Editor’s Note: Keep tabs on this page for lineup advice following qualifying, including changes you should consider.
In a change of scenery, the NASCAR Cup Series heads to Watkins Glen International three months earlier than normal this Sunday (3 p.m. ET, FS1, HBO Max, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Expect the usual road-course aces to lead the pack, highlighted by Shane van Gisbergen, who is looking to defend his win from last August. But if the first road-course race of the season at Circuit of The Americas taught us anything, it’s that SVG is human and can be defeated.
Returning to Fastlane this year is my weekly NASCAR 36 for 36 pick, where you can come play along. It’s a season-long points battle introduced in 2024, with strategy as the primary emphasis. With 36 chartered cars and 36 races on the 2026 schedule, players can choose each car once for the duration of the season.
RELATED: NASCAR Fantasy Live hub | Play 36 for 36
MUST START
Driver: Shane van Gisbergen, No. 97 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Selections remaining: 9
Comment: Last weekend at Texas Motor Speedway, van Gisbergen stated that he realized during the COTA weekend that Trackhouse’s road-course program isn’t up to par compared to 2025. But the six-time victor has terrorized the field recently, leading 303 laps across the last seven road-course events; the rest of the pack has led 371 combined. He has run inside the top five for 84% of all laps during that time. Inside the top 10? 95%.
Driver: Christopher Bell, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Selections remaining: 6
Comment: Even Bell didn’t seem like his normal road-course self at COTA, but he rallied for a third-place effort. His recent numbers when turning left and right are staggering, placing him inside the top five in seven of the last eight, with four of those being top-two finishes.
Driver: Chris Buescher, No. 17 RFK Racing Ford
Selections remaining: 9
Comment: Since the Next Gen car was implemented in 2022, Buescher is frequently in the mix at road courses. He beat SVG in head-to-head fashion at Watkins Glen in 2024, the site of his last checkered flag. He is the only driver to have top 10s in all four Watkins Glen Next Gen races.
Chris Buescher celebrates at Watkins Glen International.
DRIVERS TO AVOID
Driver: Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Selections remaining: 6
Comment: Not using Larson, a two-time Watkins Glen winner, could come back to bite. But since last winning at The Glen in 2022, he has three straight finishes of 12th or worse, with two of those being 26th or worse. On the bright side, he has consecutive finishes of sixth or better on road courses after a string of four finishes of 32nd or worse in the previous five tries.
Driver: Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Selections remaining: 9
Comment: Hamlin has admitted that his main objective for Watkins Glen is to minimize points lost. He placed runner-up here in 2023 but has primarily struggled at road courses in the Next Gen era, with three top 10s in 23 attempts.
Denny Hamlin walks.
SLEEPERS OF THE WEEK
Driver: AJ Allmendinger, Kaulig Racing, No. 16 Chevrolet
Selections remaining: 10
Comment: In Allmendinger’s Cup tenure with Kaulig, the road-course stud has been sporadic on road courses. With five top-five finishes and an average finish of 10.9 (both personal bests), Watkins Glen is Allmendinger’s best track on the schedule.
Driver: Daniel Suárez, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
Selections remaining: 9
Comment: The immediate Spire driver that sticks out at road courses is Michael McDowell. But Watkins Glen is in Suárez’s wheelhouse; he has three top-five and four top 10s in seven starts. His 12.8 average is his best among all tracks.
AJ Allmendinger points to the crowd before a NASCAR Cup Series race.
FEATURED MATCHUPS
Chase Elliott vs. Kyle Larson
Pick: Elliott
Comment: This could go either way, with both drivers having multiple wins here. While Elliott is admittedly not confident entering Watkins Glen with three consecutive finishes of 19th or worse here, he still gets the nod. His average finish in the Next Gen car at road courses is still a savvy 10.3.
Shane van Gisbergen vs. William Byron
Pick: Van Gisbergen
Comment: Van Gisbergen should be the heavy favorite, but Byron is a former Watkins Glen winner himself (2023). The inconsistency he’s shown, however, matches his 2026 campaign, alternating with top 10s or finishes of 21st or worse in seven attempts. If that trend continues, he’s due for a poor finish.
Ty Gibbs vs. Michael McDowell
Pick: McDowell
Comment: Gibbs could surely give McDowell a run for his money at Watkins Glen. But of all the road courses, he’s struggled most at Watkins Glen, with one finish better than 22nd in four attempts. McDowell is typically in the mix, wrestling his car around the famed road course.
Kyle Busch vs. John Hunter Nemechek
Pick: Busch
Comment: Wisdom prevails at Watkins Glen. Even with Busch’s woes with Richard Childress Racing, he remains a formidable road-course competitor and has a pair of wins at The Glen, trailing only Jeff Gordon (262) in laps led (249). Meanwhile, Nemechek has one top 10 in 14 road-course starts.
MY LINEUP
Starting five: Shane van Gisbergen, Christopher Bell, Chris Buescher, Connor Zilisch, Michael McDowell.
Garage pick: AJ Allmendinger.
36 FOR 36
Pick: Connor Zilisch, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Comment: With the high speeds Watkins Glen possesses, qualifying will be of the utmost importance for Zilisch this weekend. The young phenom is undefeated in NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series competition entering the weekend at Watkins Glen, taking the series by storm in his 2024 debut. The likelihood of using Zilisch at a road course in this spot is high, and WGI is where he has the most experience.
