There will be plot twists, literally, to the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East championship chase in 2016. Two of the season’s final four races will be held on road courses, including Friday’s Bully Hill Vineyards 100 at Watkins Glen International Raceway in Watkins Glen, New York.
Justin Haley heads into the weekend with a 32-point lead atop the championship standings over Kyle Benjamin, and last year Haley posted a podium finish at Watkins Glen that helped keep him in the title hunt until the end. Benjamin, on the other hand, finished only 14th and saw his bid to chase down the series championship derailed.
The potential for a big points swing always looms on any road course, and Watkins Glen is no different. Not only are right hand turns out of the norm for most stock car drivers, but with long straightaways, heavy braking zones and elevation changes, road courses offer a number of challenges for both driver and machine alike. Add in starting field that is typically larger than your average short track field, and a bad day can quickly turn into a very bad day in the standings.
Both Haley and Benjamin finished in the top five at Virginia International Raceway in April, the first of three road courses on the 14-race schedule this season.
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