The NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) heads to Watkins Glen International for the Go Bowling at The Glen on Sunday, May 10, at 3 p.m. ET on FS1.
Last season, Ryan Blaney topped NASCAR Cup Series qualifying in his No. 12 Team Penske Ford with a lap of 122.568 mph (71.960 secs.), and Shane Van Gisbergen captured his fourth consecutive road-course victory and his first at the 2.45-mile track.
Track & Race Information for the Go Bowling at The Glen
Season Race #: 12 of 36 (May 10, 2026)
The Purse: $11,233,037
Track Size: 2.45-mile
Track Type: Asphalt Multi-Elevational Road Course
Number of Turns: 7
Length and Race Stages for the Go Bowling at The Glen
Race Length: 100 laps / 245 miles
Stage 1 Length: 20 laps (Ends on Lap 20)
Stage 2 Length: 30 laps (Ends on Lap 50)
Final Stage Length: 50 laps (Ends on Lap 100)
Who and what should you look out for at Watkins Glen International?
| NASCAR Cup Series 2026 Top 16 in the Driver Standings at Watkins Glen | |||||||||
| Rank | Driver | Races | Poles | Wins | Top 5s | Top 10s | DNFs | AF | DR |
| 1 | Tyler Reddick | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 12.2 | 78.5 |
| 2 | Denny Hamlin | 19 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 9 | 3 | 15.9 | 85.7 |
| 3 | Chase Elliott | 9 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 12.3 | 102 |
| 4 | Ryan Blaney | 9 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 15 | 80 |
| 5 | Chris Buescher | 10 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 14.8 | 76.8 |
| 6 | Carson Hocevar | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 10.5 | 85.6 |
| 7 | Ty Gibbs | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 21.5 | 72.6 |
| 8 | Kyle Larson | 11 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 14.6 | 88.6 |
| 9 | Brad Keselowski | 15 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 15.9 | 87.1 |
| 10 | William Byron | 7 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 13.7 | 92.2 |
| 11 | Bubba Wallace | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 21.1 | 58.4 |
| 12 | Ryan Preece | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 20.6 | 64.3 |
| 13 | Christopher Bell | 5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 6.8 | 96.9 |
| 14 | Daniel Suárez | 8 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 12.8 | 81 |
| 15 | Austin Cindric | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 13.8 | 76.1 |
| 16 | Chase Briscoe | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 16 | 78.8 |
Based on the last 20 races at Watkins Glen International (2005 – 2025).
AF – Average Finish
DR – Driver Rating
This weekend, eight of the 27 NCS race winners at Watkins Glen are entered in the event. Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott, and Kyle Busch lead all active drivers in wins at Watkins Glen International with two victories each. A total of six NCS drivers have posted consecutive wins at Watkins Glen, and Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott are the only active drivers to accomplish the feat.
| Active WGI Winners | Wins | Seasons |
| Kyle Larson | 2 | 2022, 2021 |
| Chase Elliott | 2 | 2019, 2018 |
| Kyle Busch | 2 | 2013, 2008 |
| Chris Buescher | 1 | 2024 |
| William Byron | 1 | 2023 |
| Denny Hamlin | 1 | 2016 |
| Joey Logano | 1 | 2015 |
| AJ Allmendinger | 1 | 2014 |
A total of 14 different starting positions have led to victories. In 42 races, the pole or first starting position is the most proficient starting position in the field (25%), producing more winners than any other starting position, with 10. The most recent driver to accomplish the feat was Chase Elliott in 2019.
| Stats | Winning % | Wins | |||
| Winning from the First Starting Position: | 25.00% | 10 | |||
| Winning from the Front Row: | 35.00% | 15 | |||
| Winning from a Top-Five Starting Position: | 67.50% | 28 | |||
| Winning from a Top-10 Starting Position: | 77.50% | 32 | |||
| Winning After Starting Outside the Top 20: | 2.44% | 1 | |||
The Driver Picks for the Go Bowling at The Glen at Watkins Glen International
- Chase Elliott has two poles, two wins, four top fives, four top 10s, and an average finish of 12.333.
- Kyle Larson has two wins, three top fives, five top 10s, and an average finish of 14.636.
- Shane Van Gisbergen has one win, two top fives, two top 10s, and the series-best average finish of 1.500.
- Carson Hocevar has one top five, one top 10, and an average finish of 10.500.
- Christopher Bell has two top fives, four top 10s, and an average finish of 6.800.
