NASCAR Pre-race: ESPN - 12:00pm/et

Television Race Coverage: ESPN, 1:00pm/et

In the Booth: Allen Bestwick, Dale Jarrett, Andy Petree
Pit Reporters: Dave Burns, Mike Massaro, Dr. Jerry Punch, Vince Welch
NASCAR Countdown: Nicole Briscoe, Brad Daugherty, Rusty Wallace, Ray Evernham

SPEED's NASCAR Raceday Pre-Race Show: 10:00 am/et with John Roberts, Kyle Petty, Kenny Wallace

Scheduled Race Re-Air Dates/Times: Monday, August 13 at 1:00am/et on ESPN2
Wednesday, August 15 at 12:00pm/et on SPEED

TV Listings, Links and Info:
Jayski's TV Listings Page
NASCAR on TV
Race Fan TV

This Week - Motor Racing Network (MRN) and SiriusXM Satellite NASCAR Channel 90

motorracingnetwork.com

MRN Live Streaming

Practices:
Friday, August 10, 12:00 - 1:50 pm/et, TV-SPEED - canceled
Friday, August 10, 4:10 - 5:30 pm/et, TV-SPEED

Happy Hour 'Final' practice (added): Saturday, August 11, 8:00 - 9:25 am/et, TV-none

Qualifying: 1 lap for positions 1-42, Saturday, August 11 at 11:40 am/et, TV-ESPN2, no re-air scheduled.

Track Specifications:
a 2.45-mile paved road course.
90 laps, 220.5 miles (355 k)
It has 11 turns with a variety of banking in turns ranging from 6 degrees to 10 degrees.
The length of the frontstretch is 2,141 feet and the length of the backstretch is 1,839 feet.
Watkins Glen International has hosted the race since 1986.
Grandstand seating capacity: approx 41,000
Opened: 1956

Race Festivities/Officials:
Grand Marshal: former MLB catcher Kirt Manwaring
Command to start engines: Kirt Manwaring
Honorary Starter/Wave Green Flag: NHL Player Dustin Brown
Invocation: Rev. David Fife, Bentley Creek Wesleyan Church
National Anthem: Marlee Scott
Military Flyover: C-130 914th Air Wing, Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station

Track Websites:
Watkin's Glen International
ISC Motorsports
Watkins Glen International - Facebook
Watkins Glen International - Twitter
Watkins Glen International Guest Guide
International Motor Racing Research Center at Watkins Glen

August 2011: see my Watkins Glen Race Info page

2011 Race Winner: #9-Marcos Ambrose, 99.417, started 3rd

Race Record: Mark Martin, 103.900mph, 8/13/1995

Slowest Race Record: Kyle Petty, 50.879mph, August 1992

Youngest Winner: Kyle Busch (08/10/2008 - 23 years, 3 months, 8 days)

Oldest Winner: Geoffrey Bodine (08/11/1996 - 47 years, 3 months, 24 days)

2011 Pole Sitter: #18-Kyle Busch, 126.421, finished 3rd

Track Qualifying Record: Kyle Busch, August 2011, 126.421mph

Worst Starting Spot to Win: Steve Park, August 2000, started 18th

Youngest Pole Winner: Jeff Gordon (08/09/1998 - 27 years, 0 months, 5 days)

Oldest Pole Winner: Morgan Shepherd (08/13/1989 - 47 years, 10 months, 1 days)

Road Course Wins: All-Time
Driver, Wins
Jeff Gordon, 9*
Tony Stewart, 7*
Rusty Wallace, 6
Bobby Allison, 6
Richard Petty, 6
Ricky Rudd, 6
Darrell Waltrip, 5
Tim Richmond, 5
Dan Gurney, 5
David Pearson, 4
Mark Martin, 4*
Ernie Irvan, 3
Geoff Bodine, 3
Tim Flock, 3
Cale Yarborough, 3
* active
(6-24-2012)

The Numbers for Watkins Glen:
0 - fewest cautions (7/18/65)
0 - fewest lead changes (8/4/57)
0 - races won from outside a top-20 starting position
1 - fewest leaders (8/4/57)
2 - fewest on lead lap at finish (twice, most recent 7/18/65)
3 - most poles (Mark Martin, Dale Earnhardt)
4 - fewest laps led by race winner (Ricky Rudd, 8/14/88)
4 - drivers with more than one pole
5 - most wins (Tony Stewart)
5 - drivers with more than one win at The Glen (Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon, Mark Martin, Ricky Rudd, Rusty Wallace)
6 - wins by car owner (Rick Hendrick)
8 - number of jet dryers available for track drying this weekend
9 - wins from the pole
10 - most cautions (8/13/06)
11 - most leaders (twice, most recently 8/13/06)
11 - fewest cars running at finish (7/18/65)
14 - most lead changes (three times, most recent 8/15/11)
17 - different pole winners
18 - different race winners
18 - worst starting position for race winner (Steve Park, 8/13/2000)
34 - most cars on lead lap at finish (8/14/05)
36 - most caution laps (8/14/88)
40 - most cars running at finish (twice, most recent 8/10/03)
83 - laps led by race winner (Tony Stewart, 8/14/05)
120 minutes - approximate amount of time it takes to dry the 2.45-mile track
2012 Caution Update
1 - fewest cautions this season (Fontana)
5 - races extended beyond scheduled distance (Daytona1, Martinsville, Talladega, Darlington and Sonoma)
10 - most cautions this season (Daytona1)
111 - cautions in the first 21 races of 2012; includes 50 for accidents, 32 for debris and 12 for spins
580 of 5,746 - laps under caution in 2012
873.371 of 8,019.956 - miles under caution in the first 21 races
(Darnell Communications for SRT Motorsports and Dodge)(8-10-2012)

At Watkins Glen International...
• After several events were held on the streets of Watkins Glen, a permanent facility was opened in 1956.
• The first NASCAR Sprint Cup race was in 1957, won by Buck Baker.
• After a six-year absence, NASCAR returned to The Glen in 1964 and 1965.
• After a 21-year absence, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series returned to The Glen, and has run one race a year there since 1986. This weekend's race will be the 27th running since its return in 1986.
• There have been 29 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Watkins Glen International since the first race there in 1957.
• Buck Baker won the first pole and race.
• Tim Richmond won the first pole and race upon the series' return in 1986.
• There have been 17 different pole winners.
• The race winner has started first in nine of 29 races. The last race winner to start from the pole was Kyle Busch in 2008.
• Mark Martin leads all drivers with wins from the pole with three in a row between 1993, 1994 and 1995.
• 19 of the 29 races at Watkins Glen have been won from a top-five starting position.
• 21 of the 29 races at Watkins Glen have been won from a top-10 starting position.
• The deepest in the field that a Watkins Glen race winner has started was 18th by Steve Park in 2000.
• 18 different drivers have won races, led by Tony Stewart, with five.
• Jeff Gordon set the all-time NASCAR Sprint Cup record for road-course victories with his victory in 2001, his seventh on a road course. He has since won two more (both at Sonoma), for a career total of nine.
• Three active drivers with more than one start have an average finish in the top 10: Marcos Ambrose (2.2 in four starts), Tony Stewart (7.0 in 13 starts), Carl Edwards (8.7 in seven starts), and Kyle Busch (9.2 in seven starts).
• Two drivers have scored their first career NSCS wins at Watkins Glen International: Marcos Ambrose (08/15/2011) and Steve Park (08/13/2000).
• Youngest NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Watkins Glen International winner: Kyle Busch (08/10/2008 - 23 years, 3 months, 8 days).
• Oldest NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Watkins Glen International winner: Geoff Bodine (08/11/1996 - 47 years, 3 months, 24 days).(NASCAR)(8-7-2012)

For news, stats, records and more about this race track, see: Jayski's Watkins Glen International Track News/Rumors/Links page

Marcos Ambrose wins at Watkins Glen: #9-Marcos Ambrose won the Finger Lakes 355(k) at Watkins Glen International in one of the most dramatic, exciting road course finishes ever. #18-Kyle Busch led at the white flag when Busch got in some oil on the track [supposedly from the #47 Toyota] and slowed, #2-Brad Keselowski couldn't slow in the oil and got into the rear of the #18, spinning the #18. Keselowski and Ambrose then raced to the checkered flag, beating and banging, running thru the grass with Ambrose getting by Keselowski and winning his 1st race of the year, 2nd at Watkins Glen and 2nd career win.
#2-Keselowski finished 2nd followed by #48-Johnson, #15-Bowyer, #22-Hornish Jr., #16-Biffle, #18-Busch, #17-Kenseth, #78-Smith and #56-Truex Jr. #24-Gordon was running in 10th when he got in fluid/oil and spun out into the guardrail, finishing 21st.
The points leader coming into the race, #88-Earnhardt Jr. was running 10th when he spun off turn 5, had to pit for tires and finished 28th. #48-Johnson took over the points lead by 1 point over #16-Biffle with #88-Earnhardt Jr. falling to 4th.
#18-Busch led the most laps on the day with 43 of 90 laps, finishing 7th.
Pole sitter #42-Montoya finished 33rd after something broke in the left front of the car early in the race.
There were 4 cautions for 13 yellow flag laps. There were 10 lead changes among 5 drivers. The average speed was 98.145mph.
The estimated attendence was 90,000 up over last years race which was held on Monday after being rained delayed a day but still had an estimated crowd of 85,000.
See race results, awards, money won, laps led, cautions and more on the Watkins Glen Race Results page (pdf).(8-12-2012)

Race Fast Facts - Watkins Glen:
#9-Marcos Ambrose won the 27th Annual Finger Lakes 355 at The Glen, his second victory in 141 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races.
This is his first victory and sixth top-10 finish in 2012.
This is his second victory and fifth top-10 finish in five races at Watkins Glen International.
#2-Brad Keselowski (second) posted his second top-10 finish in three races at Watkins Glen International. It is his 12th top-10 finish in 2012.
#48-Jimmie Johnson (third) posted his sixth top-10 finish in 11 races at Watkins Glen International.
#33-Stephen Leicht (26th) was the highest finishing rookie.
#48-Jimmie Johnson leads the point standings by 1 point over #16-Greg Biffle.(NASCAR Statistics)(8-12-2012)

2012 Sprint Cup Driver Championship Points Standings:
[after Watkins Glen, race 22 of 36]
1) #48-Jimmie Johnson [3 wins], 777
2) #16-Greg Biffle [1 win], 776, -1
3) #17-Matt Kenseth [1 win], 775, -2
4) #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. [1 win], 760, -17
5) #2-Brad Keselowski [3 wins], 733, -44
6) #56-Martin Truex Jr. [0 wins], 728, -49
7) #15-Clint Bowyer [1 wins], 719, -58
8) #14-Tony Stewart [3 wins], 716, -61
9) #29-Kevin Harvick [0 wins], 710, -67
10) #11-Denny Hamlin [2 wins], 693, -84
Current wild card Chase drivers:
WC1) #5-Kasey Kahne [2 wins, 11th in points]
WC2) #39-Ryan Newman [1 win, 13th in points]
(ties broken by 1sts, 2nds, 3rd, etc)
See drivers championship points standings on the Drivers Points Standings (pdf).(8-12-2012)

2012 Sprint Cup Driver Chase Wild-Card Race:
[after Watkins Glen, race 22 of 36]
A look at the race for the two wild-card positions for the Chase based on wins and being inside the top 20 in points.
Driver [wins] standings, behind 10th
first two would make the chase as wild cards:
#5-Kasey Kahne [2 wins] 11th -40 points out of 10th
#39-Ryan Newman [1 win] 13th -49
eight other drivers currently in the running for the wild cards:
#18-Kyle Busch [1 win] 14th -55
#24-Jeff Gordon [1 win] 15th -59
#9-Marcos Ambrose [1 win] 17th -93
#20-Joey Logano [1 win] 18th -106
these drivers have no wins but are in the top-20
#99-Carl Edwards 12th -43
#27-Paul Menard 16th -64
#31-Jeff Burton 19th -152
#1-Jamie McMurray 20th -152
(ties broken by 1sts, 2nds, 3rd, etc)
The Chase: The top-10 drivers will make the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Positions 11 and 12 in the 12-driver Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup are Wild Cards, and will go to drivers outside the top 10 with the most wins, as long as they are ranked in the top 20 in points. If multiple drivers outside the top 10 tie for wins, the tie-breaker will go to the race winner with the highest points position.
See drivers championship points standings on the Drivers Points Standings (pdf).(8-12-2012)

Top-35 in Owner Points and guaranteed a starting spot at Michigan:
#36 remains in 35th and is now 82 points ahead of 36th, the #33 team.
Rank) Car#-Driver/Team, owners pts, +/-
32) #83-Cassill/BK Racing, 332 +131
33) #32-Schrader/FAS Lane Racing, 313 +112
34) #10-Reutimann-Patrick/Baldwin, 309 +108
35) #36-Blaney/Baldwin, 283 +82 ahead of 36th
these teams / drivers will need to qualify by speed:
36) #33-Leicht/Childress-Falk, 201, -82 from the top 35
37) #21-Bayne/Wood Bros., 161, -122
38) #30-Stremme/Inception, 157, -126
The teams are NOT locked in past the next race as the owners points change after each race.
For the owner points standings, see the Owners Points Standings (pdf).(8-12-2012)

Watkins Glen Notes-n-Nuggets:
" Marcos Ambrose earned his second Cup Series victory in his 141st start, his second in a row at Watkins Glen.
" Marcos Ambrose has finished in the top three in all five of his Watkins Glen starts.
" Marcos Ambrose earned his first top-five finish of 2012 and became the 14th different winner of the season.
" Marcos Ambrose led twice for eight laps, including a last-lap pass of Brad Keselowski.
" Marcos Ambrose is 17th in points, one of six drivers 11th-20th in points with a victory.
" This was the fourth career victory for Richard Petty Motorsports; three of the four have come on a road course.
" Ford earned its third win of 2012, snapping a 14-race losing streak.
" Brad Keselowski (second) matched his best Watkins Glen finish (set last season) to earn his sixth consecutive top-10 finish.
" Jimmie Johnson (third) took over the points lead for the first time of 2012 with his 11th top-five finish, the most of all drivers.
" Clint Bowyer (fourth) earned his fifth top-five finish of 2012 and first at Watkins Glen.
" Sam Hornish Jr. (fifth) picked up his third career top-five finish in his 115th race.
" Greg Biffle (sixth) had only his third top-10 finish in his 10th Watkins Glen start.
" Kyle Busch (seventh) led three times for 43 laps, the most of all drivers, and got his seventh top-10 finish in a row at Watkins Glen.
" Regan Smith (ninth) earned a second consecutive top-10 finish, both in the past two races.
" Kasey Kahne and Ryan Newman are the wild card drivers; only 10 points separate Newman, Kyle Busch and Jeff Gordon for that last spot.
(Racing Resources and Services -- Statistics Racing Recall / nascar.com)(8-12-2012)

Lucky Dogs - Who got a lap back on each caution at Watkins Glen: (and their finish)
Caution 1: #95-Speed, 17th
Caution 2: #38-Gilliland, 20th
Caution 3: #33-Leicht, 26th
Caution 4: #33-Leicht(2), 26th
(8-12-2012)

Race Coverage of the Finger Lakes 355 Sprint Cup Series race at Watkins Glen International is scheduled for Sunday, August 12, 2012.
Television (TV): ESPN at 1:00 pm/et; NASCAR Countdown Pre-Race show at 12:00 pm/et; green flag approx 1:18pm/et
Radio: Motor Racing Network (MRN) and Sirius XM Satellite NASCAR Radio 90
Scheduled Race Re-Airs:
on ESPN2, Monday, August 13 at 1:00am/et
on SPEED, Wednesday, August 15 at 12:00pm/et

Pit Stall Selections: The selections of pit stalls for the Finger Lakes 355 Sprint Cup Series race at Watkins Glen International have been made.
Pole sitter #42-Montoya chose pit stall 1 [as do most pole sitters].
Outside pole sitter #18-Busch took pit stall 37, the first pitstall with opening behind it.
#48-Johnson, who starts 3rd took the 38th pit stall, the 1st stall with an opening in front of it.
The 43rd and final pit stall was taken by #31-Burton, who starts 28th.
To see where the drivers/teams pit stall is, see the pit selection chart on the Pit Stall Selection chart.(8-11-2012)

Links to results, practices, qualifying PDF's:
Official Race Report
Race Results
Drivers Points
Owners Points
Pitstalls
Starting Lineup
Qualifying Results
Happy Hour Practice Speeds
Qualifying Order
Practice 1 Speeds
Entry List

NASCAR Green-White-Checkered Race Procedure: NASCAR allows a maximum of three restart attempts prior to the White Flag under NASCAR's Green-White-Checkered flag finish. If the leader has taken the White Flag and the caution flag is displayed, the field is frozen and the race will not be restarted. Previously, there was only one restart attempt. The procedure applies to all three national series. See rule and notes on the Green-White-Checker rule page.

Wave-around rule: The wave-around rule dictates that cars under penalty at the time of the caution are ineligible for the wave around.

See Jayski's - 2012 Sprint Cup Race Results Page for pole winner, race winner with speed and starting/finishing position, links to race results, drivers & owners points, pit stall selections, qualifying results/starting lineup, practice speeds and chase stats as well as link to race track and race information page for each race

Montoya wins pole at Watkins Glen: #42-Juan Pablo Montoya won the pole for the Finger Lakes 355(k) Sprint Cup Series race at Watkins Glen International with a track record speed of 127.020mph for his 2nd pole of 2012 and 9th career pole. Montoya has not won a race from the pole position.
#18-Busch will start 2nd followed by #48-Johnson, #2-Keselowski, #9-Ambrose, #39-Newman, #14-Stewart, #15-Bowyer, #56-Truex, Jr. & #1-McMurray.
Five drivers faster then old Watkins Glen track record of 126.421mph [set by Kyle Busch in 2011]: Montoya at 127.020mph plus #18-Busch, #48- Johnson, #2- Keselowski and #9-Ambrose.
#93-Kvapil wrecked on qualifying lap, hitting the wall in turn 7 and will go to a backup car.
The go-or-go homers who made the race (8): #98-McDowell, #95-Speed, #87-Nemechek, #26-Wise, #33-Leicht, #19-Cook, #49-Leffler and #30-Long.
The go-or-go homers who failed to qualify for the race (0): none, only 43 cars entered.
See qualifying order, qualifying results, pole progression & starting lineup on the Watkins Glen Qualifying Page.(8-11-2012)

Qualifying Fast Facts - Watkins Glen:
#42-Juan Pablo Montoya won the Coors Light Pole Award for the 27th Annual Finger Lakes 355 at The Glen with a lap of 69.438 seconds, 127.020 mph - a new track record.
This is his ninth pole in 203 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races.
This is his second pole and third top-10 start in 2012.
This is his first pole in six races at Watkins Glen International.
#18-Kyle Busch (second) posted his 12th top-10 start of 2012 and his seventh in eight races at Watkins Glen International.
#48-Jimmie Johnson (third) posted his ninth top-10 start at Watkins Glen International. It is his 15th in 22 races this season.
#26-Josh Wise (38th) was the fastest qualifying rookie.(NASCAR Statistics)(8-11-2012)

Coverage of Qualifying for the Finger Lakes 355 Sprint Cup Series race at Watkins Glen International is scheduled for Saturday, August 11, 2012 at 11:40am/et.
Television (TV): ESPN2, 11:30am/et
Scheduled Qualifying Re-Air: none

Qualifying Order for the Finger Lakes 355 Sprint Cup Series race at Watkins Glen International is posted. 43 cars/drivers are listed.
The first of the drivers scheduled to go out is #30-Long, slowest in practice.
The final driver scheduled to go out is #51-Busch, who was fastest in first practice.
Qualifying order is set by the first practice session, with slowest driver going out by speed and the fastest going out last. The non-top 35 drivers are now mixed in with the top-35 in owners points, slowest to fastest.
See the full qualifying order on the Watkins Glen Qualifying Page.(8-10-2012)

Happy Hour practice: for the Finger Lakes 355 Sprint Cup Series race at Watkins Glen International is over, after 85 scheduled minutes, the top-five, slowest, notes:
#18-Busch 127.458
#42-Montoya 127.446
#99-Edwards 127.412
#9-Ambrose 127.163
#56-Truex Jr. 127.095
slowest: #19-Cook 117.406 & #26-Cook 120.898
no speed: #30-Long, #49-Leffler
notes: the was no TV coverage of this practice.
See speeds and laps run on the Watkins Glen practice 2 speeds page (pdf).(8-11-2012)

Friday practice: for the Finger Lakes 355 Sprint Cup Series race at Watkins Glen International is over, after approx 60 scheduled minutes, the top-five, slowest, notes:
#51-Busch 125.055
#39-Newman 124.406
#2-Keselowski 124.126
#14-Stewart 124.120
#24-Gordon 124.044
slowest: #30-Long 117.743 & #19-Cook 119.645
notes: the first practice was rained out so this practice will set the qualifying order. A Saturday morning Sprint Cup practice has been added, scheduled to run 8:00-9:25am/et, SPEED will NOT cover the practice, no word on ESPN2/ESPN.
Qualifying is scheduled for 11:40am/et on Saturday, August 11th and to be aired on ESPN2.
#31-Burton got his backup out and was up to speed. #11-Hamlin got his backup out and it started smoking, so he took it back to the garage. #30-Long lost an engine just after midway, leaving oil on the track, #11-Hamlin then wrecked and #31-Burton ran into the #11, the #11 and #31 will both go to backup cars. #18-Busch spun out off turn 5. #93-Kvapil spun out in turn one, was was able to drive on with no damage.
See speeds and laps run on the Watkins Glen practice 1 speeds page (pdf).(8-10-2012)

1st Friday practice: for the Finger Lakes 355 Sprint Cup Series race at Watkins Glen International was canceled, Happy Hour practice schedule has been reset back to the original time, to start at 4:10pm/et and run until 5:30pm/et. The practice is scheduled to be televised on SPEED.
While Goodyear has wet tires at the track, it is just for the Nationwide Series cars, no plans to use wet/rain tires for the Sprint Cup Series cars at Watkins Glen.(8-10-2012)

Rain Out Procedures: the rain-out qualifying procedure for all three NASCAR national series is as follows: If first practice is run, but qualifying is unable to take place, the starting lineup will be based on speeds from the car's fastest lap from the first practice, with top-35 cars in owner points no longer segregated from the non-top 35 cars. Previously, the top 35 cars lined up in front of all other eligible car owners.

The Entry List for the Finger Lakes 355 Sprint Cup Series race at Watkins Glen International is posted, 43 teams/drivers [for 43 spots] are listed, including:
Notes: The #23 team is not entered; Patrick Long will drive the #30; Leffler in the #49.
Not in top 35 of owners points:
#19-Chris Cook in for Mike Bliss (44/15)
#26-Josh Wise (40/21)
#30-Patrick Long (38/21)
#33-Stephen Leicht (36/21)
#49-Jason Leffler (39/19)
#87-Joe Nemechek (42/21)
#95-Scott Speed (45/6)
#98-Michael McDowell (41/21)
In the event that qualifying is cancelled:
the eight who would make it [8]: #'s 33,30,26,98,87,49,95,19
missing the race would be [0]: none, only 43 entered
See the full entry list at my Jayski's Watkins Glen Entry List

Top-35 in Owner Points and guaranteed a starting spot at Watkins Glen:
#36 remains in 35th and is new 92 points ahead of 36th, the #33 team.
Rank) Car#-Driver/Team, owners pts, +/-
32) #83-Cassill/BK Racing, 311 +128
33) #10-Reutimann-Patrick/Baldwin, 305 +122
34) #32-Schrader/FAS Lane Racing, 294 +111
35) #36-Blaney/Baldwin, 269 +92 ahead of 36th
these teams / drivers will need to qualify by speed:
36) #33-Leicht/Childress-Falk, 183, -92 from the top 35
37) #21-Bayne/Wood Bros., 161, -114
38) #30-Stremme/Inception, 155, -120
The teams are NOT locked in past the next race as the owners points change after each race.
For the owner points standings, see the Owners Points Standings (pdf).(8-5-2012)

2012 Sprint Cup Driver Championship Points Standings:
[after Pocono, race 21 of 36]
1) #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. [1 win], 744
2) #17-Matt Kenseth [1 win], 739, -5
3) #16-Greg Biffle [1 win], 738, -6
4) #48-Jimmie Johnson [3 wins], 736, -8
5) #56-Martin Truex Jr. [0 wins], 694, -50
6) #14-Tony Stewart [3 wins], 691, -53
7) #2-Brad Keselowski [3 wins], 690, -54
8) #11-Denny Hamlin [2 wins], 683, -61
9) #29-Kevin Harvick [0 wins], 681, -63
10) #15-Clint Bowyer [1 wins], 679, -65 (57 pts ahead of 11th)
Current wild card Chase drivers:
WC1) #5-Kasey Kahne [2 wins, 11th in points]
WC2) #24-Jeff Gordon [1 win, 13th in points]
(ties broken by 1sts, 2nds, 3rd, etc)
See drivers championship points standings on the Drivers Points Standings (pdf).(8-5-2012)

2012 Sprint Cup Driver Chase Wild-Card Race:
[after Pocono, race 21 of 36]
A look at the race for the two wild-card positions for the Chase based on wins and being inside the top 20 in points.
Driver [wins] standings, behind 10th
first two would make the chase as wild cards:
#5-Kasey Kahne [2 wins] 11th -57 points out of 10th
#24-Jeff Gordon [1 win] 13th -68
eight other drivers currently in the running for the wild cards:
#39-Ryan Newman [1 win] 14th -68
#18-Kyle Busch [1 win] 15th -80
#20-Joey Logano [1 win] 17th -104
#99-Carl Edwards 12th -60
#27-Paul Menard 16th -82
#9-Marcos Ambrose 18th -126
#1-Jamie McMurray 19th -144
#31-Jeff Burton 20th -152
(ties broken by 1sts, 2nds, 3rd, etc)
The Chase: The top-10 drivers will make the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Positions 11 and 12 in the 12-driver Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup are Wild Cards, and will go to drivers outside the top 10 with the most wins, as long as they are ranked in the top 20 in points. If multiple drivers outside the top 10 tie for wins, the tie-breaker will go to the race winner with the highest points position.
See drivers championship points standings on the Drivers Points Standings (pdf).(8-5-2012)

Chassis selections for Watkins Glen: see the list of many teams and what chassis were selected by the team to run at Watkins Glen International:
MISSING? why are some teams missing? some teams do not report what chassis in the race previews, press releases of websites.
#1-Jamie McMurray: Crew Chief Kevin "Bono" Manion and the #1 McDonald's team will bring Chassis #1012 to Watkins Glen. Chassis #1012 will make its sixth appearance and third race at Watkins Glen. It has finished 17th at Watkins Glen twice, and in three races at Sonoma finished 15th twice and earlier this season finished 19th.
#2-Brad Keselowski: and the #2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger team will race chassis PRS-806 during Sunday's Finger Lakes 335 at the Glen at Watkins Glen International (WGI). Keselowski last raced this chassis to a 12th-place finish at Sonoma in June.
#5-Kasey Kahne: crew chief Kenny Francis has selected Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 5-674 for Sunday's event. Kahne raced this car to a 14th-place finish on the road course at Sonoma in June. Kahne still is looking for a win at Watkins Glen, but he has found Victory Lane at the Cup circuit's other road course in Sonoma, Calif. He also has claimed two top-five finishes and two pole positions at the northern California track.
#9-Marcos Ambrose: the #9 Richard Petty Motorsports team has prepared chassis No. 772 for this weekend's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Race at Watkins Glen. This Stanley Ford was run previously this season at Sonoma.
#14-Tony Stewart: and crew chief Steve Addington are bringing Chassis No. 14-731 which debuted in impressive fashion in June at the road course in Sonoma, Calif., as Stewart took Chassis No. 14-731 from its 24th-place starting spot and rallied it to a strong second-place finish in the Toyota/Save Mart 350k. Sunday's Finger Lakes 355k at The Glen will mark Chassis No. 14-731's second career start.
#15-Clint Bowyer: Primary Chassis No. 632 is the same chassis that Bowyer won with at Sonoma in June. He started sixth and led 71 laps in the victory. It previously raced as the #47 at Sonoma. Chassis No. 690 is the backup and previously raced as the #56 in California and Michigan in 2011. Bowyer will make his seventh Sprint Cup Series start at Watkins Glen International on Sunday. In his six previous starts, Bowyer has one top-10 (ninth in 2009). On average he starts 21st and finishes 18th. He finished 11th in 2011 and led his first and only career lap at Watkins Glen. Clint Bowyer has scored a road couse win, this past June at Sonoma.
#16-Greg Biffle: and the Matt Puccia led #16 3M Ford Fusion will bring primary chassis RK-764 which last ran at Sonoma and finished 7th.
#17-Matt Kenseth: will run primary chassis RK-771 which last raced at Sonoma in June. This weekend at Watkins Glen, Kenseth will pilot the #17 Ford Ecoboost Ford Fusion. Kenseth has an average starting position of 19.0 and an average finishing position of 15.6 at WGI.
#22-Sam Hornish Jr. and his Todd Gordon-led Penske Racing #22 Team will be racing their "PRS-808" Shell-Pennzoil Dodge Charger this weekend at Watkins Glen International. This is the same car that AJ Allmendinger raced at Sonoma in June, starting 17th and finishing 9th. This chassis was first raced at Richmond in April by Allmendinger, starting fourth and finishing 16th.. The "PRS-807" chassis will serve as the backup at the Glen this weekend. It was in the transporter serving as the backup at Phoenix, Bristol and Martinsville, but has never seen any track time to date. "We converted the car over to be our road course car and it proved to be a strong piece out in Sonoma," crew chief Gordon offered. "We don't have a large car inventory and some of that is intentional because we will be racing the new cars next season. It was determined shortly after the Sonoma race that it would also be our primary car for Watkins Glen this weekend."
#27-Paul Menard will pilot Chassis No. 361 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. This #27 Rheem/Menards Chevy was last seen on track at Watkins Glen in August 2011, where Menard finished in the 32nd position. In eight career NSCS starts at "The Glen," Menard has completed 99% of the laps (717 of 724). Menard logged his best finish of 16th in the 2010 event at the 2.45-mile road course. His best start of 14th came in August 2009.
#29-Kevin Harvick: will pilot Chassis No. 395 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. This #29 Budweiser - Folds of Honor Chevy was built new for competition in 2012 and was put through its first competitive laps at Sonoma when Harvick brought home a 16th-place finish after starting from the 26th position.
#31-Jeff Burton will race chassis No. 357 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable this weekend at Watkins Glen International. This #31 Caterpillar Chevy, built specifically for road-course racing, was driven by Burton earlier this season, finishing in the 11th position at Sonoma. RCR teammate Kevin Harvick piloted this machine last year at Sonoma where he started 26th and finished ninth. This weekend's event marks Burton's 19th start at the road-course facility in Upstate N.Y. and 641st-career Sprint Cup Series entry. Burton has garnered two top-five and five top-10 finishes at the track, including back-to-back ninth-place finishes the last two seasons.
#36-Dave Blaney will drive the No. 101 this weekend. The chassis was built in-house at TBR and made its debut at Auto Club Speedway. The chassis was converted to a road course car following a start at Texas Motor Speedway this season. Blaney drove the chassis at Sonoma where his day ended early because of a fuel problem and broken trackbar.
#39-Ryan Newman Chassis No. 39-661 has been the #39 team's road-course car for the past three races, having amassed two starts at the road course in Sonoma and one in last year's race at Watkins Glen. Last year, Newman started sixth at Sonoma and was in the top-five for the race's first 25 laps. But on lap 38, while entering the final turn on the course, Newman was caught up in a multi-car accident that ended his chance of victory and relegated him to a 25th-place finish. After starting fifth in last season's race at Watkins Glen, Newman was bitten by strategy and finished 16th. After undergoing a facelift for the 2012 season, the car made its second start at Sonoma earlier this season. Newman started 10th and battled ill handling the entire event, finishing 18th. This weekend will mark Chassis No. 39-661's second start this season and fourth overall.
#42-Juan Pablo Montoya: crew chief Chris "Shine" Heroy and the #42 Target Chevy team will race with Chassis #1014 this weekend at Watkins Glen. This chassis was used for Montoya's 2010 win at Watkins Glen and finished seventh there in 2011. In three starts at Sonoma, Chassis #1014 has finished 10th, 15th and 34th. Chassis #1014 has led 80 laps.
#43-Aric Almirola:: The #43 chassis No. 760 for the Watkins Glen race. This car was last run one year ago at the 2011 Watkins Glen race.
#48-Jimmie Johnson: Chassis No. 543 serves as the primary for Johnson at Watkins Glen and has run in all the road courses with Johnson driving since Sonoma in June 2009 winning at Sonoma in June 2010, it last ran at Sonoma in June 2012 finishing 5th. Chassis No. 590 serves as the backup.
#51-Kurt Busch This weekend's Finger Lakes 355k at The Glen will be the second race of the 2012 season for Chassis No. 537. This is the same car with which Phoenix Racing competed in June at the road course in Sonoma, Calif. Busch qualified eighth and finished third in that race after a close battle for the lead in the closing laps. This chassis was built and raced by Hendrick Motorsports prior to becoming part of the #51 Phoenix Racing team's stable. This particular chassis was used during the 2010 Save Mart 350k at Sonoma, when driver Jan Magnussen scored a 12th-place finish after starting 32nd. Prior to this season, the 2010 event at Sonoma was the last race for which this chassis was used.
#55-Brian Vickers: will drive MWR chassis No. 676 which started 21st and finished fourth at Sonoma in June. Backup Chassis No. 661 served backup duties at Sonoma. Vickers owns seven starts at Watkins Glen International. He has a career-best finish of eighth came in August 2005.
#88-Dale Earnhardt Jr.: crew chief Steve Letarte and the #88 crew will unload Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 88-747. This is a brand new chassis that has not been raced.
#99-Carl Edwards the #99 Fastenal Team will be bringing RK-816 to Watkins Glen this weekend. Edwards raced this chassis at Sonoma in June where he finished 21st. Edwards will make his eighth Cup start at Watkins Glen this weekend. In his previous seven starts, he has accumulated three top-five and five top-10 finishes. He has an average start of 11.7 and finish of 8.7 there.(from team PR's/sites if reported)(8-9-2012)

Tire: Goodyear Eagle Road Course Radials:

Number of Tires: Sprint Cup: 2,025; Nationwide: 1,000

Set limits:
Sprint Cup: 5 sets for practice/qualifying and 6 sets for the race;
Nationwide: 6 sets for the event

Tire Code: D-4468 (same on all four tire positions)

Tire Circumference: 88.6 in. (2,251 mm)

Technical Inspection Inflation:
Left Front -- 23 psi; Right Front -- 23 psi;
Left Rear -- 20 psi; Right Rear -- 20 psi

Minimum Recommended Inflation:
Left Front -- 22 psi; Right Front -- 20 psi;
Left Rear -- 17 psi; Right Rear -- 17 psi

Notes: Teams in both the NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series will run the same tire at Watkins Glen this weekend . . . they will run the same tire code (D-4468) on all four tire positions . . . this is the same tire code that these teams ran at Watkins Glen last season . . . Sprint Cup teams also ran this code on all four tire positions at Infineon Raceway earlier this season, and on the right-side for the last two races at Martinsville . . . Nationwide teams have also run this code at Elkhart Lake in each of the last two seasons, and will run it at Montreal next weekend . . . as on all NASCAR road courses, teams will not run inner liners in their tires at Watkins Glen.

Wet Weather Tires: Goodyear has also brought 675 wet weather radials (D-4215) to Watkins Glen for use by Nationwide Series teams only, should NASCAR decide that conditions warrant.