NASCAR’s first spring Cup Series race on the road course at Watkins Glen International is set for Sunday, May 10 and caps a busy three days at the Schuyler County track.
Here are eight storylines to watch throughout the weekend.
May racing at WGI
The most obvious storyline of the weekend is NASCAR’s foray into spring racing at Watkins Glen.
Outside of the 2024 event that shifted to September as part of the Cup Series playoffs, WGI’s Cup weekend has been held in August since the series made The Glen a full-time part of its schedule in 1986.
The biggest question is how the change will impact attendance, though NASCAR no longer releases crowd numbers for its races.
A benefit of the August race was fans could plan summer vacations around it, particularly those with children still in school.
The May race brings different opportunities, including the potential for families to celebrate Mother’s Day at the racetrack.
Four races over three days
For the second year in a row, the race weekend will again feature four races over the three days. That includes NASCAR’s top three touring series.
Friday, May 8: ARCA Menards Series General Tire 100 at The Glen (41 laps, 100.45 miles). Televised on FS2.
Friday, May 8: NASCAR Truck Series Bully Hill Vineyards 176 at The Glen (stages 20/40/72, 176.4 miles). Televised live on FS1.
Saturday, May 9: NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Mission 200 at The Glen (stages 20/40/82, 200.9 miles). Televised live on The CW Network.
Sunday, May 10: NASCAR Cup Series Go Bowling at The Glen (stages 20/50/100, 245 miles). Televised live on FS1.
Will weather impact the weekend?
A May race will bring a different aesthetic to the track and surrounding areas, with significant rainfall this spring creating a whole lot of green in the region.
Based on the midweek forecast, rain could impact the schedule.
NASCAR utilizes Goodyear wet-weather tires on road courses, but racing won’t continue in heavy rain or with standing water on the track.
Race length extended
The scheduled length of the Go Bowling at The Glen has been extended from 90 to 100 laps, which equates to a tidy 245 miles around the track’s 2.45-mile configuration instead of the previous 220.5 miles.
Along with more racing action, the most obvious impact will be on pit/fuel strategy for teams.
Stage breaks will take place after laps 20 and 50. Last year’s breaks came at laps 20 and 40.
SVG seeks WGI repeat
Following his dominant triumph in last year’s Go Bowling at The Glen, New Zealand native Shane Van Gisbergen is back to defend his title as one of 38 entrants in the race.
Van Gisbergen, driver of the No. 97 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet, is seeking his first victory of 2026 and first since winning at the Charlotte Road Course on Oct. 5.
His five series victories last season all came on road or street courses and betting sites have Van Gisbergen as the decided favorite for Sunday’s race.
Does that bring added pressure?
“Yeah, of course, but I think it’s an expectation you have to manage,” he said. “We can’t go there and just expect to win, but hopefully we are good and competitive and competing for the win at the end.”
It will be a busy weekend for Van Gisbergen, who will compete in Friday’s Truck Series race for Niece Motorsports and Saturday’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Series event for JR Motorsports.
Van Gisbergen is scheduled to participate in meet-and-greet at Veraisons Restaurant in Dundee from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, May 7 that is open to the public.
Zilisch returns to WGI after scary fall
Also among the drivers who will see triple-duty this weekend is Connor Zilisch, who last year at Watkins Glen won a race in what is now the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series.
Zilisch suffered a broken collarbone while getting out of his car in victory lane and was unable to compete in the Go Bowling at The Glen. Sunday’s race will mark the 19-year-old’s first Cup race at WGI.
He will drive this weekend for Trackhouse Racing in the Cup series, JR Motorsports in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, and Spire Motorsports in the Truck Series.
Reddick enters weekend with 5 wins in 2026
This will be race 12 on the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series calendar, with six different winners among the previous 11 events.
Series points leader Tyler Reddick has five wins, starting with the season-opening Daytona 500. Two-time WGI winner Chase Elliott’s victory at Texas Motor Speedway last weekend was his second this season.
The other Cup winners in 2026 have been 2016 WGI winner Denny Hamlin, Ryan Blaney, Carson Hocevar, and Ty Gibbs.
Dystany Spurlock set to make NASCAR history
Dystany Spurlock is set to become the first Black woman to compete in one of NASCAR’s top three touring series when she drives the No. 69 Foxxtecca Toyota for MBM Motorsports in Friday’s Truck Series race.
A few hours earlier, the Richmond, Virginia, native will compete in the track’s ARCA Menards Series race.
Spurlock, 34, made her ARCA Menards Series debut last month, placing 10th at Kansas Speedway while becoming the first Black woman to compete in that series.
This article originally appeared on Elmira Star-Gazette: 8 storylines for the 2026 NASCAR weekend at Watkins Glen International
Reporting by Andrew Legare, Elmira Star-Gazette / Elmira Star-Gazette
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
