While the spring Atlanta race delivered one of the most incredible finishes of the year, last week’s race was a bit more subdued with Joey Logano claiming victory and advancing to the Round of 12. Now, NASCAR heads to Watkins Glen International for the 2024 Go Bowling at the Glen.
With Logano locked in to the next round, 15 other drivers will hope to win on Sunday and advance. The twists and turn of the Glen provide a unique challenge for NASCAR’s best – the first time this circuit has featured in the postseason. Can one of the playoff drivers rise to the challenge or will we see one of the road course ringers claim the checkered flag in New York? Let’s dive in.
Playoff Picture Heading Into the 2024 Go Bowling at the Glen
- Joey Logano – One Win
- Ryan Blaney +45
- Christopher Bell +40
- Tyler Reddick +33
- William Byron +33
- Alex Bowman +27
- Austin Cindric +27
- Chase Elliott +24
- Daniel Suarez +22
- Kyle Larson +15
- Denny Hamlin +2
- Ty Gibbs +1
- Brad Keselowski – 1
- Harrison Burton -16
- Martin Truex Jr. -19
- Chase Briscoe -21
Two of the postseason favorites in Kyle Larson and Denny Hamlin both experienced trouble early at Atlanta. The good news for both? They currently sit above the cutline and both tend to run well at road courses. While the margin for error is smaller now, I’d expect both to avoid an early elimination.
Daniel Suarez is one of the surprising names in the NASCAR playoffs but the driver of the #99 had an excellent race at Atlanta and is a solid road course racer. I expect Suarez to have another solid run on Sunday that allows him to have a solid amount of points heading into the final round of the race at Bristol.
Two wins at @WGI.
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) September 13, 2024
Two unforgettable battles with @MartinTruex_Jr. @chaseelliott looks to add a third Corning Trophy and a Round of 12 berth. #NASCARPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/akB5lqtjz6
Among the drivers below the cutline, Martin Truex Jr. has seen the most success at the Glen. I expect the driver of the #19 to have a great run that gets him back in the mix. While Brad Keselowski has run well at Watkins Glen in the past, he’s not finished better than 15th in the NextGen races at the circuit – I think this spells the end of the playoff run for the #6 while I still think Briscoe, Gibbs, and Burton fail to advance.
2024 Go Bowling at the Glen Entry List
As mentioned above, there will be some road course specialists that add a bit of excitement to Sunday’s race. Among them will be AJ Allmendinger in the #13 and Shane Van Gisbergen in the #16 for Kaulig Racing. However, in some massive news that was announced earlier this year, Juan Pablo Montoya will be back in NASCAR for the first time since in a decade as he pilots the #50 for 23XI.
Beautiful. Technical. Historic.@WGI is the total package. pic.twitter.com/SjtZkuyHI0
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) September 12, 2024
Each of these drivers has already proven themselves multiple times at NASCAR road courses. While Montoya’s rust may limit him, I expect Allmendinger and Van Gisbergen to both be factors on Sunday.
2024 Go Bowling at the Glen Race Odds and Predictions
The aforementioned Shane Van Gisbergen sits atop the odds rankings at +500 with Kyle Larson also at +500. Tyler Reddick at +700 and last year’s race winner William Byron at +800 are next on the list.
Hendrick Motorsports has another driver among the top five in odds with Chase Elliott at +800 as well. While Alex Bowman, the final driver for HMS, comes in at +3000, he’s also been excellent at road courses this season including a win on the street circuit at Chicago. Don’t count out the driver of the #48.
It's about time to run it back, don't you think, @jpmontoya? 😏 pic.twitter.com/5hKF0OP26p
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) September 12, 2024
Among the other road course specialists, AJ Allmendinger comes in at +1400 while Juan Pablo Montoya finds himself at +3000, no surprise given the rust I mentioned earlier.
As for an official race winner prediction, a Chevy finding Victory Lane at -140 is probably the safest bet. However, I’m going to roll with Tyler Reddick on Sunday given just how fast the driver of the #45 has been at this style of track.
Be sure to check out the schedule below so you don’t miss any on-track action from the weekend.
Saturday 09/14
NASCAR Xfinity Series Qualifying – 9:00 a.m. CT on NBC Sports Streaming
NASCAR Cup Series Qualifying – 12:00 p.m. CT on USA
Mission 200 at the Glen (NASCAR Xfinity Series) – 2:00 p.m. CT on USA
Sunday 09/15
Go Bowling at the Glen (NASCAR Cup Series) – 2:00 p.m. CT on USA
Stay locked into Apollo for more NASCAR and F1 Coverage throughout the racing season! Follow @CoachJayArnold and @ApolloHOU on Twitter to stay up to date on the latest and check out our newly minted Instagram – Apollo NASCAR!
Pingback: 2024 Bass Pro Shops Night Race Preview: NASCAR Closes First Round of Playoffs at Bristol