Watkins Glen International
Watkins Glen, NY, USA
Track History
Nestled in the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York, Watkins Glen International has been a shrine to road racing in America since the 1940s, when sports cars screamed through the streets of the village itself. The permanent circuit opened in 1956, and NASCAR first visited in 1957, establishing a road course presence that has endured for decades. The current 2.45-mile layout features 11 turns that flow through elevation changes and blind crests, demanding a rhythm and commitment that only the most versatile drivers can sustain at Cup Series speeds. The Esses — that high-speed sequence of sweeping left-right-left transitions — separate the road racing naturals from the oval specialists trying to adapt. Watkins Glen has historically been one of the most popular races among the drivers themselves, a place where pure driving skill is rewarded and the best car does not always win. Fuel strategy has decided more races here than at almost any other track, as the combination of high fuel consumption on road courses and well-timed cautions can vault a strategically bold team to the front. The Glen is motorsport heritage meeting modern NASCAR, and the combination works beautifully.
Written by Richard R. Glover, NASCAR Reference
Top Drivers at Watkins Glen International
Marcos Ambrose leads all drivers at Watkins Glen International with 5 wins across 11 starts.
All-time stats across Cup, O'Reilly & Trucks (min 3 starts)
| Driver | Races | Wins | Avg Finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marcos Ambrose | 11 | 5 | 5.4 |
| Tony Stewart | 17 | 5 | 9.6 |
| Ron Fellows | 29 | 5 | 19.5 |
| Terry Labonte | 29 | 4 | 16.5 |
| Jeff Gordon | 26 | 4 | 17.2 |
Race Winners (1957-2026)
Watkins Glen International has crowned 45 different Cup Series winners since 1957.
| Year | Race | Winner |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Go Bowling at The Glen | Shane van Gisbergen |
| 2026 | Mission 200 at The Glen | Connor Zilisch |
| 2026 | NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Race at Watkins Glen | Kaden Honeycutt |
| 2025 | Go Bowling at The Glen | Shane van Gisbergen |
| 2025 | NASCAR Xfinity Series at Watkins Glen | Connor Zilisch |
| 2025 | NASCAR Truck Series at Watkins Glen | Corey Heim |
| 2024 | Go Bowling at The Glen | Chris Buescher |
| 2024 | NASCAR Xfinity Series at Watkins Glen | Connor Zilisch |
| 2023 | Go Bowling at The Glen | William Byron |
| 2023 | NASCAR Xfinity Series at Watkins Glen | Sam Mayer |
| 2022 | Go Bowling at The Glen | Kyle Larson |
| 2022 | NASCAR Xfinity Series at Watkins Glen | Kyle Larson |
| 2021 | NASCAR Xfinity Series at Watkins Glen | Ty Gibbs |
| 2021 | Go Bowling at The Glen | Kyle Larson |
| 2021 | NASCAR Camping World Truck Series at Watkins Glen | Austin Hill |
| 2019 | Go Bowling at The Glen | Chase Elliott |
| 2018 | Go Bowling at The Glen | Chase Elliott |
| 2017 | NASCAR XFINITY SERIES AT WATKINS GLEN | Kyle Busch |
| 2017 | I Love New York 355 at The Glen | Martin Truex, Jr. |
| 2016 | NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES AT WATKINS GLEN | Denny Hamlin |
| 2016 | NASCAR XFINITY SERIES AT WATKINS GLEN | Joey Logano |
| 2015 | NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES AT WATKINS GLEN | Joey Logano |
| 2015 | NASCAR XFINITY SERIES AT WATKINS GLEN | Joey Logano |
| 2014 | NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Watkins Glen | A.J. Allmendinger |
| 2014 | NASCAR Nationwide Series at Watkins Glen | Marcos Ambrose |
| 2013 | NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Watkins Glen | Kyle Busch |
| 2013 | NASCAR Nationwide Series at Watkins Glen | Brad Keselowski |
| 2012 | NASCAR Nationwide Series at Watkins Glen | Carl Edwards |
| 2012 | NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Watkins Glen | Marcos Ambrose |
| 2011 | NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Watkins Glen | Marcos Ambrose |
| 2010 | NSCS at Watkins Glen pres. by GoDaddy.com | Juan Pablo Montoya |
| 2009 | NSCS at Watkins Glen pres. by GoDaddy.com | Tony Stewart |
| 2009 | Zippo 200 | Marcos Ambrose |
| 2008 | NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Watkins Glen | Kyle Busch |
| 2008 | Zippo 200 | Marcos Ambrose |
| 2007 | Zippo 200 | Kevin Harvick |
| 2007 | NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series at Watkins Glen | Tony Stewart |
| 2006 | AMD at the Glen | Kevin Harvick |
| 2006 | Zippo 200 | Kurt Busch |
| 2005 | Zippo 200 | Ryan Newman |
| 2005 | Sirius Satellite Radio at the Glen | Tony Stewart |
| 2004 | Sirius at The Glen | Tony Stewart |
| 2003 | Sirius at The Glen | Robby Gordon |
| 2002 | Sirius Satellite Radio @ The Glen | Tony Stewart |
| 2001 | Global Crossing @ The Glen | Jeff Gordon |
| 2001 | GNC Live Well 200 | Ron Fellows |
| 2000 | Bully Hill Vineyards 150 | Greg Biffle |
| 2000 | Lysol 200 | Ron Fellows |
| 2000 | Global Crossing @ The Glen | Steve Park |
| 1999 | Frontier At The Glen | Jeff Gordon |
| 1999 | Bully Hill Vineyards 150 | Ron Fellows |
| 1999 | Lysol 200 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. |
| 1998 | The Bud at the Glen | Jeff Gordon |
| 1998 | Lysol 200 | Ron Fellows |
| 1998 | Parts America 150 | Joe Ruttman |
| 1997 | The Bud at the Glen | Jeff Gordon |
| 1997 | Parts America 150 | Ron Fellows |
| 1997 | Lysol 200 | Mike McLaughlin |
| 1996 | Lysol 200 | Terry Labonte |
| 1996 | Parts America 150 | Ron Hornaday Jr. |
| 1996 | The Bud at the Glen | Geoffrey Bodine |
| 1995 | The Bud at the Glen | Mark Martin |
| 1995 | Lysol 200 | Terry Labonte |
| 1994 | Bud at the Glen | Mark Martin |
| 1994 | Fay's 150 | Terry Labonte |
| 1993 | Budweiser At The Glen | Mark Martin |
| 1993 | Fay's 150 | Bill Elliott |
| 1992 | Budweiser At The Glen | Kyle Petty |
| 1992 | Fay's 150 | Ernie Irvan |
| 1991 | Fay's 150 | Terry Labonte |
| 1991 | Budweiser At The Glen | Ernie Irvan |
| 1990 | Budweiser At The Glen | Ricky Rudd |
| 1989 | Budweiser At The Glen | Rusty Wallace |
| 1988 | Bud at Glen | Ricky Rudd |
| 1987 | Bud at Glen | Rusty Wallace |
| 1986 | Bud at Glen | Tim Richmond |
| 1965 | The Glen 151.8 | Marvin Panch |
| 1964 | The Glen 151.8 | Billy Wade |
| 1957 | The Glen 101.2 | Buck Baker |
Race Dynamics
Road courses favor drivers with sports car or open-wheel backgrounds. Rain can dramatically shuffle the field. Qualifying position matters less — overtaking opportunities are plentiful through braking zones and varied corner types.
Top Rated Drivers at Watkins Glen International
Top-rated drivers at Watkins Glen International based on the NR-Rating Elo system, measuring historical performance at this specific track.
NR-Rating Elo rankings based on track-specific performance
| Rank | Driver | Elo Rating | Races |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Christopher Bell | 1568 | 227 |
| 2 | Shane van Gisbergen | 1560 | 61 |
| 3 | Chris Buescher | 1556 | 376 |
| 4 | Chase Elliott | 1555 | 369 |
| 5 | Tyler Reddick | 1553 | 229 |
| 6 | William Byron | 1543 | 299 |
| 7 | Michael McDowell | 1525 | 548 |
| 8 | Joey Logano | 1518 | 626 |
| 9 | A.J. Allmendinger | 1515 | 493 |
| 10 | Kyle Busch | 1514 | 761 |
Similar Tracks
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