Go Bowling at The Glen Preview: New York Road Course

This weekend the NASCAR Cup Series goes road racing for the first time in just over two months and visits Watkins Glen International for this second road course event in this 2026 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 tight turns. The event is 100 laps on the almost 2.5-mile course, divided into stages of 20, 30 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 20 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 21 years or 20 races at Watkins Glen International.

In its NASCAR Cup history, the Glen has been won from the front three rows 31 times in the 42 total races run to-date. That factors out to a whopping 74-percent of the winners coming from the first three starting rows. The pole winner has collected 10 of those 42 wins and the outside pole starter has won five times, three times in just the last four seasons. In fact, no winner of this race has started worse than 24th on the grid. The status quo was turned upside down two seasons ago 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 Watkins Glen as being the driver deepest in the starting field to race to victory. However, last season's victor, van Gisbergen, started on the outside pole and showed once again that good starting track position is king here.

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 65-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 seven 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 five races at Watkins Glen and at least momentarily moved both Elliott and Busch to the side. With his win and runner-up finish in the last two Glen events, van Gisbergen has entered the chat. A new sheriff is in town and the Trackhouse Racing veteran now looks like the top dog at this New York road circuit. 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

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook as of 5:00 PM ET Wednesday

Shane van Gisbergen (+125) – With six-career road and street course wins in 13 starts (46-percent win rate) van Gisbergen has become the gold standard in road racing over the past couple seasons. This weekend will be his third-career Cup Series start at Watkins Glen International. He has finished runner-up (2024) and won last season's race at the Glen. The Trackhouse Racing star has this place figured out after just a couple starts. Van Gisbergen did not win, but finished runner-up earlier this season at COTA, so this will be a hungry driver and team coming into the Go Bowling at the Glen. He and the No. 97 Chevrolet team will be the outfit to beat Sunday in New York.  

Tyler Reddick (+750) – Road and street courses have been this driver and team's most successful tracks in the Cup Series. With four combined wins and 22 Top 10's, they've been Reddick's best facilities. He grabbed a pole and win earlier in the year at COTA and that was his second-career victory at the Circuit of the Americas. Reddick will be making just his sixth-career Cup start at Watkins Glen International this Sunday, but that's of little concern. Reddick has earned four Top-10 finishes in his five starts (80-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 event of earlier this season. The results shouldn't disappoint. 

Christopher Bell (+1000) – Bell has grabbed one win and four runner-up finishes in the last 10 road racing events. The victory came last season at COTA and the most recent of his runner-up finishes came in his last start at Watkins Glen International. The Joe Gibbs Racing youngster is four-for-five in starts and Top 10's at Watkins Glen International. That 80-percent Top-10 rate is elite and it translates into a strong 6.8 average finish. The No. 20 Toyota team have been pretty dialed-in on the winding circuits over the past couple years and seem to be regular faces among those in the Top 5 in these events. He rides an amazing seven-race road circuit Top-5 streak into Sunday's action.  

Chris Buescher (+1800) – The road circuits have held a lot of success for Buescher and his No. 17 Ford team over the past few seasons. The veteran Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing driver has one win and seven Top-10 finishes for a stellar 9.3 average finish on these style tracks in his last 10 starts. Buescher won this event at the Glen two seasons ago in a thrilling battle with Shane van Gisbergen and he finished a strong third-place in this event one year ago. He now rides a four-race Watkins Glen Top-10 streak into this weekend's action. Buescher and his RFKR team are underrated contenders to win the Go Bowling at the Glen.

Solid Plays – Near Locks for Top 10 with an Outside Shot to Win

William Byron (+1400) – Coming off a strong eighth-place finish at Texas, Byron will look to carry that momentum into Watkins Glen this week. He won this event at the Glen three 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 8.6 and that's a big reason for Byron's success. He's visited the Top 10 in four of his seven starts at the facility for a sound 57-percent rate and 13.7 average finish. Considering that Byron finished fourth in this event one year ago and he seems to be gaining some momentum, he'll be a strong fantasy racing play at the Glen.

Chase Elliott (+1600) – The Hendrick Motorsports star has been held winless the last five seasons on the Cup Series' road circuits. However, Elliott has maintained a high level of performance on these winding tracks 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 has Top 10's in six of his last seven road racing events and finished seventh-place at COTA most recently. We believe Elliott will rediscover his old Watkins Glen groove on Sunday afternoon.    

Michael McDowell (+2200) – 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 2026. McDowell has five Top-5 and six Top-10 finishes on the road courses in his last 10 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 he does have a pair of Top 10's in his last four trips to the New York road circuit. McDowell has averaged a 5.5 qualifying spot and led a combined 38 laps in his last four starts in New York. He led 5 laps and secured a strong fifth-place finish at COTA earlier this season.

Chase Briscoe (+2200) – Briscoe is on a two-race skid and will be happy to see the Watkins Glen International Circuit this weekend. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver has had good speed but tough luck in the last two events at Talladega and Fort Worth. Briscoe has a steady 40-percent Top-10 rate in his last 10 road racing events and he has posted sixth- and fifth-place finishes in his last two starts at the Glen. Those efforts have boosted his Top-10 rate here to a strong 60-percent and lowered his average finish at WGI to 16.0. The No. 19 Toyota team needs a good performance this Sunday and the Glen is just the track to deliver that for Briscoe.

Sleepers – Drivers with Good History at Watkins Glen & Solid Upside

Daniel Suarez (+3500) – The 10-season veteran is off to a good start this season. Suarez has three Top 10's thus far and comes to New York a respectable 14th in the overall driver standings. The Spire Motorsports driver has a strong resume on this winding circuit. In eight-career starts he's fetched four Top 10's (50-percent) and forged a steady 12.8 average finish. Suarez finished seventh in this event one year ago and has Top 10's in two of his last four Watkins Glen starts. One of his two-career wins came on a NASCAR road circuit (Sonoma) so this style of racing has always been his true strength. This driver and team are to be watched closely in the Go Bowling at the Glen.

Bubba Wallace (+13000) – Wallace bucked his career trend at Watkins Glen in this race last season. The 23XI Racing veteran posted a strong eighth-place finish in the Go Bowling at the Glen which was his first Top 10 at the track in seven starts. We believe that experience will pay big dividends this weekend. Wallace has been improving his game in road racing the last couple seasons and it shows in the results. He has two Top-10 and five Top-15 finishes in his last seven road course events. The driver of the No. 23 Toyota had a good performance his last time out in this style of racing fetching a steady 11th-place finish in March at COTA.  

Kyle Larson (+1800) – Larson is a two-time winner of this event in 2021 and 2022. He has cracked the Top 10 in five of his 11-career starts at Watkins Glen International (46-percent). However, some inconsistency here and at other road circuits have us placing Larson in the sleepers list to reflect the risk associated with his selection this week. The Hendrick Motorsports star has finished runner-up (ROVAL) and finished sixth (COTA) in his last two road racing events so he's trending in the right direction in this style of racing. Larson has the ability to dominate on road courses and he also has the tendency to disappear. Buyer beware for the Go Bowling at the Glen.   

Ryan Blaney (+2200) – Blaney has better style tracks in his racing resume, but he's always been competitive but unspectacular in road racing. With one-career win (ROVAL) and 18 Top 10's on road and street circuits, his 42-percent Top-10 rate in this style of racing is respectable and noteworthy. His most recent sampling is a pair of Top 10's and three Top 15's in his last three attempts on these style tracks. Blaney has two Top-10 finishes in his last three starts at the Glen with his most impressive outing coming last season. The driver of the No. 12 Ford won the pole position, led 35 laps and finished an impressive sixth-place for his best ever performance at Watkins Glen International.   

AJ Allmendinger (+2200) – Things have been trending the right direction for this driver on road circuits of late. Allmendinger has finishes of 11th-, ninth- and ninth-place in his last three road racing events 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 57-percent. He finished a respectable 11th-place in this event one year ago and that only added to what is a strong resume at the Glen. That has whittled his career average finish at the Glen down to a robust 10.9. Allmendinger cannot be overlooked in weekly lineup and salary cap leagues this weekend.     

Ross Chastain (+3000) – A slow start to the season has Chastain looking for any success he can find each week. A Top-10 effort at Talladega recently has given this driver and team some momentum to build on. Road tracks have been good to Chastain in recent years. He has four Top 10's in his last 10 starts on these style tracks for a sound 40-percent rate. Watkins Glen International has held some success for the driver of the No. 1 Chevrolet. Chastain fetched the pole position here in 2024 and led 51 laps that day en route to a strong fourth-place finish. Last season he grabbed a steady 10th-place finish in the Go Bowling at the Glen. Those recent efforts have improved his statistics at this track and make Chastain a fantasy racing consideration.

Slow Down - Drivers to Avoid This Week

Denny Hamlin (+7000) – He's had his share of success at this circuit over the years with one win, two runner-up finishes and a decent 47-percent Top-10 rate. However, Hamlin has had his struggles on these style tracks the last few seasons for unknow reasons. He has just one Top-10 finish in his last nine road racing events (11-percent) and an inflated 20.9 average finish over the span. Watkins Glen International has been equally stingy over the last two seasons with Hamlin collecting 23rd- and 25th-place finishes the last two years. While we believe Hamlin and his team have the chance to reverse this and a high ceiling this weekend, we are convinced he is the highest risk driver among the "A" tier drivers this week. 

Kyle Busch (+5000) – 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 65-percent. Busch's 12.2 career average finish across 20-career starts speaks volumes of his consistency at the Glen. However, the Richard Childress Racing veteran has hit a soft patch at this track the last four seasons. Busch has finishes of 32nd-, 14th-, 30th- and 22nd-place in his last four starts at the New York road circuit. Those finishes have come in spite of reasonably good qualifying efforts (9.3 average start over that span). Busch has been a 30-percent Top-10 finisher on these style tracks since 2024 and that's below our expectations of him and this team.  

Erik Jones (+40000) – The Legacy Motor Club veteran has had a tough time on the road tracks the past couple seasons. Jones has no Top 10's and just one Top 15 in his last 10 road racing starts. That works out to be a 26.6 average finish and well worse than his career average of 20.2 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 (16.3 average finish in eight starts); however, he has only managed one Top 15 in his last three starts at the track.

Brad Keselowski (+17000) – The season has been pretty positive to this point with four Top 10's and a good ninth-place ranking in the driver standings entering this weekend. However, we're calling for the fade for the veteran driver this week. Keselowski has six Top 10's in his 15-career starts at the Glen (40-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 four seasons and that's led to some disappointing finishes. He hasn't cracked the Top 10 in his last five attempts at the Glen. With an inflated 23.2 average finish in his last 10 road racing starts, he's looking like a shaky fantasy prospect for the Go Bowling at the Glen.