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TSS_NSCS_Gordon_050115For periods of time, Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart dominated the competition at Watkins Glen International. Stewart owns a track-record five wins (2002, 2004-05, 2007, 2009), while Gordon comes in second with four (1997-99, 2001).

Both could use a return to their winning ways at the Central New York road course on Sunday. Stewart needs a visit to Victory Lane in the next five races to make the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. At 12th on the Chase Grid, a comfortable 83 points above the cutoff line, Gordon will likely make the postseason. Still, a win would give him momentum. Also, if/when Kyle Busch makes the top 30, Gordon’s cushion shrinks. A DNF could doom him.

While Gordon’s loop stats at The Glen are mediocre by his standards (10th-best driver rating, 85.4; 12th-best average running position, 17.075) Stewart’s are elite by any measure. The No. 14 Chevrolet driver boasts series-best totals in average running position (5.661), driver rating (120.4) and average green flag speed (120.785 mph).

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nascar_nationwide_mid_ohio_aj_allmendinger_victory_lane_81713Road course maven AJ Allmendinger provided arguably the most feel-good moment of the 2014 season when he won at Watkins Glen. The victory – the first for Allmendinger and JTG Daugherty Racing – secured the single-car team a berth in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

Sunday’s Cheez-It 335 at The Glen may be Allmendinger’s last legitimate shot to make NASCAR’s playoffs. Similar to last year, he needs a win to get in.

In six career starts at Watkins Glen, Allmendinger boasts one win, two top fives and four top 10s. He claims the second-best average finish (7.8333), third-best driver rating (100.5), third-best average running position (12.288) and fourth-fastest green flag speed (120.332 mph).

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Kyle Busch Days of thunderKyle Busch was on his way to his fourth consecutive victory when he ran out of fuel while he was leading on the final lap in Sunday’s Windows 10 400 at Pocono Raceway. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver finished 21st..

With his performance, Busch gained 10 points on 30th-place (the position he needs to ascend to in order to make the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup) and is now only 13 points behind David Gilliland who currently mans the 30th position. Busch has five races left until the Chase to get into the top 30.

Despite being unable to close the deal at Pocono, Busch has won four of the last six races dating back to Sonoma. He gets the chance to sweep the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series’ road courses in Sunday’s Cheez-It 355 at The Glen (2 p.m. ET at NBCSN). Busch has won at Watkins Glen twice (2008, 2013) and in 2008 was the last NSCS driver to sweep the road courses.

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during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 21, 2015 in Charlotte, North Carolina.

It was appropriate that the Windows 10 400 at Pocono Raceway was decided by the fuel “window.”

Matt Kenseth passed three drivers who ran out of gas – Joey Logano with three laps left, Martin Truex Jr. who had two laps to go and Kyle Busch on the final go-around – to win his first race at Pocono in 32 attempts.

The victory was Kenseth’s second of the season and 33rd of his career, tying him with Busch and Fireball Roberts for 20th on NASCAR’s all-time list. With the triumph, Kenseth moved up to fourth on the Chase Grid and now has six bonus points for the Challenger 16 round of NASCAR’s playoffs.

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The Final Lap Weekly Podcast LogoSHOW #370 – Guest: Tyler Reddick – We recap Pocono, plus what F1 driver wants to race NASCAR?, What is going on with Jimmie Johnson on Twitter?, NASCAR goes solar, Erik Jones is going Cup, plus Fantasy Racing, Drivers Say What, and was Kerry a Hip Hop DJ at one time? Hosted by Kerry Murphey and Toby Christie

( Roughly 48:00 mins)

Continue reading “The Final Lap Weekly NASCAR Podcast #370 Tyler Reddick – Watkins Glen NASCAR Preview”