Go Bowling at The Glen
Location: Watkins Glen, N.Y.
Course: Watkins Glen International
Format: 2.45-mile road course
Laps: 100
Go Bowling at The Glen Race Preview
The NASCAR Cup Series will take on its second road course race of the season at Watkins Glen International. Chase Elliott scored his second win of the season last week at Texas, joining Tyler Reddick as the only two drivers to have won multiple races so far this season. Reddick also happens to be the driver who won the first road course event this season at Circuit of the Americas. All eyes will be on Shane van Gisbergen, though. The Trackhouse Racing driver finished behind Reddick earlier this season at COTA but is the defending winner at Watkins Glen, where he dominated the road courses last year. While the race at COTA in March proved that the New Zealander can be beaten, Watkins Glen plays to more of his strengths. This weekend's event will mark the 43rd time the series has raced at this historic track, and as the points battle heats up, drivers will want to avoid mistakes at all costs as this weekend's trip to western New York is the last opportunity to impact the points standings before the annual All-Star Race weekend.
Key Stats at Watkins Glen International
- Number of races: 42
- Winners from pole: 10
- Winners from top-5 starters: 28
- Winners from top-10 starters: 32
- Winners from 21st or lower starters: 1
- Fastest race: 111.426 mph
Previous Watkins Glen Winners
2025 - Shane van Gisbergen
2024 - Chris Buescher
2023 - William Byron
2022 - Kyle Larson
2021 - Kyle Larson
2019 - Chase Elliott
2018 - Chase Elliott
2017 - Martin Truex Jr.
2016 - Denny Hamlin
2015 - Joey Logano
Watkins Glen International is a fast, flowing, natural-terrain road course that rewards rhythm and precise braking, unlike more technical layouts like COTA. Despite its emphasis on driver skill, track position remains critical, though. Only two winners in the last decade have come from outside the top 10, and three of the last four races were won by someone starting on the front row. Because of that, qualifying will play a major role this weekend for fantasy lineups. Drivers that miss out on those coveted top starting spots can still recover through strategy, though. The most effective approach is usually short pitting to gain track position, getting onto fresh tires early and cycling ahead of traffic. With passing limited, clean air and restart position can sometimes matter more than outright speed. Ultimately, drivers chasing the win tend to sacrifice stage points for better track position in the final stage, while others may prioritize points. At Watkins Glen, being near the front when the race settles late is what the top contenders will be working toward throughout Sunday's 100 laps.
RotoWire NASCAR DFS Tools
DraftKings Value Picks for the Go Bowling at The Glen
Based on Standard $50k Salary Cap
DraftKings Tier 1 Values
Shane van Gisbergen - $13,500
Tyler Reddick - $10,500
Christopher Bell - $10,000
Chase Elliott - $9,700
DraftKings Tier 2 Values
William Byron - $9,500
Kyle Larson - $9,000
Chris Buescher - $8,800
Chase Briscoe - $8,600
DraftKings Tier 3 Values
Ty Gibbs - $8,300
Ryan Blaney - $8,200
Michael McDowell - $8,000
Alex Bowman - $7,800
DraftKings Long-Shot Values
Austin Cindric - $7,200
Denny Hamlin - $7,000
Zane Smith - $6,200
Riley Herbst - $5,200
Optimal DraftKings Lineup for the Go Bowling at The Glen
Shane van Gisbergen - $13,500
Chase Briscoe - $8,600
Michael McDowell - $8,000
Austin Cindric - $7,200
Bubba Wallace - $6,500
Zane Smith - $6,200
Shane van Gisbergen (DK $13,500, FD $14,500) is the obvious choice this weekend at Watkins Glen. He dominated on road courses last season and finished second to Tyler Reddick at the one road course run so far this season. He should have a better shot at coming out on top this week at the Glen versus Circuit of the Americas, too. SVG's greatest advantages lie in out-braking opponents as well as using the brake to get the car to rotate through fast turns while maintaining momentum, which are two key points for getting a fast lap at Watkins Glen. He will definitely have competition to deal with, but Van Gisbergen remains the best option.
Chase Briscoe (DK $8,600, FD $8,500) is hoping to get back to scoring top-five finishes this week. Watkins Glen is a track he has been able to do so, too. He has three top-10 finishes at this track from five tries. HIs best finish actually came last season, which was his first time at the track with Joe Gibbs Racing. He started on the second row and finished fifth that day. Briscoe should be confident of landing a top-10 this weekend, which would end his two-race skid of finishes outside of the top 20.
Watkins Glen has also been a happy hunting ground for Michael McDowell (DK $8,000, FD $9,000). Ten of his 16 starts at the track have been inside the top 15 and he has recently started leading laps in the races, too. From the last four Watkins Glen races, he scored two top-10 finishes and led a combined 38 laps. Were it not for an electrical issue in the 2023 race, he might have added another top-10 to that tally, too. McDowell has been a productive road course selection for rosters in the past and his recent fortunes at Watkins Glen suggest he might be so again this weekend.
Also known for his road course abilities is Austin Cindric (DK $7,200, FD $5,800). He has a win and a third-place Watkins Glen finish from three tries in the O'Reilly Series and claims an average start in the Cup Series at the track of 10.8. His best finish from four series tries is 10th, but he has also never finished lower than 16th. Cindric is a consistently reliable option at the Glen with upside potential evidenced by his success here in during his days in the O'Reilly Series.
One name that many might overlook this week is Bubba Wallace (DK $6,500, FD $5,500). Despite not being known for road course racing, Wallace has been holding his own. He finished 11th at COTA earlier this season and has improved his fate at Watkins Glen in recent seasons. Wallace's best finish from his first four series tries at the track was 23rd, but in the last three races, his average finish in the three latest is 12.3. His best finish at the Glen also came last season when he finished eighth after starting 15th.
Zane Smith (DK $6,200, FD $5,200) is another bargain play this week. The Front Row Motorsports driver only has two series starts at Watkins Glen, but his average finish is 11.0. When you consider his average starting spot in that same span is 26.0, you can see why Smith could be a valuable pick. Despite his limited track record at the Glen, Smith's best finish of 5th and his average result of 11th make him worth selecting this week.
NASCAR Cup Series Betting Picks for the Go Bowling at The Glen
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook as of 8:00 PM ET Friday
Race Winner - Shane van Gisbergen +125
Top-Five Finish - Christopher Bell +135
Top-10 Finish - Daniel Suarez +165
It wasn't too long ago that bettors were getting negative odds for a Shane van Gisbergen road course win. While odds aren't the greatest this week at Watkins Glen, we'll take the positive spread. SVG is the defending winner, and having finished second to Tyler Reddick earlier this season at COTA, we're getting slightly more return for our investment. This track is very suited to SVG's strengths and that is going to make him harder to beat this week versus Austin in March. Those who has been selecting Van Gisbergen to win on road courses since his arrival on the scene should not stop this week.
Christopher Bell enters this weekend just hoping to get past his bad luck. The No. 20 has not run poorly in races this season, but many things have jumped in his way of success. Last week, he was taken out in a crash by a lapped car while in the lead, and that was just one of the many bad luck moments that have bitten him in 2026. This week's trip to Watkins Glen could help him turn things around, though. Bell has been reliable at this track, scoring four top-10s from five series starts. He was the runner up in this race last season, and this is the week Bell should deliver a reliable top-10 finish that could set the stage for moving beyond his early-season struggles in time for the All-Star Race.
WIth four top-10 finishes from eight Watkins Glen starts, Daniel Suarez offers respectable odds for a top-10 finish again this week. The Spire Motorsports driver started 19th but finished seventh in this race last season. His other top finishes at the track were all inside the top five, too. With Spire Motorsports among the early championship competitors this season, Suarez could be even more likely to add to his top finish count at the Glen, too.
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