Samwise NASCAR Cup Series Newsletter
Monday, May 11, 2026
Van Gisbergen Wins Go Bowling at the Glen, Erases 29-Second Gap in Final 18 Laps
Shane van Gisbergen delivered one of the season’s most impressive final stints at Watkins Glen International on Sunday, winning the Go Bowling at the Glen for the second consecutive year. Driving the No. 97 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet, van Gisbergen trailed race leader Ty Gibbs by 29.2 seconds with 18 laps remaining after his final pit stop. He erased that gap entirely, passing Gibbs for the lead with seven laps to spare and pulling away to win by 7.288 seconds over Michael McDowell. Gibbs finished third, Chase Briscoe fourth, and Tyler Reddick fifth. It was van Gisbergen’s seventh career Cup Series victory, all on road or street courses.
Sources: Motorsport.com, NASCAR.com
Reddick Extends Points Lead to 129 Over Hamlin After Fifth-Place Finish at The Glen
Championship leader Tyler Reddick extended his points advantage to 129 over Denny Hamlin with a fifth-place finish at Watkins Glen International on Sunday. Reddick, in the No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota, has led the standings all season, winning five of the first nine points races. He entered Race 12 with a 109-point lead and left with his margin growing. Hamlin, who finished 16th Sunday, remains second with 438 points. Chase Elliott holds third at 422, Ryan Blaney fourth at 405, and Chris Buescher fifth at 375. The top five in the standings was unchanged from last week, with no driver in that group reaching the podium at Watkins Glen.
Sources: Motorsport.com
Win Vaults Van Gisbergen to 16th, Six Points Clear of Chase Briscoe on Playoff Bubble
Sunday’s race victory at Watkins Glen International vaulted Shane van Gisbergen from 19th to 16th in the NASCAR Cup Series standings, placing him just inside the provisional playoff cut line with 283 points. Van Gisbergen holds a six-point margin over 17th-place Chase Briscoe heading into next week’s non-points NASCAR All-Star Race at Dover Motor Speedway. The Watkins Glen win was van Gisbergen’s first of the 2026 season and seventh career Cup victory, all earned on road or street courses. The New Zealander’s path to a Chase berth will depend heavily on performance at the season’s remaining road course events before the cutoff after Race 26.
Sources: Motorsport.com
RFK Racing Appeals Preece's 25-Point Penalty for Intentional Contact with Gibbs at Texas
Ryan Preece faces a 25-point penalty and $50,000 fine after NASCAR cited him for an intentional collision with Ty Gibbs at Texas Motor Speedway on May 3. Competition officials used video and in-car audio to determine the penalty, dropping Preece one spot to 13th in the standings. Gibbs’ No. 54 JGR Toyota hit the SAFER barrier at Turn 3 on Lap 101, ending his day 36th. Kyle Busch, involved in a separate incident that same race, received no penalty. RFK Racing filed a formal appeal on May 7, and Preece said ahead of Watkins Glen he welcomed the upcoming appeals process.
Sources: Motorsport.com, NASCAR.com
Watkins Glen Moving to September for 2027, Rejoining Playoff Rotation
Watkins Glen International will move its NASCAR Cup Series race weekend to September for the 2027 season, joining the playoff rotation, NASCAR announced on May 7. The shift returns The Glen to its traditional postseason slot, where it had appeared as recently as 2024. Watkins Glen track president Burlew acknowledged that this year’s springtime May date presented challenges, including cool temperatures and weather concerns during race weekend. No specific 2027 date has been set, but the September placement will put the 2.45-mile road course in the first round of the Chase for the Cup. The move was confirmed as part of early 2027 schedule planning.
Sources: Motorsport.com, NASCAR.com
Van Gisbergen Claims Busch Light Pole at 123.937 mph, Completing Dominant Pole-to-Win Weekend
Shane van Gisbergen claimed the Busch Light Pole Award for Sunday’s Go Bowling at the Glen with a lap speed of 123.937 mph around Watkins Glen’s 2.45-mile road course on Saturday, earning his first pole of the 2026 season. Michael McDowell qualified second and Austin Cindric third. The pole was van Gisbergen’s fifth career Cup Series pole and first at Watkins Glen. Despite struggling in practice, crew chief Stephen Doran made overnight setup changes that transformed the No. 97 Trackhouse Chevrolet. “We weren’t very good in practice, and then qualifying was amazing,” van Gisbergen said after Sunday’s race. He backed it up by completing a dominant pole-to-win sweep.
Sources: Motorsport.com
Buescher and Zilisch Cars Sent to NASCAR R&D Center After Watkins Glen; SVG Clears Inspection
Shane van Gisbergen’s No. 97 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet passed post-race inspection at Watkins Glen International without issue on Sunday, confirming his victory as official. Two other cars were directed to the NASCAR Research and Development Center in Concord, North Carolina, for further examination: the No. 17 RFK Racing Ford of Chris Buescher and the No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet of Connor Zilisch. NASCAR officials did not specify the areas of concern ahead of transport. Buescher finished 12th in Sunday’s race, while Zilisch completed the race in 20th after recovering from contact and a spin through the grass in Stage 2.
Sources: Motorsport.com
Hocevar Blasts Spire Teammate Suárez on Team Radio After Contact at Watkins Glen
A sharp team radio exchange between Spire Motorsports teammates Daniel Suárez and Carson Hocevar highlighted internal tensions at Watkins Glen on Sunday. During Stage 1 of the Go Bowling at the Glen, the pair rubbed doors on track, prompting Hocevar to radio his crew that “Daniel can go f*** himself” and that he would “never let him go again.” Hocevar drives the No. 77 Chevrolet and Suárez the No. 7 for the same organization. The contact did not damage either car significantly. Suárez recovered to finish 13th, while Hocevar completed the race 28th. Spire Motorsports did not issue a public statement following the incident.
Sources: NASCAR.com, Motorsport.com
Byron Runs Three Laps Down After Blaney Contact on Stage 2 Restart; Tent Caution Triggers Chaos
William Byron and Ryan Blaney suffered damaging contact during a chaotic Stage 2 restart at Watkins Glen International on Sunday. Following an unusual mid-race caution caused by a tent blowing onto the racing surface, Byron went around in the bus stop chicane and Blaney, unable to avoid contact, ran directly into him. The No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet sustained heavy damage, requiring extensive pit road repairs and Byron ultimately finished three laps down in 36th place. The No. 12 Team Penske Ford also sustained damage, but Blaney was able to continue and salvaged 11th at the finish.
Sources: NASCAR.com, Motorsport.com
Cup Series Standings (Top 16)
1. Tyler Reddick — 567 pts
2. Denny Hamlin — 438 pts
3. Chase Elliott — 422 pts
4. Ryan Blaney — 405 pts
5. Chris Buescher — 375 pts
6. Ty Gibbs — 372 pts
7. Carson Hocevar — 342 pts
8. Kyle Larson — 332 pts
9. Brad Keselowski — 318 pts
10. Bubba Wallace — 313 pts
11. Christopher Bell — 311 pts
12. William Byron — 309 pts
13. Ryan Preece — 296 pts
14. Daniel Suárez — 295 pts
15. Austin Cindric — 287 pts
16. Shane van Gisbergen — 283 pts
Manufacturer Standings
1. Toyota — 547 pts
2. Chevrolet — 495 pts
3. Ford — 409 pts
Source: NASCAR.com official standings
Curated by JD · samwise.agency
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.