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Viewer's Guide: Tempers will flare at The Glen
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Analysis:
Brave new world
Contrary to popular belief, road courses are not all the same. We were at Infineon Raceway not too long ago, but all the racers this weekend are saying how Watkins Glen International is very different. The Glen is more of a high-speed racetrack, you can be a little more aggressive with the car and there is a little bit more of a runoff area which makes the track a little more forgiving. Don't get me wrong, you still have to be technically precise in order to succeed on race day like at Sonoma, but Watkins Glen is a little more forgiving.
Life in the pits
Pit stops are going to be critical this weekend. During road course races, you will hear that teams are "working backwards." Teams will try to figure out their gas mileage and establishing the earliest they can pit and make it to the end on fuel. Track position is vital at this track, so figuring out your strategy early and not having to make extra stops is critical. Oh yeah, to make things a little more challenging in the pits, cars are pitting backwards this weekend. Teams practice for this occasion, so it's not too unusual, but it is different than what they are used to and mistakes may happen.
Rain, rain go away?
Like at Pocono last weekend, teams will have to keep their eyes on the weather radar. There's a chance that it could rain on Sunday and this time of year you are not sure if it'll be a short shower or it will be a downpour that forces NASCAR to pull the plug on a race. Impending rain will definitely affect strategy and just how hard you run at the beginning. On weekend's like this, teams will wish they had a meteorologist on their crew.
Only the best of the best succeed
One thing that has happened over the years is that Cup drivers have really started sharpening their road racing skills. Whenever we hit the road, we talk about ringers like Ron Fellows and Boris Said, but what has happened to the sport in a broad sense is that teams and drivers have realized that the points you win (or lose) on a road course are the same they can earn at the Daytona 500. Back in the day we had some veterans like Sterling Marlin who flat out did not like road course races despite having 10 career Cup wins to his record — most top drivers aren't like that anymore. In recent years, you've seen teams test more and more at road courses like Virginia International Raceway, Road Atlanta, etc. Now, drivers are more proficient at road course racing.
Practice makes perfect
Chad Knaus, crew chief of the No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet, told me that Jimmie Johnson ran the Nationwide Series race this week because the team's goal at the beginning of the year was to run better at Bristol and both the road courses — both places where the group has never won. That's also why the two-time defending champs tested at Road Atlanta hours after winning the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard a few weeks ago and why they added races to their schedule at Watkins Glen and at Bristol. That shows how important these road races are.
Looking to break the streak
Tony Stewart has won three of the last four races at Watkins Glen. Jeff Gordon has four wins at The Glen and is the all-time winningest Sprint Cup driver on road courses. And both drivers enter the weekend winless so far this season — but I don't think there's any scenario that keeps either one of those former champions from being contender when the green flag drops. They are definitely the favorites, but ...
Take your pick
... They will have a lot of competition. Kyle Busch has gotten much better on road courses. Denny Hamlin, for whatever reason, the more difficult the track is, the better he is. Also, Kevin Harvick is the only driver other than Tony Stewart to win in the last four years. Of course, there's Robby Gordon ... Long story short, there's a lot of competition shaping up on race day.
But what about those open-wheel guys?
Just because the former open-wheel drivers in Cup have a lot of road course experience doesn't mean it'll be an easy weekend for them here at The Glen. For example, Sam Hornish Jr. did not have a great result at Sonoma earlier this year. Unfortunately, I don't think much of their past experience translates to these heavy stock cars. That said, they are all professionals, and I expect Patrick Carpentier and Juan Pablo Montoya will run well this weekend. Oh yeah, don't forget about Ron Fellows. He won last week's Nationwide race at Montreal and is definitely a contender.
Tempers will flare
One thing we talked about repeatedly at Sonoma was that drivers had to keep their cars on the racetrack. If you got off the course at Infineon Raceway, it's dirt all the way around which makes it difficult to keep your position. But here at Watkins Glen, it is more fast and physical. Drivers can muscle their cars and throw them around the track a lot more, which can lead to some heated clashes on and off the track — just ask Juan Pablo Montoya and Kevin Harvick after their scuffle last season. We've seen some pretty wild racing over the years, so keeping your composure is a key to success on race day.
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