Countdown to the Chase

The Race to the Chase is under way, continuing this weekend at Watkins Glen:


Date Track Time TV

Aug. 10 Watkins Glen 1 p.m. ESPN
Aug. 17 Michigan 1 p.m. ESPN
Aug. 23 Bristol 7 p.m. ESPN
Aug. 31 Fontana 7 p.m. ESPN
Sept. 6 Richmond 7 p.m. ABC

All times ET5 -- Drivers "on the bubble."

• Denny Hamlin -- 10th in points, 35 points ahead of 12th-place Clint Bowyer.

• Kevin Harvick -- 11th in points, eight points ahead of Bowyer.

• Bowyer -- 11 points ahead of outside-looking in Matt Kenseth.

• Kenseth -- 751 points in the past six races, seventh-best in the series despite a 38th-place finish at Indy.

• David Ragan -- Only 46 points behind Bowyer; finished 32nd last year at The Glen.

4 -- Laps J.J. has led at Watkins Glen.

Jimmie Johnson finished third at The Glen in 2007, which is par for the course. In odd-numbered years his finishes: fourth, fifth and third.

In even-numbered years, his finishes: 16th, 40th and 17th.

3 -- Most consecutive races won by a driver at Watkins Glen.

Mark Martin dominated The Glen from 1993-95, and Jeff Gordon held the reigns from 1997-99. Tony Stewart has won three of the past four -- and four of the past six -- races at Watkins Glen.

Stewart and Gordon share the record with four wins at the track.

2 -- Races at Watkins Glen won from the outside pole.

Oddly, both were Pontiacs: Rusty Wallace (1987) and Kyle Petty (1992).

Two others races at The Glen were won by Pontiac -- Wallace in 1989 and Tony Stewart in 2002 -- and GM is on a streak of 11 consecutive wins at the track.

1 -- Races at Watkins Glen that has averaged more than 100 mph.

Mark Martin's average speed in 1995 was 103.030 mph, tops among the 25 Cup Series races held at The Glen. Wally Dallenbach finished second, matching his career-best finish (also at Watkins Glen in 1993).

There were only three cautions for seven laps that day, tied for the fewest cautions (1992) at the track in the modern era.

Watkins Glen winners
Modern era only

Year Driver Make Start Speed

1986 Tim Richmond Chevrolet 1 90.463
1987 Rusty Wallace Pontiac 2 90.682
1988 Ricky Rudd Buick 6 74.096
1989 Rusty Wallace Pontiac 13 87.242
1990 Ricky Rudd Chevrolet 12 92.452
1991 Ernie Irvan Chevrolet 3 98.977
1992 Kyle Petty Pontiac 2 88.980
1993 Mark Martin Ford 1 84.771
1994 Mark Martin Ford 1 93.752
1995 Mark Martin Ford 1 103.030
1996 Geoffrey Bodine Ford 13 92.334
1997 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet 11 91.294
1998 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet 1 94.466
1999 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet 3 87.722
2000 Steve Park Chevrolet 18 91.336
2001 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet 13 89.081
2002 Tony Stewart Pontiac 3 82.208
2003 Robby Gordon Chevrolet 14 90.441
2004 Tony Stewart Chevrolet 4 92.249
2005 Tony Stewart Chevrolet 1 86.804
2006 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet 7 76.718
2007 Tony Stewart Chevrolet 5 77.535