Monday, August 8, 2016

Race Recaps - Watkins Glen International

Sprint Cup Series

Cheez-It 355 at The Glen
Watkins Glen International – Watkins Glen, N.Y.
Sunday, August 7, 2016

Race Winner: Denny Hamlin
Age: 35
Team: No. 11 – FedEx Freight Toyota
Owner: Joe Gibbs Racing
Crew Chief: Mike Wheeler

IN THE WORDS OF THE WINNER – “It means a lot (winning the first road course race of his career). I can’t tell you how disappointed I was we didn’t win the first one. I just tried the best I could and overshot the corner and I didn’t want to do it this time and so I probably under drove and let those guys be a little closer than I should’ve. But, hated to see the 78 (Martin Truex Jr.) turned around down there. They’ve been great Toyota teammates of ours and thanks to all of our teammates who tested here and obviously gave us a good baseline setup and a fast car.”

-       Denny Hamlin

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  • Denny Hamlin won the 31st Annual Cheez-It 355 at the Glen at Watkins Glen International Sunday afternoon. For Hamlin, it was his 28th win in 384 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races. It was his first win on a road course track.
  • Prior to today, Hamlin had never led a lap in 10 previous starts at Watkins Glen.
  • For Hamlin, it was his second win of the year and his first since the season-opening Daytona 500 on February 21.  It was his 11th top-10 finish of the year and his fourth in-a-row.
  • It is the second straight year that the Daytona 500 champion also won the Cheez-It 355 as Joey Logano won both in 2015.
  • Joey Logano (second) posted his fifth top-10 finish in eight races at Watkins Glen.  It was his 14th top-10 finish of 2016 and his eighth top-10 finish in the last ten races.
  • Brad Keselowski (third) posted his fifth top-10 finish in seven races at Watkins Glen.  For Keselowski it was his fourth top-5 finish in the last six races and fifth top-5 in the last eight races.
  • Chase Elliott (13th) was the highest finishing rookie. 
  • Jeff Gordon finished 14th today in the 800th start of his NASCAR Sprint Cup career.
  • Brad Keselowski (727) leads the 2016 Sprint Cup points standing by nine points over Kevin Harvick (718).  The following are the top-5 drivers in points through the first 22 races:

      Driver                                           Wins                           Points
      1.    Brad Keselowski                         4                                  727          
      2.    Kevin Harvick                              1                                  718                                  
      3.    Kurt Busch                                   1                                  689                            
      4.    Kyle Busch                                  4                                  670        
      5.    Carl Edwards                               2                                  653                
             
  • Eleven drivers have qualified for the 2016 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, a list which includes Tony Stewart, Joey Logano, Kurt Busch, Carl Edwards, Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Jimmie Johnson, Brad Keselowski, Kevin Harvick, Matt Kenseth and Martin Truex Jr., all of who have taken checkered flags this year. 
  • As a result of his victory in the Pennsylvania 400 in Pocono on August 1, Chris Buescher would also qualify so long as he finishes in the top-30 in points after the season’s 26 regular season races. Buescher currently sits in the 31st spot with 292 points, three behind David Ragan (295), who is in 30th.  The Chase culminates with the Ford EcoBoost 400 championship race on November 20 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
  •  In 11 Sprint Cup Series starts at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Denny Hamlin has recorded seven top-10 finishes, four top-5s and two wins (2009, 2013).  He was part of the Championship 4 in the Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway in 2014.

XFINITY Series

Zippo 200 at The Glen
Watkins Glen International – Watkins Glen, N.Y.
Saturday, August 6, 2016

Starting this year, the XFINITY and Camping World Truck Series will feature championship races at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 19 (NXS) and November 18 (NCWTS).  Four drivers will compete amongst a full field for their respective title. Below is a race recap from Saturday’s XFINITY Series race at Watkins Glen International. The Camping World Truck Series was off this weekend:

  •  Joey Logano won the 22nd Annual Zippo 200 at The Glen XFINITY Series race at Watkins Glen International Saturday afternoon. It was his 26th victory in 156 NASCAR XFINITY Series races.  It was his 1st win and ninth top-10 in the XFINITY Series this year.
  • It marked his third in win in-a-row at Watkins Glen overall, as he won both the XFINITY and Sprint Cup races at Watkins Glen in 2015.
  • Elliott Sadler (668) leads the XFINITY points standings by 11 points over Daniel Suarez (657).
  • Through 20 races this season in the XFINITY Series, Erik Jones, Daniel Suarez and Elliott Sadler have qualified for the 2016 XFINITY Series Chase following their victories. Kyle Busch, Kyle Larson, Austin Dillon, Chase Elliott, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano have also won an XFINITY Series race this season but are ineligible for the XFINITY Series Chase due to their full-time status in the Sprint Cup Series. Sam Hornish Jr. is also ineligible because he is not a full-time driver in the XFINITY Series.