Information By: HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS – CONCORD, NC
Watkins Glen International
Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024
2.45-Mile Road Course
3:00 PM EST
Location: Watkins Glen, New York
TV: USA
Event: NASCAR Cup Series (Race 28 of 36)
RADIO: SiriusXM logo
Kyle Larson
Chase Elliott
William Byron
Alex Bowman
5 KYLE LARSON
Age: 32 (July 31, 1992)
Hometown: Elk Grove, California
Last Week: 37th (Atlanta)
Crew Chief: Cliff Daniels
Standings: 10th (-30)
No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
Kyle Larson is the only driver to have eclipsed the 1,000-laps-led barrier in 2024 with 1,089. That ranks second through 27 races behind only his 2021 championship season (1,722).
The 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion is 15 points above the elimination cutoff while the No. 5 HendrickCars.com entry is 20 markers ahead in the owners standings.
Larson is tied for the most stage wins this year with 10 and is one of only two drivers with double-digit stage victories.
The 32-year-old driver has run a series-high 3,555 laps in the top five in 2024 and his average running position of 10.11 also tops the series.
The Elk Grove, California, native led 19 laps en route to victory on the road course at Sonoma Raceway earlier this year.
Larson has won two of the last three races (2021 and 2022) at Watkins Glen International.
9 CHASE ELLIOTT
Age: 28 (Nov. 28, 1995)
Hometown: Dawsonville, Georgia
Last week: 8th (Atlanta)
Crew Chief: Alan Gustafson
Standings: 8th (-21)
No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
Chase Elliott heads to Watkins Glen International eighth in the NASCAR Cup Series playoff standings, 24 points above the elimination line.
The 28-year-old driver has two victories at Watkins Glen, including his first career Cup Series win in 2018.
Elliott has seven premiere series wins on serpentine tracks, which leads active drivers, is third on the all-time list and makes up 37% of his career Cup victories.
The Dawsonville, Georgia, native leads active Cup drivers in average finish on road courses (8.97) and holds the sixth-best average finish all-time.
Elliott has earned the fifth-most points (439) in the Next Gen car on road courses and has the third-best average finish (10.43).
The 2020 Cup Series champion is tied with Denny Hamlin for the most stage wins on road courses among active drivers with eight.
Alan Gustafson leads active Cup Series crew chiefs with seven victories on road courses.
Elliott’s autographed Desi9n to Drive uniform worn in last week’s race is up for grabs as part of a sweepstakes fundraiser that runs through Oct. 9.
24 WILLIAM BYRON
Age: 26 (Nov. 29, 1997)
Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina
Last Week: 9th (Atlanta)
Crew Chief: Rudy Fugle
Standings: T-4th (-22)
No. 24 Liberty University Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
After the first race of the Round of 16, William Byron is tied for fourth in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff standings, 33 points above the cutoff.
The Charlotte, North Carolina, native won last season’s race at Watkins Glen International, starting second and leading 66 laps en route to the victory.
In 2024, Byron has led the most laps on road courses with 42, earned 83 points and has run 59 laps in the top five.
In Next Gen events on road courses, the 26-year-old driver has earned 429 points and has an average finish of 12.93.
This Saturday, Byron will compete in the NASCAR Xfinity Series race in the No. 17 HendrickCars.com Chevy for Hendrick Motorsports. This will also be the fourth race that No. 24 lead engineer, Brandon McSwain, will serve as crew chief of the No. 17. McSwain and Byron have worked together previously in the Xfinity Series, collecting four wins in Byron’s 2017 championship campaign with Hendrick Motorsports affiliate JR Motorsports.
48 ALEX BOWMAN
Age: 31 (April 25, 1993)
Hometown: Tucson, Arizona
Last Week: 5th (Atlanta)
Crew Chief: Blake Harris
Standings: 6th (-18)
No. 48 Ally Racing Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
In the first race of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Alex Bowman led Hendrick Motorsports with a fifth-place finish and scored 48 points, his third most in a race this season.
Of the 16 playoff drivers, Bowman gained the second-most points on the bubble. He currently ranks sixth in the playoff standings, 27 clear of the cutline.
Heading to Watkins Glen International, Bowman has contributed one victory to Hendrick Motorsports’ 30 all-time road course wins, conquering the Chicago Street Course in July this season. He leads the Cup Series in points earned on road courses in 2024 (115), five more than anyone else and has run the fifth-most laps in the top five on this track type this season (75).
Among active drivers, the Tucson, Arizona, native holds the eighth-best average finish (14.7) in 33 starts on road courses. His mark of 13.36 is fifth in the Next Gen era. In his most recent six starts on this track type, he has a victory, three top fives, four top 10s, an average start of 12.67 and average finish of 9.33. He has finished in the top 10 in three of the last four road course events.
For four years, Bowman and Ally have teamed up to support Best Friends Animal Society and their vast network of partners. Every race weekend, the pair donates a total of $4,800 to help homeless pets. When the No. 48 team wins, the donation is increased to $10,000 for that race’s shelter. This weekend, the charitable donation will go to Chemung County Humane Society & SPCA, Inc., located approximately 20 miles south of Watkins Glen International.