From tickets to Kal Penn: 10 things to know about NASCAR Week at Watkins Glen
Last year's Go Bowling at The Glen came down to a memorable overtake by Kyle Larson of Chase Elliott in the closing laps. The Hendrick Motorsports teammates have combined to win the last four NASCAR Cup Series events at Watkins Glen International.
More on Larson's bid for three straight, Elliott's attempt to join the playoff field and other things you need to know about NASCAR's return to Watkins Glen this weekend.
Weekend schedule, TV information
Three races over three days will be held on the track's 2.45-mile NASCAR configuration. The schedule:
Cup Series: The weekend will culminate with Sunday's Go Bowling at the Glen, a 90-lap, 220.5 Cup Series race scheduled for a 3 p.m. start. USA Network will provide live television coverage. Stages will last through laps 20 and 40, but there are no longer stage breaks on road courses for the Cup Series. Points are still awarded at the end of stages. Qualifying is set for 1:30 p.m. Saturday.
Xfinity Series: Saturday's lineup includes the Shriners Children's 200 at The Glen at 3:30 p.m. The 82-lap race is scheduled for 200.9 miles, with stage winners at laps 20 and 40 but no stage breaks. USA Network will televise. Qualifying is at 11 a.m. Saturday.
ARCA Menards Series: The 41-lap, 100.45-mile General Tire 100 at The Glen kicks off weekend racing at 6 p.m. Friday. FS1 will provide live TV coverage.
More: Turn 1 was pivotal, chaotic at Watkins Glen last year. What to expect in 2023
Infield camping sold out
NASCAR announced Aug. 1 that infield camping for the race weekend has sold out for the third year in a row, the earliest date in recent years that has happened.
Grandstand seating and general admission tickets are still available through theglen.com.
Last year on race day, Watkins Glen announced a seventh consecutive sellout of grandstand seating.
Ready for rain, but sunshine expected
The start of last year's race at Watkins Glen was delayed because of standing water on the track and visibility issues. But NASCAR has rain tires available to use in manageable wet weather if needed.
The midweek weather forecast is ideal for the weekend, with a 40% chance of rain Friday and mostly sunny skies otherwise. For NASCAR teams and traveling fans, the weather is expected to be much milder than what they have seen at times this season, with high temperatures in the low 70s on Friday and Saturday and a top reading of about 80 degrees Sunday.
Larson seeks historic three-peat
NASCAR's top series first came to Watkins Glen in 1957, with two additional stops in the 1960s before the road course became a fixture on the Cup schedule starting in 1986.
Since then, two drivers have won the race three times in a row. Mark Martin did so from 1993 to 1995 and Jeff Gordon claimed a three-peat of his own from 1997 to 1999.
Larson, the 2021 series champion, is in line to join them with a victory Sunday after holding off Elliott two years ago and runner-up AJ Allmendinger in 2022. Larson also won the Xfinity race at Watkins Glen last year.
It has been a strong season for Larson, who is locked into the 16-driver playoff field. He is fifth in overall points and has two wins and 12 top-10 finishes.
More: Tyler Reddick on transition to 23XI, why he likes road courses and NASCAR's return to WGI
Chase Elliott eyes playoff berth
Three years after winning the Cup Series season championship, Elliott is on the outside looking in with two races remaining before the playoff field is set.
Those 16 spots will go to series regulars with at least one win, with remaining openings determined by points. Heading to The Glen, 13 full-time Cup drivers have reached Victory Lane. Michael McDowell punched his ticket into the playoffs Sunday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course.
Elliott, who missed seven races this year because of a broken leg and one-race suspension, enters WGI winless in 2023 and tied for 19th with Alex Bowman in overall points at 480, a sizeable 80 behind Bubba Wallace's 16th-place total. Among other drivers without a victory, Kevin Harvick (677) and Brad Keselowski (675) rank a comfortable 14th and 15th in points.
Elliott is the early favorite of oddsmakers to win Sunday. That boils down to his success at WGI, which included wins in 2018 and 2019, second place in 2021 and fourth last year after holding the lead on the final restart.
The 2018 race marked Elliott's first career Cup victory.
"That was a day I will certainly never forget as a huge achievement in my career and a huge achievement for our team," he said. "We had been through some tough losses together and had a lot of really close calls. To finally get over the hump there was a really big deal."
The Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway on Aug. 26 is the final race of the regular season, with round one of the playoffs set for Sept. 3 at Darlington Raceway.
Truex tops in points; Byron leads in wins
Martin Truex Jr., who won at Watkins Glen in 2017, leads the regular-season Cup standings with 830 points, including three victories and 14 top-10 finishes over the first 24 official races. Truex recently announced he will return to Joe Gibbs Racing in 2024.
Denny Hamlin is second with 770 points while Kyle Busch is tied for second in season wins with Truex. Hamlin won at WGI in 2016 and Busch took Cup victories there in 2008 and 2013.
William Byron of Hendrick Motorsports tops the series with four victories this season: Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Phoenix Raceway, Darlington Raceway and Atlanta Motor Speedway.
More: Q&A: Michael Printup looks back at 14 years at Watkins Glen, discusses new job with SVRA
Watkins Glen celebrating 75-year racing anniversary
This year marks the 75-year anniversary of big-time racing in Watkins Glen, a tradition that began when the late Cameron Argetsinger organized the first post-World War II road race in the United States through the streets of downtown Watkins Glen and surrounding areas.
The original 6.6-mile Grand Prix course started and ended in front of the Schuyler County courthouse. Frank T. Griswold Jr. drove his Alfa Romeo to the win Oct. 2, 1948 and a victory banquet was held that night in Seneca Lodge in Watkins Glen, where Argetsinger received a standing ovation.
The permanent course now known as Watkins Glen International hosted its first race in 1956.
Rockenfeller in for Gragson
Among the 36 entrants in the Go Bowling at The Glen is Germany native Mike Rockenfeller, who for the second week in a row is taking over driving duties in the No. 42 Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet.
Rookie driver Noah Gragson was suspended indefinitely by NASCAR after liking an insensitive meme with George Floyd's face on social media. Last week Gragson asked Legacy Motor Club to release him from his contract.
Rockenfeller is a two-time winner at Le Mans who has competed multiple times in the Sahlen's Six Hours of The Glen, an IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race at Watkins Glen.
He made his Cup Series debut at Watkins Glen last year and finished 30th. Rockenfeller finished 24th in Sunday's Cup race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course after starting 37th.
Glen farewell for Harvick?
Kevin Harvick announced in January this will be his final full-time season in the NASCAR Cup Series, making this weekend's Go Bowling at The Glen a possible farewell to a track he won at in 2006.
He has continually spoken fondly of Watkins Glen.
“Watkins Glen is kind of a road-racing treasure in our country, just because of all the history and things that it has between the town and the track," Harvick said. “That venue has held some great races throughout the years, and our races up there during the last decade have been full of fans and a lot of fun to see how road racing has progressed through the years. It’s fun to go up there."
Harvick, 47, has 60 career Cup Series victories. While he is without a win this year, he is still poised to qualify for the playoffs.
The driver of the No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford recently revealed he raced several weeks with "a stack of busted ribs" after falling down a flight of steps in Italy during NASCAR's June break.
Actor Kal Penn honorary driver
Actor Kal Penn, known largely for the "Harold & Kumar" movies and TV shows such as "House" and "Designated Survivor," has been named honorary pace car driver for the Go Bowling at The Glen.
"I've been a NASCAR fan for about a decade now and I love seeing the sport grow in new directions," Penn said in a press release. "Bucket list right here, to go from a fan to a fan who gets to be the honorary pace car driver for the Go Bowling at The Glen.
"I know lots of owners are watching and I am available if you need another driver on your team."
Follow Andrew Legare on Twitter: @SGAndrewLegare. You can also reach him at alegare@gannett.com. To get unlimited access to the latest news, please subscribe or activate your digital account today
This article originally appeared on Elmira Star-Gazette: NASCAR returns to Watkins Glen: 10 things to know in 2023
