turns of multi-elevational road course at Watkins Glen this weekend in the Go Bowling at The Glen race on Sunday, August 20 at 3 p.m. ET on USA Network, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. Several drivers are still looking for their first win this season, including Hendrick Motorsports driver Chase Elliott who leads all active drivers in road course wins with seven victories. Elliott is already considered one of the early favorites for this weekend but keep an eye on the two most recent winners on road courses in the series, Martin Truex Jr. (Sonoma) and Michael McDowell (Indianapolis), as both will most certainly be in the mix as well.

This weekend there are 14 former series road course winners entered in this Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Watkins Glen International.

Active Road Course Winners (14)

Total Wins

Sonoma

WGI

Charlotte

Daytona

Indy

COTA

Road America

Chase Elliott

Martin Truex Jr

Kyle Busch

Kyle Larson

Tyler Reddick

Kevin Harvick

AJ Allmendinger

Christopher Bell

Joey Logano

Ryan Blaney

Denny Hamlin

Daniel Suárez

Ross Chastain

Michael McDowell

The NASCAR Cup Series has competed on four road courses this season so far, with 23XI Racing’s Tyler Reddick winning at Austin (COTA), Joe Gibbs Racing’s Martin Truex Jr. winning at Sonoma, New Zealand native and Trackhouse Racing driver Shane van Gisbergen winning at Chicago (street race), and Michael McDowell winning last weekend at the Indianapolis Road Course.

If Chase Elliott were to win this weekend, he would tie NASCAR Hall of Famer Tony Stewart (eight road course wins) for second on the NASCAR Cup Series all-time road course wins list, behind only NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon with a record nine road course victories in the series.

JGR rookie Ty Gibbs is looking for a win and a Playoff berth at Watkins Glen

Joe Gibbs Racing’s rookie Ty Gibbs has been having a strong first year and with two races remaining in the NASCAR Cup Series regular season, the 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series champion still has a chance at earning a spot in the 2023 Cup Series Playoffs.

This season, Gibbs is still looking for his first NASCAR Cup Series career victory but has managed to put up one top five and six top 10s in his 24 starts. Heading into this weekend at Watkins Glen, Gibbs is ranked 18th in the Playoff standings outlook, 49 points back from Bubba Wallace in the 16th and final transfer spot on points. If Gibbs were to make the postseason this year, he would be just the sixth rookie in series history to accomplish the feat; joining Denny Hamlin (2006), Chase Elliott (2016), Chris Buescher (2016), Cole Custer (2020) and Austin Cindric (2022).

Four NASCAR Cup Series drivers all-time have posted their first series career win at Watkins Glen International, and this weekend, Gibbs a skilled road racer in his own right, is looking to become the fifth.

First-Time Winners at WGI

Starting Pos.

Crew Chief

Date

Steve Park

Paul Andrews

Sunday, August 13, 2000

Marcos Ambrose

Todd Parrott

Monday, August 15, 2011

AJ Allmendinger

Brian Burns

Sunday, August 10, 2014

Chase Elliott

Alan Gustafson

Sunday, August 5, 2018

A total of eight drivers that visited Victory Lane in the NASCAR Cup Series last season are still looking for their first win of 2023 – Kevin Harvick, Chase Elliott, Alex Bowman, Austin Cindric, Austin Dillon, Bubba Wallace, Chase Briscoe and Erik Jones. Elliott led the series in total wins last season with five.

NASCAR Cup Series, Etc.

Cup Winners Aplenty in 2023 – With Front Row Motorsports’ Michael McDowell becoming the 14th NASCAR Cup Series different winner through the first 24 races of the 2023 season, the Next Gen car is once again having one of the best seasons of racing ever. Now with two races left in the regular season, will we see a 15th or possibly 16th different winner heading into the Playoffs?

If so, it would be the first-time since the inception of the Playoffs in 2004, that the series has produced 16 or more winners in the first 26 races of a given year. On average, the NASCAR Cup Series has produced 12.4 different winners in the first 26 races of a season since 2004.

The 2023 season is tied with the 2001, ‘07, ‘12, ’17 and ’21 seasons for the second-most winners through the first 24 races of a season in the Modern Era (1972-Present). The 2002, 2003, 2011 and 2022 seasons hold the record for the most winners through 24 races at 15 different winners each.

If we see two more different winners this regular season, the 2023 season will set the record for the most different winners in a 26-race regular season in the Playoff Era (2004-Present) at 16.

Larson looks to become third driver all-time to win three straight at WGI – Hendrick Motorsports’ driver and winner of the last two NASCAR Cup Series races at Watkins Glen International (2021-2022), Kyle Larson, heads to New York this weekend looking for his third-straight win at the famous 2.45-mile road course; joining NASCAR Hall of Famers Mark Martin (1993-1995) and Jeff Gordon (1997-1999).

In total six drivers have won consecutive races at Watkins Glen in the NASCAR Cup Series.

Consecutive WGI Race Winners

Seasons

Jeff Gordon

1997, 1998, 1999

Mark Martin

1993, 1994, 1995

Kyle Larson

2021, 2022

Chase Elliott

2018, 2019

Marcos Ambrose

2011, 2012

Tony Stewart

2004, 2005

Kyle Larson has made eight starts at Watkins Glen collecting two wins, three top fives, five top 10s. His average finish at the 2.45-mile road course is 10.500 (sixth-best). He also has a pre-race average running position of 11.387 (fourth-best) and a driver rating of 97.2 (fourth-best) at Watkins Glen.

Snapping Winless Streaks: McDowell latest to jump in the win column – Front Row Motorsport’s Michael McDowell is the latest driver to snap a long winless streak (94 races) last weekend at Indianapolis, which bodes the question, ‘who will be the next to snap their winless streak?’. There have been 14 different winners this season and a 15th could happen this weekend.

Below are the winless streaks of the drivers that have not won this season.

Winless Streaks: Last Win Prior To The 2023 Season

Driver

Track

Date

Races Since

Attempts Since

Justin Haley

Daytona

07/07/2019

150

Brad Keselowski

Talladega

04/25/2021

Aric Almirola

Loudon

07/18/2021

AJ Allmendinger

Indianapolis RC

08/15/2021

Austin Cindric

Daytona

02/20/2022

Alex Bowman

Las Vegas

03/06/2022

Chase Briscoe

Phoenix

03/13/2022

Daniel Suárez

Sonoma

06/12/2022

Kevin Harvick

Richmond

08/14/2022

Austin Dillon

Daytona

08/28/2022

Erik Jones

Darlington

09/04/2022

Bubba Wallace

Kansas

09/11/2022

Chase Elliott

Talladega

10/02/2022

Three drivers that are looking for their first win of the 2023 season are former Watkins Glen International winners – Chase Elliott (2018, 2019), AJ Allmendinger (2014) and Kevin Harvick (2006).

NASCAR Xfinity Series

NASCAR Xfinity Series prepares for some road course racing at Watkins Glen

The NASCAR Xfinity Series will be staying in the road course groove as they head to Watkins Glen International after some fun on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course that ultimately saw Joe Gibbs Racing’s Ty Gibbs kiss the bricks. Drivers will take on the Shriners Children’s 200 at The Glen on Saturday, August 19 at 3:30 p.m. ET on the USA Network, the NBC Sports App, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR radio.

Watkins Glen International has hosted 28 NASCAR Xfinity Series races, producing 17 different race winners and just as many pole winners. Nine races have been won from the pole or first starting position, most recently by Joey Logano in 2018.

Terry Labonte and Marcos Ambrose sit as the track’s winningest drivers in the series, each with four respective wins. Labonte won the inaugural race in 1991, followed by three consecutive wins in 1994, 1995 and 1996. Ambrose also had three consecutive wins (2008, 2009, 2010), followed by a win in 2014.

NASCAR Cup Series regular Ty Gibbs, who just snagged his first Xfinity Series win of the season last weekend at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course, will once again be pulling double duty this weekend behind the wheel of the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. He and Kyle Busch are the only former winners entered in this weekend’s Shriners Children’s 200 at The Glen.

Drivers will have an action-packed Saturday as they head to practice at 10:30 a.m. ET followed by qualifying at 11 a.m. ET, both streamed on the NBC Sports App.

Road Course Ringers: Watkins Glen edition

With Kyle Busch and Ty Gibbs being the only previous winners entered in this weekend’s Shriners Children’s 200 at The Glen, there will be a few drivers who will be giving them a run for their money to add a Watkins Glen trophy to their respective trophy cases.

JR Motorsports’ Justin Allgaier has made 11 starts on the Watkins Glen road course, posting four top-five and seven top-10 finishes. He’s been dominate on road courses all season long, posting impressive finishes of no worse than seventh – Austin (fifth), Portland (runner-up), Sonoma (seventh), Chicago (third), Indianapolis RC (fifth).

JRM teammate Sam Mayer is riding a road course high as he posted his first-ever NASCAR Xfinity Series win at Road America a few weeks ago and a runner-up finish last weekend at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course. He’ll be looking to ride this momentum into Watkins Glen, a track where he has made two starts, posting top-10 finishes in both.

Stewart Haas Racing’s Riley Herbst is still looking to post his first Xfinity Series career win and Watkins Glen International could be the place to make it happen. Four drivers have posted their first career NASCAR Xfinity Series win at Watkins Glen all-time – NASCAR Hall of Famer Bill Elliott (1993), and road course aces Ron Fellows (1998), Marcos Ambrose (2008) and Austin Cindric (2019). Herbst has only made two starts at the track, posting a 13th-place finish and a seventh-place finish, respectively. He’s made some solid finishes on road courses this season though – Austin (10th), Road America (fifth) and Indianapolis RC (12th).

Clinch Scenarios: NASCAR Xfinity Series 2023 regular season has just four to go

It’s crunch time for the NASCAR Xfinity Series drivers still vying for a spot in the Playoffs that are set to kick off on Friday, September 15 at Bristol Motor Speedway. With four to go in the regular season, things are sure to heat up as the series heads to Watkins Glen International. Below is a look at the clinch scenarios heading into the weekend:

Already Clinched

The following 4 drivers have clinched a spot in the 12-driver postseason field: Austin Hill, John Hunter Nemechek, Justin Allgaier, Cole Custer.

Can Clinch Via Previous Wins

The following drivers could clinch on previous wins with a win by Austin Hill, John Hunter Nemechek, Justin Allgaier, Cole Custer, Josh Berry, Sam Mayer, Chandler Smith, Sammy Smith or Jeb Burton:

Sam Mayer: Would clinch regardless of finish
Chandler Smith: Would clinch regardless of finish
Sammy Smith: Would clinch regardless of finish
Jeb Burton: Would clinch regardless of finish

The following drivers could clinch on previous wins with a win by Daniel Hemric, Riley Herbst, Sheldon Creed, Parker Klingerman or Brandon Jones:

Sam Mayer: Could only clinch with help
Chandler Smith: Could only clinch with help

The following drivers could clinch on previous wins with a win by Brett Moffitt:

Sam Mayer: Would clinch with 37 points
Chandler Smith: Could only clinch with help

The following drivers could clinch on previous wins with a win by Kaz Grala:

Sam Mayer: Would clinch regardless of finish
Chandler Smith: Would clinch with 39 points

The following drivers could clinch on previous wins with a win by Parker Retzlaff:

Sam Mayer: Would clinch regardless of finish
Chandler Smith: Would clinch with 19 points

The following drivers could clinch on previous wins with a win by Ryan Sieg:

Sam Mayer: Would clinch regardless of finish
Chandler Smith: Would clinch with 3 points
Sammy Smith: Could only clinch with help

The following drivers could clinch on previous wins with a win by Jeremy Clements:

Sam Mayer: Would clinch regardless of finish
Chandler Smith: Would clinch regardless of finish
Sammy Smith: Would clinch with 33 points

The following drivers could clinch on previous wins with a win by Josh Williams:

Sam Mayer: Would clinch regardless of finish
Chandler Smith: Would clinch regardless of finish
Sammy Smith: Would clinch regardless of finish
Jeb Burton: Would clinch with 5 points

The following drivers could clinch on previous wins with a win by Anthony Alfredo:

Sam Mayer: Would clinch regardless of finish
Chandler Smith: Would clinch regardless of finish
Sammy Smith: Would clinch regardless of finish
Jeb Burton: Would clinch with 3 points

The following drivers could clinch on previous wins with a win by Joey Graf Jr. or Brennan Poole:

Sam Mayer: Would clinch regardless of finish
Chandler Smith: Would clinch regardless of finish
Sammy Smith: Would clinch regardless of finish
Jeb Burton: Would clinch regardless of finish

Can Clinch Via Win

The following drivers would clinch on their win alone:

Josh Berry, Sam Mayer, Chandler Smith, Sammy Smith, Jeb Burton

The following drivers could clinch with a win:

Daniel Hemric: Could only clinch with help

Austin Hill will try to hold off John Hunter Nemechek for Regular Season Championship

With just four race left in the NASCAR Xfinity Series regular season, Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Hill holds the driver point standings lead by 11 points over Joe Gibbs Racing’s John Hunter Nemechek in second as the series heads to Watkins Glen International for the 23rd race of the 2023 season.

This weekend Austin Hill cannot clinch the Regular Season Championship since there are still 240 points and 4 wins available. But expect the two drivers to do their best to continue to earn as many points as possible.

Hill will be looking to improve on his series track debut at Watkins Glen from last year where he started eighth but finished 30th. This season, Hill has been strong on the road courses finishing in the top-10 in five of the first six road course events on the 2023 schedule; including a fourth-place finish last weekend at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course.

Nemechek will look to mimic what he did last season in his series track debut at Watkins Glen; he started 20th and finished in 12th. Nemechek’s performances on road courses this season have been a mixed bag, he has just two top-10 finishes in the first six road course events in 2023; including a runner-up showing at Chicago. He finished 13th at Indianapolis Road Course last weekend.

Double Dipping: NASCAR Cup Series stars competing in the Shriner’s Children 200 at The Glen

The NASCAR Xfinity Series field will be sure to keep fans on the edge of their seats this weekend as four big name NASCAR Cup Series fan favorites will be joining in on Saturday’s Shriner’s Children 200 at The Glen.

Kaulig Racing has tapped 2009 NASCAR Xfinity Series champion Kyle Busch to wheel the No. 10 Chevrolet this weekend at Watkins Glen. This will be Busch’s third Xfinity start of the season for Kaulig Racing. In his previous two starts he has finished fourth at his home track of Las Vegas and ninth at Phoenix. Busch’s Xfinity resume at Watkins Glen is enviable, in 11 starts he has put up one win (2017), six top fives and seven top 10s. He has led laps in all but three of his 11 Watkins Glen appearances and has an average finish of 13.7.

Piloting the No. 19 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing will be 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series champion Ty Gibbs, who has already conquered Watkins Glen International (2021) once in his career. Gibbs has run three road courses on the NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule this year and has posted a top-five finish in all three – Austin (third), Sonoma (fourth) and Indianapolis (first). Gibbs put on a dominating performance in multiple weather conditions last week at Indianapolis. Gibbs is also battling for the final spot in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs and the additional seat time will be beneficial to him this weekend.

Hendrick Motorsport’s Alex Bowman will be making his first NASCAR Xfinity Series start of the 2023 season this weekend behind the wheel of the No. 17 Chevrolet. Looking to this weekend at The Glen, Bowman has made just one Xfinity Series start on the Watkins Glen road course in 2013 where he finished 13th. Although he hasn’t ran a Xfinity Series race this year, his last stint in the series was last season on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course where he posted a runner-up finish.

Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain will pilot the No. 91 Chevrolet for DGM Racing this weekend in his sixth Xfinity Series start of the 2023 season. The ‘Melon Man’ has made six starts in the Xfinity Series at Watkins Glen, posting a best-finish of 14th in 2016. He has made two other road course starts in the Xfinity Series this season – Sonoma (finished 18th) and last weekend at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course where he had a suspension issue and ultimately finished 37th.

NASCAR Xfinity Series, Etc.

Casey Carden to attempt Xfinity Series debut – Casey Carden will be getting behind the wheel of the No. 74 Chevrolet for CHK Racing to attempt to qualify his way into this weekend’s Shriners Children’s 200 at The Glen.

Carden hails from Braselton, Georgia and is looking to make his NASCAR national series debut this weekend.

Though Carden doesn’t have any Xfinity Series starts at Watkins Glen, he has made one ARCA Menards Series start at 2.45-mile track last season for car owner Alex Chubb. Carden started in 22nd and finished 15th in the ARCA Menard Series event.

Sunoco Rookie Update: Retzlaff gets third consecutive Sunoco Rookie of the Race Award

With 22 races in the books and just four events left in regular season the 2023 Sunoco Rookie of the Year class has really shown they are quick to get up to speed in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

Kaulig Racing’s Chandler Smith continues to lead the Sunoco rookie standings following Indianapolis, up +55 points on Joe Gibbs Racing’s Sammy Smith in second place, and up 207 points on Jordan Anderson Racing’s Parker Retzlaff.

Retzlaff has been finding his stride lately winning the Sunoco Rookie of the Race Award for being the highest finishing rookie in the last three events – Road America (14th), Michigan (ninth) and Indianapolis (17th).

NCTS Sunoco Rookie of the Year Standings

Rookies

Points

Awards

Chandler Smith

622

Sammy Smith

567

Parker Retzlaff

415

Blaine Perkins

183

NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series

Say CHEESE! NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoffs head to the Milwaukee Mile

For the first time in 14 years, the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series is returning to the heralded Milwaukee Mile Speedway for the Clean Harbors 175 on Sunday, August 27 at 4 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN, and SiriusXM Radio.

Located on the grounds of the Wisconsin State Fair Park, this historic track houses a 1.015-mile paved oval. In addition, there is a 0.8-mile asphalt-paved road circuit located in the infield. The infield was home to the NFL’s Green Bay Packers from 1934 to 1953. Known as the oldest operating speedway in the world, the Milwaukee Mile Speedway has hosted at least one auto race every year since 1903, except during World War II.

The remarkable mile-oval has hosted 34 NASCAR national series races – 15 of those being CRAFTSMAN Truck Series events – but not one since 2009. Next weekend, the Milwaukee Mile will play host to the second event in the postseason’s Round of 10. In 1995, the inaugural CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race at the Milwaukee Mile was won by pole sitter Mike Skinner, piloting the No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet. The following year there (1996) were 17 lead changes, which became a series track record.

The 2008 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series champion and three-time Most Popular Driver, Johnny Benson Jr. holds the most wins in Brew City after three consecutive victories in 2006, 2007, and 2008. Four-time series champion and NASCAR Hall of Famer Ron Hornaday Jr. won the last race at the Milwaukee Mile on June 20, 2009, where he bested a field that included Todd Bodine, Matt Crafton, and Johnny Sauter. Crafton, current Playoff contender and driver of the No. 88 ThorSport Racing Ford, is the only driver entered next weekend that has made a previous Truck Series start at Milwaukee.

Not only will majority of the contenders have to get comfortable with a new racetrack next weekend, but they will also be experiencing a foreign concept: racing on a Sunday. Practice for the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series at the Milwaukee Mile Speedway begins at 1 p.m. ET on Saturday, August 26 (on FS1).

Ty Majeski opens NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoffs with dominant victory

It only took Ty Majeski four laps to take the lead from pole sitter Christian Eckes at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoff opener. Leading 179 of 200 laps and winless this season before Friday night, the driver of the No. 98 ThorSport Racing Ford completely dominated the rest of the field to jump start his 2023 postseason run, which is now locked into the Round of 8 with the win.

Majeski swept the first two stages and beat Eckes to the checkered flag by 3.422 seconds, the smallest margin Majeski held at the end of any stage. At the finish of stage one, he held a 3.904-second advantage over Corey Heim and was up by six seconds over Heim again before stage two ended.

The dominant victory was Majeski’s third in 60 races and his first victory and 12th top-10 finish this season. All of the 28-year-old’s victories have come during the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoffs. His two previous victories came during the Round of 8 last year at Bristol and Homestead, which propelled him into the Championship 4 Round.

Now, the Seymour, Wisconsin native and only driver locked into the Round of 8 will look to carry his postseason momentum to the Milwaukee Mile where he can focus on racking up Playoff points as he hopes to race in the Championship 4 Round for the second year in a row.

The cream rises to the top and last weekend’s Playoff opener was a great example of that, as all 10 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoff contenders finished within the top-15:

Majeski (first), Eckes (second), Hocevar (fourth), Smith (fifth), Heim (eighth), Crafton (ninth), DiBenedetto (10th), Sanchez (11th), Enfinger (12th), Rhodes (13th)

Outside Looking In: Crafton, DiBenedetto need to rally

Following the TSport 200 at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park to open the 2023 Playoffs, ThorSport Racing veteran Matt Crafton and Rackley W.A.R.’s Matt DiBenedetto find themselves below the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Round of 8 cutline.

Last weekend, three-time series champion Matt Crafton rallied to a ninth-place finish at Indianapolis and left the 0.686-mile track just two points back from the Round of 8 cutline. The veteran is the only driver in series history to participate in each of the series’ Playoffs since its inception in 2016 and had earned a spot in the Round 8 in all previous postseason appearances up until last season.

Unlike the extensive Playoff experience Crafton has, Matt DiBenedetto is just in his first appearance in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoffs. The driver of the No. 25 Rackley W.A.R. Chevrolet finished 10th at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park and is only three points back from the Round of 8 cutline and the final transfer position.

Currently, Rev Racing’s rookie Nick Sanchez is in the eighth and final position to transfer to the next round in the Playoffs on points. Just ahead of Sanchez in seventh in ThorSport Racing driver and 2021 series champion Ben Rhodes, up four points on the Round of 8 cutline.

NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoff Outlook

Following Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park – Aug. 11, 2023

Rank

Driver

Starts

Points

Race Wins

Stage Wins

Playoff Pts

/- Cutoff

Ty Majeski (P)

2,074

In On Wins

Corey Heim (P)

2,077

Christian Eckes (P)

2,069

Carson Hocevar (P)

2,065

Zane Smith (P)

2,059

Grant Enfinger (P)

2,054

Ben Rhodes (P)

2,034

Nick Sanchez # (P)

2,032

Matt Crafton (P)

2,030

-2

Matt DiBenedetto (P)

2,029

-3

Playoff Clinch Scenarios: Looking Ahead to Milwaukee

With one of the three races in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoffs Round of 10 in the books, here is a look at the clinch scenarios for the 10-driver field:

Already Clinched

The following driver has clinched a spot in the 8-driver field of the next round: Ty Majeski.

Can clinch via points

If there is a repeat winner or a win by a driver who cannot advance to the next round, the following drivers could clinch by being 56 points above the 7th winless driver in the standings. The same point requirements listed below would hold true if a new win comes from among Corey Heim, Christian Eckes, Carson Hocevar, Zane Smith, Grant Enfinger or Ben Rhodes.

Corey Heim: Could only clinch with help
Christian Eckes: Could only clinch with help
Carson Hocevar: Could only clinch with help
Zane Smith: Could only clinch with help
Grant Enfinger: Could only clinch with help
Ben Rhodes: Could only clinch with help

If there is a new winner from Nicholas Sanchez or another winless driver lower in the standings but still eligible to advance to the next round, the following drivers could clinch by being 56 points above the 6th winless driver in the standings.

Can clinch via win

The following drivers would clinch on their win alone: Corey Heim, Christian Eckes, Carson Hocevar, Zane Smith, Grant Enfinger, Ben Rhodes, Nicholas Sanchez, Matt Crafton, Matt DiBenedetto

NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, Etc.

Christian Eckes makes biggest CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoffs points gain – Christian Eckes kicked off the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoffs with a second-place finish after claiming the pole position earlier in the day.

The driver of the No. 19 McAnally Hilgemann Racing Chevrolet, Eckes, had a huge points night and netted 50 points, going into Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park as the fourth seed and leaving in the third position, 39 points above the bubble. His second runner-up result of the season allowed him to more than double his advantage of the Round of 8 cutline.