Parks Pit Report: Cheez-It 355 at the Glen

Each year, NASCAR has two road course stops on the circuit.  For a couple years, the second-tier Xfinity Series would have three stops on a road course, so the sport isn’t exactly known for being ones to turn right.

At the same time, when the sport does decide to hit a road course, it’s a challenge for the teams because it takes a lot more discipline to make it work.

Watkins Glen has it’s own set of challenges as compared to Sonoma.  Personally, I like this track a lot more because it tests both the driver and pit crew.

Sonoma is a track that has 11 turns, a lot of elevation change, and there is a lot of input from the driver to make the car handle on the track, and it’s more of a finesse road course.

The Glen, on the other hand, is more like a speedway.  There is a lot of speed in this course with the long straightaways on the back, then out of turn 5 and then the final turn 7.  You hear more about the condition of “wheel hop” at this track, where under braking the tires will actually bounce on the track and lose traction, compared to Sonoma.

What makes Watkins Glen another challenge is pit road.  This is the only time NASCAR has teams pit backwards, where the right-side tires are closest to pit wall.  Teams have tried everything to make it a bit easier, from the tire carriers and changers swapping spots to extra practice to get timing down.  This year Martin Truex Jr.’s team even took a different approach where they would treat it as a normal weekend, changing the right-side first and then going to the left.  Only difference being going around the gasman first before going to the left.

According to USA Today, fans voted this track as the best in the sport, and The Glen deserves it because they are very friendly with the people, and the track is in a great part of New York state.

It still is a challenge for these teams when they come here, but it makes for some very interesting, and very intense, moments.

I always love this track, and look forward to the next year of action.

RESULTS:  1-Logano  2-Kyle Busch  3-Harvick  4-Kenseth  5-Kurt Busch  6-Bowyer  7-Keselowski  8-Edwards  9-Hornish Jr.  10-Johnson

NOTABLE FINISHES:  11-Earnhardt Jr.  25-Truex Jr.  27-Hamlin  41-Gordon  43-Stewart

CAUTIONS:  5 for 16 laps.  26-28 (Debris-T6 and 7); 33-35 (Debris-S Turns); 47-49 (#3 Accident-BS); 51-54 (Fluid on Track [Red Flag-9 Mins, 3 Secs.); 58-60 (#14 Stopped On Track-BS).

LEAD CHANGES:  8 among 8 drivers.  A. Allmendinger 1-20; M. Truex Jr. 21-25; A. Allmendinger 26; C. Whitt 27-28; B. Keselowski 29-55; Kyle Busch 56-58; M. Kenseth 59-60; K. Harvick 61-89; J. Logano 90;

TIME OF RACE:  2 Hrs, 24 Mins, 43 Secs.

AVERAGE SPEED:  91.420 MPH

MARGIN OF VICTORY:  5.273 Seconds

CHASE GRID:  1. Johnson-747 (points), 4 (wins); 2. Kyle Busch-361, 4; 3. Harvick-823, 2; 4. Logano-781, 2; 5. Earnhardt Jr-750, 2; 6. Kenseth-703, 2; 7. Kurt Busch-659, 2; 8. Keselowski-719, 1; 9. Truex Jr-714, 1; 10. Hamlin-631, 1; 11. Edwards-589, 1; 12. McMurray, -188 (from 1st); 13. Menard, -201; 14. Gordon, -203; 15. Newman, -210; 16. Bowyer, -211.