That is your Fantasy Report for the NASCAR Cup Sequence at Watkins Glen Worldwide that can assist you together with your picks this weekend. This week’s report is ready as standard with the help of NASCAR and iFantasy.
The NASCAR Cup Sequence heads to Watkins Glen Worldwide this weekend for a return to road-course racing. With the race falling earlier on the calendar than standard and a brand new, higher-horsepower package deal in play, groups and drivers ought to count on a steep studying curve.
Watkins Glen additionally has a number of updates aimed toward security and observe limits. Final 12 months, officers diminished the curbing within the bus cease to enhance security and driver consolation. In addition they added rumble strips within the first flip runoff to discourage off-track excursions and moved the restart zone to the straight earlier than the seventh flip. This 12 months, tire packs have been added on the first flip and the Carousel to assist implement observe limits.
Drivers might want to regulate to those modifications this weekend, and the quickest to adapt will acquire an edge.
Should Begins:
The sphere contains a number of road-course specialists on the entry checklist. However earlier this season at Circuit of the Americas, we noticed that probably the most notable specialist – SVG – can nonetheless be crushed.
Shane Van Gisbergen: SVG stated that following COTA, he felt Trackhouse Racing had given up a few of its road-course edge, however don’t let that steer you away. The six-time road-course winner has led 303 laps over the past seven road-course races; everybody else has led 371 mixed. In that span, he’s run within the prime 5 for 84% of laps and within the prime ten for 95%.
Christopher Bell: Bell didn’t appear to be his standard road-course self at COTA, however he nonetheless rallied to a third-place end. His current road-course numbers are wonderful: seven top-five ends in the final eight races, together with 4 second-place finishes. Whereas he’s had just a few points closing, he’s nonetheless too sturdy on highway programs to miss.
Chris Buescher: Buescher’s most up-to-date win got here at Watkins Glen two years in the past, when he edged Shane Van Gisbergen on the line. For the reason that begin of the Subsequent Gen period in 2022, he’s been persistently aggressive on highway programs and is the one driver with top-ten finishes in all 4 Subsequent Gen races at Watkins Glen.
Keep away from These Drivers:
Two current standouts are value fading this week, for comprehensible causes. When you can, it’s a great place to avoid wasting them for a unique observe.
Kyle Larson: A two-time winner at Watkins Glen, his most up-to-date win right here was in 2022. Since then, he’s completed exterior the top-11 in three straight races, together with two outcomes of twenty sixth or worse. General, his road-course kind is combined: he has back-to-back finishes of sixth or higher, however that adopted 4 finishes of thirty second or worse in 5 begins.
Denny Hamlin: For Hamlin, the aim this week could also be harm management. He did end second at Watkins Glen in 2023, however his road-course document within the Subsequent Gen period is skinny: simply three top-ten finishes in 23 begins.
Sleepers:
Listed below are two sleepers to contemplate this week. One was the road-course benchmark earlier than SVG arrived, and the opposite has numbers which are exhausting to disregard. A number of Cup drivers have additionally improved on highway programs in recent times by finding out SVG’s method.
AJ Allmendinger: Allmendinger has delivered massive road-course outcomes throughout his time with Kaulig Racing, however his road-course efficiency has been inconsistent. Watkins Glen remains to be his finest observe on the schedule: within the Subsequent Gen period, he has 5 top-five finishes right here and a median end of 10.9.
Daniel Suarez: You is likely to be tempted to choose his Spire teammate Michael McDowell right here, however Watkins Glen units up higher for Suarez, and his outcomes again it up. Within the Subsequent Gen period at WGI, Suarez has an 11.8 common end (his better of any observe), with three top-five finishes and 4 top-tens. Save McDowell for an additional week.
Different Concerns:
Tyler Reddick: Reddick is placing collectively a wonderful season, and he’s been sturdy at Watkins Glen total. He has three top-ten finishes right here within the Subsequent Gen period, although he additionally has a Twenty seventh-place consequence (2024). Though his common end is 12.8, his present kind makes him a high-upside choice.
Connor Zilisch: Zilisch turned heads within the O’Reilly Sequence final 12 months, and he has already received at Watkins Glen in that sequence. He’s nonetheless adapting to the Subsequent Gen automobile and Cup competitors, however he’s exhibiting regular enchancment, one thing few rookies do that early.
Carson Hocevar: His efficiency has trended up this season, and he brings momentum into the weekend. In two begins at Watkins Glen, Hocevar has a ten.5 common end.
Zane Smith: In two begins at Watkins Glen, Smith has a median end of 11.0, together with a fifth-place consequence. He’s a driver value monitoring on Sunday.
Joey Logano: Logano’s Subsequent Gen common end at Watkins Glen (10.5) might look interesting, however the pattern is adverse. His final three outcomes listed here are tenth or worse. His finest Glen end within the Subsequent Gen period is third (2022), and his 2026 season hasn’t been his sharpest.
Picks this week: Shane Van Gisbergen, Christopher Bell, Chris Buescher, Tyler Reddick, and Connor Zilisch
Within the Storage: Daniel Suarez
NOTE: The Fantasy Report returns to YouTube on Friday, Might fifteenth, on Fan4Racing Radio.
