After an eventful opening race of the 2024 NASCAR playoffs that saw Joey Logano prevail in an overtime shootout, the Cup Series changes gears from pack racing at Atlanta to road-course racing at Watkins Glen.
Team Penske had a very strong playoff opener with Logano’s race victory and stage wins by Ryan Blaney and Austin Cindric at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Blaney finished third and Cindric 10th at Atlanta.
But Watkins Glen could present a prime opportunity for playoff drivers at NASCAR’s two other biggest teams — Hendrick Motorsports and Joe Gibbs Racing — to make a statement. Hendrick drivers have won the last five races (2018-2023) at The Glen, and JGR drivers won the previous two (2016-17). Chase Elliott, the 2020 Cup Series champion, went back-to-back in 2018 and ’19, while Kyle Larson, the 2021 champ, captured two in a row at The Glen in 2021 and ’22. William Byron, Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr. have also earned recent victories on the New York road course.
So, who will prevail Sunday? Here is all the information you need to get ready for the Go Bowling at The Glen:
What time does the NASCAR playoff race at Watkins Glen start?
The Go Bowling at The Glen starts at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday at Watkins Glen International in Watkins Glen, New York.
What TV channel is the NASCAR playoff race at Watkins Glen on?
USA Network is broadcasting the Go Bowling at The Glen and has a pre-race show beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET.
Will there be a live stream of the NASCAR playoff race at Watkins Glen?
The Go Bowling at The Glen can be live streamed on the NBC Sports website and the NBC Sports app. The race is also available to stream on Fubo.
How many laps is the NASCAR playoff race at Watkins Glen?
The Go Bowling at The Glen is 90 laps around the 2.45-mile road course for a total of 220.5 miles. The race will feature three segments (laps per stage) — Stage 1: 20 laps; Stage 2: 20 laps; Stage 3: 50 laps.
Who won the most recent NASCAR Cup race at Watkins Glen?
William Byron started second and led 66 of 90 laps, including the final 33, before pulling away from Denny Hamlin by 2.632 seconds on Aug. 20, 2023.
What are the driver standings heading into the NASCAR playoff race at Watkins Glen?
x-clinched spot in second round. The bottom four drivers after the third playoff race next weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway will be eliminated.
Ryan Blaney, Team Penske … 2,071
Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing … 2,066
Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing … 2,059
William Bryon, Hendrick Motorsports … 2,059
x-Joey Logano, Team Penske … 2,054
Alex Bowman, Hendrick Motorsports … 2,053
Austin Cindric, Team Penske … 2,053
Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports … 2,050
Daniel Suarez, Trackhouse Racing … 2,048
Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports … 2,041
Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing … 2,028
Ty Gibbs, Joe Gibbs Racing … 2,027
Brad Keselowski, RFK Racing … 2,026
Harrison Burton, Wood Brothers Racing … 2,011
Martin Truex Jr., Joe Gibbs Racing … 2,008
Chase Briscoe, Stewart-Haas Racing … 2,006
What is the lineup for the Go Bowling at The Glen at Watkins Glen?
Car number in parentheses; (P)=playoff driver
1. (1) Ross Chastain, Chevrolet
2. (19) Martin Truex Jr. (P), Toyota
3. (16) Shane Van Gisbergen, Chevrolet
4. (48) Alex Bowman (P), Chevrolet
5. (2) Austin Cindric (P), Ford
6. (13) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet
7. (22) Joey Logano (P), Ford
8. (99) Daniel Suarez (P), Chevrolet
9. (10) Noah Gragson, Ford
10. (34) Michael McDowell, Ford
11. (24) William Byron (P), Chevrolet
12. (14) Chase Briscoe (P), Ford
13. (8) Kyle Busch, Chevrolet
14. (9) Chase Elliott (P), Chevrolet
15. (54) Ty Gibbs (P), Toyota
16. (45) Tyler Reddick (P), Toyota
17. (20) Christopher Bell (P), Toyota
18. (7) Corey LaJoie, Chevrolet
19. (71) Zane Smith, Chevrolet
20. (5) Kyle Larson (P), Chevrolet
21. (41) Ryan Preece, Ford
22. (11) Denny Hamlin (P), Toyota
23. (3) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet
24. (17) Chris Buescher, Ford
25. (43) Erik Jones, Toyota
26. (47) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chevrolet
27. (31) Daniel Hemric, Chevrolet
28. (6) Brad Keselowski (P), Ford
29. (77) Carson Hocevar, Chevrolet
30. (12) Ryan Blaney (P), Ford
31. (4) Josh Berry, Ford
32. (23) Bubba Wallace, Toyota
33. (21) Harrison Burton (P), Ford
34. (50) Juan Pablo Montoya, Toyota
35. (42) John Hunter Nemechek, Toyota
36. (51) Justin Haley, Ford
37. (38) Todd Gilliland, Ford
38. (15) Kaz Grala, Ford
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