Fresh off another statement win at Texas Motor Speedway, Chase Elliott suddenly looks like one of the biggest threats heading into NASCAR’s weekend at Watkins Glen International.
For Elliott, the Glen used to feel automatic. During the Gen 6 era, the road course was arguably his best track on the schedule, where he routinely dominated the field and built his reputation as NASCAR’s top road racer. While he has yet to score a road course victory in the Next Gen car, the momentum surrounding the No. 9 team right now is impossible to ignore.
Elliott enters the weekend with two victories in the past month at Martinsville and Texas, along with a string of steady, high-end finishes that have made him one of the hottest drivers in the garage. More importantly, he and crew chief Alan Gustafson appear completely locked in again.
The challenge will not be easy. Road course aces Shane van Gisbergen and Connor Zilisch are both expected to be major contenders, giving the race one of the deepest road course fields NASCAR has seen in years.
Still, Elliott may have one massive advantage before the green flag even drops.
Forecasted rain could force NASCAR to cancel qualifying and rely on the metric system to set the field, which would likely put Elliott on pole after his recent performances. Starting up front at Watkins Glen changes everything, especially for a driver known for controlling races once he gets clean air.
Elliott’s confidence is back. His speed is back. And if the weather breaks his way this weekend, NASCAR’s former road course king could be in perfect position to remind everyone why Watkins Glen once belonged to him.
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