Watkins Glen International is more than just a track. It’s a proving ground where NASCAR’s toughest have etched their names in history. Tucked in New York’s wine country, this 2.45-mile road course has been dishing out drama since the Cup Series first rolled in back in 1957. From wild wrecks to gutty performances, The Glen’s twists and turns have a knack for creating moments that stick with fans for years.

Take 1993, when Mark Martin kicked off his reign as Glen royalty. With 150,000 fans roaring, Martin nailed a late-race restart, charging to the win with surgical precision. That victory sparked a three-peat and cemented his legacy as a road-course king. His calmness under pressure set a standard that still echoes through the garage. The Glen became a place where drivers dream of shining.

This weekend, Watkins Glen is back and promising more chaos and glory. With the 2025 Go Bowling at The Glen on tap, the schedule is out, and Shane van Gisbergen is the man to beat. He carries the “favorite” tag after a road-course tear this season. Last year’s heartbreaker still stings, and SVG is out to rewrite the story on a track that’s never short on surprises.

The Weekend’s schedule

The action at Watkins Glen kicks off Friday, August 8, with a packed day of qualifying and racing. At 10 a.m. ET, ARCA drivers hit the track for practice and qualifying, followed by Truck Series practice and qualifying at 11:35 a.m. on FS2. The ARCA race, a 41-lap sprint, fires off at 2 p.m. on FS2, setting the stage for the Truck Series race at 5 p.m. on FS1, running 20-20-32 laps.

Saturday cranks up the heat with Xfinity Series practice and qualifying at 9:30 a.m. on the CW App, followed by Cup Series practice and qualifying at 12:05 p.m. on TruTV. The Xfinity race, a 20-20-42-lap showdown, starts at 3 p.m. on CW after a 2:30 p.m. prerace show.

Sunday’s main event, the Cup Series Go Bowling at The Glen, gets rolling with a 1:30 p.m. prerace show on USA. The 20-20-50-lap race starts at 2 p.m. Weather’s looking solid, with temps in the 80s and just a 5% chance of rain. Expect a full weekend of racing chaos. A quick look at some instances from the past is enough to assure the fans that some racing drama is about to unfold.

There’s 1996, when Dale Earnhardt showed why they called him The Intimidator. Just two weeks after a brutal Talladega crash left him with a broken sternum and collarbone, he gritted his teeth, set a track record pole, and raced all 90 laps. Finishing sixth, he shrugged off the pain and said, “It hurts. But it’s a good hurt.” That raw determination captured the heart of NASCAR’s early road-course battles.

Fast forward to 2000, and Jimmie Johnson gave fans a different kind of unforgettable. Before his five Cup titles, he was a Busch Series driver who lost his brakes entering Turn 1. The result? A wild barrel-roll into the styrofoam barriers. Unfazed, Johnson climbed out, hopped on his wrecked car, and waved to the crowd like a champ. That “Look Ma, No Brakes” moment is still a fan favorite. It’s proof that The Glen brings out the dramatic in everyone. And this year, the fans have already made their pick.

Shane van Gisbergen favorite for Watkins

Shane van Gisbergen is the name on everyone’s lips heading into Watkins Glen. The Kiwi road-course wizard has been untouchable this season, racking up three Cup Series wins at Mexico City, Sonoma, and Chicago’s street course. His 2025 Mexico City victory, by a whopping 16.5 seconds, was the biggest margin in any Cup race since 2009.

But last year’s Go Bowling at The Glen still haunts him. SVG dominated, leading much of the race, only to falter on the final lap. A bobble in the Bus Stop chicane saw him clip the inside wall, letting Chris Buescher bang doors and steal the win in a thrilling overtime finish. SVG called it a “driver error” that still “gives me the shits,” and he’s itching to make it right.

DraftKings has SVG as the heavy favorite at +165, with rookie Connor Zilisch at +370 and William Byron and Kyle Larson trailing at +1000. SVG’s road-course dominance, including pole positions by huge margins at Chicago and Sonoma, has even Larson singing his praises. Larson said, “He’s way, way, way better than us at the road course stuff.”

With a refined setup and a hunger to erase last year’s mistake, SVG is poised to join Jeff Gordon and Chase Elliott as the only drivers with four straight Cup road-course wins. A victory would tie him with Denny Hamlin for the most Cup wins this year and bag him five playoff points. As Watkins Glen’s history of wild finishes looms, SVG has the speed and the fire to make this weekend one for the books.