2019 Watkins Glen International, GoBowling at The Glen

Congratulations to Denny Hamlin who picked up his third win of the season this past weekend at Pocono. Now there are only five races left until the start of the playoffs and we only have nine drivers who have punched their ticket for those playoffs. The other seven spots are still up for grabs and anything can happen in these final five races. A win can get you in as long as you are in the top thirty in the point standings.

GOBOWLING AT THE GLEN

This week the drivers heat to Watkins Glen International for the running of the GoBowling at The Glen. This is the second road course race of the season and could have a lot of say in who gets into the playoffs and who is left out. The drivers who are on the bubble will really need to run well here and stay out of trouble or it could be a disastrous weekend for them. This track is hard on equipment and something that breaks on your car can end your chances at making the playoffs.

Martin Truex Jr.: I am going to pick Martin to win this week’s race. He won here two years ago and then followed that up with a runner up finish last season. He also won the race at Sonoma earlier this year at the other road course race that was run. This team has gotten really good at this type of track and Martin should be the odds on favorite to win once again.

Kyle Busch: Kyle has two career wins at this track and will most likely be the driver to put the most pressure on his teammate, Martin Truex Jr. and challenge him for the win. Besides his two wins here he has also finished in the top ten in twelve of his fourteen career starts Watkins Glen and those are good stats for any track.

Daniel Suarez: Daniel has finished in the top five in both of his starts at this track. Not a lot of data to look at when you only run two races somewhere, but he must be doing something right. The question is going to be, will he be able to do it again now that he is driving for Stewart-Haas Racing instead of Joe Gibbs? I think he has a chance as all of the Stewart-Haas drivers are pretty good on this type of track.

Erik Jones: Erik is another driver who has only run two races here, but he has finished in the top ten in each of those races. It looks like the Gibbs drivers will be the cream of the crop this week. This is one of the teams who are sitting on the bubble. Currently they would be in the playoffs, but a bad finish coupled with a new winner could knock them out. This is going to be a big test for this team.

Denny Hamlin: I might as well talk about the last of the Gibbs drivers and last week’s winner. Denny won this race three years ago and sat on the pole here for last year’s race. Qualifying is huge here as the pole sitter gets to pick the best pit stall and that often leads to getting great track position and gaining spots on pit road. I think all four of the Gibbs drivers have a great shot to win this week.

Kurt Busch: Kurt is still looking for his first win at this track, but usually runs quite well here. He has finished in the top ten in nine of his last fifteen starts at Watkins Glen and has been having a great year in his first season with Ganassi Racing. With a win under his belt he can relax a little bit knowing he is qualified for the playoffs and that makes it easier to run here.

Joey Logano: Joey is pretty good on the road course tracks himself and has won once here in ten starts. He has also finished in the top seven in five of those starts. This team already has multiple wins on the season and is looking for nothing more than winning stages and races to gain some more valuable playoff points. He could take some chance with different pit strategy to try and pick up some more of those points.

Chase Elliott: Let’s not forget about last year’s race winner at Watkins Glen. Chase is going to come into this weekend with a lot of confidence and hopes for going back to back here. He lost an engine at Sonoma earlier this year, so I think he will really be looking forward to defending his win from last season this week. I think he is worth taking a shot on if you are looking to make a move in your league.

Brad Keselowski: Brad finished second here three years in a row during the 2011-2013 seasons. This is the type of track where he isn’t afraid to trade a little paint with other drivers and really relishes that part. After races he doesn’t really seem to care who wins as long as he is in the mix and he is good about taking a pounding as well as giving one out. Another driver to maybe take a chance on this weekend

Kevin Harvick: Kevin has one win at this track and has finished in the top ten in half of his eighteen starts at this track. Now that he has a win on the season he can relax a little and not have to worry about the point standings. However, he knows how important playoff points are and he will do everything in his power to pick up some more of those valuable points over the next five races.

DRIVER GROUP GAME FANTASY NASCAR PICKS FOR WATKINS GLEN INTERNATIONAL

Driver Group Game Group A

• Martin Truex Jr.
• Kyle Busch

Driver Group Game Group B

• Daniel Suarez
• Denny Hamlin
• Erik Jones
• Kurt Busch

Driver Group Game Group C

• Matt DiBenedetto
• Daniel Hemric

MY TOP-5 OVERALL AT WATKINS GLEN INTERNATIONAL

1. Martin Truex Jr.
2. Kyle Busch
3. Denny Hamlin
4. Erik Jones
5. Brad Keselowski

Dark Horse: Daniel Suarez

Stay Away From: Alex Bowman

Big 18: Denny Hamlin