Watkins Glen gears up for action-packed race weekend with NASCAR excitement

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. — As the countdown begins for the much-anticipated race weekend at Watkins Glen International, excitement is building among fans and drivers alike. John Hunter Nemechek, driver of the number 42 car for Legacy Motor Club, came to our CNY Central studios to share his enthusiasm for the upcoming race, citing his personal connection to the track.

“This is one of my favorite courses to come to,” said Nemechek. “Growing up as a kid, second generation, I always enjoyed coming to Watkins Glen. Playing video games, playing NASCAR on Xbox, PlayStation, all that. When I would challenge friends, the racetrack I would pick was Watkins Glen. There was nothing better than that.”

Nemechek, who has come close to winning races at the Glen, is hopeful for a victory this year. “I’ve had a lot of fun there. I’ve been really close to winning races there. So hopefully we can get it done when we come back here in less than a month,” he said.

Track president Don Berlew also accompanied Nemechek to the studio. Bewlew outlined the packed schedule for the race, which spans five days and includes multiple racing series. “It’s always such a five-day event really with us,” said Berlew. “Our campers will show up on Thursday. On Friday, we have our Arca series. We have our truck series. We also have our HSR running on Saturday. We have the Xfinity series and then we cap our weekend off with our NASCAR Cup series.”

In addition to the races, the event will feature concerts, a kids zone, and other family-friendly activities. “There’s gonna be five races in three days. We’ve got concerts for two nights, our kids zone that NASCAR puts on is just a fantastic family area,” Berlew added.

Nemechek also highlighted the improvements made by Legacy Motor Club in their road course program. “At Legacy Motor Club 2024, our road course program was our Achilles heel. We were absolutely terrible, and this year we’ve been able to get our cars better. We’ve been able to have speed. We’ve been able to have some really good results,” he said.

With the race being one of the last opportunities to secure a spot in the playoffs, Nemechek emphasized the importance of a strong performance. “There’s so many unknowns going into the weekend. Third race before the playoffs start. So one of those last and final chances to try and win your way into the playoffs,” he said.

The Watkins Glen race weekend will take place from August 8th through the 10th, with tickets available online at www.theglenn.com.