Go Bowling at The Glen Preview: New York Road Course

This weekend the NASCAR Cup Series goes road racing for the first time in about a month and visits Watkins Glen International for this next-to-last road course event in this 2025 season with its annual running of the Go Bowling at the Glen. The Watkins Glen circuit is an 11-turn, winding road course with many long straights terminated by hair-pin turns. The event is 90 laps on the almost 2.5-mile course, divided into stages of 20, 20 and 50 laps. Top speeds are close to 160 mph, which is very unusual for a typical road circuit, and this is due mainly to the long straights which occur at three places on the track. Horse power and aero-handling are key factors for this race, so it's a bit different than the other road courses in NASCAR. As the drivers barrel down the straights and into sharp corners, we see more than a few go off course as they attempt aggressive braking and accelerating maneuvers to make the pass. The teams that can stay on the course and out of the gravel traps or grass will collect a good finish this Sunday at the Glen. Over the last few seasons, we've seen NASCAR racing on the road circuits turn from more of a finesse game and into a fender-beating battle similar to what you would see on the series' short tracks. Aggressive driving is essential to victory but starting up front on the starting grid is even more important. The drivers who qualify well and get good starting spots are often the ones seen hoisting the trophy at the end of the day at Watkins Glen International. Making green-flag passes here is difficult, so start up front and finish up front is the key to success at the Glen.

Since the NASCAR Cup Series races at Watkins Glen only once a season, we don't have a lot of statistics to go on this weekend. Fortunately, NASCAR keeps good loop data on the various tracks and these numbers will come in handy for this event. As the loop data will show, the drivers who typically do well at Watkins Glen have a history of racing well at this fast, rolling facility. We'll take a look at the last 19 races at Watkins Glen and examine these numbers closely when forming our prognostications for the Go Bowling at the Glen. The following table has the loop stats from the last 20 years or 19 races at Watkins Glen International.

In its NASCAR Cup history, the Glen has been won from the front three rows 30 times in the 41 total races run to-date. That factors out to a whopping 73-percent of the winners coming from the first three starting rows. The pole winner has collected 10 of those 41 wins and the outside pole starter has won four times, twice in just the last three seasons. In fact, no winner of this race has started worse than 18th on the grid, until last season. The status quo was turned upside down in last season's Go Bowling at the Glen when Chris Buescher came from 24th-place on the starting grid and out-dueled Shane van Gisbergen to get the win. Buescher's feat was pretty impressive considering it set a historical record at the Glen as being the driver deepest in the starting field to drive to victory.

 Kyle Larson, Kyle Busch and Chase Elliott are the current, active wins' leaders at Watkins Glen with two victories each. Busch's glory at the New York road course is a story of dominance over roughly the last decade. He won the 2008 and 2013 installments of this event, and he cracks the Top 10 at this circuit at an eye-popping 68-percent rate. Elliott's tenure has been much shorter, but no less impressive. The Hendrick Motorsports star has won or finished runner-up in three of the last six Watkins Glen events in jaw-dropping fashion. However, Larson has just recently come on the scene to challenge both for supremacy of the Glen. He has won two of the last four races at Watkins Glen and at least momentarily moved both Elliott and Busch to the side. We'll be interested to see if Larson can make it three wins at the Glen this Sunday. Let's take a look at the loop stats, recent history at Watkins Glen International and even look at this season's road course results to help give you the drivers you need to conquer your fantasy racing leagues this weekend.

The Contenders – Drivers in the hunt for the win

Shane van Gisbergen – With his wins recently in Mexico City, Chicago and Sonoma, the Trackhouse Racing driver has ascended to the top of the road racing hierarchy. It's been a very impressive season for van Gisbergen as he has dominated in all three of those road racing wins in 2025. This weekend will be his second-career Cup Series start at Watkins Glen International. He qualified third in his debut at the track last season and battled Chris Buescher in an incredible struggle for the win in the closing laps. Van Gisbergen would fall just short and grab an impressive runner-up finish at the Glen. The Kiwi also led 14 laps and finished inside the Top 5 in his Xfinity Series debut at the Glen last season. He'll be even sharper this time around.

Chase Elliott – The Hendrick Motorsports star has been held winless the last four seasons on the Cup Series' road circuits. However, Elliott has maintained a high level of performance on these winding circuits and is showing signs of getting back into victory lane. The driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet is a two-time Watkins Glen victor and he finished a strong runner-up there in 2021. With 170 combined laps led at the Glen, two wins and four Top 5's since 2016, Elliott has been a dominant force at this facility. He's had a good season of road racing in 2025 with three Top-5 finishes so far, including a pair of third-place efforts at Mexico City and Sonoma. We believe Elliott will rediscover his old Watkins Glen groove on Sunday.     

Christopher Bell – Bell has grabbed one win and two runner-up finishes in the last four road racing events. The victory came earlier this season at COTA and the runner-ups came at Mexico City and last fall at the ROVAL. The Joe Gibbs Racing youngster is three-for-four in starts and Top 10's at Watkins Glen International. That 75-percent Top-10 rate is elite and it translates into a strong 8.0 average finish. The No. 20 Toyota team have been pretty dialed-in on the winding circuits over the past year and seem to be regular faces among those in the Top 5 in these events. That makes Bell a top contender for Sunday's Go Bowling at the Glen.   

Denny Hamlin – We don't typically think of Hamlin when it comes to many road circuits, however, Watkins Glen is a different animal with it's rolling hills and high speeds. The Joe Gibbs Racing star is a one-time winner at the Glen and he's also finished runner-up twice, as recently as 2023. Hamlin's 50-percent career Top-10 rate at WGI over 18-career starts is a very impressive statistic. While this driver and team have been a bit hit-or-miss on the winding tracks this season, Hamlin grabbed an impressive Top-5 finish on the Chicago Street Course last month. It was doubly impressive considering he started 40th on the grid that day. Watkins Glenn is a big upgrade weekend for Hamlin.  

Solid Plays – Near locks for a Top 10 with an outside shot to win

William Byron – Coming off a strong win at Iowa Speedway, Byron will look to carry that momentum into Watkins Glen this week. He won this event at the Glen two years ago from the outside pole in a dominant performance. That was Byron's first-career victory at Watkins Glen, and likely won't be his last. His average start at the New York road course is a stellar 8.3 and that's a big reason for Byron's success. He's visited the Top 10 in three of his six starts at the facility for a sound 50-percent rate and 15.3 average finish. Considering that Byron has cracked the Top 10 in each of his last four road racing events, including a runner-up finish at COTA, he'll be a strong fantasy racing play at the Glen.

Tyler Reddick – Road and street courses have been this driver and team's most successful tracks in the Cup Series. With three combined wins and 19 Top 10's, they've been Reddick's best facilities. He grabbed a pole and third-place finish earlier in the year at COTA and a third-place at Chicago more recently. Reddick will be making just his fifth-career Cup start at Watkins Glen International this Sunday, but that's of little concern. Reddick has earned three Top-10 finishes in his four starts (75-percent) at the New York road course. This time around we'll get to see what the young driver has learned from those outings and from the road racing events of this season. The results shouldn't disappoint. 

Chris Buescher – The road circuits have held a lot of success for Buescher and his No. 17 Ford team over the past two seasons. The veteran Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing driver has two Top-10 finishes for a stellar 11.0 average finish on these style tracks this season alone. Buescher was a seventh-place finisher at COTA earlier this season and he finished a steady 10th-place in the inaugural Mexico City event. Those are good samples for what to expect from the No. 17 Ford team at Watkins Glen. Buescher won this event one year ago in a bit of a surprise. However, it shouldn't have been that surprising given his current three-race Watkins Glen Top-10 streak entering this weekend.

Chase Briscoe – Briscoe is on a roll. He's grabbed three runner-up finishes and two pole positions in the last four events. He comes to Watkins Glen with some of the best speed and performance in the Cup Series right now. That performance has come on road circuits too. Briscoe has collected a seventh-place recently at Mexico City and second-place at Sonoma Raceway. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver has four prior starts at Watkins Glen International with mixed results. Still, Briscoe has fetched a pair of Top 10's in those efforts, including a sixth-place finish in this event one year ago. This driver and team have tremendous upside in the Go Bowling at the Glen.     

Sleepers – Drivers with good history at Watkins Glen & solid upside

Kyle Busch – Busch has had a tough season but not on the winding circuits. The veteran driver has grabbed Top-5 finishes at both COTA and Chicago and he was a Top-10 finisher at the recent Sonoma event. That bodes well for Busch coming to New York. The driver of the No. 8 Chevrolet is a two-time Watkins Glen winner (2008 and 2013), and he's grabbed 13-career Top-10 finishes there for a robust 68-percent. Busch's 11.7 career average finish across 19-career starts speaks volumes of his consistency at the Glen. If any of the top contenders stumble this weekend, it could likely be Busch surprises this weekend and challenges for the win.

Michael McDowell – The veteran Front Row Motorsports driver has been a proven performer in recent seasons on the road circuits, and he's carried that success into 2025. McDowell has two Top-5 and four Top-15 finishes on the road courses in his last four starts and he's looking for more success at the Glen this Sunday. McDowell hasn't enjoyed as much success at Watkins Glen as he has at some other tracks in the series, but that should not be a deterrent to fantasy racing deployment this Sunday. McDowell has averaged a 5.3 qualifying spot and led a combined 38 laps in his last three starts in New York. He has two Top-10 finishes in his last three starts at the Glen and that's a reversal in performance from earlier in his career here.    

Kyle Larson – Larson is a two-time winner of this event in 2021 and 2022. He has cracked the Top 10 in four of his last six starts at the Glen coming into Sunday's action. The Hendrick Motorsports star is a good performer on the winding road circuits as he has shown at points in his career. There are tracks that really play to Larson's strengths and the Glen is one of those facilities. The driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet also won a Xfinity start at Watkins Glen International three seasons ago, so he swept the weekend in 2022 at the New York road course. On the downside, things have been a bit lean for this driver and team this season on the road circuits, so we're giving Larson a downgrade to the sleepers list this week based on risk.

AJ Allmendinger – Things have been a bit inconsistent for Allmendinger on the road courses this season, however, he did grab an impressive sixth-place at the Chicago Street Course recently and brings that potential to Watkins Glen International this Sunday. Allmendinger is a one-time winner (2014) at the Glen and his eight-career Top-10 finishes at the New York circuit check in at a strong 62-percent. He finished second-place in this event three seasons ago and fourth the year after that, both for this same Kaulig Racing team. That has whittled his career average finish at the Glen down to a robust 10.8. Allmendinger cannot be overlooked in weekly lineup and salary cap leagues this weekend.     

Ty Gibbs – After a slow start to the season on these style tracks, Gibbs has pulled a reversal in recent weeks. The Joe Gibbs Racing youngster has grabbed finishes of 11th-, seventh- and second-place at Mexico City, Sonoma and Chicago. Gibbs also led a dominant 27 laps in that Mexico race. Now the driver of the No. 54 Toyota sets his sights on Watkins Glen to look towards continuing that success. Gibbs has just three starts at the Glen with limited success, but he did grab a strong fifth-place finish in this event two seasons ago. The young driver has quite a bit of Xfinity Series success at Watkins Glen with one pole position, two outside poles, one victory and 141-combined laps led in four starts.

Alex Bowman – Bowman brings a lot of upside to New York this week. Although he doesn't have the best Watkins Glen stats in his resume, he's been one of the more consistent performers of this season on the winding circuits. Bowman grabbed ninth-, fourth- and eighth-place finishes at COTA, Mexico City and the Chicago Street Course, so the performance has been at a high level. Bowman has been a Top-15 finisher in three of his last six starts at the Glen, but we really feel like that's the floor for him this Sunday. We believe the No. 48 Chevrolet team will be a Top-10 threat at Watkins Glen International.  

Slow Down – Drivers to avoid this week

Erik Jones – The Legacy Motor Club veteran has had a tough season on the road circuits. Jones has just one Top-20 finish in the four events to-date. That works out to be a 24.5 average finish and well worse than his career average of 19.8 on road courses. The driver of the No. 43 Toyota is on "the struggle bus" as they say and no really good explanation as to why he is having problems. At first glance it would appear to be a qualifying problem as he's had difficulty getting that good starting track position that helps lead to a good finish on these tracks. Jones has some reasonably good historical stats at Watkins Glen (16.9 average finish in seven starts); however, he only managed a 33rd-place finish in this event one year ago.

Brad Keselowski – The season has been turning much more positive of late for Keselowski and his No. 6 Ford team. Riding a three-race Top-10 streak into Watkins Glen this week, everything would seem to be in order. However, we're calling for the fade for the veteran driver this week. Keselowski has six Top 10's in his 14-career starts at the Glen (43-percent), however, his last came in 2019 and it's been a long dry spell for him at WGI. Keselowski's qualifying efforts have fallen off here over the past three seasons and that's led to some disappointing finishes. He hasn't cracked the Top 10 in his last four attempts at the Glen and he's looking like a shaky fantasy prospect for the Go Bowling at the Glen.       

Austin Dillon – The 12-season veteran is having a rough campaign. Dillon has just four Top-10 finishes this season and comes to New York a distant 28th-place in the driver standings. The driver of the No. 3 Chevrolet has 10-career starts at Watkins Glen International and just one Top-15 finish to his credit. However, he has seven finishes outside the Top 25 at the New York track. Dillon finished 28th-place in this event one year ago, and he's had problems this season on the winding circuits. The Richard Childress Racing veteran has just one Top-25 finish and a lowly 29.0 average finish in the three road racing events of 2025. Dillon should be benched in all formats this weekend.            

Bubba Wallace – Wallace's 14-percent Top-10 rate over the past two seasons of road racing is a statistic that stands out. It culminates in a subpar 117.0 average finish for the No. 23 Toyota team in this style of racing. He's greatly reduced his DNFs in this style of racing, but he can't seem to challenge the Top 10 no matter what the track. In six-career Cup Series starts at Watkins Glen, Wallace has just one Top-15 finish and an average finish of 23.3. He's been on a bit of a roll recently, riding a three-race Top-10 streak into the Glen. However, those were all oval events and not road circuits. It's better to bench Wallace this week and save a fantasy start for him at Richmond the following week.