NASCAR’s Sprint Cup teams are busy preparing for left and right turns this Sunday when the series takes on the challenge of the second road course event on their schedule at New York’s Watkins Glen International Raceway.
THE RACE BREAKDOWN
The Heluva Good Sour Cream Dips at the Glen is 90 laps, 220.5 miles, around one of the most challenging road courses in the country.
One of the major challenges the drivers will face this Sunday is protecting the brakes on their cars to insure they don’t get overheated. Hot brakes can lead to wheel hop and wheel hop, in turn, can easily create a spin out or a crash.
NASCAR’s recent implementation of the double file restart could also loom large in Sunday’s race. The new restart rule created a major source of excitement for the fans, and worry for the drivers, during the series’ first road course race, in Sonoma-California, last June. At Watkins Glen the cars can easily handle a side b y side restart down the front stretch and even through turn one. But, once they exit turn one, they are going to have to quickly form a single line. There’s no way they can run side by side in the S turns that follows turn one.
The race has 46 entries. Eleven of the teams are on the go or go home list meaning they are outside of NASCAR’s top 35 in owner’s points and must earn a starting berth based on their qualifying speed.
Kyle Busch is the defending race winner from last year. 2008 was a great year for Busch on road courses. He proved that he can do the left and right thing with a great deal of skill. Now, if he can figure out how to the “right thing” after the race then he’s got it made.
Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart share the track record for most wins at four each. But it;‘s Mark Martin who leads the consistency stats at Watkins Glen. The 50 year old Sprint Cup icon has the most top five finishes with 12 and also leads the top ten category with 16.
Martin shares the track record for most pole positions with Dale Earnhardt Sr with three each. Jeff Gordon owns the qualifying record, 124.580 MPH, which was set back in 2003.
When it comes to individual race stats Watkins Glen is quite capable of running from one extreme to the other. For example, the 1991 race had 14 lead changes but in direct comparison a non NASCAR race there back in 1957 only had one race leader. The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series didn’t start sanctioning races at this track until 1985.
Tony Stewart holds the track record for most laps led by a race winner, 83, set back in 2005. But in 1988 Ricky Rudd only needed to lead four laps to win that race.
Watkins Glen International Raceway has smiled on Chevrolet teams over the years. The bow tie brigade holds the track record for most manufacturer wins at 14.
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