Driver Averages | Laps Led Leaders | Driver Ratings | Past Winners
Detailed driver notes and statistics to help set your fantasy racing lineup for Sunday’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Go Bowling at The Glen.
Who’s HOT at Watkins Glen
- Kyle Busch has finished in the top 10 in 12 of his last 13 starts, including two wins (2008, 2013).
- Martin Truex Jr. has finished seventh or better in his last three starts, including a win in 2017.
- Denny Hamlin has recorded an average finish of 6.0 in his last three starts, including a win in 2016.
- Joey Logano has finished seventh or better in four of the last six races, including a win in 2015.
- Chase Elliott led 52 laps en route to the win last season to give him a 9.0 average finish in three starts.
- Kurt Busch has recorded an average finish of 7.2 in the last six races, including five top 10s.
Keep an Eye On at Watkins Glen
- Erik Jones has finished in the top 10 in his two starts at Watkins Glen and third or better in the last three races this season.
- Daniel Suarez has finished in the top five in his two starts at Watkins Glen.
- Clint Bowyer (7.0), Alex Bowman (10.2) and Ryan Blaney (12.5) each rank in the top 10 in average finish in the last four road courses races (2018-19), including the Charlotte Roval.
- Kevin Harvick has finished in the top 10 in three of his last five starts at Watkins Glen.
- Kyle Larson, who finished sixth last year at Watkins Glen, has a stellar 4.8 average start in 12 road course starts, including the Charlotte Roval.
- Brad Keselowski ranks fourth in stage points (two races) and has finished in the top 10 in five of his nine starts at Watkins Glen.
- Matt DiBenedetto, who finished fourth at Sonoma, has posted two top 10s and an average finish of 11.5 in the last four races this season.William Byron’s only road course top 10 (eighth) came in this event last season.
- William Byron’s only road course top 10 (eighth) came in this event last season.
Notes: The race will be 90 laps with Stage 1 and 2 ending at Lap 20 and 40, respectively…Teams will run a brand new tire, featuring the same tread compounds as 2018 with just a construction update…The pole position has produced the most winners (9) in the 36 races…Kyle Busch, who last won from the pole in 2008, is the only repeat winner at The Glen in the last 11 years…Sixty-four percent of Watkins Glen winners have come from a top five starting spot.
Best Average Finish at Watkins Glen
| Last # of Races | Driver | Average Finish |
| Two Races | Martin Truex Jr. | 1.5 |
| Four Races | Kyle Busch | 4.5 |
| Six Races | Kurt Busch | 7.2 |
| Eight Races | Martin Truex Jr. | 8.1 |
| Ten Races | Kyle Busch | 8.1 |
Laps Led Leaders at Watkins Glen
| Last # of Races | Driver | Laps Led |
| Two Races | Chase Elliott | 61 |
| Four Races | Brad Keselowski | 75 |
| Six Races | Kyle Busch | 88 |
| Eight Races | Kyle Busch | 180 |
| Ten Races | Kyle Busch | 195 |
Click Here to view all laps led leaders at Watkins over the past 10 races.
Watkins Glen Loop Data Stat Leaders (Last Three Races)
| Average Running Pos. | Laps in Top 15 |
| 1. Martin Truex Jr. – 5.2 | 1. Martin Truex Jr. – 262 |
| 2. Kyle Busch – 6.9 | 2. Kyle Busch – 241 |
| 3. Erik Jones – 7.9 | 3. Denny Hamlin – 213 |
| 4. Daniel Suarez – 8.0 | 4. Kurt Busch – 211 |
| 5. Brad Keselowski – 9.5 | 5. Brad Keselowski – 209 |
| Fastest Laps Run | Driver Rating |
| 1. Kyle Busch – 64 | 1. Martin Truex Jr. – 121.4 |
| 2. Martin Truex Jr. – 40 | 2. Kyle Busch – 119.1 |
| 3. Chase Elliott – 34 | 3. Chase Elliott – 110.6 |
| 4. Brad Keselowski – 22 | 4. Daniel Suarez – 107.9 |
| 5. Joey Logano – 11 | 5. Erik Jones – 101.8 |
Top 10 Stage Points Earned at Watkins Glen
Two Races
| Driver | Points Earned |
| Martin Truex Jr. | 34 |
| Kyle Busch | 21 |
| Chase Elliott | 18 |
| Brad Keselowski | 16 |
| Denny Hamlin | 13 |
| Daniel Suarez | 11 |
| Kyle Larson | 10 |
| Ryan Blaney | 9 |
| Jimmie Johnson | 9 |
| William Byron | 8 |
2018 Watkins Glen Race Stage Finishes
| Stage 1 | Stage 2 |
| 1. Martin Truex Jr. | 1. Chase Elliott |
| 2. Jimmie Johnson | 2. Kyle Busch |
| 3. William Byron | 3. Denny Hamlin |
| 4. Michael McDowell | 4. Erik Jones |
| 5. Brad Keselowski | 5. Martin Truex Jr. |
| 6. Ryan Newman | 6. Jamie McMurray |
| 7. Alex Bowman | 7. Kevin Harvick |
| 8. Chris Buescher | 8. Kyle Larson |
| 9. Paul Menard | 9. Ryan Blaney |
| 10. Matt Kenseth | 10. Daniel Suarez |
Top Five in Stage Points Earned in 2019 (21 Races)
| Driver | Stage Points | Stage Wins |
| Joey Logano | 226 | 7 |
| Kevin Harvick | 196 | 4 |
| Kyle Busch | 176 | 8 |
| Brad Keselowski | 155 | 4 |
| Chase Elliott | 143 | 2 |
MRN.com Staff Picks
Jeff Wackerlin: Kyle Busch
Pete Pistone: Kyle Busch
Tyler Burnett: Martin Truex Jr.
Kenneth Lee: Chase Elliott
Driver Notes – Ordered by Average Finish (Top 15) in the Last Five Races at Watkins Glen
Martin Truex Jr. has finished seventh or better in his last three starts at Watkins Glen, including a win in 2017. Truex won at Sonoma in June – his second straight win there – in his first road course start as a member of Joe Gibbs Racing. He leads all drivers in stage points earned (34) in the last two races at The Glen.
Kurt Busch has finished 11th or better in the last six races at Watkins Glen, including five top 10s. Busch finished 13th in his first road course start with Chip Ganassi Racing at Sonoma in June. Busch has only earned points in one of the last four stages (1 and 2) at The Glen, finishing eighth in the second stage in 2017.
Kyle Busch has finished in the top 10 in 12 of his 14 starts at Watkins Glen with his last of two wins coming in 2013. Busch ranks second in laps led in the last two races at The Glen with 52. He finished second in the first road course race of the season at Sonoma in June. Busch ranks second in stage points earned at Watkins Glen with 21, including a stage 1 win in 2017 after starting from the pole.
Denny Hamlin won the pole last year and finished 13th at Watkins Glen. The finish snapped a streak of two consecutive top fives, which includes a win in 2016. Hamlin finished fifth in the first road course event of the season in June at Sonoma Raceway. He’s scored stage points in the second stage in each of the last two races at The Glen for a total of 13 points.
Brad Keselowski has finished outside the top 10 in his last two starts at Watkins Glen. He does have five top 10s in his previous seven starts, including three straight second-place finishes from 2011-2013. Keselowski, who ranks fourth in stage points earned at The Glen, finished 18th in June in the first road course race of the season at Sonoma Raceway.
Joey Logano has finished outside the top 20 in the last two races at Watkins Glen. He started sixth last year but exited the race on Lap 1 when he went to the garage for a broken an oil cooler. From 2011-2016, Logano posted five top 10s, including a win in 2015. He started third and finished 23rd in the first road course race of the season at Sonoma due to alternator issues. Logano’s only stage points (4) at The Glen came in the first stage in 2017.
Kevin Harvick is coming off his ninth top 10 in 18 starts at Watkins Glen, which includes a win in 2006. Harvick has finished in the top 10 in the last four road course races, including a sixth-place finish at Sonoma this year and a ninth-place finish last fall at the Charlotte Roval. His first stage points (4) at The Glen came last year in the second stage.
Kyle Larson finished sixth last season for his second top 10 in five starts at Watkins Glen International. Larson is an excellent qualifier on road courses with a 4.8 average start in 12 overall starts, including the Charlotte Roval where he led 47 laps. He won the pole and finished 10th at Sonoma in June.
Clint Bowyer has posted an 8.0 average finish in two starts with Stewart-Haas Racing at Watkins Glen. His best finish (fourth) in 13 overall starts came in 2012 when he drove for Michael Waltrip Racing. Bowyer finished 11th at Sonoma in June.
Chase Elliott is the defending race winner at Watkins Glen. He has a 9.0 average finish in three starts and ranks third in stage points at The Glen after winning Stage 2 also last season. Elliott had an engine issue at Sonoma in June, snapping a streak of three straight top 10s at road courses, including the Roval.
Michael McDowell has not finished in the top 10 in 10 starts at Watkins Glen, but has finished 20th or better in the last four races. McDowell started 13th and finished 25th at Sonoma in June.
Aric Almirola has yet to finish in the top 10 in eight starts at Watkins Glen. He finished ninth at Sonoma in June.
Ryan Newman has three top 10s in 17 starts at Watkins Glen with his last coming in 2006 with Team Penske. He’s posted an average finish of 23.2 in five track starts with Richard Childress Racing. Newman finished seventh at Sonoma in June for one of five top 10s in the last seven races this season.
Paul Menard has yet to finish in the top 10 in 15 starts at Watkins Glen. He finished 22nd in June at Sonoma and has a 27.3 average finish in his four road course starts, including the Charlotte Roval, with Wood Brothers Racing.
Ryan Blaney has finished eighth and 12th, respectively, in his last two starts at Watkins Glen International. Pit road strategy and a fast car resulted in a third-place finish for Blaney at Sonoma in June.
