“The Road to Richmond” Twists and Turns Through Watkins Glen This Weekend

By:
On:
In: NASCAR Cup Series News

After a little movement in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series point standings following an eventful finish at the “Tricky Triangle” of Pocono, the Race to The Chase shifts to the 11-turn road course at Watkins Glen International. Following this weekend’s event, there will only be three races remaining before “The Road to Richmond” culminates at Richmond International Raceway on Saturday, September 10 with the Wonderful Pistachios 400—“One Last Race to Make The Chase.”

While the top-14 in points didn’t see too much movement following Pocono, from position 15 on, there was quite a bit of change.  Most notably, Mark Martin and Brad Keselowski both gained three spots, while David Ragan fell three spots.  Sitting in the 18th spot, with two wins, Keselowski is holding on tight to a Wild Card position.

Everything gets a little bit interesting when you go to a road course. While many of the Chase contenders are great on ovals, some haven’t been as impressive on the road courses. Let’s take a look at some facts about some notable Chase hopefuls and how they have fared at The Glen.

Tony Stewart Currently 9th in the points, with no wins this season, Stewart has the top driver rating this week at 129.6.  He has five wins at The Glen and knows his way around the twists and turns.  A win this weekend could help him gain valuable points and assist with his goal to make the 2011 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

Dale Earnhardt, Jr. He definitely doesn’t have the best luck at The Glen, with only two top-5 finishes. Sitting in the 10th position, Earnhardt Jr. ranks 23rd among the driver ratings list.  He’s made it no secret that he’s not a big fan of road course racing.  A win this weekend could change his mind and give his team the shot in the arm they’ve been looking for heading into the final races on “The Road to Richmond.”

Denny Hamlin As the cards fall right now, Hamlin would take the final Wild Card position, sitting 11th in points, with one win.  He’s seventh on the driver rating list at 99.9 and has just one top-five finish in five races at The Glen.  He’s only 31 points ahead of Paul Menard, who is the next closest driver in the top-20 with a win this season.  A bad race for one and a good race for another could change the look of the Wild Card position.

Expect these drivers to be in the thick of the Wild Card hunt as “The Road to Richmond” ends at Richmond International Raceway on Saturday, September 10 for the Wonderful Pistachios 400 “One Last Race to Make The Chase.” Once the checkered flag flies, the field will be set for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Only those in the top 10 and two Wild Card drivers will be eligible for the championship over the final 10 races of the season.

RIR PR

Speedway Digest Staff
Latest posts by Speedway Digest Staff (see all)
Post Views: 42