NASCAR Cup Series

KAHNE BY THE NUMBERS: In 14 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series career starts at Watkins Glen, Kasey Kahne has an average start of 19.2 and an average finish of 20.7. He’s completed 1,244 of 1,264 (98.4 percent) career laps, and has led for three laps.

The iconic pop rock group HANSON will participate in the award-winning Official Throwback Weekend of NASCAR by performing the national anthem for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Bojangles’ Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway on Sunday, Sept. 2.

Richard Childress Racing at "The Glen" ... In 71 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts at Watkins Glen International, RCR boasts two wins (Robby Gordon 2003 and Kevin Harvick 2006), eight top-five and 21 top-10 finishes. Dale Earnhardt won three poles (1990, '92, '96) at the high-speed, seven-turn, upstate New York facility.

Tom Higgins, who told the stories of stock-car racing for decades as a reporter and author, has died. He was 80. Among his many accolades, Higgins was the 2015 recipient of the Squier-Hall Award for NASCAR Media Excellence. He had been in declining health since suffering a stroke last year.

As Homestead-Miami Speedway prepares for its 17th consecutive year of crowning NASCAR’s champions, the Speedway continues to host unique and interactive events during Ford Championship Weekend. This year, fans attending Ford Championship Weekend will have the rare opportunity to take part in an insightful Q&A session with two of NASCAR’s most promising young drivers, Ryan Blaney and Bubba Wallace.

We all tune in for the potential excitement, but the storylines set up the race. At Pocono, we witnessed Jimmie Johnson make his 600th career start. We wondered if the Big Three would dominate yet again. We also wondered how the bad boys, and maybe a few bad girls back at the shop, would fare after 13 cars failed post-qualifying tech.

Richard Childress Racing drivers Austin and Ty Dillon have launched an auction of autographed memorabilia and other items to benefit the Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma, courtesy of The NASCAR Foundation and Fanatics Auctions at http://bit.ly/DillonBrosAuction.  Items include an autographed guitar, VIP suite passes, an autographed rod and piston from a race-winning Austin Dillon ECR engine, a Grizzly Cooler and a Bass Pro Shops kayak. Additional items will be added throughout the week, and the auction will end at 8 p.m. ET on Sunday, August 5.

Former Buffalo Bills All-Pro wide receiver Steve Tasker will serve as the Honorary Pace Car Driver for the Go Bowling at The Glen Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race, Aug. 5 at Watkins Glen International.

Watkins Glen International will introduce another new hospitality space during the upcoming Go Bowling at The Glen race weekend, when the Zippo Turn 10 Terrace opens adjacent to the Sir Jackie Stewart Grandstand.

Brake issues and a loose-handling on the No. 78 Auto-Owners Insurance Toyota plagued Martin Truex Jr. throughout the afternoon, leaving him and the Furniture Row Racing team with a 15th-place finish at Pocono Raceway.