Watkins Glen Is The Ultimate NASCAR Track
What makes up the ideal NASCAR track? For one, speed. Race cars need to have a chance to go fast. There needs to be a certain level of difficulty. A race where drivers actually have to work to achieve success is always a favorable race. Close-quarters racing is a must during a NASCAR race. There needs to be a level of excitement and the occasional hot temper. Also, there needs to be a bit of history, to make the race all the more special.
New York’s Watkins Glen road course offers all of these, and that’s why it is the most ideal track on the NASCAR circuit.
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Watkins Glen International is one of the première speedways in the United States and is a permanent staple in NASCAR, where it has become as much a tradition as the Daytona 500 or the Coca-Cola 600. For several years now, it has also held some of the best racing in NASCAR, with several of the last few events being decided on the last lap with plenty of bumping and banging.
This is a far contrast from what is now the norm in NASCAR, where one driver or team manages to run away with the race and is rarely challenged once the green flag drops. Watkins Glen is track where strategy is key, and because of that events like the 2011 and 2012 events were such close affairs, as was the 2014 event where AJ Allmendinger took the win against all odds and solidified his Chase chances.
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As for the history of the New York venue, it’s rivaled by only a few other speedways on the circuit. Drivers across the board have raced and won here, from Innes Ireland and Emerson Fittipaldi to Jeff Gordon and Tim Richmond. Other drivers that have won at Watkins Glen include Kyle Petty, Geoff Bodine, Will Power, and Rick Mears.
Watkins Glen has also had it’s fair share of surprises over the years. When Steve Park was in his third full-time season in Sprint Cup, he earned his first Sprint Cup Series win at the Glen when he managed to hold off road course ace Mark Martin in 2000. The year before, Dale Earnhardt Jr. won the Xfinity event there en route to his second consecutive title in the series.
The surprises can largely be attributed to the fact that Watkins Glen may seem to be easier than the road course in Sonoma, so drivers and crews are able to take a more aggressive approach to the race. However, in some instances this can lead to conflict between drivers like in 2007 when Kevin Harvick and then-rookie Juan Pablo Montoya nearly came to blows following a first-turn accident. Also, in 2011 Greg Biffle and road course fixture Boris Said did come to blows, which led to one of the more entertaining angry interviews with a NASCAR driver.
NASCAR isn’t solely left turns, and no place is that more evident than Watkins Glen International. In recent memory no NASCAR track has embodied the NASCAR spirit than Watkins Glen. It’s had the close racing, thrilling finishes, surprise winners, and the occasional heated temper. NASCAR needs to stock up on road races because they’re the races that deliver the product they’re trying to sell.
Come this weekend, expect yet another thrilling, talked-about race that will make the highlight reel for years to come. It’s becoming normal practice at Watkins Glen, and for that it has become on of the most anticipated events on the NASCAR calendar.
Be sure to weigh in and comment below on whether you think Watkins Glen is the best track for NASCAR racing.