Statistical Advance: Analyzing the Go Bowling at The Glen

Below is a look at some of the top statistical performers at Watkins Glen International in Watkins Glen, New York, going into the Go Bowling at The Glen on Sunday, May 10 at 3 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

Watkins Glen International Stats & Tidbits

RACE DATA
Season Race #: 12 of 36 (May 10, 2026)
The Purse: $11,233,037
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)

TRACK DATA

Track Size: 2.45 Mile
Track Type: Asphalt Multi-Elevational Road Course
Number of Turns: 7 

QUALIFYING & RACE RECORDS

Track Qualifying Record: Marcos Ambrose, Ford, 129.491 mph, (68.113 secs.), August 9, 2014 (Set in Round 1 of 3)

Track Race Record: William Byron, Chevrolet, 111.426 mph, (01:58:44), August 20, 2023

2025 Pole Winner: Ryan Blaney, Ford, 122.568 mph (71.960 secs.), August 9, 2025

2025 Race Winner: Shane Van Gisbergen, Chevrolet, 101.263 mph, (02:10:39), August 10, 2025

HISTORY

• Watkins Glen is famously known for the first post-war street race in the country, and the annual event was held from 1948-1951.
• After several events were held on the streets of Watkins Glen at a temporary facility, a permanent facility was opened in 1956 in the town of Dix, which borders Watkins Glen. In 1956, a 2.3-mile track was designed and constructed.
• The first NASCAR Cup Series race at Watkins Glen International was on August 4, 1957 and won by driver/owner Buck Baker with an average speed of 83.064 mph in a 1957 Chevrolet. Baker led all 44 laps in the inaugural event.
• After a six-year absence, NASCAR returned to Watkins Glen International (The Glen) in 1964 and 1965.
• Then after a 21-year absence, the NASCAR Cup Series returned to The Glen and has run one race a year there from 1986 to 2019.
• In 1992, the Inner Loop Chicane (a.k.a. the Bus Stop) was added to the layout giving Watkins Glen International its 2.45 distance.
• The 2020 NASCAR Cup Series race at Watkins Glen International was rescheduled to another track due to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions in New York. The series did not compete at Watkins Glen International in 2020, but the series did return to the track in 2021.
• The first NASCAR Cup Series race at Watkins Glen was scheduled for 101.2-miles in 1957, the second race was 161.7-miles (1964) and the third race was 151.8-miles (1965). Every race since has been scheduled for 220.5-miles (90 laps).
• The famous Watkins Glen International road course underwent a repave in 2015, first complete repave since 1989.
• NASCAR has added new larger curbing to the Inner Loop Chicane (Bus Stop) for the 2024 event.
• There have been 42 NASCAR Cup Series races held at Watkins Glen International (1957 – Present).
• Watkins Glen International has hosted more NASCAR Cup Series races than any other active road course and joined Riverside International Raceway (48 races) as the second road course to host 40 or more races.

 STARTS

• A total of 314 different drivers have competed in at least one NASCAR Cup Series race at Watkins Glen International.
• A total of 197 drivers have competed in more than one Cup race at Watkins Glen.
• NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon leads the NASCAR Cup Series all-time in starts at Watkins Glen with 24.
• Top five (all-time) in Cup starts at Watkins Glen: Jeff Gordon (24), Kevin Harvick (22), Mark Martin (22), Michael Waltrip (22), and Terry Labonte (22).
• Kyle Busch leads all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers in starts at Watkins Glen with 20 appearances.
• Top five (active) in Cup starts at Watkins Glen: Kyle Busch (20), Denny Hamlin (19), Joey Logano (16), Michael McDowell (16), Brad Keselowski (15).
• A total of 43 different drivers have made their NASCAR Cup Series career start at Watkins Glen International; the most recent was Kimi Raikkonen and Mike Rockenfeller on August 21, 2022.
• The best starting position by a driver making his NASCAR Cup Series career debut at Watkins Glen International was second (outside front row) by Boris Said in the August 15, 1999 race; he ultimately finished 42nd in the event.
• The best finishing position by a driver making his NASCAR Cup Series debut at Watkins Glen International is 13th – it has happened twice – Scott Lagasse Jr. started 28th and finished 13th on August 8, 1993 and Gene Blair started 18th and finished 13th on August 4, 1957.

Drivers That Made Their First Cup Start at Watkins Glen International

• Michael McDowell leads the Cup Series among active drivers with the most starts at Watkins Glen International without visiting Victory Lane at 16 starts; followed by Brad Keselowski with 15.
• NASCAR Hall of Famer Ned Jarrett (two starts) leads the NASCAR Cup Series in average starting position at Watkins Glen International among drivers with more than one start with a 2.0.
• Shane van Gisbergen leads all active Cup Series drivers in average starting position at Watkins Glen with a 2.5 in two races.

Top 10 in Average Starting Position at Watkins Glen (All-Time & Active – More Than 1 Start)

• Among drivers with more than 10 starts all-time, NASCAR Hall of Famer Tony Stewart (16 starts) leads the NASCAR Cup Series in average starting position at Watkins Glen with a 5.875.

POLES

• A total of 24 different NASCAR Cup Series drivers have won at least one pole at Watkins Glen International.
• This weekend, six of the 24 NASCAR Cup Series pole winners at Watkins Glen International are entered in the event.

• NASCAR Hall of Famers Dale Earnhardt (1990, ‘92, ’96), Mark Martin (1993, ’94, ’95) and Jeff Gordon (1998, ’03, ’14) lead the NASCAR Cup Series in poles at Watkins Glen International with three each.
• Denny Hamlin (2023, 2018), Kyle Busch (2011, 2017) and Chase Elliott (2019, 2022) lead all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers in poles at Watkins Glen International with two poles each.
• Driver/owner Buck Baker won the inaugural NASCAR Cup Series pole at Watkins Glen International in 1957 with a speed of 87.071 mph. He would go on to win the inaugural race from the pole in 1957 leading every lap.
• A total of eight drivers have won multiple poles in the NASCAR Cup Series at Watkins Glen International: Dale Earnhardt (1990, 1992, 1996), Jeff Gordon (1998, 2003, 2014), Mark Martin (1993, 1994, 1995), Terry Labonte (1987, 1991), Kyle Buch (2011, 2017), Carl Edwards (2010, 2016), Chase Elliott (2019, 2022), Denny Hamlin (2023, 2018).
• NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin (1993, 1994, and 1995) and Chase Elliott (2019, 2022) are the only NASCAR Cup Series drivers to post consecutive poles at Watkins Glen. Note: Cup didn’t race at WGI in 2020, and Qualifying was not held in 2021.
• Youngest Cup Series Watkins Glen pole winner: Chase Elliott (08/4/2019 – 23 years, 8 months, 7 days).
• Oldest Cup Series Watkins Glen pole winner: Morgan Shepherd (08/13/1989 – 47 years, 10 months, 1 day).
• New York native Todd Bodine is the only driver in NASCAR Cup Series history to get his first career pole at Watkins Glen International – August 10, 1997.
• A total of 15 different organizations have won a pole in the NASCAR Cup Series at Watkins Glen International.
• Hendrick Motorsports leads the NASCAR Cup Series in poles at Watkins Glen International with eight poles among five drivers – Tim Richmond (1986), Geoff Bodine (1988), Jeff Gordon (1998, 2003, 2014), Jimmie Johnson (2009), Chase Elliott (2019, 2022).
• Six of the 15 NASCAR Cup Series Watkins Glen pole winning organizations are active this weekend.

NASCAR Cup Series Organizations with Poles at Watkins Glen

• Seven different manufacturers have won at least one NASCAR Cup Series pole at Watkins Glen International; led by Chevrolet with 17 poles, followed by Ford (9), Toyota (five), Dodge, Mercury, Oldsmobile and Pontiac (one each).
• The most consecutive poles by a manufacturer in the Cup Series at Watkins Glen is three straight and it has occurred five times – Chevrolet (1986-1988 and 1996-1998), Ford (1993-1995 and 1999-2002) and Toyota (2016-2018).

WINS

• A total of 27 different NASCAR Cup Series drivers have won at Watkins Glen International.
• Nine drivers have won multiple Cup races at the New York road course (WGI).
• This weekend, eight of the 27 NASCAR Cup Series race winners at Watkins Glen are entered in the event.

• NASCAR Hall of Famer Tony Stewart leads the NASCAR Cup Series in wins at Watkins Glen International with five victories (2002, ’04, ’05, ’07 and ’09).
• Kyle Larson (2021, 2022), Chase Elliott (2018, 2019) and Kyle Busch (2008, 2013) lead all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers in wins at Watkins Glen International with two victories each.
• A total of six NASCAR Cup Series drivers have posted consecutive wins at Watkins Glen International, led by NASCAR Hall of Famers Jeff Gordon (1997, ’98, ’99) and Mark Martin (1993, ’94, ’95) with three consecutive wins each.

• Hendrick Motorsports’ drivers Kyle Larson (2021, 2022) and Chase Elliott (2018, 2019) are the only active drivers to accomplish the feat of consecutive Watkins Glen wins.
• Youngest Cup Series Watkins Glen winner: Chase Elliott (08/05/2018 – 22 years, 8 months, 8 days).
• Oldest Cup Series Watkins Glen winner: Geoff Bodine (08/11/1996 – 47 years, 3 months, 24 days).
• Four NASCAR Cup Series drivers have posted their first career win at Watkins Glen International – Steve Park, Marcos Ambrose, AJ Allmendinger and Chase Elliott.

• Three NASCAR Cup Series drivers have won at Watkins Glen International in their first appearance at the track – Buck Baker (1957), Billy Wade (1964) and Tim Richmond (1986).
• A total of 14 different starting positions have led to victories in the NASCAR Cup Series at Watkins Glen International.
• The pole or first starting position is the most proficient starting position in the field, producing more winners (10) than any other starting position at Watkins Glen International in the NASCAR Cup Series.
• Eight different NASCAR Cup Series drivers have won from the pole or first starting position at Watkins Glen:

• Of the 42 NASCAR Cup Series races at Watkins Glen, 10 have been won from the pole or first starting position (25%); the most recent driver to accomplish the feat was Chase Elliott in 2019.

NASCAR Cup Series Wins by Starting Positions at Watkins Glen International

• Chris Buescher became the first NASCAR Cup Series driver to win a race at Watkins Glen starting outside the top 20 (24th starting position).
• The deepest in the field that a NASCAR Cup Series race winner has started at Watkins Glen is 24th, by Chris Buescher in 2024.
• A total of 20 different organizations have won in the NASCAR Cup Series at Watkins Glen International and seven are active this weekend.

• Hendrick Motorsports leads the NASCAR Cup Series in wins at Watkins Glen International with 11 victories among six drivers – Jeff Gordon (four: 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001), Chase Elliott (two: 2018, 2019), Kyle Larson (two: 2021, 2022), Ricky Rudd (1990), Tim Richmond (1986) and William Byron (2023).
• Six different manufacturers have won in the NASCAR Cup Series at Watkins Glen; led by Chevrolet with 23 victories; followed by Ford with nine, Pontiac and Toyota with four each and Buick and Mercury each have one.

ADDITIONAL FINISHING POSITIONS

Runner-Up Finishes:

• A total of 30 different drivers have finished runner-up in the NASCAR Cup Series at Watkins Glen.
• Brad Keselowski and Mark Martin lead the NASCAR Cup Series in runner-up finishes at Watkins Glen with three second-place finishes each.

Top Five in Runner-Up Finishes at Watkins Glen (All-Time & Active)

Top-Five Finishes:

• A total of 87 different NASCAR Cup Series drivers have finished inside the top-five at Watkins Glen.
• NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin leads the NASCAR Cup Series in top-five finishes at Watkins Glen with 12.
• Kyle Busch leads all active drivers in top-five finishes at Watkins Glen with seven.

Top Five in Top-Five Finishes at Watkins Glen (All-Time & Active)

Top-10 Finishes:

• A total of 130 different drivers have finished in the top-10 in the NASCAR Cup Series at Watkins Glen.
• Mark Martin leads the Cup Series in top-10 finishes at Watkins Glen with 16 top 10s.
• Kyle Busch (second all-time) leads all active Cup Series drivers in top-10 finishes with 13 top 10s.

Top Five in Top-10 Finishes at Watkins Glen (All-Time & Active)

Average Finishes:

• Shane Van Gisbergen leads the NASCAR Cup Series drivers in average finishing position at Watkins Glen with an 1.5 in two starts.

Top 10 in Average Finishing Position at Watkins Glen (All-Time & Active)

• Among drivers with more than 10 starts all-time, NASCAR Hall of Famer Carl Edwards (12 starts) leads the NASCAR Cup Series in average finishing position at Watkins Glen with an 8.920.

LAP LEADERS

• A total of 105 different NASCAR Cup Series drivers have led at least one lap at Watkins Glen International, but only 10 have led more than 100 laps.
• NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon leads the NASCAR Cup Series in laps led at Watkins Glen with 262 laps led in 2,075 laps completed (24 starts from 1993 to 2016).
• Kyle Busch leads all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers in laps led at Watkins Glen with 249 in 1,694 laps completed (20 starts from 2005 to 2025).
• The most laps led by the race winner in a single NASCAR Cup Series race at Watkins Glen International was 83 laps led by Tony Stewart on August 14, 2005 – the race was scheduled for 90 laps but went to overtime and finished at 92 laps – Stewart led 90.2% of the event. He started from the pole position.
• The highest percentage of laps led in a NASCAR Cup Series race at Watkins Glen International was set in the 1957 (inaugural event) when Buck Baker led 100% of the race, all 44 of the scheduled laps from the pole and won.
• The most laps led by a driver that did not win in a NASCAR Cup Series race at Watkins Glen International was 54 laps led by NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt on August 11, 1996 – he ultimately finished sixth in the event after starting from the pole.
• The fewest laps led by the race winner in a single NASCAR Cup Series race at Watkins Glen International was 1 lap (the final lap) by Joey Logano on August 9, 2015 – the race was scheduled for 90 laps. Logano started from the 16th position.
• Last season’s race winner, Shane Van Gisbergen, led 38 laps en route to the victory.

Top 10 Cup Lap Leaders at Watkins Glen International (All-Time & Active)

Margin of Victory:

• Since the advent of electronic scoring (in 1993) the closest margin of victory (MOV) in the NASCAR Cup Series at Watkins Glen International was the 2001 race won by Jeff Gordon over Jeff Burton with a margin of victory of 0.172 second.
• The 2018 NASCAR Cup Series race was the largest margin of victory in track history with Chase Elliott beating Martin Truex Jr. to the finish line by 7.560 seconds.

Top Five Closest Margins of Victory in the NASCAR Cup Series at Watkins Glen:

Top Eight Largest Margins of Victory in the NASCAR Cup Series at Watkins Glen:

NASCAR Overtime:

• There have been three NASCAR Cup Series races resulting in NASCAR Overtime at Watkins Glen:

Postponement / Delays / Cancellations:

• Only one of the 41 NASCAR Cup Series races at Watkins Glen International has been shortened due to weather conditions – the 1992 race – only 51 of the scheduled 90 laps were completed. The race was won by Kyle Petty driving a Pontiac for car owner Felix Sabates. Petty led 19 of 51 laps.
• The August 14, 2011 race was the only NASCAR Cup Series race at Watkins Glen that has been postponed to another date due to weather (August 15, 2011).
• The 2020 Watkins Glen NASCAR Cup Series race was rescheduled to another track due to New York state’s pandemic restrictions at the time.
• Qualifying has been cancelled due to weather conditions in the NASCAR Cup Series at Watkins Glen International six times: 1965, 2000, 2004, 2005, 2007 and 2008.
• Qualifying was cancelled in 2021 due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. The starting lineups were set by Metric Qualifying.

Lead Changes / Leaders / Last Passes

• The most lead changes in a NASCAR Cup Series race at Watkins Glen International is 14 and it has occurred three times (1991, 2006, 2011). Last season had eight lead changes.
• The fewest lead changes in a NASCAR Cup Series race at Watkins Glen International is zero and it occurred in the inaugural event in 1957.
• The most leaders in a NASCAR Cup Series race at Watkins Glen International is 11 and it has occurred twice (2001 and 2006). Last season had six leaders
• The fewest leaders in a NASCAR Cup Series race at Watkins Glen International is one and it occurred in the inaugural event in 1957 (Buck Baker).
• Three times the NASCAR Cup Series race at Watkins Glen International has been won with a last lap pass:
  • Joey Logano passed Kevin Harvick on the final lap to win the 2015 Cup Series race at Watkins Glen.
  • Marcos Ambrose passed Kyle Busch on the final lap to win the 2012 Cup Series race at Watkins Glen.
  • Chris Buescher passed Shane van Gisbergen on the final lap to win the 2024 Cup Series race at Watkins Glen.

FEMALE COMPETITORS

• Danica Patrick, Patty Moise and Katherine Legge are the only three female NASCAR Cup Series drivers to compete at Watkins Glen International.

NASCAR IN NEW YORK

• There has been a total of 118 NASCAR national series races among 15 different tracks held in the state of New York.
• The first NASCAR Cup Series race held in the state of New York was at Hamburg Speedway in Hamburg, New York on September 18, 1949. The race was won by Jack White. Hamburg Speedway is a half-mile dirt track.

NEW YORK IN NASCAR

• A total of 198 different drivers in NASCAR national series history have their home state recorded as New York.
• 15 of the 198 have posted at least one victory in NASCAR’s national series.
• Only two of the New York natives have won at Watkins Glen International in the NASCAR Cup Series – Geoff Bodine (1996) and Steve Park (2000).

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