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Shane Van Gisbergen will have an early edge in his bid for back-to-back NASCAR Cup Series victories at Watkins Glen International after securing a birthday pole position Saturday, May 9 at the road course.
Van Gisbergen, who turned 37 on Saturday, delivered a top lap of 1 minute, 11.165 seconds (123.937 mph) during the timed qualifying session.
The pole was his fifth in 62 Cup Series races and first of 2026.
"I haven't studied it fully yet, but I did nail it on my first l
ap," Van Gisbergen said. "The first half of the lap was pretty average, I thought. And then on my second lap, I had less tire grip, but it was a better lap so I think I was ahead until the Bus Stop and then mucked it up.
"My first lap was really good there, so I probably got it right and maybe the others got it wrong. But generally, that is a reasonably strong point for me here."
Van Gisbergen is seeking his first win of 2026 after capturing five Cup victories last year, including the Go Bowling at The Glen.
The New Zealand native will be joined on the front row for Sunday afternoon's Go Bowling at The Glen by Michael McDowell, whose top lap was 1:11.424.
Three of the top-five qualifiers compete for Trackhouse Racing. That includes Van Gisbergen, No. 4 qualifier Ross Chastain, and No. 5 qualifier Connor Zilisch, winner of last year's O'Reilly Auto Parts Series race at WGI.
Austin Cindric qualified third in the 38-driver field.
Much is different for this year's Cup race at Watkins Glen, which has hosted the series annually since 1986.
This is the first spring date for the event, which at 100 laps is 10 laps longer than previous years. Outside of the 2024 event, the other Cup weekends at WGI have been in August.
Another change is stricter track limits from NASCAR designed to cut down on drivers running outside the racing surface. Tire packs are in place in Turn 1 and the Carousel (Outer Loop).
Van Gisbergen said he doesn't see a difference going through the Carousel but said drivers need to be more accurate in Turn 1.
"You really have to brake a little bit earlier and harder to stop the corner, and then you’ve got no margin for error," Van Gisbergen said. "You’re trying to stay relatively tight last year, but you could blow the corner if you needed to and still make time."
He said he's not sure what the impact will be of the increased race length, adding, "It will be cool to see how it plays out."
Stage breaks will come after laps 20 and 50 instead of laps 20 and 40.
"I think you’ll still stay out the whole time, it will just drag out that second stage," Van Gisbergen said. "But some people might do something different to leapfrog them into the third stage maybe. There's an option there."
More: WGI announces September weekend for its 2027 NASCAR Cup Series event
More: OT pass sends Honeycutt to first career Truck Series win at Watkins Glen
NASCAR's first May race at the Schuyler County road course has been greeted with temperatures in the 50s that have felt colder because of wind. Rain early in the week and throughout the weekend has left muddy conditions for campers and others navigating the property.
Qualifying sessions for Friday's ARCA Menards Series and Saturday's NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series races were rained out. No races have been impacted by the weather.
Sunday's forecast includes warmer temperatures around 60 degrees that will be accompanied by cloudy skies.
Scheduled start time for the Go Bowling at The Glen is 3:14 p.m., with driver introductions and the parade lap set for 2:20.
Fox Sports 1 will provide live television coverage starting at 3.
This article originally appeared on Elmira Star-Gazette: Qualifying recap of the 2026 Go Bowling at The Glen at Watkins Glen
Continue reading...
Van Gisbergen, who turned 37 on Saturday, delivered a top lap of 1 minute, 11.165 seconds (123.937 mph) during the timed qualifying session.
The pole was his fifth in 62 Cup Series races and first of 2026.
"I haven't studied it fully yet, but I did nail it on my first l
ap," Van Gisbergen said. "The first half of the lap was pretty average, I thought. And then on my second lap, I had less tire grip, but it was a better lap so I think I was ahead until the Bus Stop and then mucked it up.
"My first lap was really good there, so I probably got it right and maybe the others got it wrong. But generally, that is a reasonably strong point for me here."
Van Gisbergen is seeking his first win of 2026 after capturing five Cup victories last year, including the Go Bowling at The Glen.
The New Zealand native will be joined on the front row for Sunday afternoon's Go Bowling at The Glen by Michael McDowell, whose top lap was 1:11.424.
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Three of the top-five qualifiers compete for Trackhouse Racing. That includes Van Gisbergen, No. 4 qualifier Ross Chastain, and No. 5 qualifier Connor Zilisch, winner of last year's O'Reilly Auto Parts Series race at WGI.
Austin Cindric qualified third in the 38-driver field.
Much is different for this year's Cup race at Watkins Glen, which has hosted the series annually since 1986.
This is the first spring date for the event, which at 100 laps is 10 laps longer than previous years. Outside of the 2024 event, the other Cup weekends at WGI have been in August.
Another change is stricter track limits from NASCAR designed to cut down on drivers running outside the racing surface. Tire packs are in place in Turn 1 and the Carousel (Outer Loop).
Van Gisbergen said he doesn't see a difference going through the Carousel but said drivers need to be more accurate in Turn 1.
"You really have to brake a little bit earlier and harder to stop the corner, and then you’ve got no margin for error," Van Gisbergen said. "You’re trying to stay relatively tight last year, but you could blow the corner if you needed to and still make time."
You must be registered for see images attach
He said he's not sure what the impact will be of the increased race length, adding, "It will be cool to see how it plays out."
Stage breaks will come after laps 20 and 50 instead of laps 20 and 40.
"I think you’ll still stay out the whole time, it will just drag out that second stage," Van Gisbergen said. "But some people might do something different to leapfrog them into the third stage maybe. There's an option there."
More: WGI announces September weekend for its 2027 NASCAR Cup Series event
More: OT pass sends Honeycutt to first career Truck Series win at Watkins Glen
May race accompanied by wet and muddy conditions
NASCAR's first May race at the Schuyler County road course has been greeted with temperatures in the 50s that have felt colder because of wind. Rain early in the week and throughout the weekend has left muddy conditions for campers and others navigating the property.
Qualifying sessions for Friday's ARCA Menards Series and Saturday's NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series races were rained out. No races have been impacted by the weather.
Sunday's forecast includes warmer temperatures around 60 degrees that will be accompanied by cloudy skies.
Go Bowling at The Glen on TV
Scheduled start time for the Go Bowling at The Glen is 3:14 p.m., with driver introductions and the parade lap set for 2:20.
Fox Sports 1 will provide live television coverage starting at 3.
This article originally appeared on Elmira Star-Gazette: Qualifying recap of the 2026 Go Bowling at The Glen at Watkins Glen
Continue reading...
