Who… should you be talking about after the race?
It looked like Kyle Larson was going to have to settle for second as the Go Bowling at the Glen entered the final laps at Watkins Glen International. The final stage featured a lot of green-flag racing, and teammate Chase Elliott had a comfortable lead over Larson.
Until the caution flew and flew again. The final restart came with just five laps to go, and Larson was ready for Elliott’s attempt to get the jump going into the first turn. Elliott was less ready for Larson’s aggressive counter. Larson took advantage to sail to the weekend sweep, holding off a charging AJ Allmendinger to the checkered flag.
It was a boost Larson needed. After winning nine races last season, he had just one in 2022 prior to Sunday (Aug. 21), and that was in February at Auto Club Speedway. Sunday’s win doesn’t necessarily make Larson a favorite to repeat his 2021 title, but it does give him and the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports team a little momentum heading into the title run.
And don’t forget Front Row Motorsports. Michael McDowell was strong at Watkins Glen, leading 14 laps and finishing sixth. He’s got confidence on his side after three top-eight finishes in the last five races. McDowell isn’t just an excellent road racer, though, he’s also a threat on the superspeedways, and with Daytona International Speedway on the docket next week, don’t count out a last-minute playoff bid.
But it wasn’t just McDowell making waves; rookie teammate Todd Gilliland led five laps before a mechanical failure ended his bid. Gilliland led his first Cup laps at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course three weeks ago. His run Sunday was impressive.
What… is the buzz about?
Would it or wouldn’t it?
We’re talking about rain on race day and it did. After a delay of about an hour due to lightning, cars rolled off with rain tires in a steady rain, but it wasn’t long before NASCAR made the wise decision to delay the start further when standing water proved to be an issue in several locations. The rain let up, and by the time the track was safe to run, it stopped.
Fans seem to love racing in the rain (or at least the carnage it often brings), but is it really in the best interest of the sport? While running on the scheduled day has a lot of appeal for any who may not be able to return the next day for a make up, how pleasant is the experience for the fans at the track? Sitting in wet clothes for several hours…
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