William Byron dominates Watkins Glen, full finishing order, updated match bubble

William Byron on Sunday proved yet again that when the Hendrick Motorsports entry demands it all, they are virtually unbeatable.

Byron led 63 of 90 laps en route to a dominant win at Go Bowling at the Glen. Taking advantage of a pit lane violation committed by then-leader Michael McDowell in the first round of green flag stops, Byron assumed the lead on McDowell’s pass and never looked back. Denny Hamlin, running the corners, couldn’t muster enough to mount a serious challenge for the No. 24 machine, which opened up a three-second lead on the final lap.

“I did a lot of driving in iRacing this week, and I got a new simulator at home, so thanks to those guys,” Byron said after his first professional road course win.

After reveling in last week’s victory, McDowell had a nightmare one day, as the team was penalized on pit road again later in the race for having a man over the wall too early. They later retired the car with engine failure.

While all was smiling for the No. 24 team, teammates in Hendrick Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott were members of the Snakes in upstate New York. Larson was in the mix for the win at the second and final round of green flag stops, but a speeding penalty sent him back toward the middle of the field. Larson finished 26th after an incident with Austin Dillon going into the final corner of the race.

Elliott – in a must-win qualifying position – brought out the only caution of the day on lap 55 when he ran out of fuel on the backstretch. Elliott started 15th and the team opted for an alternate strategy hoping things would break their way, but a miscalculation about when to refuel doomed the ninth-place finisher.

Go bowling at Glen Results

1. William Byron (24), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

2. Denny Hamlin (11), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

3. Christopher Bell (20 years old), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

4. AJ Allmendinger (16), College Racing Chevrolet

5. Ty Gibbs (54), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

6. Martin Truex Jr. (19), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

7. Chris Buescher (17), RFK Racing Ford

8. Tyler Reddick (45), 23XI Racing Toyota

9. Ryan Blaney (12), Penske Ford Team

10. Joey Logano (22), Penske Ford Team

11. Todd Gilliland (38), Ford Motorsports front row

12. Bubba Wallace (23), 23XI Racing Toyota

13. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (47), JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet

14. Kyle Busch (8), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

15. Brad Keselowski (6), RFK Racing Ford

16. Austin Cindrick (2), Team Pensky Ford

17. Ryan Preece (41), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

18. Russ Chastain (1), Track House Racing Chevrolet

19. Mike Rockenfeller (42), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet

20. Corey LaJoie (7), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

21. Kevin Harvick (4), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

22. Daniel Suarez (99), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

23. Alex Bowman (48), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

24. Justin Haley (31), College Racing Chevrolet

25. Andy Lally (15), Rick Ware Racing Ford

26. Kyle Larson (5), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

27. Josh Bilicki (78), Live Fast Motorsports Ford

28. Cole Custer (51), Rick Weir Racing Ford

29. Eric Jones (43), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet

30. Aric Almirola (10), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

31. Austin Dillon (3), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

32. Chase Elliott (9), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

33. Harrison Burton (21), Wood Brothers Racing Ford

34. Ty Dillon (77), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

35. Chase Briscoe (14), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

36. Michael McDowell (34), Front Row Motorsports Ford

The NASCAR Cup Series Playoff bubble has been updated

Kevin Harvick and Brad Keselowski are now tied in qualifying on points after finishing Sunday. Bubba Wallace stayed on the cut line, but extended his lead by four points to 32 ahead of T. Gibbs. Daniel Suarez entered the weekend in 17th place, 28 points behind Wallace, but an early spin hurt his race and dropped him in the points.

16. Bubba Wallace +32
17. Ty Gibbs -32
18. Daniel Suarez – 43
19. AJ Allmendir – 72
20. Alex Bowman -96

Byron takes advantage of McDowell’s mistake to win the second stage

After the green flag pit stops at Watkins Glen, the running order was quite similar to the stage 1 finish, with one exception. Stage one winner Michael McDowell was caught for crossing too many pit boxes and had to take a penalty for driving to 15th. With that, William Byron, who started second, inherited the lead and never looked back.

Pole finisher Denny Hamlin finished second on the stage, while Ty Gibbs finished third.

McDowell wins Stage 1 after an early pass from Hamlin

Michael McDowell won a caution-free first stint, 20 laps into Watkins Glen after he passed the pop-up polesitter Denny Hamlin and entered the sessions on lap 4. William Byron, who started second but lost that spot to McDowell at the start, was picked up by Hamlin soon after he did McDowell later on lap 4.

Daniel Suárez and Harrison Burton both made their way out of the chicane, but both started straight away. Suarez entered the weekend just 28 points behind Bubba Wallace for last place.

Go bowling in the Glen’s starting lineup

1. Denny Hamlin (11), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

2. William Byron (24), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

3. Michael McDowell (34), Front Row Motorsports Ford

4. Ty Gibbs (54), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

5. Kyle Larson (5), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

6. AJ Allmendinger (16), College Racing Chevrolet

7. Christopher Bell (20 years old), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

8. Tyler Reddick (45), 23XI Racing Toyota

9. Kyle Busch (8), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

10. Corey LaJoie (7), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

11. Joey Logano (22), Penske Ford Team

12. Bubba Wallace (23), 23XI Racing Toyota

13. Chris Buescher (17), RFK Racing Ford

14. Daniel Suarez (99), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

15. Chase Elliott (9), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

16. Austin Dillon (3), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

17. Austin Cindrick (2), Team Pensky Ford

18. Alex Bowman (48), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

19. Martin Truex Jr. (19), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

20. Justin Haley (31), College Racing Chevrolet

21. Mike Rockenfeller (42), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet

22. Russ Chastain (1), Track House Racing Chevrolet

23. Ryan Blaney (12), Penske Ford Team

24. Brad Keselowski (6), RFK Racing Ford

25. Todd Gilliland (38), Ford Motorsports front row

26. Chase Briscoe (14), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

27. Aric Almirola (10), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

28. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (47), JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet

29. Andy Lally (15), Rick Ware Racing Ford

30. Ryan Preece (41), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

31. Eric Jones (43), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet

32. Harrison Burton (21), Wood Brothers Racing Ford

33. Kevin Harvick (4), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

34. Cole Custer (51), Rick Weir Racing Ford

35. Josh Bilicki (78), Live Fast Motorsports Ford

36. Ty Dillon (77), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

Go bowling at Glen TV/Broadcast Schedule

All times are oriental

Saturday
12:30 – 1:30 pm: Practice (USA, NBC Sports app)
1:30-2:30 PM: Playoffs (USA, NBC Sports app)

Sunday
3-6:30 p.m.: Go Bowling at the Glen (USA, NBC Sports app)

Go bowling at Glen Details

a path: Watkins Glen International Raceway (permanent 11-turn, 2.45-mile racing facility) in New York
Length: 90 laps for 221 miles
Phase: 20, 20 and 50 laps without breaks
2022 winner: Kyle Larson (5), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Go bowling at the Glen’s Best Drivers and Best Bets

Chase Elliott’s only chance on the playing field is to win one of the next two races, and given that he’s the winningest active road course driver with seven, he’s favorites this weekend at Watkins Glen, according to BetMGM. Kyle Larson has won the past two races at Watkins Glen going into the weekend with a 5-to-1 lead. Martin Truex Jr., the current points leader, has six career track wins to his name and is 7-to-1 going into the weekend. Tyler Reddick, winner earlier in the season at Circuit of the Americas, goes into the weekend with a 9-to-1 lead.

The best odds of winning

• Chase Elliott +300
• Kyle Larson +550
• Martin Truex Jr. +700
• Tyler Reddick +900

Nick Bromberg of Yahoo Sports wrote earlier in the week about the betting forecast and suggests good mid-level odds on Chris Buescher (+2200), who has won the last two races in the race, and Austin Cindrick (+2400), who has earned a pair of Top 10 road course players this season at COTA and Chicago Street Racing. If you want to take a flyer at a long shot, Bromberg points out that Eric Jones (+25,000) has four of the top 10 players at Watkins Glen in five career starts there.

Go bowling at Glen Entry List

Russ Chastain (1), Track House Racing Chevrolet
Austin Cindrick (2), Team Pensky Ford
Austin Dillon (3), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Kevin Harvick (4), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Kyle Larson (5), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Brad Keselowski (6), RFK Racing Ford
Corey LaJoie (7), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
Kyle Busch (8), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Chase Elliott (9), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Aric Almirola (10), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Denny Hamlin (11), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Ryan Blaney (12), Penske Ford Team
Chase Briscoe (14), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Andy Lally (15), Rick Ware Racing Ford
AJ Allmendinger (16), College Racing Chevrolet
Chris Buescher (17), RFK Racing Ford
Martin Truex Jr. (19), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Christopher Bell (20 years old), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Harrison Burton (21), Wood Brothers Racing Ford
Joey Logano (22), Penske Ford Team
Bubba Wallace (23), 23XI Racing Toyota
William Byron (24), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Justin Haley (31), College Racing Chevrolet
Michael McDowell (34), Front Row Motorsports Ford
Todd Gilliland (38), Ford Motorsports front row
Ryan Preece (41), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Mike Rockenfeller (42), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet
Eric Jones (43), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet
Tyler Reddick (45), 23XI Racing Toyota
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (47), JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet
Alex Bowman (48), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Cole Custer (51), Rick Weir Racing Ford
Ty Gibbs (54), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Ty Dillon (77), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
Josh Bilicki (78), Live Fast Motorsports Ford
Daniel Suarez (99), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

Go bowling in glen weather

The outlook is partly cloudy going into Saturday’s Cup Series practice and qualifying rounds, But there is a 52% chance of rain on the day of the race. NASCAR’s short track and road packages include windshield wipers and grooved tires that can run on wet asphalt but not with rain or standing water on the track.