Venue | Watkins Glen International |
---|---|
Location | Watkins Glen, New York, United States |
First race | 1957 |
Distance | 220.86 miles (355.44 km) |
Laps | 90 (Stage 1: 20 Stage 2: 20 Stage 3: 50) |
Previous names |
The Glen 101.2 (1957) The Glen 151.8 (1964–1965) The Budweiser At The Glen (1986–1989) Budweiser At The Glen (1990–1993) The Bud At The Glen (1994–1998) Frontier @ the Glen (1999) Global Crossing @ The Glen (2000–2001) Sirius Satellite Radio at the Glen (2002–2005) AMD at the Glen (2006) Centurion Boats at the Glen (2007–2008) Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at The Glen (2009–2011) Finger Lakes 355 at The Glen (2012) Cheez-It 355 at the Glen (2013–2016) |
Most wins (driver) | Tony Stewart (5) |
Most wins (team) | Joe Gibbs Racing (7) |
Most wins (manufacturer) | Chevrolet (17) |
Surface | Asphalt |
Length | 2.454 mi (3.949 km) |
Turns | 8 |
The Watkins Glen 355 is a 90-lap, 220.86-mile (355.44 km) annual Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series held at Watkins Glen International in Watkins Glen, New York, on the 2.454-mile (3.949 km) road course. It is one of two road course races in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series schedule, the other being the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway.
When NASCAR returned in 1986, they utilized the 1971 Six Hours course. In the 1991 race, J. D. McDuffie was killed in a crash in the Outer Loop, at the end of the backstretch. Following that crash, and another serious crash by IMSA driver, Tommy Kendall, the Inner Loop bus stop chicane was added just before the Outer Loop. NASCAR has since utilized this 2.45-mile (3.94 km) "short course," and has never utilized the "Boot" as the Indy Racing League has. Drivers, however, have been pushing for the use of the full course.
During a 2011 Mobil Oil "Car Swap" at Watkins Glen using the course, Tony Stewart pushed for using the Grand Prix course after driving demonstration laps in both his Chevrolet Impala and the majority of his laps in a McLaren MP4-23 as part of the event with Lewis Hamilton.
ESPN at one time broadcast the race. NBC had the rights to broadcast the 2015 edition, which was aired on NBCSN, In 2016, the race was put on USA Network because of the 2016 Summer Olympics airing on NBC and NBCSN.