Richard Childress Racing Race Preview: Watkins Glen International

Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series at Watkins Glen International… The NASCAR Cup Series returns to Watkins Glen International this weekend for the Go Bowling at The Glen, marking the 42nd Cup Series appearance at the 2.45-mile road course. Richard Childress Racing boasts two NASCAR Cup Series wins among eight top-five finishes, 23 top-10 finishes and three poles, having led 275 laps. Robby Gordon won the 2003 event, leading the final 30 laps and scoring his third victory with RCR over the span of three seasons. Kevin Harvick captured the 2006 race, edging Tony Stewart for the victory, and claiming his first win at Watkins Glen. The victory was Harvick’s first on a road course and came in his 200th career Cup start. Dale Earnhardt won three poles (1990, 1992, 1996) for the Welcome, N.C.-based organization. Last year at The Glen, Austin Dillon started 23rd and finished 28th, while Kyle Busch began the race 13th and finished 30th.

RCR in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Watkins Glen International… RCR has captured one victory in NASCAR Xfinity Series competition at Watkins Glen: Kevin Harvick (2007). Harvick dominated the race, leading 49 of 82 laps and led a one-two finish with RCR teammate Jeff Burton scoring a second-place finish. RCR owns 10 top-five and 25 top-10 finishes at the road course. In last year’s Xfinity Series race at Watkins Glen, Jesse Love started 11th and finished eighth, while Austin Hill began the race 10th and finished 33rd.

The Cowboy Way… The Carolina Cowboys, a professional bull riding team in the PBR Teams league, an elite league featuring the world’s top bull riders competing in games throughout the country, are third in the PBR Teams standings following the first two events of the season. The team, co-owned by Richard Childress and Jeff Broin, is managed by Austin Dillon. The Carolina Cowboys return home on September 12-14 for their fourth annual Cowboy Days homestand at First Horizon Coliseum. Tickets for the event are on sale now, and start at $20, taxes and fees not included. They can be purchased online at TicketMaster.com and PBR.com, at the First Horizon Coliseum Box Office, or by calling PBR customer service at (800) 732-1727.

For more information on Carolina Cowboys, and for updates on the upcoming PBR Cowboy Days, visit https://pbr.com/teams/carolina-cowboys, Carolina Cowboys on Facebook, @carolinacowboyspbr on Instagram, or @CARCowboysPBR on Twitter.

Catch the Action on Saturday… The NASCAR Xfinity Series at Watkins Glen International will be televised live Saturday, August 9, beginning at 3 p.m. ET on The CW. The race will be broadcast live on Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. Saturday’s practice and qualifying sessions will be shown for free on The CW App.

Watch Us on USA Network… The Go Bowling at The Glen at Watkins Glen International will be televised live on Sunday, August 10, beginning at 2 p.m. ET on USA Network. The race will be broadcast live on Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. The NASCAR Cup Series practice and qualifying sessions on Saturday will be broadcast on truTV. Ride shotgun all season long with live, in-car camera feeds and scanner audio with a paid subscription to Max as part of their NASCAR driver cam experience during the race.

Austin Dillon and the No. 3 BREZTRI AEROSPHERE® (budesonide, glycopyrrolate, and formoterol fumarate) Chevrolet at Watkins Glen International... Sunday’s Go Bowling at The Glen will mark Austin Dillon’s 11th career NASCAR Cup Series start at Watkins Glen International. Dillon delivered his best finish at the road course in 2021 when he finished 15th. The following year, Dillon led six laps of the race, his first at the track, en route to a 17th-place finish. Last year at Watkins Glen International, Dillon started the race 23rd and finished 28th. Outside of the Cup Series, Dillon has four Xfinity Series starts at the New York road course.

Going the Distance… Dating back to 2014, Dillon has completed 898 of a possible 902 laps in Cup Series competition at Watkins Glen International. This marks a 99.6 percent overall completion percentage at the 11-turn road course.

BREZTRI AEROSPHERE® (budesonide, glycopyrrolate, and formoterol fumarate) Teams Up with Dillon… Dillon and the No. 3 Richard Childress Racing team will be supported by BREZTRI AEROSPHERE®, an AstraZeneca product, at Watkins Glen International. This partnership is about more than just racing. You can learn more about Dillon and his family’s personal connection to the brand at Breztri.com. AstraZeneca is a global, science-led biopharmaceutical company that focuses on the discovery, development, and commercialization of prescription medicines in Oncology, Rare Diseases, and Biopharmaceuticals, including Cardiovascular, Renal & Metabolism, and Respiratory & Immunology. AstraZeneca operates in over 100 countries and its innovative medicines are used by millions of patients worldwide.

Meet Dillon… Dillon is scheduled to make an appearance at the RCR Merchandise Hauler in the Watkins Glen International Fan Midway on Sunday, August 10 at 10:45 a.m. Local Time. Stop by to meet the driver of the No. 3 BREZTRI Chevrolet and purchase gear for race day.

AUSTIN DILLON QUOTES:

What are some of the things you like about Watkins Glen International, and what are some of the things that are difficult about that track?

“Watkins Glen International is very fast for a road course. The bus stop, the esses, a big chunk of the speed at Watkins Glen comes from those two sections. The other sections are more self-explanatory, but it’s a tough track. It’s been my hardest track to get a grip on, but I feel like going there does present some opportunities because you have some strategy and different things that can play out. Qualifying is pretty important there as well. I’m looking forward to getting there in our BREZTRI AEROSPHERE® (budesonide, glycopyrrolate, and formoterol fumarate) Chevrolet.”

It’s been quite the year for this race team. You’ve had your share of ups and downs. Where does the No. 3 team stand currently in your mind?

“I feel like Richard Boswell has built an amazing team, and I like the direction we are going. We are really just starting to click. We have potential. We have to work on our race car pace, but we are heading in the right direction that we need. We’ve had a lot of changes at the beginning of the year, some engineer swapping, and now I feel like everybody is on the same page and going in the right direction. From the team aspect, I feel like this is one of the strongest teams I’ve ever worked with and I’m super excited about the finish of this year and what we can do together in 2026. We had a streak of three straight top-10s at one point, and that was a good streak for us.”

Have you ever had a chance to race around and observe Shane Van Gisbergen, and if so, what have your learned from him?

“I think you have to go back to the first race he ran with us at the Chicago Street Course a few years ago. I pulled out in front of him during practice and I thought ‘oh this is no big deal. Who is this guy they are all talking about?’ A lap later he goes by me in the hardest and tightest section of the track in Turns 8 and 9 around the fountain area, and I’m like ‘oh man. This guy is going to win the race.’ I didn’t think it was even possible to pass in the section that he passed me in. I ended up chatting with him afterwards and he was really helpful. I was actually in a different gear than he was and he helped me in terms of what gear I needed to be in. His thought process about road course racing has changed the game for everyone, and the way you go about getting ready. The stuff that you value is different then the stuff that they value, because in Australian V8 cars the tire is smaller, has more degradation, and they think about the life of the tire more than what we have been, and I think more and more teams are looking at their process and changing it to keep up. He’s pretty impressive for sure.”

Kyle Busch and the No. 8 zone Chevrolet at Watkins Glen International… Sunday’s Go Bowling at The Glen will mark Kyle Busch’s 20th NASCAR Cup Series start at Watkins Glen International, and 63rd career start on a road course. At Watkins Glen, Busch will tie Terry Labonte for most Cup Series road course starts of all time. Over his career at the 2.45-mile road course, Busch has completed 1,694 of 1,716 laps (98.7 percent), led 249 laps, claimed three pole positions, and earned two race wins. He holds an average starting position of 8.1 and an average finishing position of 11.7 at the track.

Victory at The Glen… Starting from pole position, Busch led 52 laps and held off Tony Stewart on a late-race restart to claim his first premier series win at Watkins Glen International in 2008. Busch earned his second win at the road course in 2013, leading 29 laps.

Beyond the Ovals... Busch has made 62 starts on road courses at the highest level of NASCAR competition. The seasoned veteran has recorded 22 top-five finishes, 34 top-10 finishes, and four victories, including two at Watkins Glen International. Thus far in 2025, Busch has found the most success on road courses, with both of his top-five finishes to date having been on road courses.

Consistent Contender... Busch’s success at the track is not limited to the Cup Series. He has one win, six top-five finishes, seven top-10 finishes, and has led 155 laps in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at The Glen.

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Meet Busch... Busch is scheduled to make an appearance at the RCR Merchandise Hauler in the Watkins Glen International Fan Midway on Sunday, August 10 at 11:25 a.m. Local Time. Stop by to meet the driver of the No. 8 zone Chevrolet and purchase gear for race day.

KYLE BUSCH QUOTES:

Are all road courses the same, or does Watkins Glen International come with its own unique challenges?

“Setups are a little bit different at some of the road courses you go to. You would think road course, turn right, turn left, it’s the same thing, just run the same thing and go, but, no, Watkins Glen is more the superspeedway of road courses. Spring packages are a little different, bars are a little different, stuff like that. Looking at what the No. 16 ran there last year, they were really fast, they had a great race up there last year. So I’m leaning on some of our Kaulig friends on some advice on putting ourselves in a good spot to go up there and have a fast racecar.”

Do you like racing at Watkins Glen International?

“Watkins Glen has always been a favorite, I really enjoy it. I’ve always enjoyed the technicalities of that place, the high speeds of that place. The bus stop back there, being as sketch as it is, trying to go through there and blast through there as fast as you can, hopping all the curbs. It’s just a really fun place and you can be on attack mode there and find some speed.”

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“I have won at all those places, so let’s go do it again. Watkins Glen is probably my favorite road course we go to. Richmond is statistically one of my best racetracks that we go to. And then Daytona has been one of my best racetracks since I’ve been at RCR with Team Chevrolet. I feel really good about our opportunities the next three weeks. It’s all about execution and being able to do our job right. And that includes me, going out there and setting some fast laps and being in control of being able to do that, and having good pit stops on pit road and having good strategy and the race falling our way.”

Jesse Love and the No. 2 Samsara Chevrolet at Watkins Glen International… Jesse Love has made one career NASCAR Xfinity Series start at Watkins Glen International, driving the No. 2 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet last season. The Menlo Park, California native qualified 11th and raced his way to an eighth-place finish. Additionally, Love has completed two ARCA Menards Series races at the New York road course, earning a win and third place result, respectively. In 2023, Love started from the fourth position, led only one lap, and captured the victory.

Standings Update… Through 22 regular season events, Love currently holds the fourth position in the Xfinity Series driver championship point standings – 54 points behind third-place Sam Mayer and 70 points behind standings leader Conner Zilisch.

Pole Position, Again… Last weekend at Iowa Speedway, Love secured this third Xfinity Series pole position of the season. Love had previously earned the pole at Atlanta Motor Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway. In the Hawkeye State, Love led 31 laps of the race before finishing second, his sixth top-five finish of the year.

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Meet Love… Love is scheduled to make an appearance at the RCR Merchandise Hauler in the Watkins Glen International Fan Midway on Saturday, August 9 at 12:30 p.m. Local Time. Stop by to meet the driver of the No. 2 Samsara Chevrolet and purchase gear for race day.

JESSE LOVE QUOTE:

What makes Watkins Glen different from other road courses, and what will it take for the No. 2 team to make it to Victory Lane in New York?

“At Watkins Glen, track position is important. It’s not very tight, it’s a very flowy track, long straightaways, not a lot of stop and goes. Last year we were tight, and it prohibited our lap time speed being too bound up. It takes grit and tenacity to win at Watkins Glen. You need to have speed. Your car has to be handling well, you have to have lateral grip and you have to qualify well and have good track position. The No. 2 Samsara Chevrolet is coming off a strong race last weekend in Iowa and we’re excited to build on that here in New York at a track that I know how to win at.”

Austin Hill and the No. 21 Bennett Transportation & Logistics Chevrolet at Watkins Glen International… Austin Hill has made three career NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Watkins Glen International, posting a best finish of 14th in 2023 after the No. 21 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet received contact in the closing laps while battling for the win. Last season in the 2024 event at the New York road course, the Winston, Georgia native qualified inside the top-10 and fought a loose-handling balance, before being collected in a multi-car incident.

Previous WGI Winner… Hill has competed in one NASCAR Truck Series race and one ARCA Menards Series event (started third, finished second) at Watkins Glen International. In his lone Truck Series start at the 2.45-mile circuit, the now 31-year-old started from the pole, led 35 laps, and captured the checkered flag.

Road Course Success… With four road course events complete in the 2025 Xfinity Series campaign, Hill has scored three top-five results – fourth at Circuit of The Americas, third at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, and fourth at the Chicago Street Race – and never finished worse than 14th (at Sonoma Raceway). A road course victory is the only style of track that the veteran racer has not won at thus far into his series career.

Family Affair… Danny Lowry, Vice President of Bennett Family of Companies and President of Bennett Truck Transport and Bennett Distribution Services, will compete in the Historic Sportscar Racing (HSR) NASCAR Classic events on Saturday, August 9 at Watkins Glen International. Connecting the past with the present, multiple Bennett executives will be in attendance supporting both Lowry and Hill.

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Meet Hill… On Saturday, August 9 at 12:45 p.m. Local Time, Hill is scheduled to sign autographs at the RCR Merchandise Hauler located in the Fan Zone at Watkins Glen International. Stop by to get your No. 21 gear and meet the 13-time Xfinity Series winner.

AUSTIN HILL QUOTES:

Where does Watkins Glen International stack up on your list of road courses?

“Watkins Glen International is by far my favorite road course that we go to, because of the high speed that we carry around the track. I’ve won there in the Truck Series, which always gives you confidence heading into the weekend. Unfortunately, that success hasn’t transferred over to the Xfinity Series yet, but our No. 21 team has been so close to getting a road course win over the last few seasons. Watkins Glen is such a high-speed circuit. It doesn’t really have any technical corners like other road courses, but it’s extremely fun as a driver.”

Describe racing at Watkins Glen International.

“When you go into Turn 1, you go down to second gear and get on the brakes hard. But when you throttle up coming out of the hill and through the esses, if your car is good, you are really close to wide open. You carry a lot of speed down the backstretch and through the bus stop. If you hit it right, there is so much time you can make there. If you can get through the bus stop and carousel well, you can put the rest of the racetrack together. The guys who typically win at Watkins Glen can get through that section the best.”