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NASCAR Returns At Watkins Glen After Two-Week Break: How, When To Watch

If you are a fan of NASCAR, now is the time to celebrate. Racing is finally returning after a long two-break for the network to focus on Olympic coverage.

Our favorite drivers will be back on the track beginning on Sunday, August 8, at Watkins Glen International. You can catch the coverage on a variety of different platforms including NBCSN, TSN, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. Just make sure to tune in starting at 3 p.m. ET.

Meanwhile, as for the drivers’ starting position at the race, there are four factors that went into determining that. Each of the factors had a 25-percent share. Those were the driver’s finishing position from the previous race; the car owner’s finishing position from the previous race; Team owner points ranking; and the fastest lap from the previous race.

The upcoming race at Watkins Glen will kick off a four-race stretch to close out the NASCAR Cup Series regular season. Next up is a meeting at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on August 15. That race, in particular, will be a first for the Cup Series, and makes for back-to-back road courses coming out of the break.

After those two races, drivers will pack their bags and head up to the two-mile oval at Michigan on August 22. And to close out the season, they will battle it out at the 2.5-mile superspeedway at Daytona. There’s really no better way to end the season. The playoffs will be on the line and we all know that anything can happen at Daytona.

How Will Two-Week Break Affect NASCAR Cup Series Drivers

After taking two weeks off, will there be any NASCAR drivers that have an advantage? The break certainly came at an interesting time. Some drivers liked taking a break late in the year, especially the ones who have families. But take Aric Almirola, for example. The driver of the No. 10 Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing can probably argue that the break halted his momentum. He is coming off of an impressive win a couple of weeks ago at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

Looking ahead at Watkins Glen and the next three races, there will be a lot of eyes most likely on Chase Elliott. He is the driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE for Hendrick Motorsports. He has had a historic season up to this point, and has an impressive track record when it comes to racing on road courses. Incredibly, he has seven wins in his last 11 road-course races.

Other than the obvious Elliott consideration, fans and analysts may be looking at a veteran driver like Joey Logano to finish out the season strong. Other than Elliott, Logano is the only other driver in the NASCAR Cup Series with three top-five finishes at road courses so far this year.

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