Race 22: Centurion Boats at The GlenPre-Race: It's time to cross off one of the two remaining wild card races left before the Chase: Watkins Glen, the road course. While Bristol still looms ahead in two weeks, many drivers on the Chase bubble have circled this event in particular. Whether or not that is a good thing depends on the person. For bubble drivers like Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart who excel on the road course events, this race has been circled as the opportunity to make up for any lost ground. But for drivers like Travis Kvapil, Matt Kenseth, and Greg Biffle, who typically struggle when NASCAR goes left AND right, this event has been circled as an important time to take it conservatively and not give away points. While all of that drama plays out though, we've got some new faces in the race this weekend - the road course ringers. Every time NASCAR visits Sonoma, Watkins Glen, or Montreal, new contenders attempt to cement their names in the record books forever by stealing a victory from the Cup Series regulars. Drivers like Ron Fellows and Jacques Villeneuve are the top 2 names to watch out for today, but don't forget about the regulars. They've taken both road course races already this season. Who will come out on top today? We're about to find out.
Green flag-Polesitter Kurt Busch leads the field into the always treacherous turn 1.
Lap 1-CAUTION FLAG #1-Trouble! Yet another race features a lap 1 crash. This time, it's road course ace Robby Gordon getting turned hard into the armco barrier exiting the inner loop by Jason Leffler. Gordon won last year at Infineon, and while he is a series regular, only contends on the road course races. Finishing last and completing just a lap isn't gonna make the owner/driver very happy.
Lap 4-Green flag. Kurt Busch had to pit as he was worried about running over a possible piece of debris. Remember, while he is out of Chase contention, the 33 team can still make the Owner's Chase. They've got to play it safe with plenty of racing left over. Jacques Villeneuve inherits the lead.
Lap 5-Joe Nemechek with an unscheduled stop on pit road. His MB2 Motorsports is unsure if they've got a flat from running over debris or if it's just low air pressure, but as a borderline Chase contender, you can't afford to risk a crash or DNF.
Lap 8-Villeneuve gets loose in the inner loop and Kyle Busch and Sonoma winner Casey Mears drive by.
Lap 19-Big-time smoke on pit road-oh wait. That's just smoke coming out of Smoke. That's right, Tony Stewart has blown an engine while running 6th. That is a vicious blow to his Chase hopes. He needed to make up points today coming into the race in 11th, especially considering his team's struggles on the intermediate tracks this season. Tony is not a happy camper right now. He'll finish 41st.
Lap 26-Martin Truex Jr. with an early pit stop, but we could definitely see some strategy come into play now.
Lap 28-J.J. Yeley ducks down pit road for 4 fresh Goodyear tires.
Lap 30-Here comes a huge group to pit road, led by leader Kyle Busch. Also making stops are Mears, Montreal winner Jeff Gordon, the recently lapped Terry Labonte, road course specialist Ron Fellows, Bobby Hamilton Jr., Travis Kvapil, Reed Sorenson, David Ragan, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jon Wood, Jamie McMurray, Aric Almirola, and Scott Riggs.
Lap 31-Another massive group finishes stops in just 2 laps. It's Villeneuve, Kevin Harvick, points leader Brian Vickers, Clint Bowyer, Jeff Burton, Bobby Labonte, Ryan Newman, Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth, Greg Biffle, Elliott Sadler, Carl Edwards, Mike Bliss, Michael Waltrip, Jeremy Mayfield, Kurt Busch, Kasey Kahne, Todd Kluever, Johnny Sauter, road course ace Scott Pruett, Paul Menard, Jason Leffler, Dave Blaney, and Nemechek.
Lap 32-Kyle Busch has cycled back to the lead.
Lap 35-Wood back on pit road with an unspecified vibration.
Lap 46-Halfway through in a clean race. Kyle Busch is dominating much like he did at Montreal, but he couldn't nail down the victory that day. Could today be his day?
Lap 46-Truex Jr. to pit road. He's been short-pitting all day today. We'll see if that strategy can pay off.
Lap 53-Fellows leads a charge to pit road that includes Hamilton Jr., Mayfield, Riggs, Terry Labonte, and Almirola.
Lap 54-Kyle Busch hands the lead to Mears as he pits and is followed by teammates Gordon and Johnson, as well as Yeley, the elder Busch bro, and Menard.
Lap 55-Biffle, Sadler, and Waltrip pit. A lot of guys are looking to stretch this run and make just one more stop. Right now, all the drivers that have pitted have to make at least one more stop.
Lap 56-Sauter is the only pitter this lap.
Lap 58-Ragan makes a stop on pit road.
Lap 59-Here comes a large group of those guys trying to stretch it: Mears, Villeneuve, McMurray, Harvick, Bowyer, Burton, Wood, Vickers, Kvapil, Newman, Edwards, Earnhardt Jr., Sorenson, Leffler, and Blaney.
Lap 60-Just about everyone else makes a stop this time by. Bobby Labonte, Kenseth, Pruett, Kluever, Kahne, and Bliss are on pit road.
Lap 60-Kyle Busch once again back in the lead.
Lap 62-Nemechek makes his stop to round out the cycle completely. He's multiple laps down after a long stop all the way back on lap 31 to help further address the issues that brought him down unscheduled on lap 5.
Lap 63-CAUTION FLAG #2-Hard crash in the inner loop. Polesitter Kurt Busch just got turned by Vickers and the two both slid through the gravel and clubbed the foam barriers in front of the armco. They're both done for the day. Vickers will still clinch a spot in the Chase though, as his massive lead combined with Nemechek and Stewart's issues will give him the cushion he needs. Bobby Labonte also spun into the gravel on his own while trying to avoid the spin. He'll lose a lap as he gets towed out and will see his much-needed top 10 run evaporate.
Lap 66-Green flag. Several cars stayed out and are all conversing on the radio with their crew chiefs saying they need a quick caution or two to save enough fuel to make it to the end. If they don't get a quick caution and the field spreads out, they will all have to pit. Once one of them comes down for a splash of fuel, expect all to follow shortly as new tires give a 5 second edge per lap over old tires. Here's a full-field rundown with 25 to go in the meantime:
Lead lap: 2, 44, 29, 07, 31, 5, 24, 90, 48, 77, 15, 17, 12, 34, 38, 99, 11, 16, 88, 06, 78, 1, 91
Tail end of lead lap: 40, 6, 8, 9, 41, 19
-1 lap: 42, 0, 43, 21, 18, 22, 55
-2 laps: 92
-3 laps: 01
OUT: 25, 33, 20, 7
Lap 67-Villeneuve to the front. Could you imagine if he could pull of the upset? Unfortunately, he's in the group of drivers that likely have to pit eventually.
Lap 71-20 to go. No incidents yet and the field is thinning itself out. There's one gaggle mid-pack from about 13th to 18th that the leaders are waiting on. Things are definitely not going to plan for the top contenders, but most of them are either solidly in the Chase or are eliminated and taking a no-consequences gamble.
Lap 75-Jeff Gordon has moved past Villenueve to take the lead. He's got enough fuel to make it, so this race could be his for the taking. Shadows of Montreal, anyone?
Lap 76-And here come the pitters. Villeneuve is the first and a huge group immediately follows, not wanting to give up time to new tires. Joining the 44 are the 8, 07, 29, 2, 41, 42, 31, and 21 teams.
Lap 77-The 9, 6, 19, and 43 cars are pitting.
Lap 78-Last pitters should be Bliss and Pruett, and here they come.
Lap 81-10 to go. Gordon has a 3.6 second lead on Kyle Busch.
Lap 86-5 to go. Gordon with a commanding 5.2 second lead over new second place driver Jimmie Johnson.
Lap 90-White flag for Gordon. Can he win his second consecutive road course race?
Checkered flag-Yes he can! Jeff Gordon takes the checkers at Watkins Glen in a 1-2-3 Hendrick Motorsports finish! Gordon earns his 76th career win, tying the late Dale Earnhardt for 6th all-time on the wins list. The top road course ringer is Fellows, who comes home in 4th. Elliott Sadler rounds out the top 5.
Vickers is the first to clinch.
