Ryan Preece delivered one of the most exciting finishes of the season when he won the US Cellular 250 in overtime last week for his first Xfinity Series win. The 26-year-old fended off his teammate Kyle Benjamin to hold on for the victory and finish off the second of a two-race deal with Joe Gibbs Racing in style. Preece will not compete in this week’s race as the Xfinity Series shifts to Watkins Glen International for the ZIPPO 200 At The Glen this Saturday. The field will be a lot deeper than we saw last week as well but that doesn’t mean we won’t see another first-time winner.
Details
Event: ZIPPO 200 At The Glen
Category: NASCAR Xfinity Series
Date: Saturday August 5th, 2017 – 2:00 PM ET
Location: Watkins Glen International, Watkins Glen, New York
There will be eight Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series regulars in the field this week with Kyle Busch, Kyle Larson, Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski, Kevin Harvick, Paul Menard, Ty Dillon and Erik Jones all set to compete. This will be the first of three road courses in four weeks for the NASCAR Xfinity Series so experience on this type of track will definitely become important over this next stretch.
Past Five Winners
2016: Joey Logano
2015: Joey Logano
2014: Marcos Ambrose
2013: Brad Keselowski
2012: Carl Edwards
What To Know About The Track
Aggressive driving is one of the biggest keys to victory at Watkins Glen. Making green flag passes isn’t easy so the better start a driver has the better their chances of contending for the win. Unlike some other road courses, high speeds are common at Watkins Glen in large part because of the long straightaways. Experience will be important as drivers balance between the high speeds and the quick braking in the corners while maneuvering to try to pass other drivers. With so many veterans in the field it will be very interesting to see if a younger driver has what it takes to surprise.
The Field
There are 41 cars on the entry list for this week’s race, which means there will be one team sent home after qualifying is complete. The field includes the eight veteran drivers we mentioned that will be competing in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race on Sunday as well. Devin Jones will make his series debut this weekend in the No. 7 car for the SS GreenLight Racing team. Meanwhile, P.J. Jones is entered in the No. 25 car for the Chris Cockrum team. Logano is the back-to-back defending champion at The Glen and it’s no surprise he is among the favorites for this week’s race. Considering their histories, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Busch and Harvick provide the biggest competition for Logano on Saturday.
A Good Matchup To Bet: Kyle Busch over Ty Dillon
Busch is absolutely rolling following his win at Pocono and we expect him to carry over the momentum from that victory at The Glen this weekend. Busch has had plenty of success at this track in the past at the MENCS level and while he has never won the ZIPPO 200 At The Glen he should be in the mix. Meanwhile, Dillon has put together a string of top-10 finishes at the Xfinity Series level but he placed 11th in this race a year ago and he has struggled with his consistency in the MENCS. Nobody will be surprised when Busch finishes ahead of Dillon in the ZIPPO 200 At The Glen this weekend.
Top-Five Pick: Joey Logano
Logano will attempt to win the ZIPPO 200 At The Glen for the third year in a row and while that won’t be an easy task he should contend for the outright victory once again. Logano has everything it takes to win here and it might be the perfect opportunity for him to break out of his recent funk. Even if he falls short of winning the race, Logano should still be able to place in the top-five at the ZIPPO 200 At The Glen this weekend.
Odds To Win ZIPPO 200 At The Glen
Kyle Busch +300
Brad Keselowski +400
Joey Logano +400
Kevin Harvick +700
Kyle Larson +800
Paul Menard +1200
Erik Jones +1200
Elliott Sadler +2000
Justin Allgaier +2000
William Byron +2000
Cole Custer +3000
Daniel Hemric +3000
Casey Mears +3000
Ty Dillon +3000
Matt Tifft +3000
Brendan Gaughan +3000
Field +1500
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