The excitement is building as the NASCAR Cup playoffs head to Watkins Glen, with the race airing Sunday at 3 p.m. ET on USA Network. This marks the second of three races in the opening playoff round, and Joey Logano is the only driver so far to have secured a spot in the next round after his win in Atlanta last weekend. Here’s a breakdown of where the teams stand as they head into this high-stakes race:
23XI Racing
Good news: Juan Pablo Montoya is making a comeback, starting his first Cup race since 2014. Tyler Reddick has been a top performer at Watkins Glen, finishing in the top 10 in all his starts there. Reddick is a standout this season, leading in top-five (11) and top-10 (19) finishes, and ranks second in points on road courses. He’s also on a streak, securing six consecutive top-10 finishes on road courses.
Bad news: Bubba Wallace’s best finish at the Glen is 12th, and he has struggled to crack the top 20 in previous attempts.
Front Row Motorsports
Good news: Michael McDowell and Todd Gilliland have been consistent top-10 finishers on road courses lately. McDowell’s been in the top five in the last two events and earned all five career poles this season. Gilliland is celebrating his 100th career Cup start this weekend.
Bad news: McDowell has only managed one top-10 finish in 14 starts at Watkins Glen.
Hendrick Motorsports
Good news: The team has dominated Watkins Glen, winning the last five Cup races there. Chase Elliott took the checkered flag in 2018 and 2019, Kyle Larson in 2021 and 2022, and William Byron in 2023. Hendrick cars are unstoppable on road courses this year, winning at COTA, Sonoma, and the Chicago Street Race. Byron is also racing in the Xfinity series this weekend.
Bad news: Alex Bowman has never finished higher than 14th at the Glen in seven tries.
Joe Gibbs Racing
Good news: Christopher Bell is solid at Watkins Glen, with top-10 finishes in all his starts and the best average finish (6.0) among active drivers. Ty Gibbs is racing in the Xfinity series and has four top-five finishes in the last five road course events.
Bad news: Denny Hamlin has struggled on road courses, with just one top-10 finish in 15 Next Gen races. Martin Truex Jr. has been involved in incidents in the last four races.
JTG Daugherty Racing
Good news: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. has posted six top-14 finishes in the last 11 races.
Bad news: Stenhouse’s best result at Watkins Glen in 10 starts is 13th, and he’s had four DNFs in the last nine races.
Kaulig Racing
Good news: AJ Allmendinger is back in the No. 13 car, and Shane van Gisbergen will drive the No. 16, joining Daniel Hemric this weekend. Allmendinger is a Watkins Glen veteran, with one win, five top-fives, and eight top-10s in 12 starts.
Bad news: Hemric has never finished in the top 10 at Watkins Glen in either Cup or Xfinity.
Legacy Motor Club
Good news: Erik Jones has been strong at Watkins Glen, finishing in the top 10 in four of his six starts. John Hunter Nemechek has also done well, with top-12 finishes in his Xfinity and Truck series appearances at the Glen.
Bad news: It’s been 70 races since Jones last saw victory in the Cup series.
Richard Childress Racing
Good news: Kyle Busch is on a hot streak with four consecutive top-10 finishes, racking up more points than any other driver in the past four races.
Bad news: Austin Dillon, who hits a milestone with his 400th career Cup start this weekend, has yet to finish higher than 15th in nine tries at Watkins Glen.
Rick Ware Racing
Good news: Justin Haley grabbed his best finish in 12 races last week, taking 12th at Atlanta.
Bad news: The team has never had a car finish better than 25th at Watkins Glen.
RFK Racing
Good news: Chris Buescher is tied with Reddick for the most top-10 finishes (12) at road courses in the Next Gen car. He also boasts the longest streak without a pit road speeding penalty—58 races—followed by teammate Brad Keselowski with 51.
Bad news: Keselowski, sitting one point below the cutline, has yet to win in 46 Cup starts on road courses.
Spire Motorsports
Good news: Carson Hocevar has shown consistency, finishing 17th or better in 11 of the last 13 races. Zane Smith makes his first Cup start at Watkins Glen, though he did finish sixth in a Truck race there in 2021.
Bad news: Corey LaJoie has struggled at the Glen, never finishing better than 20th in five starts.
**Stewart-Haas Racing**
Good news: Ryan Preece is on a roll with three top-20 finishes in the last four races, matching his best streak of the season. Josh Berry has been impressive too, starting in the top five in five of the last nine races.
Bad news: Chase Briscoe has struggled on road courses, with just two top-10 finishes in the last 17 races. Meanwhile, Noah Gragson hasn’t been able to finish the last three races due to accidents.
**Team Penske**
Good news: After his Atlanta Cup victory, Joey Logano is riding high and ready for a busy weekend, competing in both the Xfinity and Cup races at Watkins Glen. Ryan Blaney dominated at Atlanta, scoring a race-high 53 points and sitting comfortably 45 points above the playoff cutline with two races left in the first round. Blaney is also third in points earned on road courses this year. Austin Cindric, meanwhile, boasts a win at the 2019 Xfinity race at Watkins Glen.
Bad news: Cindric may have seven top-10 finishes on road courses, but he hasn’t hit the mark in the last six races.
**Trackhouse Racing**
Good news: Ross Chastain is set to celebrate his 100th start with Trackhouse this weekend and is also running the Xfinity race. Daniel Suarez has been in strong form, grabbing four top-10s in his last six races, including a runner-up spot at Atlanta. Suarez has also secured three top-five finishes in six starts at Watkins Glen.
Bad news: However, Suarez has only managed one top-10 finish in the last 10 road course races.
**Wood Brothers Racing**
Good news: Harrison Burton snagged a fifth-place finish in the 2021 Xfinity race at Watkins Glen.
Bad news: Burton is 16 points below the playoff cutline after getting caught up in a last-lap crash at Atlanta. His Cup record at Watkins Glen isn’t great either, with no finishes better than 28th in two starts.
