Since 1986, NASCAR has held Cup Series races at the iconic Watkins Glen International, which has hosted champions like Chase Elliot, Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon, and Kyle Larson. Because of lengthier races with shorter laps, the stock car racing sport doesn’t use the entire track, despite being an important part of NASCAR’s history.
The 3.377-mile (5.435-mile) asphalt road course features 6–10 degree turns on its bankings and is situated in Watkins Glen, New York. Even though the course is over four miles long, NASCAR races only happen on 2.45 miles (3.78 km) of it, which has 11 turns of the historic track.
‘The Boot’ is another name for the mile-long, four-corner stretch of the track that it does not cover. Laps are shortened by avoiding this portion of the course, allowing for more laps in a race. The Go Bowling, which is the NASCAR race at Watkins Glen International! completed 90 laps in the 2023 edition of the Glen Race and 92 laps in the 2024 edition. Because of the way ‘The Glen’ is set up, spectators can only watch the cars round the racetrack at certain times; if the entire track is used, fewer laps would be completed and spectators would see the vehicles circle less frequently.
Finally, a long straight follows the ‘outer loop’, which serves as an efficient passing zone throughout the race, if ‘The Boot’ area of the circuit is avoided. Chris Buescher of Roush Fenway-Keselowski Racing started the Go Bowling! 2024 race in 24th place and finished in 24th place, earning him his sole victory of the season. The race took place in September. The race’s top 5 was completed by Shane Van Gisbergen, Carson Hocevar, Ross Chastain, and Zane Smith.
After ten years, NASCAR driver Juan Pablo Montoya made a comeback to Watkins Glen International.
After a ten-year break from NASCAR, Colombian race car driver Juan Pablo Montoya made his comeback at the 2024 event at The Glen. For a one-time comeback to stock car racing, the 49-year-old racing driver, who has participated in F1, Indycar, IMSA, and other categories, joined the 23XI Racing squad in September of last year. From 2007 to 2013, Montoya competed in the Cup Series, winning at Watkins Glen in 2010. The Bogota native finished the race in 32nd place, marking his 256th NASCAR appearance since his return earlier this year. His comeback gives this timeless song a new chapter in its history.
