Know Your Track: Watkins Glen

Watkins Glen International

Track Name: Watkins Glen International

           

Nicknames: "The Glen"

Location: Watkins Glen, New York

Capacity: 41,000

Date of First Race: August 4, 1957

Layout: Watkins Glen is a 2.454 mile asphalt road course. The track features 11 turns and a significant elevation change going down the main straightaway and up through the "esses". The track has a longer course for other racing disciplines.

Current Sprint Cup Races:

• August 9, 2015 - Cheez-It 335 at the Glen, a 220.5 mile, 90 lap regular season points race. This is a Sunday afternoon event.

Most Wins:        

• All-Time: Tony Stewart, 5 wins
• Active: Tony Stewart, 5 wins
• Latest Winner:
• 2014 Cheez-It 335 at the Glen: A.J. Allmendinger

Description: The other road course on the NASCAR schedule, Watkins Glen offers a significant change-up from its Sonoma counterpart. Whereas Sonoma is a much slower, technical track, Watkins Glen is capable of producing racing at much higher speeds, allowing drivers to operate with a much more attacking style.

The track features some notable turns, such as the 90 degree right hander that is turn 1, the sweeping "esses" that run uphill, the 4 quick turns "bus stop" chicane, and the half-circle "carousel" turn. The track has quite the personality, and in turn, it has produced some of the most outstanding finishes in all of NASCAR in the last three seasons, including the mind blowing finish between Kyle Busch, Brad Keselowski, and Marcos Ambrose in 2012.

The track has also produced some horrific crashes in recent seasons, such as these examples:

Racing here has been spectacular as of late, and Watkins Glen has become one of the best races to watch on the NASCAR schedule.

Fun Facts: Watkins Glen has a greater economic impact for the state of New York than the Buffalo Bills of the NFL.