Bully Hill Vineyards 176
Location: Watkins Glen, N.Y.
Course: Watkins Glen International
Format: 2.45-mile road course
Laps: 72
Bully Hill Vineyards 176 Race Preview
The NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series goes road racing this week at Watkins Glen International, where a host of road-course specialists will be aiming for Victory Lane. Carson Hocevar returned to the series last week to win at Texas, becoming the fourth consecutive part-time series driver to take the checkered flag. That streak has helped Kaden Honeycutt climb to the championship lead, with four top-five finishes and five top-10s in the first seven races. Farther back in the standings, only 11 points separate the four drivers ranked ninth through twelfth, all battling hard for one of the ten spots in the championship chase. With multiple part-time entries this week, the opportunity is there for championship contenders to gain significant ground if they can perform. To achieve that, they will need to overcome some of the best road racers NASCAR has to offer, though. With only nine regular-season races remaining to finalize the field of 10 championship contenders, there are big rewards on the line for those who can make the most of this week's trip to one of the country's most iconic road course venues.
Key Stats at Watkins Glen International
- Number of races: 7
- Winners from pole: 5
- Winners from top-5 starters: 6
- Winners from top-10 starters: 7
- Winners from 21st or lower starters: 0
- Fastest race: 97.790 mph
Previous Watkins Glen International Winners
2025 - Corey Heim
2021 - Austin Hill
2000 - Greg Biffle
1999 - Ron Fellows
1998 - Joe Ruttman
1997 - Ron Fellows
1996 - Ron Hornaday, Jr.
Last season, the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series returned to Watkins Glen International for the first time since 2021. It marked the seventh time the series raced at the track, and Corey Heim led 44 of 81 laps from pole position to secure the win. The race featured high attrition with nine cautions and 11 drivers who did not finish. One thing that is relatively certain at this track, as with most road courses, is that track position is important. No driver has started outside the top 10 and won this race, and six of the seven winners began from the front row. However, Layne Riggs broke that pattern earlier this season by leading 41 of 80 laps to win at St. Petersburg despite starting in 28th place. Fantasy players should not expect that to happen at Watkins Glen, though. Last year, four of the top five starters in this race finished in the top six. Drivers who start up front usually finish up front if they can avoid mistakes, but with 11 turns and 72 laps, that is much easier said than done. Those starting further back will need to rely on pit strategy to gain track position and hope that mistakes are made by those starting ahead.
RotoWire NASCAR Truck Series DFS Tools
DraftKings Value Picks for the Bully Hill Vineyards 176
Based on Standard $50k Salary Cap
DraftKings Tier 1 Values
Connor Zilisch - $15,000
Shane van Gisbergen - $14,000
Carson Hocevar - $10,700
AJ Allmendinger - $10,500
DraftKings Tier 2 Values
Layne Riggs - $10,000
Ross Chastain - $9,000
Chandler Smith - $8,800
Ben Rhodes - $8,300
DraftKings Tier 3 Values
Ty Majeski - $8,100
Christian Eckes - $7,800
Tyler Ankrum - $7,700
Daniel Hemric - $7,500
DraftKings Long-Shot Values
Justin Haley - $7,000
Grant Enfinger - $7,000
Jake Garcia - $6,500
Corey Lajoie - $6,400
Optimal DraftKings Lineup for the Bully Hill Vineyards 176
Shane van Gisbergen - $14,000
Ben Rhodes - $8,300
Tyler Ankrum - $7,700
Daniel Hemric - $7,500
Jake Garcia - $6,500
Brenden Queen - $6,000
The battle between Shane van Gisbergen and Connor Zilisch is highly anticipated this week at Watkins Glen. The two have gone head-to-heard in the past and the battles have been highly competitive and entertaining. Both have great Watkins Glen records, but Shane van Gisbergen gets the slight edge for me this week. SVG's road course skills are among the best in the world, and the Watkins Glen layout plays to his particular strengths. He was the strongest driver in the O'Reilly Series on road courses and these trucks are close in nature to how those vehicles race. Despite SVG's lack of truck experience, his driving skills should overcome and put him at the front on Friday.
After using so much salary space for SVG, fantasy players will have to be judicious with their next choices. One of the best options with a lower price tag could be Ben Rhodes. He only finished 26th in this race last season after involvement in a crash, but prior to that incident, he was one of the fastest on track. Rhodes qualified ninth, scored points in the first stage, and won the second. Were it not for the last crash, he should have been capable of a much better finish. This week will be a chance for him to claim what he should have achieved in this race last season.
Tyler Ankrum pulled off an impressive top-five finish last year at the Glen. He started the race 13th and was even able to finish in the top 10 in the second stage. He raced his way forward throughout the afternoon and ended the race with a fifth-place finish with wonderful race execution. His efforts at St. Petersburg bolster his expectations this weekend, too. Despite finishing 31st in that race, he was among the top 10 in practice and qualified inside the top 15. Fantasy players should expect similar pace from him this week.
Veteran Daniel Hemric could also be a value add to rosters this week. He finished eighth at St. Petersburg earlier this season and was second at Watkins Glen last season. That runner-up finish came from the 17th starting spot, too. Last year's second-place finish was no fluke either. Despite starting outside of the top 15, Hemric's race execution had him among the top 10 by the end of the season stage, which he then leveraged to grab the runner-up spot. Hemric's experience and skill on these courses set him up for top finishes.
Jake Garcia sits just eight points out of the championship positions, and is hoping to gain ground in that effort this weekend. He might be able to, too. Garcia finished 15th at the track last season and and was a top-20 runner earlier this season at St. Petersburg. Watkins Glen is a circuit where mistakes can be amplified, and if Garcia has a mistake-free afternoon, he should scoop up some valuable points. His fight to be part of the championship discussion will be an asset for him this weekend.
With such high prices for the top choices this weekend, most rosters will be forced to stretch deeper down the order for their final selections than usual. This roster grabs Brenden Queen. While Queen is not known as a top road racer, he was still able to get to the finish on the lead lap at St. Petersburg. Results like that can be valuable with the unique circumstances that can arise in road course races. Queen isn't too far out of the championship conversation and his last two races leading to this weekend produced 10th- and 13th-place finishes. Getting a full-time driver with that type of momentum heading into this weekend is a value fantasy players should consider grabbing.
Best Bets for the Bully Hill Vineyards 176
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook as of 10:30 AM ET Friday.
Race Winner - Shane van Gisbergen +130
Top-Three Finish - Ross Chastain +550
Top-Five Finish - AJ Allmendinger +200
With his establish road course record in various NASCAR series through his few years on the circuit, Shane van Gisbergen has established himself as the best road course racer. He gets himself into position to fight for the win nearly every time out, and this track in particular suits his late-braking style and his ability to trail brake through the course's long turns. That ability to get the vehicle to rotate is exceptional and segregates him from the competition each lap. He will have some stiff competition from another road course specialists this week, but SVG should still establish himself as a contender throughout this race.
Ross Chastain isn't a road course specialist like SVG or Zilisch, but Watkins Glen is a track where he tends to outperform. This week, he will be driving a Niece Motorsports entry. He is no stranger to being behind the wheel of a truck, and he qualified inside the top 10 at Watkins Glen last season. A fuel pump failure took him out of that contest, but before the trouble struck, he was fast enough to finish second in the opening stage. Avoiding similar trouble this week should enable him to be in contention among the top finishers at the finish, and a top-three finish should be within his reach.
Though AJ Allmendinger has historically been one of the names to watch on road courses, his efforts in the Cup Series have not recently been reaching the heights we've come to expect from him. There are a few reasons for that, but the same mechanical aspects don't necessarily apply in the CRAFTSMAN Trucks as they in Cup. For that reason, this week's race could be one fans expect to see the Allmendinger of old. His driving style is well suited to this type of chassis versus the new Cup machines, which makes Allmendinger a driver to watch out for on Friday.
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