Watkins Glen hosts a NASCAR Cup Series playoff race for the first time this weekend, and there are a few different storylines to track going into Sunday afternoon.
The racetrack itself is the first one.
NASCAR has eliminated the elevated curbing going into the “Bus Stop” for smoother and shorter rumble strips. The change resulted from multiple drivers sharing mouthpiece data following the 2023 race that showed the G forces they were taking from going over the curbs with the Next Gen car.
But drivers aren’t sure if the changes will affect the racing. If anything, Ty Gibbs said this week that drivers might be more aggressive going into the Bus Stop and have more speed.
“I got to run it into the sim … I didn’t feel like it was too different,” Gibbs said. “It was a little faster, honestly.”
But once he gets on track for practice, Gibbs admitted he would have a better answer. Saturday’s practice session will also be highly intriguing to Austin Cindric, who also believes that is where drivers will quickly learn what they can and cannot do — or how much the changes will come into play, if at all.
“I feel like there are a couple of tenths of a second into each corner that you can gain by using a lot of the runoff,” Cindric said. “But, otherwise, I really think it will all look really similar.”
Another track change is off Turn 1 — rumble strips were added where drivers go wide off the corner.
“You don’t really know how much it’s going to limit the cars,” Cindric said. “Is it just going to chew up tires? Is it not going to change anything at all? I think that’s up until practice — we’ll have a pretty good read at that, but otherwise, it’s going to change the racing line a little bit. The intent is to not use as much of the runoff as we have in the Next Gen car at the exit of Turn 1. Don’t ask me why that is, it’s just kind of where it’s gone with it, whether it’s because it’s more of a momentum car or what.”
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Cup Series teams will have an extended practice session Saturday. This is because of the track changes and the third main storyline: Goodyear is bringing a new tire compound.
The new tire is expected to produce some fall-off, but how much is yet to be seen. During initial testing, Goodyear saw as much as four seconds of fall-off. But during a wheel force test that fall was suddenly less.
The variable will likely dictate a team’s strategy. Watkins Glen is a race where teams flip the stages and choose either track position or points.
“In our ongoing efforts to introduce more fall-off, we tested at Watkins Glen in June and came out with a new tire that will accomplish that goal,” said Greg Stucker, Goodyear’s director of racing. “Based on our test and a subsequent (wheel force) test with the manufacturers, we should see around three seconds of fall-off per lap over a run. That, of course, can mean more passing throughout the race.
“It’s always tricky on road courses as drivers take advantage of a limited number of ‘passing zones,’ so the increased fall-off should lead to more comers and goers as some drivers manage their tires and gain on the field as the runs go on.”
The second race in the postseason, Watkins Glen will continue to separate the drivers who will advance from those who will go into the elimination race with their backs against the wall. William Byron is the defending race winner, sitting 33 points above the cutline.
Austin Cindric helped his cause with a strong points day at Atlanta Motor Speedway, which put him 27 points above the cutline. Cindric knows that Watkins Glen is another opportunity race for his team.
Cindric, Alex Bowman and Daniel Suarez all sit over 20 points above the cutline. Those three might not have been favorites coming into the postseason, but a strong start puts them in a good position to survive and advance.
Kyle Larson and Denny Hamlin need rebound days at Watkins Glen. Martin Truex Jr. is already in a hole after an incident in the playoff opener. All three are former winners at Watkins Glen.
Some additional miscellaneous notes for this weekend:
• Christopher Bell has the best average finish of active drivers in the Cup Series at Watkins Glen: 6.0.
• Hendrick Motorsports has won the last five Cup Series races at Watkins Glen with William Byron (2023), Kyle Larson (2022, 2021) and Chase Elliott (2019, 2018).
• Austin Dillon makes his 400th start this weekend.
• Juan Pablo Montoya makes his return to NASCAR this weekend with 23XI Racing. It will be Montoya’s first Cup Series start since 2014.
• Shane van Gisbergen is in the field for Kaulig Racing in the No. 16 Chevrolet.
• AJ Allmendinger is also in the field for Kaulig Racing in the No. 13 Chevrolet, which gives the organization three entries at Watkins Glen.