
THE NASCAR Cup Series reached its penultimate race of the regular season, and the intensity reached fever pitch with only two races remaining before the 10 races playoffs begin September 3.
With 13 of 16 playoff spots are now lockedfollowing Victory for Michael McDowell in Indianapolis last weekend’s race offers the opportunity for a winless driver to grab one of the three remaining spots, or for a handful of drivers to maximize their points to secure a winless playoff spot.
Sunday’s race at Watkins Glen International marks the second consecutive road event and could showcase the strengths of a number of drivers who are currently outside the 16-driver cut line. Daniel Suárez, 17th in the standings, finished third at Indianapolis a week ago and won the road race at Sonoma last year. AJ Allmendinger, ranked 21st, won at Watkins Glen in 2014 and finished second in 2022.
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But the driver to watch will surely be Chase Elliott, 19th in the standings. The 2020 Cup Series champion finished second at Indianapolis, won back-to-back races at The Glen in 2018 and ’19 and finished second and fourth there, respectively, in 2021 and ’22.
Will NASCAR’s most popular driver make another run to the checkered flag at the upstate New York track? Here’s everything you need to know to prepare for Sunday’s Go Bowling at the Glen:
What time does the Cup race start at Watkins Glen?
Go Bowling at The Glen begins at 3 p.m. ET at Watkins Glen International in Watkins Glen, New York.
What TV channel is the Cup race at Watkins Glen on?
USA Network is broadcasting Go Bowling at The Glen and has a pre-race show at 2:30 p.m. ET, while USA and Peacock will have a post-race show at 5:30 p.m. ET.
Will there be a live broadcast of the Cup race at Watkins Glen?
Go Bowling at The Glen can be streamed live on the NBC Sports website and the NBC Sports app.
CALENDAR: How to watch NASCAR Cup Series races in 2023
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How many laps is the Cup race at Watkins Glen?
Go Bowling at The Glen does 90 laps on a 2.45-mile road course for a total of 220.5 miles. The race will consist of three segments (laps per stage) – Stage 1: 20 laps; Step 2: 20 rounds; Step 3: 50 rounds.
Playoff photo
Winless drivers Kevin Harvick (6th in the standings) and Brad Keselowski (8th in the standings) – both former Cup Series champions – could clinch a playoff spot on Sunday even without a win due to their points lead over 16th pilot :
- If Harvick or Keselowski wins at Watkins Glen, both drivers will win.
- If a driver already in the playoffs or a 2023 part-time driver ineligible for the playoffs wins Sunday, Harvick and Keselowski would win.
Who won the last race at Watkins Glen?
Kyle Larson led the final five laps, taking the lead from Hendrick Motorsports teammate Chase Ellliott on lap 86, before edging AJ Allmendinger by 0.882 seconds on August 21, 2022.
What is the program for Go Bowling at The Glen?
(Car number in parentheses)
1. (11) Denny Hamlin, Toyota
2. (24) William Byron, Chevrolet
3. (34) Michael McDowell, Ford
4. (54) Ty Gibbs, Toyota
5. (5) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet
6. (16) A.J. Allmendinger, Chevrolet
7. (20) Christophe Bell, Toyota
8. (45) Tyler Reddick, Toyota
9. (8) Kyle Busch, Chevrolet
10. (7) Corey LaJoie, Chevrolet
11. (22) Joey Logano, Ford
12. (23) Bubba Wallace, Toyota
13. (17) Chris Buescher, Ford
14. (99) Daniel Suarez, Chevrolet
15. (9) Chase Elliott, Chevrolet
16. (3) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet
17. (2) Austin Cindric, Ford
18. (48) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet
19. (19) Martin Truex Jr., Toyota
20. (31) Justin Haley, Chevrolet
21. (42) Mike Rockenfeller, Chevrolet
22. (1) Ross Chastain, Chevrolet
23. (12) Ryan Blaney, Ford
24. (6) Brad Keselowski, Ford
25. (38) Todd Gilliland, Ford
26. (14) Chase Briscoe, Ford
27. (10) Aric Almirola, Ford
28. (47) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chevrolet
29. (15) Andy Lally, Ford
30. (41) Ryan Preece, Ford
31. (43) Erik Jones, Chevrolet
32. (21) Harrison Burton, Ford
33. (4) Kevin Harvick, Ford
34. (51) Cole Custer, Ford
35. (78) Josh Bilicki, Chevrolet
36. (77) Ty Dillon, Chevrolet