Cheez-It 355 at The Glen: NASCAR Odds, Pick, Predictions, Dark Horses

“Hell, I’ll take that”, he replied. From 1997-99, Gordon won three straight Watkins Glen events, but hasn’t had a top-five since that 2001 win. He has only three top-five outings this season but will get plenty of attention this weekend as he is honored for his final Glen appearance. Stewart didn’t complain about the lost opportunity.

His record in nine career Sprint Cup starts at Watkins Glen includes 100 percent of the laps completed (812 of 812), five top-10 finishes (three in the past four years) and three top-fives.

About halfway through the race, local racer Kevin Ward Jr. spun into a wall, bringing out the yellow flag.

Nothing has been the same for Stewart since the 20-year-old Ward was killed when he climbed from his wrecked race vehicle and walked down the track at Canandaigua Motorsports Park to confront the NASCAR star. A grand jury declined to indict Stewart – a decision questioned by Ward’s family.

Hes not the same person he was before Wards death, and hes not the same driver, either.

Kurt Busch finished third in this race last season and had a career-best second-place in 2010.

“I don’t think I’ll ever be the same from what happened the last two years” Stewart said Wednesday night at Texas Motor Speedway. “I don’t understand how you may be”.

“Not being back exactly to what I was doesn’t mean I’m not better in some ways”, Stewart said. “There’s always positives that come out of every scenario”.

Stewart’s career has been defined by his responses to adversity; he’s had an incredible ability to block out distractions and excel as a driver. The vitriol was scathing, the jokes from comedians he enjoyed hurtful.

“I’m making an attempt not to consider it”, stated Stewart, who freely…

That’s where Watkins Glen worldwide and the Cheez-It 355 at The Glen come into the picture.

“I love Watkins Glen“, said Brandon Gdovic, a full-time driver in the Lamborghini Blancpain Trofeo Series, with first place finishes in the AM Division this season on the road courses at Laguna Seca and Watkins Glen. “Unfortunately, I have a feeling thats going to get brought up a lot this week, but it doesnt help you continue to move forward with it.”.

Gordon looks to be in decent position to make the Chase on points even if he doesn’t win a race, but like Allmendinger, this might present his best chance to seal the deal.

Teams will not be able to refuel or make any other adjustments, and drivers will line up in the original starting order that they gained during qualifying. Balloons with the number 13 – Ward’s race vehicle number – were released prior to the feature. “We’ve had a lot of success there and it’s just fun…” The 44-year-old driver hasn’t won in 62 races, a streak that dates to Dover in June 2013, before he broke his leg. However, he hasn’t won on a road course since 2006 at Sonoma or at Watkins Glen since 2001. Consecutive good finishes could be his team’s necessary boost of confidence.

He also had another good qualifying run last weekend at Pocono before running out of fuel dropped him to ninth. “I don’t know how anybody could be exactly the way they were”. “I’m not sure that two weeks gives me a definitive answer”.

Truex, who has a road-course win (2013 at Sonoma) and ranks eighth in NASCAR’s driver rating at Watkins Glen, is looking to achieve a couple of redemptions in the 90-lap competition, the second and final road race of the season. I like my chances with odds of +1650.

“It kind of feels different, but not really”, Brandon Gdovic said.