Chris Buescher led five non-playoff drivers for an overtime win at Watkins Glen, a wild road race that will be remembered for the high number of championship contenders enduring wrecks, torn tires and aggressive driving.
Just two playoff drivers finished in the top 10, while 10 others were dotted among the bottom 21 in the results. Buescher held off Shane van Gisbergen for his sixth career win, followed by Carson Hocevar, Ross Chastain and Zane Smith.
Several drivers will need a good run this weekend at Bristol Motorspeedway as the NASCAR playoffs hit the first cutoff race of the playoffs.
Christopher Bell was 14th at The Glen and leads Austin Cindric by three points in the standings with Alex Bowman five back. Joey Logano’s Atlanta win earned entry in the second round. Bristol marks the first-round cutoff with four drivers eliminated. Hamlin is 13th, six points below JGR teammate Ty Gibbs on the cutoff line. Brad Keselowski is 12 points behind, with Truex 14 back and Burton 20 back.
Last year, Denny Hamlin started second in the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota and led three times for 147 laps, including the final 135, to earn his third and final victory of 2023 on the way to finishing fifth in the standings.
Kyle Larson was second in a Chevy and Christopher Bell third for JGR, which claimed three of the top five spots. Ryan Blaney was 22nd in a Penske Ford before recovering from that awful run and 28th the next race at Texas to win two of the final seven races and claim the title.
Practice and qualifying is this afternoon at 3 pm. Race time is 6:30 pm Saturday night.
Eighteen-year-old Connor Zilisch won his Xfinity Series debut at Watkins Glen, taking the JR Motorsports Chevy owned by Dale Earnhardt Jr. to the checkered flag from the pole with a Stage 1 win and leading three times for 45 laps on the road course.
Zilisch had to save fuel in a wreck-marred ending. Sheldon Creed was second in a Toyota and A.J. Allmendinger third in a Chevy.
Fast facts: Bristol marks the regular-season finale before the 12-team playoff field is set.
Xfinity’s postseason starts at Kansas on Sept. 28 with Talladega and the Charlotte Roval making up the rest of the first round. The field will be cut to eight drivers after those three races.
Justin Allgaier holds the regular-season lead by 34 points over defending Xfinity champion Cole Custer.
NASCAR Hall of Famer and two-time series champ Dale Earnhardt Jr. will race for the second consecutive year in the No. 88 Chevy for JR Motorsports. Nephew Jeffrey Earnhardt will drive the No. 26 Toyota for Sam Hunt Racing.
Last year, Allgaier passed Daniel Hemric late and led the final 13 laps for the victory. Allgaier led three times for a race-high 110 laps in his Chevy. Hemric was next in a Chevy, followed by John H. Nemechek (Toyota), pole-sitter Cole Custer (Ford, 109 laps led) and Chandler Smith (Chevy).
Practice and qualifying is this afternoon at 1 pm. Race time is 6:30 pm tonight.
