SATURDAY, JULY 24, 2021 STARTING GRID THIS WEEK’S CUP RACE YOUR GUIDE TO THE WEEK ON THE NASCAR CIRCUIT Go Bowling at the Glen Distance: 220.5 miles, 90 laps Where: Watkins glen International, a 2.45 road course in Watkins Glen, NY When: 1 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 8 TV: NBCSN Radio: Motor Racing Network Worth mentioning: This is the 38th trip to Watkins Glen International for the Cup Series, with the first visit in 1957. STANDINGS Cup Series Rk Driver Laps Led T10s Wins Pts. 1 Denny Hamlin 771 15 0 874 2 Kyle Larson 1441 15 4 861 3 William Byron 245 14 1 749 4 Kyle Busch 229 14 2 740 5 Chase Elliott 219 12 2 736 6 Joey Logano 361 13 1 733 7 Martin Truex Jr. 647 11 3 696 8 Ryan Blaney 295 11 1 689 9 Brad Keselowski 285 9 1 676 ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOS Bill Elliott, Chase Elliott and Tony Kanaan, from left, talk with Darrell Waltrip, right, before an SRX Series race Saturday in Nashville, Tenn. 10 Kevin Harvick 105 15 0 673 11 Alex Bowman 151 12 3 637 12 Tyler Reddick 20 11 0 596 13 Austin Dillon 9 6 0 591 14 Kurt Busch 172 7 1 552 15 Christopher Bell 57 9 1 532 RACING AHEAD 16 Chris Buescher 77 4 0 475 17 Matt DiBenedetto 60 5 0 453 NASCAR stars past and present contribute to success of new series 18 Ross Chastain 43 6 0 452 19 Michael McDowell 25 5 1 448 JENNA FRYER business of racing with the 20 Bubba Wallace 49 1 0 426 Associated Press fun stuff. HARLOTTE, N.C. — Not The field could have dif- 21 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 24 2 0 424 even a bookie in Las ferent drivers next year, and 22 Daniel Suarez 74 3 0 401 Vegas — Tony Stewart’s Elliott suggested other Cup C 23 Aric Almirola 51 3 1 377 gold standard for foreseeing stars should give it a go. Kyle results — could have pre- Busch said he wanted to run 24 Chase Briscoe 6 2 0 377 dicted the six-week Superstar SRX but didn’t get permis- 25 Erik Jones 7 2 0 360 Racing Experience summer sion. Teammate Denny Ham- 26 Ryan Preece 12 3 0 357 season would have been such lin said he’d be interested in a success. competing. 27 Ryan Newman 2 3 0 354 It grew so big, so quickly “It’s a good series, looks 28 Cole Custer 2 2 0 337 that by the made-for-TV se- like it’s growing and has a lot ries finale on Saturday night, of enthusiasm,” Hamlin said. 29 Corey LaJoie 12 1 0 269 it was NASCAR’s champion in “It’s a good balance of com- 30 Anthony Alfredo 4 0 0 222 victory lane at Nashville Fair- petition and show.” grounds in Tennessee. Stewart, who turned 50 this The current champion! year, will always be a draw and The night before his real job promoters see the three-time Xfinity Series Truck Series as a Cup Series superstar at a NASCAR champion’s value to UP NEXT UP NEXT race — in New Hampshire! SRX as a driver in the field. He NASCAR Xfinity United Rentals 176: Chase Elliott thought SRX was noncommittal on racing Series Race at Watkins Glen was cool and watched his Chase Elliott, center, holds his winner’s guitar after winning the SRX SRX again in 2022, but Stew- Watkins Glen: International, father, Bill, compete the first Series race in Nashville, Tenn. Tony Stewart, left, finished second, art lives by an ever-changing Watkins Glen 11:30 a.m. Saturday, International, five weeks as one of the reg- and Bill Elliott, right, finished third. schedule that includes plan- Aug. 7 (FS1) ular participating all-stars. ning a wedding to NHRA drag 3:00 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 7 (NBCSN) With the 65-year-old Hall of racer Leah Pruett and trying 1 J.H. Nemechek 605 Famer in the field, and per- crazy ideas and became the it because each race averaged to fix the Stewart-Haas Rac- 1 Austin Cindric 797 mission from both Hendrick star of the summer. The series at least 1 million viewers. SRX ing NASCAR team. 2 Ben Rhodes 520 Motorsports and NASCAR, had drama, theatrics, solid originally signed a two-year Aric Almirola’s win on Sun- 2 AJ Allmendinger 715 3 Austin Hill 510 Chase Elliott had just his sec- story lines and it was pack- deal with CBS, and there’s day at New Hampshire was 3 Daniel Hemric 684 4 Todd Gilliland 458 ond ever opportunity to race aged in a two-hour prime- been no indication the series the first this year for SHR. 4 Justin Allgaier 653 against his old man. time window when CBS had won’t return. Stewart said wait and see 5 Zane Smith 451 He improved to 2-0. Chase nothing better to slot on the But its direction — and this where SRX might be headed. 5 Harrison Burton 615 6 Matt Crafton 430 Elliott beat Tony Stewart, the typically slow Saturday nights is the fun part of SRX — is “We have people asking us 6 Jeb Burton 589 series co-creator and “regular of summer. up in the air. No idea is a bad what tracks are we running 8 Grant Enfinger 413 7 Justin Haley 577 series champion,” and Bill El- The first race was OK and idea, and if the fans make next year? Are we going to 7 Sheldon Creed 413 liott, to cap the season. It was then came a critical moment themselves heard, Evernham expand past six races? Who 8 Noah Gragson 544 9 Carson Hocevar 372 a podium Chase Elliott will that differentiated SRX from and Stewart listen. will the drivers be? None 9 Brandon Jones 489 forever treasure. every other series: Evernham Of course, SRX is also a of us have had any of those 10 Stewart Friesen 364 10 J. Clements 468 “We were literally racing and CBS actively made tweaks business and its ownership conversations,” Stewart said. 11 Chandler Smith 351 for the win of the race. That to the racing and even the group includes The Montag “It took so much work to get 11 Michael Annett 450 12 Derek Kraus 311 was no fluke or joke or setup broadcast presentation, based Group CEO Sandy Mon- this series going and selling 12 Myatt Snider 426 thing,” Chase Elliott said. “We on viewer feedback. Nothing tag and Bruin Capital CEO it sight unseen, selling it to 13 Tyler Ankrum 307 were legitimately racing 1-2, was off limits as far as Evern- George Pyne. The series has sponsors, trying to sell it to 13 Riley Herbst 418 14 Johnny Sauter 300 which is incredible. Tony has ham was concerned; he was to pay its bills — and Evern- the fans. It was hard to sell it 14 Brandon Brown 409 been a hero of mine forever. fine adjusting for the sake of ham wants a $1 million payout to the drivers. 15 Josh Berry 397 15 A. Wayne Self 280 To share the podium with the show. to the season champion in the “Then we had six straight 16 Ryan Truex 252 both of them, I couldn’t have “It’s motorsports enter- future — so sponsorship talks weeks and Ray and his crew 16 Ryan Sieg 375 asked for anything ... more tainment,” Evernham said. on a second season already have been on the road all over 17 Ty Gibbs 330 17 Hailie Deegan 235 special.” “Nobody is sitting here saying have started. the country making this se- 18 Alex Labbe 309 18 Tanner Gray 205 This was the crowning mo- this is a super serious series Evernham, already eyeing ries go. Ray needs to catch his ment for SRX, which started that’s going to the next level.” internal SRX adjustments, is breath before we can have any 19 T.J. Martins 305 19 Chase Purdy 177 as one of Ray Evernham’s Whatever it was, fans liked now seeking to balance the discussions about next year.” 20 Landon Cassill 292 20 Tate Fogleman 162 Keselowski latest driver to join owner ranks STEVE REED season, but have a consid- disclosed, team President Carl Edwards and current Associated Press erable role off the track. Steve Newmark said Kes- driver Chris Buescher also CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Keselowski will replace elowski paid for his “mi- won Xfinity titles. Brad Keselowski is ready to Ryan Newman, who drove nority” stake in the team Roush anticipates the de- begin the “next evolution” the Roush flagship car the but neither Roush nor the cision will spur other older of his racing career. past three seasons. Fenway Sports Group re- owners to think about their Jack Roush put a long- Keselowski said he had linquished any shares. That legacy plans — and other term vision for Roush four reasons for joining stake could increase over drivers to follow the path of Fenway Racing in motion Roush Fenway: a long-term the years, Newmark said. Keselowski and Tony Stew- Tuesday when the 79-year- driving contract, being in Roush fielded his first car art before him. old team owner introduced a leadership role with the in 1988 for a full Cup Series “I don’t think Brad is the Keselowski as a new partner team, taking on a owner- schedule with Mark Martin last of the drivers who will in the NASCAR team.