Samwise NASCAR Cup Series Newsletter
Friday, May 8, 2026
Watkins Glen Joins the Chase: NASCAR Moves the Glen to September 2027
NASCAR announced Thursday that Watkins Glen International will move to a September slot in the 2027 Cup Series schedule, placing the 2.45-mile road course inside the new 10-race Chase format for the first time. The move makes Watkins Glen the likely only road course in the 2027 postseason, directly addressing complaints that followed the Charlotte Roval’s removal from the 2026 Chase. NASCAR had moved Watkins Glen to May 10 this year, its earliest-ever Cup appearance. Officials confirmed the 2027 date will carry full championship stakes. The change reverses course from the current season, in which no road courses appear among the ten Chase events.
Sources: NASCAR.com, Motorsport.com
RFK Racing Files Appeal Against Ryan Preece’s 25-Point Behavioral Penalty
RFK Racing announced Thursday it will appeal the 25-point behavioral penalty and $50,000 fine levied against driver Ryan Preece for intentionally spinning Joe Gibbs Racing’s Ty Gibbs at Lap 101 of last Sunday’s Würth 400 at Texas Motor Speedway. NASCAR cited radio communications in which Preece telegraphed his intent before the contact, stating he “said what he said, and then he did what he said.” The penalty dropped Preece from 12th to 13th in the standings with only seven points separating 16th-place Chase Briscoe from elimination. The team said it looks forward to presenting findings to the National Motorsports Appeals Panel.
Sources: Jayski, Motorsport.com
SVG, Chastain, and Zilisch Attempt Rare Triple-Duty Sweep at Watkins Glen
Trackhouse Racing teammates Shane van Gisbergen, Ross Chastain, and Connor Zilisch will all compete in all three NASCAR national series races at Watkins Glen International this weekend, pursuing a rare triple-duty sweep. Van Gisbergen pilots the No. 4 Niece Motorsports Chevrolet in Friday’s Truck race and the No. 9 JR Motorsports entry in Saturday’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Series before returning to the No. 97 Trackhouse Cup car Sunday. Chastain likewise runs across all three series. Zilisch completes the tripleheader after recording his best Cup oval finish of the season — 16th at Texas — underscoring his growing consistency on all track types.
Sources: NASCAR.com, Jayski
Defending Winner SVG Arrives Winless in 2026 as Zilisch Emerges as Top Road Course Threat
Shane van Gisbergen enters Sunday’s Go Bowling at The Glen as the defending winner yet still searching for his first 2026 victory after eleven Cup races. The New Zealand road-course specialist won five of six road events in 2025 but has not converted his pace to a win this season. His principal threat this weekend is Trackhouse teammate Connor Zilisch, who matches van Gisbergen almost exactly in their shared race history — trailing by just 0.2 rating points per race and averaging 0.6 positions ahead of the veteran. With wet weather forecast throughout the weekend, experience on a damp road circuit could prove decisive at the 2.45-mile track.
Sources: Jayski
Chase Elliott’s Floor-and-Ceiling Consistency Sharpens His 2026 Championship Case
Chase Elliott may trail points leader Tyler Reddick by 117 points after his second win of 2026 at Texas, but his season metrics mark him as the most dangerous consistent threat in the field. Elliott’s 8.9 average finish ranks second overall behind Reddick’s 5.7, and in races he did not win he averaged 10.7 against Reddick’s 9.7. Under NASCAR’s new Chase format, which seeds drivers by regular-season standing before the ten-race postseason, avoiding bad finishes carries genuine mathematical weight. A champion has emerged from a top-three seed in 69 percent of simulated seasons, making Elliott’s combination of two wins and a strong floor particularly valuable in 2026.
Sources: NASCAR.com
Watkins Glen’s Earliest-Ever Cup Date Brings Cool Temperatures and Rain Threat
This year marks the earliest Watkins Glen International has ever appeared on the NASCAR Cup calendar, arriving three months ahead of its traditional August date. The shift produces real weather complications: temperatures are forecast to struggle to reach 60 degrees Fahrenheit with overnight lows in the 40s and passing rain showers possible on all three days of the tripleheader weekend. Cup teams received six additional wet-weather tire sets for the race, and the circuit features new tire barriers at Turn 1 and the Carousel that reduce available runoff. Wet conditions could significantly reshuffle the competitive order among regulars unaccustomed to racing on a damp road course.
Sources: NASCAR.com, Jayski
Chase Bubble Tightens as Preece Penalty Reshuffles Standings Ahead of Watkins Glen
The 25-point behavioral penalty imposed on Ryan Preece for the Ty Gibbs incident at Texas has tightened the Chase bubble heading into Watkins Glen. Before the penalty Preece held a 63-point cushion in 12th place; after it he sits 13th with Christopher Bell directly above him and Daniel Suarez just two points back in 14th place. At 16th, Chase Briscoe holds the final automatic Chase spot by just seven points over the first driver outside the field. The RFK Racing appeal will not stay the penalty pending review, meaning every finish at Watkins Glen and beyond carries compounded mathematical weight for teams fighting near the bubble line.
Sources: Jayski, NASCAR.com
Cup Series Standings (Top 16)
1. Tyler Reddick — 526 pts
2. Denny Hamlin — 417 pts
3. Chase Elliott — 409 pts
4. Ryan Blaney — 371 pts
5. Chris Buescher — 345 pts
6. Carson Hocevar — 333 pts
7. Ty Gibbs — 330 pts
8. Kyle Larson — 318 pts
9. Brad Keselowski — 311 pts
10. William Byron — 308 pts
11. Bubba Wallace — 304 pts
12. Christopher Bell — 291 pts
13. Ryan Preece* — 273 pts
14. Daniel Suarez — 271 pts
15. Austin Cindric — 248 pts
16. Chase Briscoe — 242 pts
*Penalty under appeal
Manufacturer Standings
1. Toyota — 513 pts
2. Chevrolet — 440 pts
3. Ford — 381 pts
Curated by JD · samwise.agency
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.