Kevin Harvick’s fortunes have changed quickly. After a 65-race winless streak, he chases a third consecutive NASCAR Cup Series victory in Sunday’s Go Bowling at the Glen (3 p.m. ET on USA, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
And Harvick is a real threat. He’s finished in the top ten in two of the last three road course races for the series, including a fourth at Sonoma. Stewart-Haas Racing’s Competition Greg Zipadelli remarked that the speed the team is showing isn’t new.
“We go every week to win with all four of our teams performing to the highest level,” said Zipadelli. “That’s always the goal. The 4 car has done a really good job in the last, honestly you’ve got to go back to Nashville, Sonoma, Pocono, I think it gets overlooked at how good they ran at some of those racetracks. They didn’t have an opportunity to win or lead a bunch of laps, but they had speed and it kind of started then.”
But it’s Tyler Reddick who is the easy road course favorite right now in the Cup Series, having won the last two events on the discipline at Indianapolis and Road America.
Reddick took that title from Elliott this year. Elliott hasn’t won on a single road course, but his four wins are the most of anyone in the Cup Series and should enable him to wrap up the regular season championship.
Still, even Elliott admits Redick has the edge. “He’s won the most road course [races] this season, so he’d probably be the obvious choice,” Elliott said. “I just look at the facts. He’s won two of the last however many, so he’s pretty good.”
But there’s a more intense battle than just bragging rights. Ryan Blaney and Martin Truex are in contention for the final Playoff spot, and the only spot available on points with fifteen drivers already locking themselves in with a win. Though Truex finished ahead of Blaney at Richmond, the Penske driver was more competitive throughout the day and gained on his rival with stage points.
Both drivers are hunting a win, though, knowing that any new winner at an unpredictable road course – or, more pertinently, at the chaotic Daytona race the next week – knocks them both out.
“It would be disappointing not to make it with the season we’ve had, but you have to win to get in,” Truex confirmed. But he didn’t sound confident: “If you look at our season, the road courses have been our biggest struggle,” he said. “I have confidence in what I can do, but if you don’t have the car to drive, it’s hard to make up for it.”
The biggest storyline heading into the race is something else entirely, though. Formula One World Champion Kimi Raikkonen will be competing in his first race since retiring from the international championship, and he’ll be one of seven international drivers in the field alongside fellow ex-F1 driver Daniil Kyvat.
But there’s one star who won’t be racing. Kurt Busch will once again step back with concussion-like symptoms following a hard crash at Pocono. He confirmed that he definitely will not be racing until the Playoffs start, meaning he’ll miss Daytona as well. That’ll be at least six races away from the car for the former champion.
Busch said in a statement: “As much as I want to be in the car, the time is still not right. The decision was not an easy one, but the right one. I need to be racing at 100%.” He added: “I continue to be incredibly grateful for all the well-wishes and support. It truly means a lot.”
Joe Gibbs Racing Xfinity driver Ty Gibbs will once again fill in for Busch at those races.
AJ Allmendinger looks to extend Xfinity road course dominance at the track he loves
AJ Allmendinger has won three of the four times the Xfinity Series has visited a road course this season, and has nine career victories and eighteen top-fives over 22 road course starts in the series. He’s earned the right to be confident heading into the Sunoco Go Rewards 200 at The Glen (3 p.m. ET on USA, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
He still has never won at the circuit in the Xfinity Series – though he’s posted three runner-up finishes – but one win at the track is undoubtedly the most special for him. In 2014, he scored his first Cup Series win with JTG Daugherty Racing at Watkins Glen. He’ll be pulling double-duty on Saturday and Sunday as well, competing in both the Xfinity and Cup races.
Watkins Glen will always be a special place for me,” said Allmendinger. “The crowd is always amazing, and the memories from my first Cup win will last forever.”
“Ever since they repaved the track [in 2015], it’s been a challenge for me, but with the Next Gen car in the Cup Series, it may be completely different,” he added. “Hopefully, we will have two really great finishes for the weekend.”
Allmendinger will face stiff competition from some of the same drivers both days. That includes defending champion Kyle Larson, as well as William Byron, Ross Chastain and Cole Custer.
NASCAR Cup Series
Next Race: Go Bowling at The Glen
The Place: Watkins Glen International
The Date: Sunday, August 21
The Time: 3 p.m. ET
The Purse: $6,664,145
TV: USA, 2 p.m. ET
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Distance: 220.5 miles (90 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 20),
Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 40), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 90)
NASCAR Xfinity Series
Next Race: Sunoco Go Rewards 200 at The Glen
The Place: Watkins Glen International
The Date: Saturday, August 20
The Time: 3 p.m. ET
The Purse: $1,159,436
TV: USA, 2:30 p.m. ET
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Distance: 200.9 miles (82 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 20),
Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 40), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 82)
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