NASCAR: Will weekend first-time winner trend continue in Cup?

After the NASCAR Truck Series and Xfinity Series produced first-time winners this weekend, will the Cup Series do the same at Watkins Glen International?

Heading into this weekend, Halmar Friesen Racing’s Stewart Friesen had never won a NASCAR Truck Series race in 62 previous starts.

He changed that by winning Thursday night’s Eldora Dirt Derby at Eldora Speedway.

Meanwhile, Team Penske’s Austin Cindric had never won an Xfinity Series race in 53 previous starts.

He changed that by winning Saturday afternoon’s Zippo 200 at The Glen at Watkins Glen International.

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The third and final NASCAR national series race of the weekend is this afternoon’s Cup Series race, the Go Bowling at The Glen, at the eight-turn, 2.454-mile (3.949-kilometer) Watkins Glen International road course in Watkins Glen, New York.

Will this weekend’s first-time trend continue in this race?

If there is a first-time winner in the Cup Series this weekend, expect it to be either Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron, Stewart-Haas Racing’s Daniel Suarez or Leavine Family Racing’s Matt DiBenedetto.

Byron dominated the road course race at Sonoma Raceway early on in June until he and the #24 team opted to aim for stage points. He finished the race in 19th place, but his overall point total from the race was the fifth highest among all drivers.

Additionally, he finished in eighth place in his first Cup Series start at Watkins Glen International last year, and this finish was his second best finish of his rookie season. His start in today’s race is set to be the 58th of his career.

Suarez has competed in two Cup Series races at Watkins Glen International before, and they were two of the best races of his career. He finished in third place in the race two years ago after starting in fifth, and he finished in fourth last year after starting all the way back in 21st. His start in today’s race is set to be the 94th of his career.

Finally, DiBenedetto finished in fourth place in the race at Sonoma Raceway in June, and Toyota drivers took four of the top five positions in this race and in last year’s race at Watkins Glen International. His start in today’s race is set to be the 162nd start of his career.

As for Watkins Glen International itself, last year’s race at the track also produced a first-time winner. In his 99th career start, Hendrick Motorsports’ Chase Elliott broke throughout to secure the first victory of his career.

Byron, Suarez and DiBenedetto are set to start today’s race in second, 18th and 20th place in their #24 Chevrolet, #41 Ford and #95 Toyota, respectively,

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Will this afternoon’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Watkins Glen International complete a weekend sweep for first-time winners across NASCAR’s three national series? Tune in to NBC Sports Network’s live broadcast of the Go Bowling at The Glen beginning at 3:00 p.m. ET to find out.

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