Watkins Glen, New York—May 9, 2026, 16:12 EDT.
Shane van Gisbergen snagged the pole position for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Watkins Glen International, clocking in with a 123.937 mph lap during Saturday’s qualifying. That puts last year’s winner right up front for the Go Bowling at The Glen, which goes off at 3 p.m. EDT on Sunday on the 2.45-mile circuit.
NASCAR’s Watkins Glen weekend is already off-script. Wet weather on this unusual May date forced officials to scrub O’Reilly Auto Parts Series qualifying, and now attention shifts to the Cup race—an on-the-fly test for the Finger Lakes track, which usually holds its spot later in the year. Can Watkins Glen handle a spring race without the hitches?
The experiment’s days are numbered. Watkins Glen International announced this week its NASCAR weekend will shift back to September starting in 2027, with officials pointing to the Cup race landing close to the opening of the Chase, NASCAR’s playoff series. Track president Dawn Burlew said fans ought to be “thrilled” about The Glen playing a role in setting the stage for the playoff stretch. Official Site Of NASCAR
Shane van Gisbergen, the New Zealander now recognized as NASCAR’s top road-course racer, edged out Michael McDowell for the pole by 0.259 seconds. “I did nail it on my first lap,” van Gisbergen said, highlighting the Bus Stop chicane—the tough braking zone at the end of the backstretch—as the spot where he gained most of his advantage. Jayski’s NASCAR Silly Season Site
The grid’s front rows are shaping up with McDowell slotted in second and Austin Cindric right behind in third. Trackhouse Racing lands both Ross Chastain and rookie Connor Zilisch in fourth and fifth. Over at Team Penske, Cindric is joined by Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney—all three inside the top seven. Joe Gibbs Racing rounds out the top 10 with Christopher Bell, Chase Briscoe and Ty Gibbs.
Rain isn’t the only concern here. Van Gisbergen pointed out that tire wear looked brutal during practice and qualifying, calling out the potential for a “hard” race ahead. The forecast for Sunday shows dry weather, yet those cooler temps might shake up grip levels, throw tire debris onto the track, and push teams to pit earlier than planned. Jayski’s NASCAR Silly Season Site
Weather disruptions had drivers steering clear of the usual racing line. Burlew told the Star-Gazette the fans’ response was “phenomenal” as they dealt with being moved and towed after rain made camping tough. AOL
There are 38 cars on the entry list. Katherine Legge is back in the Cup Series, taking the wheel of the No. 78 Chevrolet for Live Fast Motorsports. Defending Watkins Glen winner van Gisbergen lines up for Trackhouse, driving the familiar No. 97 Chevrolet.
Road-course specialists picked up more laps over the weekend. Kaden Honeycutt snagged the win in Friday’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race, with Zilisch finishing right behind him and van Gisbergen taking third. The result made sure those three stayed the talk of the garage heading into Cup practice.
Trackhouse isn’t just chasing pole position. According to NASCAR.com, Chastain, van Gisbergen, and Zilisch all came into the weekend sitting outside those vital Chase spots. Zilisch put it plainly: the team “definitely need[s] a good weekend” as his Cup rookie campaign has been slow out of the gate. Official Site Of NASCAR
Tyler Reddick is still the key comparison here. NASCAR names him the Cup points leader with five wins in 2026, but he only managed 15th in qualifying. That’s traffic to deal with if Reddick wants to get anywhere near van Gisbergen and those starting up front.
The race on Sunday will run 100 laps, with stage breaks set for laps 20 and 50. Track position tends to be crucial here, and right now, van Gisbergen starts up front with that advantage. The bigger unknown: will tires, chilly temps, and traffic allow him to hang on?
