Guest Author - Monica O´Neal

The NASCAR Nextel Cup series is gearing up for the Sirius Satellite Radio at the Glen at Watkins Glen International Raceway in New York.

Sunday, August 14, on NBC (check your local listings for time)
Qualifying: Saturday, August 13, on SPEED (check your local listings for time)

Last year’s winner: Tony Stewart
Most wins: Jeff Gordon – 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2001

The History: NASCAR first raced at Watkins Glen International Raceway in 1957. It is one of two road courses the series currently visits.

The Track: It is a 2.45 mile road course with eleven turns. A road course is a track which is similar to a country road you and I may travel in our daily lives. It has mostly right turns, which makes it different than the normal “left turn” oval tracks. By no means is it flat, having six to ten degree banking throughout.

The Tradition: Owners of some teams will put road course “ringers” in their cars using the thought process that their regular oval course drivers can’t get the job done. These so-called “ringers” are from racing series' that race only on road courses. It is flawed thinking at best, since in the history of this race there has never been a winner from the road course “ringers.”

The Prediction: WOW! Who wouldn’t pick Tony Stewart again this weekend? The #20 team has gotten two wins at the Glen (2002 and 2004), the Championship points lead and the big MO on their side---MOMENTUM---having won four of the last 6 races this season. I wasn’t always a believer but Smoke seems to have matured a lot as a person and he is carrying that with him onto the track each week. His new found maturity and ever-present drive to win may earn him a second Nextel Cup Championship.
Jeff Gordon is always a favorite with four past wins at this track. He began to show a little strength last week at the Brickyard.
Boris Said, road course “ringer”, has actually been trying to shake that moniker by getting some seat time in oval tracks on the Cup circuit this season. You can never count him out on a road course.
My dark horse favorite is southern California local, Robbie Gordon. Since starting his own team this year and with the rules changes, the #7 Jim Beam Chevy has struggled a bit. But, Robbie can drive just about anything; he loves road courses and already has one win (2003) at the Glen.
Don’t take your eyes off: Mark Martin, Rusty Wallace and Kevin Harvick.

I usually find road courses a little boring because of the slower speeds but this has been a season where anything can happen; Sunday, it probably will.

Other NASCAR races this weekend:

Saturday, August 13, 2005 -- check your local listings for times
NASCAR Busch series Zippo 200 at Watkins Glen International
Raceway on NBC
NASCAR Craftsman Truck series Toyota Tundra 200 at the
Nashville Super Speedway on SPEED Channel