USA TODAY US Edition

NASCAR drivers hit Watkins Glen

Kyle Busch, Harvick, Truex have won in NY

- Andrew Legare

Watkins Glen Internatio­nal’s race history offers a handful of drivers who seem poised to stand out during the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series’ return to the road course this weekend. The recent history provides a list that looks much the same.

It is headed by Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick and Martin Truex Jr., who have combined to win 16 of the 21 races this season. Each of those three has won at Watkins Glen, with Busch’s two victories at the track the most among active drivers.

Busch is coming off his sixth win of the season Sunday at Pocono Raceway, bringing him even with Harvick for most this season. Defending Watkins Glen champion Truex has four victories, including one on June 24 at the series’ other permanent road course in Sonoma, California. Busch leads the Cup standings with 891 points, including 35 playoff points.

The Cup cars hit the track’s 2.45-mile circuit for practice sessions at 10:05 a.m. and 1 p.m. ET Saturday, followed by a later-than-ever 6:35 multiple-car, tworound qualifying session. The 90-lap, 220.5-mile Go Bowling at The Glen is set for 2:30 p.m. ET Sunday (NBC).

Truex, driver of the No. 78 Toyota, will try to become the first Cup driver to win three consecutiv­e road races since Tony Stewart in August 2004 and 2005. Jeff Gordon holds the record with six in a row from August 1997 to June 2000.

Last year Truex carried his momentum from the upstate New York circuit into the rest of the season, earning the first Cup championsh­ip of his career.

He said a good day Saturday could set up another on Sunday.

“I have a lot of years experience racing at The Glen,” Truex said. “And right now I am with a great team, which gives me all the pieces to be able to win races at different tracks. Hopefully we can go to The Glen this weekend and do it again. We know that a good qualifying spot is key. Starting up front sets the tone for the race.”

Busch won at Pocono from the back of the field after his No. 18 Toyota failed post-qualifying inspection. Sunday’s triumph moved him within one of be- coming the 13th driver to reach 50 wins in NASCAR’s premier series. Two of his 49 have come at Watkins Glen, in 2008 and again in 2013.

“Watkins Glen has obviously been a really good place for me over the years and a place I really enjoy,” Busch said. “We’ve just got to keep coming to the track and executing like we have.

“There are a lot of factors in strategy that affect a road-course race, and I hope we can execute like we have been and get another win. Certainly, the bonus points from that and trying to win the regular-season championsh­ip could be a big deal in the playoffs.”

Four races will remain after Watkins Glen before the start of the 10-race playoff, which starts Sept. 16 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and culminates Nov. 18 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Sixteen drivers will qualify for the playoffs, four eliminated after every third race, and four will contend for the championsh­ip in the season finale.

Harvick is second to Busch in both overall points with 833 and playoff points with 33; the 2014 series champion was docked 10 points this week after his car failed post-qualifying inspection at Pocono multiple times. Truex is third in each category with 762 and 26.

Harvick’s one Cup win at Watkins Glen came in 2006. He joins Busch and Truex as the only current drivers to win at both Sonoma and Watkins Glen. While those tracks are paired together given their design, there are also notable difference­s.

“Watkins Glen is really fast, so the biggest thing there is to get your car under-braking so you can make passes during the race,” Harvick said. “Usually, where you can gain the most time is in the braking zones.

“At Watkins Glen, you go from Turn 1, up through the Esses and into the Inner Loop, and end up running about 170 to

180 miles per hour down the backstretc­h.

At Sonoma, you’re lucky to get above

100 miles per hour, so speed is definitely the biggest difference.”

With Busch, Harvick and Truex dominating, only four other drivers have Cup victories in 2018. Among those trying to break into the winners’ list is seventime series champion Jimmie Johnson, who has never won at Watkins Glen. Johnson is 15th in the standings.

Three others competing this weekend have Cup wins at the track: Denny Hamlin (2016), Joey Logano (2015) and AJ Allmending­er (2014). Brad Keselowski, who is also winless this season, has four top-five finishes at the track.

 ?? KEVIN HOFFMAN/USA TODAY ?? Martin Truex Jr. (78) won last year’s Watkins Glen Internatio­nal race and went on to win the title.
KEVIN HOFFMAN/USA TODAY Martin Truex Jr. (78) won last year’s Watkins Glen Internatio­nal race and went on to win the title.

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