NASCAR will return to road racing this weekend with all three divisions uniting in upstate New York to take on Watkins Glen International.

The 2.45-mile, seven-turn circuit has found its way back into a pivotal spot on the regular season schedule for each division, including the penultimate race in the final stretch to the playoffs for the Truck Series to kick off the tripleheader weekend. For the Cup and Xfinity Series, the regular season title still remains up for grabs with Team Chevy drivers, William Byron and Connor Zilisch, leading the charge into the Watkins Glen race weekend.
 

Chevrolet at Watkins Glen:

NASCAR’s rich history at Watkins Glen International sees Chevrolet sit as the winningest manufacturer across all three divisions with 22 Cup Series wins, 13 Xfinity Series wins and three Truck Series wins.

Piloting a 1957 Chevrolet, Buck Baker took the victory in the Cup Series’ inaugural appearance at the upstate New York circuit – a triumph that also marked Chevrolet’s first-ever road course win in NASCAR’s top division. Over a now 41-race history at the circuit, Chevrolet continues to hold the highest win streak at five-straight, which the manufacturer has accomplished on three different occasions (Aug. 1997 – Aug. 2001; Aug. 2003 – Aug. 2007; and Aug. 2018 – Aug. 2023). Among the series’ active drivers includes a three-way tie in all-time Watkins Glen wins – all of which come from the Chevrolet camp with Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott and Kyle Busch each owning two wins at the circuit in their championship-earning careers.
 

SVG SEEKS FOUR-STRAIGHT STREAK

Chevrolet will head to upstate New York with an active streak of three-straight road racing triumphs in the NASCAR Cup Series – all courtesy of Trackhouse Racing’s Shane van Gisbergen. The road course ace went from outside the playoff bubble to a guaranteed spot in the title chase with a dominating victory in the series’ inaugural appearance in Mexico City. The 36-year-old Auckland, New Zealand, native went on to make back-to-back trips to victory lane at the Chicago Street Course and Sonoma Raceway just a few weeks later. Van Gisbergen left Sonoma making yet another mark in NASCAR history – becoming just the seventh different driver to win three consecutive road course races in the division. Extending his streak to four-straight is a very attainable task for the Trackhouse Racing driver, with his first and only appearance at Watkins Glen International ending with a runner-up result (Sept. 2024). Only two drivers in series’ history have racked up four-straight road course victories – 2020 Cup Series champion, Chase Elliott, and NASCAR Hall of Famer, Jeff Gordon.
 

FIRST-TIME WINNER

On Aug. 5, 2018, at Watkins Glen International, Chase Elliott etched his name into history as a NASCAR Cup Series winner. Now competing in his 10th full-time season, the 29-year-old Dawsonville, Georgia, native is a champion and 20-time winner in NASCAR’s top division. Despite still seeking his first road course win in the Next Gen era, Elliott has proven to know his way around left- and right-hand turns. The Hendrick Motorsports driver has tallied seven road course victories in his Cup Series career – the most of all active drivers. The record is enough to place Elliott third on the series’ all-time road course wins list behind a pair of NASCAR Hall of Famers – Jeff Gordon (nine) and Tony Stewart (eight). Elliott’s road course resume sees victories at five different road course circuits, which also happens to be a series’ record.
 

REGULAR SEASON BATTLE RAMPING UP

The NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series left America’s Heartland with yet another change atop their respective points standings.

Plagued with fuel milage misfortune this season, William Byron and the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet team finally came out on top at Iowa Speedway to earn their second trip to victory lane. The 27-year-old Charlotte, North Carolina, native turned in a race-high 141 laps led en route to a 48-point day to earn his spot back in the points lead heading into the final three-race stretch of the regular season. Still on his heels are his Hendrick Motorsports teammates, Chase Elliott (second) and Kyle Larson (third), who are each looking to add a second regular season title to their championship-earning resumes.

In the Xfinity Series, it was Connor Zilisch that drove to a 43-point day and his 11th top-five finish of the season to surpass his JR Motorsports teammate, Justin Allgaier, for the top points position – marking the first time in his rookie campaign that he’s attained the points lead. The rising star also leads the series with five wins this season – most recently at Indianapolis Motor Speedway to tie together three-straight triumphs. What better place to further add to his points lead than Watkins Glen International – a circuit that saw his first career Xfinity Series start end in a trip to victory lane.
 

BACK WHERE IT ALL STARTED…

Just one year ago, Connor Zilisch stepped into the NASCAR scene for the very first time by making his Xfinity Series debut at Watkins Glen International. Coming out of the gates full throttle, Zilisch drove the No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet to the pole win, going on to record a race-high 45 laps en route to the victory to make him just the seventh driver in series’ history to win in his first career start. Fast forward just a few months, Zilisch landed a full-time spot in the driver’s seat of the No. 88 Chevrolet to compete in his first full-time campaign in the NASCAR national ranks. Taking his rookie season by storm, Zilisch heads back to where it all started as the series’ new points leader and a series-leading five wins under his belt. The 19-year-old Mooresville, North Carolina, native has yet to finish outside of the top-five in each of his road course starts in the series, including victories in the first (Circuit of The Americas) and most recent (Sonoma Raceway) road course races of the 2025 season.
 

TRUCK SERIES HITS TWO-TO-GO IN REGULAR SEASON

For the first time in four years, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series will make its way back to the twist and turns of Watkins Glen International – marking the penultimate race of the series’ regular season. Just three positions remain up for grabs in the 10-driver playoff field, with Grant Enfinger and the No. 9 CR7 Motorsports Chevrolet team leading the way in the first provisional points position with a strong 89-point cushion over the cutline. On top of the playoff pressure comes the added element of a stacked entry list for Friday’s event, with the field also seeing appearances by the series’ winningest driver, Kyle Busch (No. 07 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet); Cup Series regular, Ross Chastain (No. 44 Niece Motorsports Chevrolet); and a pair of Xfinity Series playoff contenders, Sammy Smith (No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet) and Connor Zilisch (No. 45 Niece Motorsports Chevrolet).
 

Chevrolet’s season statistics with 23 NASCAR Cup Series races complete:

Wins: 10

Poles: 10

Laps Led: 2,900

Top-Fives: 46

Top-10s: 99

Stage Wins: 20

Chevrolet’s season statistics with 22 NASCAR Xfinity Series races complete:

Wins: 19

Poles: 13

Laps Led: 2,723

Top-Fives: 73

Top-10s: 140

Stage Wins: 31

Chevrolet’s season statistics with 16 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races complete:

Wins: 6

Poles: 2

Laps Led: 854

Top-Fives: 37

Top-10s: 77

Stage Wins: 7
 

BOWTIE BULLETS:

· Active Chevrolet drivers with a NASCAR Cup Series win at Watkins Glen International:

Kyle Larson – two wins (2021, 2022)

Chase Elliott – two wins (2019, 2018)

Kyle Busch – two wins (2013, 2008)

William Byron – one win (2024)

· Chevrolet is the winningest manufacturer in all three NASCAR national divisions at Watkins Glen International with 22 Cup Series wins, 13 Xfinity Series wins, and three Truck Series wins.

· Chevrolet has earned 22 victories in the past 29 NASCAR Cup Series races on the series’ traditional road courses – dating from Chase Elliott’s victory at Watkins Glen International in Aug. 2019, to Shane van Gisbergen’s win at Sonoma Raceway in July 2025. Van Gisbergen and Alex Bowman have added three more triumphs on left- and right-hand turns by keeping Chevrolet undefeated in the Chicago Street Race.

· In 18 NASCAR Cup Series races on traditional road courses in the Next Gen era, Chevrolet leads the series with 12 victories – recorded by seven drivers from four different Chevrolet organizations.

· Chevrolet has earned at least half of the top-10 finishing results in 12 of the 23 points-paying races thus far this season, including a season-high seven top-10 finishes at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway.

· In 131 points-paying races in the Next Gen era, Chevrolet leads all manufacturers with 62 victories – a winning percentage of 47.3%.

· With its 43 NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturer Championships, 33 NASCAR Cup Series Driver Championships, and 876 all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins, Chevrolet continues to hold the title as the winningest brand in NASCAR Cup Series history.
 

TUNE-IN:

NASCAR Cup Series

Go Bowling at The Glen

Sunday, August 10, at 2 p.m. ET

(USA Network, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)

NASCAR Xfinity Series

Mission 200 at The Glen

Saturday, August 9, at 3 p.m. ET

(CW, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series

Mission 176 at The Glen

Friday, August 8, at 5 p.m. ET

(FS1, NASCAR Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)
 

QUOTABLE QUOTES:

Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

Do you like road racing?

“Road racing has always been such a challenge for me. I’ve worked so hard on the craft and I’ve really grown to like it. Having Shane as a teammate has been a great help too. It’s wild to watch him in the simulator and how he can be so accurate and smooth with all of his movements. Connor is obviously a very talented road racer and he’s fun to race against. Daniel is a great road racer too. I have three teammates this weekend and I’m the guy still working really hard on my road race craft. Last year at Watkins Glen we ran really well. We led a bunch of laps and that was a lot of fun. I’m going to get some extra laps in on Friday in the truck race which always helps.”

You seem to spend a lot of time in New York. Why is that?

“I spend a lot of time in New York state for various things. Some of that is in New York City and some of it is in upstate New York around the racetrack and surrounding areas. Upstate is a gorgeous area and I do a lot of work with the Governors office and safe driving so I spend a lot of time in New York. I was in Corning a couple of weeks ago to promote this weekend’s race and it was a lot of fun.”

Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

What are some of the things you like about Watkins Glen International, and what are some of the things that are difficult about that track?

“Watkins Glen International is very fast for a road course. The bus stop, the esses, a big chunk of the speed at Watkins Glen comes from those two sections. The other sections are more self-explanatory, but it’s a tough track. It’s been my hardest track to get a grip on, but I feel like going there does present some opportunities because you have some strategy and different things that can play out. Qualifying is pretty important there as well. I’m looking forward to getting there in our BREZTRI AEROSPHERE® (budesonide, glycopyrrolate, and formoterol fumarate) Chevrolet.”

It’s been quite the year for this race team. You’ve had your share of ups and downs. Where does the No. 3 team stand currently in your mind?

“I feel like Richard Boswell has built an amazing team, and I like the direction we are going. We are really just starting to click. We have potential. We have to work on our race car pace, but we are heading in the right direction that we need. We’ve had a lot of changes at the beginning of the year, some engineer swapping, and now I feel like everybody is on the same page and going in the right direction. From the team aspect, I feel like this is one of the strongest teams I’ve ever worked with and I’m super excited about the finish of this year and what we can do together in 2026. We had a streak of three straight top-10s at one point, and that was a good streak for us.”

Have you ever had a chance to race around Shane Van Gisbergen, observe and what have your learned from him?

“I think you have to go back to the first race he ran with us at the Chicago Street Course a few years ago. I pulled out in front of him during practice and I thought ‘oh this is no big deal. Who is this guy they are all talking about?’ A lap later he goes by me in the hardest and tightest section of the track in Turns 8 and 9 around the fountain area, and I’m like ‘oh man. This guy is going to win the race.’ I didn’t think it was even possible to pass in the section that he passed me in. I ended up chatting with him afterwards and he was really helpful. I was actually in a different gear than he was and he helped me in terms of what gear I needed to be in. His thought process about road course racing has changed the game for everyone, and the way you go about getting ready. The stuff that you value is different then the stuff that they value, because in Australian V8 cars the tire is smaller, has more degradation, and they think about the life of the tire more than what we have been, and I think more and more teams are looking at their process and changing it to keep up. He’s pretty impressive for sure.”

Justin Haley, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

This will be your fifth road-course of the season. How do you feel about going into Watkins Glen?

“I feel like our Chevy has had speed at road-courses this year, we had two top-20s and a top-15 finish. Watkins Glen is always packed with campers and race fans and that makes it so much more exciting as a driver! I’ve always enjoyed how the track flows and am looking forward to this weekend.”

Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

Are all road courses the same, or does Watkins Glen International come with its own unique challenges?

“Setups are a little bit different at some of the road courses you go to. You would think road course, turn right, turn left, it’s the same thing, just run the same thing and go, but, no, Watkins Glen is more the superspeedway of road courses. Spring packages are a little different, bars are a little different, stuff like that. Looking at what the No. 16 ran there last year, they were really fast, they had a great race up there last year. So I’m leaning on some of our Kaulig friends on some advice on putting ourselves in a good spot to go up there and have a fast racecar.”

Do you like racing at Watkins Glen International?

“Watkins Glen has always been a favorite, I really enjoy it. I’ve always enjoyed the technicalities of that place, the high speeds of that place. The bus stop back there, being as sketch as it is, trying to go through there and blast through there as fast as you can, hopping all the curbs. It’s just a really fun place and you can be on attack mode there and find some speed.”

Just three races remaining before the NASCAR Playoffs. Assess your chances of winning at one of the next three races to lock yourself in?

“I have won at all those places, so let’s go do it again. Watkins Glen is probably my favorite road course we go to. Richmond is statistically one of my best racetracks that we go to. And then Daytona has been one of my best racetracks since I’ve been at RCR with Team Chevrolet. I feel really good about our opportunities the next three weeks. It’s all about execution and being able to do our job right. And that includes me, going out there and setting some fast laps and being in control of being able to do that, and having good pit stops on Pit Road and having good strategy and the race falling our way.”

AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

“Watkins Glen is always special to me; it’s a racetrack that we’re always really fast at as well. We have the opportunity to be in contention this weekend if we execute well. Obviously, we want a shot to win, but ultimately, we need a solid run, and this is a racetrack that we can do it at.”

Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Hyak Motorsports Chevrolet

“We’re heading to The Glen this weekend and we’re proud to have Real American Beer on the car in honor of Hulk Hogan. We’ll be giving it everything we’ve got out there.”

Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

How does Watkins Glen compare to the other road courses on the Cup Series schedule?

“Watkins Glen is a momentum track. It’s long, has a lot of lateral loading, and it flows very differently. It’s different than Sonoma. You have quick switchbacks when you think about Mexico City or Chicago, and it’s just so different. Obviously, it’s higher speeds and higher loading. The easiest way to describe it is like racing on a mile-and-a-half oval, but on a road course.

Chicago is similar to Martinsville, and Sonoma is probably like Bristol. It’s just that different of a feel when it comes to those tracks. Your fundamentals are still the same, but the way you attack Watkins Glen is different than how you attack Sonoma. There’s no doubt about it. It fits my style well. From an overall speed standpoint, it’s probably my best track. We don’t really have the results to show for it, but in qualifying the last few years, we’ve started in the top five or close to it.

I’ve won a few stages and led a bunch of laps, but it just hasn’t come together, whether it was an engine failure two years ago, or whatever happened last year. We’ve just had some missed opportunities there. But overall, from a speed perspective, Watkins Glen is probably one of my best tracks. I’m excited to have the Go Bowling at The Glen race outside the playoffs this year, just because I feel like it’s another opportunity and another shot for us to try to get a win.”

Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

At Watkins Glen last year, we saw you battle for a win and ultimately earn your first top-five finish in the Cup Series. Was that the race that set the No. 77 on the path its on now, and how do you feel heading back to that track?

“I think it was probably the first time that people really got to see Spire cars running up front and holding our own. Since then it’s only been improvement for the whole organization. We have up and down weeks, but that’s part of building a consistently successful program. Every weekend we have at least two cars running in the top 10, if not all three right there together. I just think Watkins Glen last year was a race where people started to pay attention. That’s definitely continued this season and I feel like the last two races are a really good example of that. At Indy we had two cars finish within the first 11 spots and Iowa we had a car in the top-10 all day and probably would’ve had similar results without the way the cautions fell in the middle of the race. I’m excited to get back to The Glen. We’ve got a lot of momentum heading into this race and we’ve done a really good job of continuing to improve at tracks where we’ve done well in the past.”

Connor Zilisch, No. 87 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet / No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet

“I love going to Watkins Glen. The fans there are awesome and it’s a beautiful part of the country. It’s going to be really cool. I’m really excited to be making my fourth start in the Cup Series with Red Bull and Trackhouse. This is my last one of the year so we’re going to make it count. Watkins Glen is a track that I’m really comfortable at so this is a good one for us. Trackhouse has been pretty dominant on the road and street courses this season so I’m optimistic.”

“Watkins Glen is a place that holds a lot of memories for me. I won my first-ever there in my Xfinity debut last year and I’m excited to go back there and try and back that up with another win this year and get more playoff points before the playoffs begin in a few weeks. We’ve had a lot of momentum this year and we want to keep it up at Watkins Glen. I’m excited for the entire weekend. It’s going to be busy with the Cup car and the Truck but it’s so cool to get these opportunities.”

What did you learn at Circuit of the Americas earlier this season that will help you at Watkins Glen this weekend?

“At COTA I learned a little bit about the car and got a feel for Cup racing. Those two tracks are very different and require different driving styles but any laps in the Cup car that you can get are always beneficial.”

How much has life changed for you since your NXS debut at Watkins Glen in 2024?

“It’s certainly a lot different. I’ve won a lot of races since the last time I was at Watkins Glen. It will be cool to go back there and reflect on the start of a lot of remarkable things that have happened in less than a year. I love going to Watkins Glen. The fans there are awesome and it’s a beautiful part of the country.”

Shane van Gisbergen, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

Do you still think about last year’s Watkins Glen Cup race and what could have been?

“I still get frustrated thinking about that race. When I make a personal mistake like that, it makes me angry to think that I threw that one away myself, especially after how good of a day it was, and we had the fastest car all day, then to do that. I really want to get there this weekend, make no mistakes, have a fast car and try to execute all day. Which we have been doing on the road courses, and it will be good to continue doing that.”

What do you think is clicking for you and the No. 88 team on the road courses?

“I think it’s just been time on the road courses, learning what we want from the car, changing our philosophy. We’ve really clicked on the road course set up and made our cars a lot better. On the ovals too, we are getting better as team.”

Your first win in the Summer Shootout came last week. What made you want to compete in the eight-week series?

“Well, I raced Aussie race cars before, which is similar, but obviously never on an oval. It’s something fun to do on a Tuesday night and it’s more reps for me. It was a blast racing with Bubba (Wallace) & Scott (McLaughlin), just a couple of mates hanging out every week was cool, but also, I learned a lot.”

Do you classify your Sonoma win as your “perfect drive” or is there another race that is hard to beat in your mind?

“Yes, but actually, Mexico (City) was really good as well. We just executed as a team, we had good pit stops, good strategy and obviously a fast car, which that is the best thing you could have. We finally put it all together which was great. Chicago and Sonoma were great too, but with Mexico (City) being our team’s first win of the season, it just sticks out to me a bit more.”

Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

What do you remember about last year at Watkins Glen?

“We went through a lot last year. The No. 99 Freeway Insurance Chevy was pretty fast, especially on the long runs. I thought we could drive through the field once we lost some track position, but it was much more difficult to pass than I anticipated. And then we lost a wheel, and from that, we were just trying to recover. I was very proud of this team for not giving up, executing well, and going to fight right off the bat. Finishing 13th after being stuck in the gravel isn’t a bad day. Our plan is to have a lot smoother day this year.”

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