NASCAR Cup Series driver Kevin Harvick has shared his insights into the dramatic Watkins Glen playoff race. As part of the Round of 16 in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs, this upcoming event at the New York-based road course is set to bring thrilling action this Sunday.
Speaking during his “Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour,” Harvick highlighted the changes at Watkins Glen in the shape of modifications to the curbs, as a significant factor teams must adapt to.
“I think that the teams will have their arms wrapped around the changes with the curbs and everything that goes with The Glen, before they get there.
“They won’t have a lot of time to figure it out. But I think that, you know, you’re going to have your same guys that are good at the road courses, and it’s going to be interesting, because of all the scenarios that we had at Atlanta, as to who is that guy that steps up and is the outlier of speed at Watkins Glen.
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“So, you know, I think it’ll be interesting.”
Harvick’s expectations center around familiar drivers who have consistently performed well on road courses. This includes the likes of Kyle Larson, William Byron, and Tyler Reddick.
“Obviously, we expect [Kyle] Larson to be fast. We expect William Byron to be fast. You know, the Gibbs cars have been good on the road courses.
“Tyler Reddick’s been great on the on the road courses. So, it’ll be another interesting twist to the next weekend of racing and playoffs.”
Kyle Larson is a contender for this weekend, despite a rough outing at Atlanta where he finished 37th due to an accident. However, his robust regular season performance keeps him in the playoffs. At Watkins Glen, his track record is impressive, boasting victories in two of the last three races and securing five top-ten finishes over the last nine races at the venue.
Another driver to watch, according to Harvick, is William Byron. Byron is anticipated to make a strong showing. Similarly, Tyler Reddick, celebrated for his road course performance, is expected to leverage his expertise to excel at Watkins Glen. Harvick also suggests keeping an eye on Joe Gibbs Racing, once again highlighting its drivers’ talents on road courses.
As I mentioned before, there are a number of changes coming to the track this Sunday. Team Penske driver Ryan Blaney said the following on the alterations:
“I don’t know what to expect.
“The changes to the track are not crazy. The bus stop entry curb is gone, so that’s gonna be different. Some of the rumbles they’ve got on the exit of the carousel in turn one will change a little bit, which I think is positive for the racing.
“You won’t be able to just blow turn one and bail out to the apron and still have speed, so it will take a little more precision.”
