CUP: SPEED Crew Readies For Watkins Glen

Sprint Cup

CUP: SPEED Crew Readies For Watkins Glen

The SPEED crew sets the stage for NASCAR at Watkins Glen...

SPEED Staff | Posted August 10, 2012 Watkins Glen, NY

Watkins Glen International is next up for the Sprint Cup Series. (Photo: LAT Photographic)

After a week packed with off-track news ranging from Dodge’s departure from NASCAR in 2013 to driver AJ Allmendinger’s first public comments after his suspension, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads to Watkins Glen International, a fast road course that promises plenty of on-track news for a change. The SPEED crew sets the stage below:

Q: The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads to Watkins Glen International this weekend with five races remaining to lock in for the Chase. How do you think this road course, which lends itself to aggressive driving, could affect the “Wild Card” race?

“This weekend’s race at Watkins Glen is one of the big wild cards (no pun intended) with five to go. Since double file restarts were implemented, road course races have taken on a short-track mentality in which anything can happen and anything goes. One slight miscue could mean the difference in running for a championship and taking a backseat come playoff time. The other ingredient that lends itself to drama is fuel mileage. Road course races are all about strategy, and there likely will be a number of teams rolling the dice to put themselves in position for a win. Plenty can be gained or lost on Sunday.”
--Adam Alexander, host of SPEED Center

“It could have a huge impact. Watkins Glen is an incredibly fast track with a lot of elevation changes, and there are several places for drivers to get in trouble. Marcos Ambrose won this race a year ago and has three Nationwide wins there. If he wins on Sunday, does he become the new Jeff Gordon as far as the wild card is concerned? Then look at Kyle Busch. His Chase is on life-support, so he can’t afford to run off the course or into anyone. So, with as fast as The Glen is with its heavy braking zones, it could have huge implications in the ‘Wild Card’ battle.”
--Steve Byrnes, host of NASCAR Race Hub

“The ‘wild card’ race is wide-open, and there are so many drivers with so much to lose this weekend. Jeff Gordon and Ryan Newman are tied for the wild card spot. Kyle Busch is close, Joey Logano is in contention and Marcos Ambrose could easily win this weekend. These drivers have to be aggressive to gain some ground but also defensive to protect their positions.”
--Tom Jensen, SPEED.com Editor-in-Chief

Q: Jeff Gordon won at precisely the right moment. How much of an example of strength under pressure was his win at Pocono and how much can it help propel him to another?

“Since mid-May, we’ve all been saying, ‘Don't write off Jeff Gordon.’ The Pocono win might be exactly what this team needed to get them over the hump because their performance has been pretty solid. He always has been a favorite when it comes to road course racing, as well as the next five races on the schedule. It appears the four-time champ is pulling on a little of his championship experience to get in the Chase when push comes to shove.”
--Adam Alexander, host of SPEED Center

“The Pocono win was huge. They’ve been fast all year but had nothing to show for it, and still they persevered and never gave up. In the next five races, Gordon has 69 top-five finishes and 18 wins. That tells me he will be a factor for sure.”
--Steve Byrnes, host of NASCAR Race Hub

“If Jeff Gordon makes the Chase, he’ll be your champion this year. I’ll call it right now because I’m sold on his performance. It’s not like he has a bad track, but we’re heading to a few that he runs extremely well at. That No. 24 team easily can keep on winning, right into the 2012 championship.”
--Kyle Petty, SPEED analyst

Q: What are your overall thoughts on road course races – should they be in the Chase? Should there be more or less of them on the schedule?

“I’ve always been a big fan of road courses. I like the strategy and overall art of this style of racing. We are right where we need to be with these events on the schedule, and I don't think there needs to be one in the Chase. With the current points format in which wins play a vital role, road courses leave their mark on the championship without being among the 10 Chase races.”
--Adam Alexander, host of SPEED Center

“I support having a road course in the Chase and I’m not even a huge road course fan. Our championship -- not just the Chase but the whole season -- awards drivers’ excellence at all kinds of tracks, which I think makes the championship special. Having a road course in the Chase would exemplify what our season is all about.”
--Steve Byrnes, host of NASCAR Race Hub

“I’d love to see Road America on the schedule and I also think there should be a road course in the Chase. I also agree with Tony Stewart that I’d love to see the Cup cars race on the dirt at Eldora Speedway.”
--Tom Jensen, SPEED.com Editor-in-Chief

Q: NASCAR and Goodyear held a tire test this week with the new 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race cars at Martinsville Speedway. What did Goodyear learn?

“They’re still early on in this process and learning as they go. The big challenge with which the manufacturers have been tasked is making the new car race better at the mile-and-a-half tracks, and I think we’ll see a big improvement in that category next year.”
--Tom Jensen, SPEED.com Editor-in-Chief

“One thing we learned at the test is the 2013 cars look great, just like the cars on the highway. They’re talking about taking 100 pounds of lead out of the cars, and Goodyear will get some work in with that in the hopes they can build a softer tire with more grip, which should make the cars more drivable. The tire needs more fall-off during a fuel run, which should make for better racing.”
--Hermie Sadler, SPEED reporter and NASCAR driver