Entry List : Watkins Glen International

• Watkins Glen International
• Go Bowling at the Glen
• Pole Winner: Brad Keselowski
• Age: 37
• Team: No. 2 - Wabash National Ford
• Owner: Team Penske
• Crew Chief: Jeremy Bullins
• Start positions set by NASCAR's Performance Metrics Qualifying (PMQ).
• Brad Keselowski won the Pole Award for the Go Bowling at the Glen by having the highest total PMQ.
• PMQ is a total number calculated on four performance metrics from the previous race:
• 15% of the driver's fastest lap time position.
• 25% of the driver's final race finish position.
• 25% of the owner's final race position.
• 35% of the Owner Points position.

• Sunday, August 8th, 2021
• NASCAR Wire Service - Holly Cain

Kyle Larson returns to winning ways at Watkins Glen

Kyle Larson had to navigate lapped traffic in the closing laps and hold off his hard-charging Hendrick Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott – the track's most prolific winner of late – to earn the victory in Sunday's Go Bowling at the Glen.

But the 28-year old Californian Larson has been a driver to count on this season, finishing either first or second 10 times through the 23 races to date. And Sunday's trophy at the historic Watkins Glen International road course is Larson's NASCAR Cup Series-best fifth of the year; 11th of his career.

His 2.430-second victory over Elliott was good enough to move him into a tie with Denny Hamlin for the regular season championship with only three races remaining before the Playoffs.

It marked the eighth Hendrick Motorsports victory in the last 11 races and the fourth time Larson and Elliott have finished 1-2 – the third time at a road course event.

Larson led the final 27 laps of the 90-lap event, taking the lead for good from Joe Gibbs Racing driver Martin Truex Jr., who had paced the field for a race best 34 laps. Elliott got around Truex with nine laps remaining to claim second place.

Truex finished third, followed by his JGR teammates Kyle Busch and Hamlin. Hendrick driver William Byron was sixth with JGR's Christopher Bell, Stewart-Haas teammates Kevin Harvick and Chase Briscoe and Richard Childress Racing's Tyler Reddick rounding out the Top-10.

"Chase was already catching me pretty quick, even with me being in open track so when I caught those, I think four (lapped) cars and got into the 38 (Anthony Alfredo) right here, I thought I would look at my mirror and the 9 (Elliott) would be right on me, but thankfully had a comfortable enough gap to where I could make a mistake like that," said Larson, who apologized to his friend Bell during his post-race interview. The two made contact racing door-to-door for second place late in the race.

"Incredible race today, hats off to Hendrick Motorsports," added Larson, "It's awesome. It really just shows how good the organization is, all the people that they've assembled at the race shop, all the men and women. All four of us [Hendrick drivers] could not be getting these wins like we have been without them. Thanks to them and thanks to everybody else I get to race for."

Although Elliott, 25, had to settle for a runner-up showing today, it was an incredible drive for the reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion and two-time Watkins Glen winner. He started the race from the last row – and his crew chief Alan Gustafson was suspended – after his car failed pre-race technical inspection.

Elliott steadily made his way forward, picking off cars with each turn. And as with Larson, he had to navigate that lapped traffic in the closing laps, which essentially cost him any shot at getting close enough to his teammate to challenge for the lead.

"I made too many mistakes to get the win unfortunately, and made it too late in the race," Elliott said. "Super proud of our team. Been kind of an uphill battle all day, but everybody was just super prepared coming into the day and our NAPA team just did a really good job of fighting it."

With three races remaining to set the Playoff field, Reddick gave himself a little more cushion room in that 16th and final transfer position. He improved his advantage over his Richard Childress Racing teammate, 17th place Austin Dillon, from six points entering the race to 15 points heading to Indianapolis next week.

• Drivers Entered: 37
• Laps Scheduled: 90
• Margin of Victory: 02.430 Seconds
• Time of Race: 2 Hours 10 Minutes 57 Seconds
• Average Speed: 101.031
• Cautions: 4 for 6 laps
• Lead Changes: 7
• Green Flag Passes: 1,973 (23.5 passes per green flag lap)

• Watkins Glen International
• 35th Annual Go Bowling at The Glen
• Race Winner: Kyle Larson
• Age: 29
• Team : No. 5 - HendrickCars.com Chevrolet
• Owner: Rick Hendrick
• Crew Chief: Cliff Daniels
• Kyle Larson won the 35th Annual Go Bowling at The Glen, his 11th victory in 247 Cup Series races.
• This is his fifth victory and 16th top-10 finish in 2021.
• This is his first victory and fourth top-10 finish in eight races at Watkins Glen International.
• Chase Elliott (second) posted his third top-10 finish in six races at Watkins Glen International. It is his 13th top-10 finish in 2021.
• Martin Truex Jr. (third) posted his 10th top-10 finish in 16 races at Watkins Glen International.
• Chase Briscoe (ninth) was the highest finishing rookie.
• Kyle Larson leads the point standings by 0 points over Denny Hamlin.