Qualifying results set starting grid for Watkins Glen

Ryan Blaney upstaged Shane van Gisbergen at a road course. For a day anyway, and just barely, as in three-hundredths of a second.

Blaney captured the pole Saturday at Watkins Glen, touring the 2.45-mile track in 71.960 seconds, for an average speed of 122.568. He won’t have to look far to find SVG at the start of Sunday’s race. In fact, NASCAR’s current King of the Road will be right outside his side window.

Van Gisbergen, looking to win his fourth straight Cup Series road race, turned the historic course in 71.993 seconds, an average of 122.512 mph, to lead Group 1 before parking and watching Blaney dominate Group 2.

At road courses, the Cup Series doesn’t use the single-car qualifying employed at the ovals. Instead, half the field goes out in Group 1 and half in Group 2. Each driver shares a Sunday starting row with the driver who shared his qualilfying position in the other qualifying group.

Connor Zilisch, approaching his fourth career Cup Series start, is high on the Watkins Glen odds board due to his road-racing prowess, but he was just 10th fastest in Group 1. To illustrate the cutting-edge nature of qualifying, Zilisch was just 6-10ths of a second slower than van Gisbergen.

A full field of 40 entries is scheduled to dash past the green flag Sunday afternoon at 2:05. The USA Network will provide TV coverage.

Three races remain in the Cup Series’ 26-race regular season, and with 13 different winners locking up playoff spots, jockeying should become fierce for the three playoff berths still available.

Most onlookers point to Week 26 and Daytona as the ultimate wildcard race that could see a non-winner clinch a berth by winning the Coke Zero Sugar 400. But road courses like Watkins Glen also offer good opportunity for some solid-to-excellent road racers still in need of a 2025 victory.

AJ Allmendinger, for instance, was probably NASCAR’s best pure road-racing ace before Shane van Gisbergen came along. Only a win will get AJ in the playoffs, while Chris Buescher and Tyler Reddick seem OK to get to the playoffs on points. Buescher won at Watkins Glen last year, hasn’t won since, and would love to officially join the championship chase next month by winning Sunday at The Glen.

NASCAR lineup for Watkins Glen race

1. Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Team Penske Ford
2. Shane van Gisbergen, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
3. Chase Briscoe, No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
4. Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
5. Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
6. Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
7. Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
8. Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
9. Christopher Bell, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
10. William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
11. Joey Logano, No. 22 Team Penske Ford
12. Chris Buescher, No. 17 Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford
13. Austin Cindric, No. 2 Team Penske Ford
14. Ty Gibbs, No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
15. Bubba Wallace, No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota
16. Brad Keselowski, No. 6 Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford
17. Ryan Preece, No. 60 RFK Racing Ford
18. AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
19. Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
20. Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
21. Tyler Reddick, No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota
22. Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota)
23. Justin Haley, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
24. Josh Berry, No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford
25. Connor Zilisch, No. 87 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
26. Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
27. Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
28. Todd Gilliland, No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford
29. Riley Herbst, No. 35 23XI Racing Toyota
30. Erik Jones, No. 43 Legacy Motor Club Toyota
31. John Hunter Nemechek, No. 42 Legacy Motor Club Toyota
32. Cole Custer, No. 41 Haas Factory Team Ford
33. Ty Dillon, No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
34. Zane Smith, No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford
35. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 HYAK Motorsports Chevrolet
36. Noah Gragson, No. 4 Front Row Motorsports Ford
37. Cody Ware, No. 51 Rick Ware Racing Ford
38. Katherine Legge, No. 78 Live Fast Motorsports Chevrolet
39. JJ Yeley, No. 44 NY Racing Team Chevrolet
40. Josh Bilicki, No. 66 Garage 66 Ford

How to watch NASCAR from The Glen

How to watch NASCAR races at Watkins Glen

Saturday: Xfinity Series, Mission 200, 3 p.m. (CW).

Sunday: Cup Series, Go Bowling at the Glen, 2 p.m. (USA).