Watch the NASCAR Cheez-It 355 at Watkins Glen International Speedway today at 1 pm Eastern Standard Time streaming online live by following the link provided at the end of this preview article.
The Chase for the Cup is getting closer and with each passing race; drivers who haven’t won one yet are getting more desperate to find their way into NASCAR’s playoff system. Today’s NASCAR Cheez-It 355 at Watkins Glen marks the fifth race before the Chase. Drivers have only five more opportunities to win a race and ensure themselves a spot in the Chase.
Desperation may have helped a few drivers during qualifying, though overall the top drivers tended to be drivers who have already secured their spot in the Chase. Jeff Gordon , who already has three wins, leads in the points standings, and secured his spot in the Chase for the Cup fairly early, won the pole position. Starting up front next to him in the two position is Marcos Ambrose , one of the few drivers without a win who fared well in the qualifying round. Ambrose is 17th in the standings, but a win would likely secure him a spot in the Chase.
Jimmie Johnson (3 wins) and Kevin Harvick (2 wins) starts in the second row in the three and four positions. Both are locked into the Chase already. Kurt Busch (1 win) is in the fifth position, starting next to A.J. Allmendinger, who is still looking for his first win and a spot in the Chase.
Other notables include Dale Earnhardt Jr. , starting in the seventh position and Danica Patrick , starting dead last at 43rd. Still looking for her first win , Danica’s chances of making the Chase are fading fast.
You can view the entire qualifying order here and the point standings going into today’s NASCAR Sprint Cup race here.
Tony Stewart qualified to start in the 13th position, but it is unclear whether he will race at the NASCAR Cheez-It 355 at Watkins Glen after he killed a fellow driver during a Sprint Cup race yesterday.
Look for Ambrose to finish strong in this race. He has a history of doing well at Watkins Glen, winning in 2011 and 2012. He averages second place over the course of all his races at Watkins Glen, according to a report in Vegas Insider . Today’s race likely represents Ambrose’s best chance to make his way into the Chase for the Cup.
Don’t miss any of the action in today’s race. You can watch the NASCAR Cheez-It 355 at Watkins Glen from “drivers start your engines” to the checkered flag streaming online live here .
