Watkins Glen International

Watkins Glen International:

History

·         After several events were held on the streets of Watkins Glen, a permanent facility was opened in 1956.

·         The first NASCAR Sprint Cup race was in 1957, won by Buck Baker.

·         After a six-year absence, NASCAR returned to The Glen in 1964 and 1965.

·         After a 21-year absence, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series returned to The Glen, and has run one race a year there since 1986. This weekend’s race will be the 26th running since its return in 1986.

Notebook

·         There have been 28 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Watkins Glen International since the first race there in 1957.

·         Buck Baker won the first pole and race.

·         Tim Richmond won the first pole and race upon the series’ return in 1986.

·         There have been 16 different pole winners.

·         The race winner has started first in nine of 28 races. The last race winner to start from the pole was Kyle Busch in 2008.

·         Mark Martin leads all drivers with wins from the pole with three in a row between 1993, 1994 and 1995.

·         18 of the 28 races at Watkins Glen have been won from a top-five starting position.

·         20 of the 28 races at Watkins Glen have been won from a top-10 starting position.

·         The deepest in the field that a Watkins Glen race winner has started was 18th by Steve Park in 2000.

·         17 different drivers have won races, led by Tony Stewart, with five.

·         Jeff Gordon set the all-time NASCAR Sprint Cup record for road-course victories with his victory in 2001, his seventh on a road course. He has since won two more (both at Infineon Raceway), for a career total of nine.

·         Three active drivers with more than one start have an average finish in the top 10: Marcos Ambrose (2.6 in three starts), Tony Stewart (5.4 in 12 starts), Carl Edwards (8.1 in six starts), Mark Martin (8.2 in 21 starts) and AJ Allmendinger (9.3 in three starts).

Watkins Glen International Data

Race #: 22 of 36 (8-14-11)

Track Size: 2.45 miles

Race Length: 90 laps/220.5 miles

Driver Rating at Watkins Glen

Tony Stewart                 129.6

Juan P. Montoya           113.5

Marcos Ambrose           113.5

Kyle Busch                   102.1

Kurt Busch                    101.9

Jimmie Johnson            100.0

Denny Hamlin                99.9

Carl Edwards                94.9

AJ Allmendinger            91.9

Kevin Harvick                89.6

Note: Driver Rating compiled from 2005-2010 races (6 total) at Watkins Glen.

Qualifying/Race Data

2010 pole winner: Carl Edwards

(124.432 mph, 70.882 seconds)

2010 race winner: Juan P. Montoya, (90.96 mph, 08-08-10)

Track qualifying record: Jeff Gordon (124.580 mph, 70.798 seconds, 8-8-03)

Track race record: Mark Martin (103.300 mph, 8-13-95)