Latest news with #roadcourse
Yahoo
a day ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
SVG continues his NASCAR plunder; playoff cut looms for Kyle Busch, others: Let's rank 'em
Since it feels as if Sunday was just a perfunctory routine — a box to check, a mere formality — we should just look ahead to the coming two-week bout of Saturday Night Fever and who's feeling the most heat. The road-course Plunder from Down Under is something we sorta expected, though not to this extreme. But a few other races have been won by fellas who weren't necessarily automatic picks to do so, given their record and/or circumstances. We're looking at y'all: Bubba Wallace, Josh Berry and Austin Cindric. Hell, for a while there, even Chase Elliott couldn't be counted upon to clinch a playoff spot with a trophy. Now we're down to two regular-season races remaining — scheduled for the next two Saturday evenings — the second of which, at Daytona, could be won by anyone with a firesuit and car keys. With 13 different winners and therefore three playoff spots currently occupied based on the point standings, a few race teams will soon consider 2025 a washout. Right now, Tyler Reddick is all but locked in on points, while Alex Bowman seems relatively safe, barring two new winners the next two weeks. But boy oh boy, Chris Buescher is teetering on a thin bubble. Buescher's point edge over the next closest non-winner (Ryan Preece) is a healthy 34 points, but he also needs Cinderella to stay home two Saturdays from now, when Daytona offers a lifeline to the Have Nots, as it did last year with Harrison Burton. You know who's not worried? That's right, the plunderer. Let's get to that and move along … First Gear: Shane van Gisbergen finds yet another gear If not Sonoma, certainly Watkins Glen, right? The Glen would be Shane van Gisbergen's chance to lose a road-course race. Right? I mean, come on, the first sign arrived Saturday when Ryan Blaney dusted him in qualifying by a whopping three one-hundredths of a second! Watkins Glen is different, they all said. Not as 'technical,' which is race-speak for difficult to maneuver — might remind you of a few old mates, technically speaking. The Cup regulars would get their revenge Sunday in upstate New York. Well, SVG appeared to say, here's what happens when I quit toying around and go full-throttle. When is the last time you saw an 11-second margin of victory? Yeah, I know, Rusty Wallace won Watkins Glen by nearly 12 seconds just … just … when was it? Oh yeah, just 38 years ago! I'll say it again. Shane is carrying a lot of playoff bonus points (22) into the Round of 16. Only Denny Hamlin (24) and Kyle Larson (23) have more. If that cushion helps SVG get to the Round of 12, that round includes the Charlotte road course, which means he'll have a real shot to make the Round of 8. Gee, you think? Second Gear: Connor Zilisch delivers a win and quite a scare Perhaps the best chance of challenging SVG at Watkins Glen tumbled away Saturday when Connor Zilisch took his nasty spill in Victory Lane. That was a brutal, head-first fall from the roof of the winning car, and the most immediate whiplash of emotions we've seen in many years. A broken collarbone is bad, but compared to the worst fears when we saw Connor Z on the ground, we'll take it. Don't watch this video below if you're queasy about such things ... And you wonder if we're just lucky it doesn't happen more often. There are plenty of opportunities for the roof and/or window ledge to get wet and slick. Makes you wonder if teams shouldn't appoint a Victory Lane spotter, similar to those the gymnasts use when attempting something overly daring on the rings or uneven bars. Trackhouse Racing pulled the Sunday entry for Zilisch, who was going to make his fourth Cup start of the year. It might've been interesting if he hadn't gotten hurt, because his winning run Saturday included a drop-kick that put SVG in the wall. They're teammates, by the way, adding to the Sunday dynamics that never played out. Third Gear: Ranking the bummers (yes, including Kyle Busch) Of those most likely to miss the playoffs, which driver should be the most bummed about it? Approaching the topic, let's assume Reddick and Bowman are safe on points, as mentioned above. And let's assume Buescher isn't. Let's rank 'em, one through five, in order of who would consider 2025 the bigger disappointment. 1. Ty Gibbs: Surprised that you don't see a bigger name here? Don't be, this kid isn't supposed to be battling this hard in his third full (winless) Cup season. His three teammates have a combined eight wins. We're guessing the patience will continue at Joe GIBBS Racing. 2. Kyle Busch: Tempted to rank him lower, since he probably knew he wouldn't have what he needed under him. Team owner Richard Childress might be just as upset about it. Actually, he's definitely more upset, because Kyle seems to be resigned to battling for a top-15 here and there. 3. Chris Buescher: Two years ago, he was looking like a star in the making. He hasn't been horrible by any stretch, but still ... 4. Brad Keselowski: He fell way behind through the first half of the season, and by summer, it was obvious that only a win would get him in the playoffs. He's been digging hard of late and it still might happen. 5. Ryan Preece: He landed at RFK Racing after Stewart-Haas shuttered last winter, and he's been OK. Sitting 12th in the non-playoff point standings indicates decency. Fourth Gear: ARCA gets down and dirty and lets us watch! A lot of fans like to say they love a good dirt-track race, even if they haven't bothered to watch one in years. Well, the solid Americans at ARCA are giving you two chances in the next three weeks to watch full-bodied stock-cars have at it on the rich soil of the Midwest. And frankly, this Sunday, it's the only game in town, so why not give it a look-see on your color TV? ARCA races Sunday afternoon at the Illinois State Fairgrounds (2 p.m., FS1). And it's not some crampy bull ring, but a one-mile oval with rich clay and a rich history. A.J. Foyt, Mario Andretti and, more recently, Kyle Larson have won there. Bob Keselowski, Brad's dad, had several wins at the 'Springfield Mile.' Two weeks later, on the Sunday night before Labor Day, ARCA will race at another Illinois one-miler — the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds, and I know what you're thinking. 'Why does Illinois need two state fairgrounds?' — Email Ken Willis at This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: NASCAR playoff cut nears as SVG rules Glen and ARCA talks dirty to us
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
NASCAR Power Rankings After Watkins Glen: 10 Best Drivers Right Now, Bubba Wallace and SVG Rise
Who is the best NASCAR driver right now? If it's on a road course, the only answer is Shane van Gisbergen after he earned his fourth win of the season thanks to a dominant performance at Watkins Glen International. However, ovals dominate in stock car and that's why the best NASCAR drivers right now are at the top. Let's dive into our latest NASCAR power rankings after Sunday's Cup Series race at Watkins Glen. 1. William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports William Byron is the best NASCAR driver in 2025. For all intents and purposes, he can be declared the regular-season champion. With two races to go, Byron has a 42-point lead over Chase Elliott and no other driver is within 80 points. There's no reason to expect the driver who leads the Cup in laps led (910), one of only two drivers with 560-plus laps led, will suddenly cede all that ground. If the No. 24 car hadn't run out of fuel on the final laps in a few races, he'd also have more than two wins and certainly would be leading Cup in top 10s. William Byron stats (): 812 points, 2 wins, 13 top 10s, 9 top 5s, 2 poles, 3 DNFs, 910 laps led, 10.917 average starting position, 13.75 average finishing position Related: 2. Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing Chase Briscoe has been one of the best NASCAR drivers this summer. Early in the year, it was fair to criticize him for not consistently turning a great average starting position (12.75), including 4 poles, into more than just a solid but not great average finishing position (14.625) over his first 16 races. Since Mexico City, he's been on fire. Briscoe has six top‑7 finishes in the last nine races, including a win at Pocono and runner-up finishes at Sonoma, Dover, and Iowa, plus a fifth at Watkins Glen. Over the last six races, Briscoe leads the Cup Series in average starting position (2.3), average finishing position (8.7), and top‑5s (four), and he ranks third in laps led (149). Chase Briscoe stats (): 674 points, 1 win, 12 top 10s, 10 top 5s, 6 poles, 3 DNFs, 313 laps led, 10.042 average starting position, 13.333 average finishing position Read More: 3. Ryan Blaney, Team Penske It's fair to say that Ryan Blaney only won the pole at Watkins Glen over the weekend because Shane van Gisbergen ran in the first qualifying group, who all put up slower times than the drivers in the second group. Even with that acknowledged, what lands Blaney third in the NASCAR power rankings is what he's done over the last month. Across his last four races, Blaney has two stage wins (2 playoff points), 165 stage points (41.25 points per race), and he hasn't finished worse than 8th (at Dover). He also ranks third in Average Rating (95.4) in the last six races and boasts the fourth-most laps led (430) this season. The only reason he's lower than the other top drivers in points is that his No. 12 car has been on the wrong side of bad luck or had engine issues, resulting in seven DNFs. Ryan Blaney stats (): 710 points, 1 win, 12 top 10s, 8 top 5s, 2 poles, 7 DNFs, 430 laps led, 15.043 average starting position, 16.417 average finishing position Related: 4. Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing Road courses simply aren't good for Denny Hamlin. He started 22nd at Watkins Glen and finished 25th, with his car never really giving him a legitimate shot at a top‑15 run. In four road course races this season, Hamlin has one top‑five finish (Chicago) and three finishes outside the top 20. Missing the Mexico City race following the birth of his son likely spared him another poor result. On ovals, however, Hamlin remains one of the best NASCAR drivers in 2025. Since the start of June, he has placed third twice (Nashville and Indianapolis), second at Pocono, and first at both Michigan and Dover. He ranks third in laps led (555) and leads the Cup Series in oval wins (four) this season. At the very least, Hamlin is performing like a driver destined for the Championship 4. Denny Hamlin stats (): 731 points, 4 wins, 12 top 10s, 11 top 5s, 1 pole, 3 DNFs, 555 laps led, 15.261 average starting position, 13.565 average finishing position Read More: 5. Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing No Cup driver needed a strong performance at Watkins Glen more than Christopher Bell. While his playoff spot was locked up back in Atlanta, leading to a stretch of three consecutive wins, it's been a summer to forget for the No. 20 car. Across nine races from Michigan through Iowa, Bell had an average finishing position of 15.22, which pales in comparison to the 9.17 mark he posted from his first win through Nashville. The hope is that Sunday's second-place finish is a springboard for Bell heading into the playoffs. Christopher Bell stats (): 727 points, 3 wins, 14 top 10s, 9 top 5s, 1 pole, 3 DNFs, 221 laps led, 14.333 average starting position, 12.125 average finishing position Read More: 6. Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports If our NASCAR power rankings were determined based on pure talent, Kyle Larson deserves the No. 1 spot. However, this summer has turned 2025 into a rather disappointing season for the No. 5 car. After finishing 28th at Iowa, where his car got banged around and stuck in traffic, Larson finished last on Sunday at Watkins Glen. The car was the problem. It qualified 26th, and just a few laps into Stage 1, Larson reported brake issues that required a lengthy stop in the garage. Since trying to run 'The Double' on May 25, Larson has finished outside the top 30 four times, and he's been outside the top 15 six times. Kyle Larson (): 727 points, 3 wins, 14 top 10s, 11 top 5s, 1 pole, 2 DNFs, 873 laps led, 12.958 average starting position, 14.542 average finishing position Read More: 7. Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing Running as an open team has seemed to do wonders for Bubba Wallace and 23XI Racing. Entering the race at Dover on July 20, Wallace was just above the cutline on the playoff bubble and in danger of missing the playoffs for the second consecutive year. Between that and the fallout from 23XI Racing losing its charter status, there was added pressure on Wallace. Bubba Wallace's 2025 stats (2025): 610 points, 1 win, 10 top 10s, 4 top 5s, 6 DNFs, 136 laps led, a 16.8 average starting position, and a 17.8 average finishing position. He's delivered the best stretch of his career. Wallace placed seventh at Dover, working his way up from 22nd on the starting grid. He followed that up by qualifying second for the Brickyard 400 and then beating Kyle Larson twice in overtime for a playoff-clinching win. With the pressure of making the playoffs off his shoulders, Wallace recovered from being two laps down in the final stage at Iowa to finish sixth. On Sunday, he continued his improvement on road courses by finishing eighth. Now, Wallace heads to two tracks, Richmond and Daytona, where he has a fair amount of success. Momentum is building right before the playoffs. Bubba Wallace stats (): 610 points, 1 win, 10 top 10s, 4 top 5s, 6 DNFs, 136 laps led, 16.792 average starting position, 17.75 average finishing position Related: 8. Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing Tyler Reddick is the only driver in our NASCAR power rankings without a win this season. It's particularly surprising for a driver who won eight Cup races between 2022 and 2024. On the positive side, his ninth-place finish at Watkins Glen pushed him just behind Kyle Larson (14.5) and William Byron (13.8) for the seventh-best average finishing position (14.4). It added to his strong run, posting a 9.11 average finishing position in the last nine races. Most importantly for Reddick, he's punched his ticket to the playoffs. Tyler Reddick stats (): 701 points, 0 wins, 9 top 10s, 5 top 5s, 1 pole, 1 DNF, 112 laps led, 12.792 average starting position, 14.417 average finishing position Related: 9. Shane van Gisbergen, Trackhouse Racing Shane van Gisbergen is the best road course racer in NASCAR history, which should be evident after his dominant win. Given his cushion in playoff points and the upcoming ROVAL 400 in the Round of 12, there is every reason to believe the rookie will make it to the Round of 8. The one thing holding SVG back from being ranked higher among the best NASCAR drivers is simply his inexperience on ovals. Excluding road course races this season, van Gisbergen's average finishing position is 28.7 in 19 races. He has already shown improvement and will be even better as he gains more experience, but it does work against him right now given the playoff race locations. Shane van Gisbergen stats (): 441 points, 4 wins, 5 top 10s, 4 top 5s, 3 poles, 3 DNFs, 246 laps led, 22.75 average starting position, 21.583 average finishing position Related: 10. Chris Buescher, RFK Racing Chris Buescher entered the weekend just ahead of Ryan Preece on the playoff bubble and needed repeat winners in the final three races. SVG helped him out by winning his fourth race of the season, but Buescher did the most for himself. He earned 44 points at Watkins Glen, including a playoff point for the Stage 1 win, giving him a 34-point lead over Preece for the 16th and final playoff spot. Buescher now has a bit more control of his playoff destiny, but he still needs a few things to go his way. Chris Buescher stats (): 618 points, 0 wins, 12 top 10s, 4 top 5s, 1 DNF, 38 laps led, 11.167 average starting position, 13.708 average finishing position Related: Related Headlines Mack Hollins Seems To Be a Roster Lock Following Preseason Opener Report: Dana White Already Walking Back Claim UFC PPV Model Dies in 2026 Pittsburgh Steelers All-Pro Could Skip Games Due to Contract Dispute Worst NFL Coaches 2025: Ranking the Worst Non-First-Year Head Coaches in the NFL
Yahoo
13-08-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Blaney happy with result despite losing pace
Ryan Blaney felt his car lose pace toward the end of the race at Watkins Glen but is happy he kept track position throughout the day for a "good showing" on a road course.
Washington Post
11-08-2025
- Sport
- Washington Post
Team owner predicts van Gisbergen will make a deep run in NASCAR playoffs
Labeling statistics as 'kind of an American thing,' Shane van Gisbergen avoids dwelling on his record-setting rookie season in the NASCAR Cup Series. 'It normally hits me on the plane ride home or at 4 a.m. after a few beers,' van Gisbergen said Sunday after conquering the Watkins Glen International road course in New York for his fourth victory this year. 'I try to reflect on it, but I also try and get to the next week pretty quick. I'll try not to tweet at 4 a.m. this morning.'
Yahoo
11-08-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Team owner predicts van Gisbergen will make a deep run in NASCAR playoffs
Labeling statistics as 'kind of an American thing,' Shane van Gisbergen avoids dwelling on his record-setting rookie season in the NASCAR Cup Series. 'It normally hits me on the plane ride home or at 4 a.m. after a few beers,' van Gisbergen said Sunday after conquering the Watkins Glen International road course in New York for his fourth victory this year. 'I try to reflect on it, but I also try and get to the next week pretty quick. I'll try not to tweet at 4 a.m. this morning.' If the laid-back Kiwi were into chest-pounding on social media, the list of heady accomplishments includes being the third driver with four consecutive Cup wins on road or street courses, joining 2020 champion Chase Elliott and NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon. It also includes being the first rookie with four victories — breaking a tie with seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson and three-time champion Tony Stewart — and the largest margin of victory (11.116 seconds) in Watkins Glen history and second largest this season behind his 16.567-second win at Mexico City that was the biggest gap from first to second since 2009. The next achievement could be the loftiest yet for the driver from Auckland, New Zealand, who struggles massively on the ovals that comprise most of the season. Can van Gisbergen be a legitimate championship contender in Year 1? Trackhouse Racing owner Justin Marks, who put his reputation on the line and convinced sponsors to risk millions on an audacious plan to make the Cup playoffs with an inexperienced and unheralded rookie, suggests a deep run awaits the No. 88 Chevrolet. 'Shane just continues to go showcase why we've made a long-term commitment to him, why we brought him over here from New Zealand and built this team around him,' said Marks, who signed van Gisbergen to a multiyear extension last week. 'Because in a sport like this where winning is so important and so hard to do, if you can catch some lightning in a bottle like we've got with SVG, you've got to really lean into it. That's what we've done. It's like seeing a plan come together.' The plan now has a path to the doorstep of a Cup title. The first round of 16 drivers is contested on three ovals, but van Gisbergen has a sizable 22-point cushion (victories are worth five points apiece for the playoffs) to overcome a 26.9 average finish on ovals. Pared down to 12 drivers, the second round features a road course at Charlotte Motor Speedway. A win there would catapult a driver into the third round, where eight drivers will square off for four berths in the championship finale at Phoenix Raceway. 'He's in a really good position,' Marks said. 'I think we have a real opportunity to get to the Round of 8.' The playoffs open at tricky Darlington Raceway, whose odd shape is among the most difficult layouts in NASCAR, but van Gisbergen is more concerned about the first-round cutoff race at Bristol Motor Speedway. He finished 38th in his April 13 debut on the Tennessee short track. 'I ran terrible there,' said van Gisbergen, who finished 20th a week earlier at Darlington. 'Bristol was so far from anything I've ever done, and that's a really tough place. That's probably the biggest worry. Darlington, I feel fine, especially now that we have a lot of points. You've just got to have three solid weeks, and you might get through. We just have to play the averages, make no mistakes and make sure we're in a good spot every week.' Zilisch future After pulling Connor Zilisch from the Cup race at Watkins Glen, Marks said it's unclear when the Xfinity Series points leader will return from the broken collarbone he suffered while celebrating his series-high sixth victory Saturday. With approval from NASCAR, Zilisch could skip the final three regular-season races and still be eligible for the Xfinity playoffs. 'He's a huge asset and a huge part of the future of the business,' Marks said. 'We have to make sure that we're not hurting any long-term opportunities by taking advantage of a short-term opportunity.' Having raced with a broken collarbone in 2021, van Gisbergen believes Zilisch could return for the Aug. 22 race at Daytona International Speedway. 'I had a weekend off and raced the next week, so pretty much what he's going to go through,' van Gisbergen said. 'I'd get a plate put in and then take it out at the end of the year. It's obviously going to be in pain. My biggest problem was tightening the belts. I could really feel the plate through the skin, and it was a horrible feeling. But I raced the next week and did pretty well. For sure with some good doctors and some good drugs, he'll get through the race fine.' Impressing the boss With team owner Michael Jordan in attendance, Bubba Wallace finished eighth at Watkins Glen (a spot ahead of 23XI Racing teammate Tyler Reddick) for a season-best fourth consecutive top 10. The stretch includes the Brickyard 400 victory that qualified Wallace for the playoffs and relieved enormous pressure from the No. 23 Toyota driver. 'Indy was life-changing,' Wallace said. 'It allowed me to not harp on all of the mistakes that I usually make at a road course. The big boss was here, so it's good to get MJ a couple of top 10s.' ___ AP auto racing:
