NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers who win championships tend to win at Watkins Glen.
Sunday’s Centurion Boats at The Glen marks the 26th series event at the upstate New York road course, which celebrates its 60th anniversary this season.
Fifteen drivers have won on the 2.45-mile track, among them three series champions — Rusty Wallace, Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart.
Combined, those 15 drivers have an impressive 363 total career victories.
In fact, it’s not usual for series champions to battle for wins at The Glen. Exhibit A: Gordon and Stewart were part of a suspenseful finish to last year’s event; Gordon, the polesitter, spun in Turn 1 while leading late, and saw Stewart usurp his lead for the win.
Gordon, who celebrated his 37th birthday on Monday, is NASCAR’s all-time leader with nine road-course wins.
“I love racing at Watkins Glen,” he said. “It’s fast, and it’s a track that suits our cars very, very well “
Watkins Glen’s winning history may present the next hurdle for standings leader Kyle Busch.
Busch’s series-high seven wins include a victory earlier this season in the schedule’s only other road-course event, at Infineon Raceway.
A win on Sunday would mean the ‘08 road-course sweep for Busch, who also won the NASCAR Nationwide Series event in Mexico City in March.
If he does prevail, he’ll become the first driver to win three national-series road-course events in one season. Busch could use the boost; he’s coming off two consecutive finishes outside the top 10.
Watkins Glen Winners Career Wins
Buck Baker 46
Billy Wade 4
Marvin Panch 17
Tim Richmond 13
Rusty Wallace 55
Ricky Rudd 23
Ernie Irvan 15
Kyle Petty 8
Mark Martin 35
Geoffrey Bodine 18
Jeff Gordon 81
Steve Park 2
Tony Stewart 32
Robby Gordon 3
Kevin Harvick 11
TOTAL 363
(NASCAR Media)
