NASCAR.com's Alex Weaver and Alan Cavanna break down the upcoming race weekend at Watkins Glen and the battle for the playoff bubble.
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00:00 >> Kyle Larson, he gets through the gearbox cleanly.
00:09 >> Inside, inside.
00:10 >> Still left, still left.
00:11 You're all clear.
00:12 You're all clear.
00:13 >> He's opened it up by eight or ten car length.
00:14 >> That's a weekend sleep, bro.
00:15 Kyle Larson.
00:16 Hell yeah, baby!
00:17 Whoo!
00:17 >> Hey, everybody.
00:30 Welcome into studio three for the preview show delivered by DoorDash.
00:34 I'm Alex Weaver.
00:35 That is Alan Kavanaugh, and we're staying on a road course.
00:38 This time we're heading to upstate New York, Watkins Glen, and the fours, Alan.
00:43 I mean, three wins in a row?
00:45 >> Three wins in a row.
00:46 >> Imagine a month ago if I told you that Ford would have three wins in a row and be
00:50 the hottest manufacturer in all of NASCAR.
00:52 I don't know if anyone would have believed me, but the numbers do not lie.
00:55 And look who's doing it.
00:57 RFK, Roush Fenwick, Kislowski Racing, and of course, Michael McDowell, last week at
01:01 the Indy road course.
01:02 They are putting it on them right now when you want to be.
01:05 You want to get hot during the playoffs.
01:07 And guess what?
01:08 They can do it again.
01:09 Michael McDowell had the best car, the fastest car, best team in Indy, and we're going right
01:13 back to another road course where they could easily do it again.
01:16 Chris Buescher, he had a streak of top tens going, just missed it last week.
01:20 He finished 11th, but he's still good on those road courses.
01:23 And then we know Joey Logano was the last Ford win at Watkins Glen back in 2015, but
01:28 he's won there before.
01:29 He could probably do it again.
01:30 So Ford, the momentum still going for them.
01:32 >> Yeah, keep your eyes on the Blue Oval this weekend.
01:34 I have a feeling we might see the 34 and the 17 back in the mix before it's all said and
01:38 done.
01:39 Obviously now with two races left in the regular season, it's all about the bubble.
01:43 We have drivers, really good drivers and really well-known drivers, Bubba Wallace, Chase Elliott,
01:50 Alex Bowman, A.J.
01:51 Allmendinger, Ty Gibbs, Daniel Suarez.
01:53 I can go on and on about this bubble, but, Alan, we're going to keep our eye on the bubble
01:57 for the next two weeks.
01:58 >> Maybe the Bubba bubble because, look, we're going to a road course.
02:01 Bubba did okay last week.
02:03 18th is okay.
02:04 It wasn't great, but he didn't crash or anything.
02:07 But he's the driver that everyone's looking at in terms of he can get bounced out if there's
02:11 a new winner.
02:12 What do you think of Bubba on a road course for the second week in a row?
02:14 >> He told me that Indy road course was his best road course, but that he was excited
02:18 to go to Watkins Glen, whatever that means.
02:20 >> Excited is good.
02:21 He lost a bunch of points, though.
02:23 Again, not having a bad day at Indy, but he lost about half of his point lead.
02:26 If that repeats itself, we go into a virtual tie heading into Daytona.
02:31 So Bubba, that team need to step it up, maybe pull something out of their hat that we haven't
02:35 seen at a road course from him, but they can do it.
02:37 They've been running well.
02:38 It's just he's the man on the bubble now.
02:40 That's interesting to watch.
02:42 >> Yeah, for sure.
02:43 And Bubba obviously has been so close to the elimination line.
02:46 So the next two weeks are crucial for the number 23.
02:50 But speaking of crucial, it's win time for Chase Elliott, and we're heading to Watkins
02:54 Glen, which for Hendrick Motorsports and Chase Elliott is such a great racetrack for them.
03:00 He almost got it done in Indy.
03:02 Is it time for the old siren?
03:04 >> I think it is.
03:05 I mean, look what he's doing.
03:06 Signs of life that we've seen the last few weeks, and he was right there in Indy.
03:10 A lot of us thought he was going to win that Indy race.
03:13 Now he goes back to another road course where he's shown a lot of speed.
03:16 He's had three straight top fives at road courses, and Watkins Glen is pound for pound
03:20 his best one.
03:21 How could he not be the favorite going into this weekend?
03:24 Don't you love the drama, the storyline?
03:26 >> I love the drama.
03:27 We talked to Chase post-race in Indy, and he said that they have found something in
03:31 this car now with the road courses.
03:34 He hasn't won in a next-gen car on a road course, so it's time for the old nine to show
03:37 up, and I think it might be the week.
03:39 >> He's got speed, and more importantly, they have history.
03:41 Who's won the last four road course races at Watkins Glen?
03:44 >> Hendrick Cars.
03:45 >> Hendrick Cars.
03:46 Kyle Larson won two in a row.
03:47 Before that, it was Chase Elliott winning two in a row.
03:49 This next one, though, would just be huge because it would settle every question.
03:53 I think you might be able to hear that siren in Watkins Glen if he wins it.
03:56 >> Yeah, for sure.
03:57 Yeah, for the whole solid next week, I think we would hear it.
03:59 It would just constantly be going off.
04:01 All right, well, our NASCAR 75 flashback for Watkins Glen, one of my favorite racing memories
04:07 of all time.
04:08 Break it down, AC.
04:09 >> Yeah, let's go back to 2012 at Watkins Glen, one of the best single laps in NASCAR
04:14 history.
04:15 We'll start here at the white flag.
04:16 Things are looking good for Kyle Busch until the S's.
04:19 Brad Keselowski in the two car turns Kyle, which sets up a battle with Marcus Ambrose
04:24 in the nine.
04:25 They follow each other through the bus stop, through the dirt.
04:28 Does anyone want to win this race?
04:30 Ambrose taps Keselowski.
04:31 Keselowski gets him back.
04:33 Ultimately, a near drag race to the finish with Marcus Ambrose getting the win.
04:38 Such a cool memory.
04:39 Brad Keselowski has done so much in NASCAR, never won on a road course.
04:45 We were talking about the Fords at the top of the show.
04:47 Maybe, just maybe, it can be a Brad Keselowski weekend.
04:50 >> Come on, Kes.
04:51 I like it.
04:52 We'll just throw it on back.
04:53 All right, well, we're going bowling at the Glen.
04:54 There's only two races left.
04:56 The final road course of the regular season and then obviously, you know, the wild card
04:59 of Daytona.
05:00 So make sure and tune into the race this Sunday at 3 p.m. Eastern on USA.
05:04 >> And join us right back here next week for the preview show delivered by DoorDash.
05:08 She's Alex, I'm Allen.
05:09 We'll see you then.
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