Watkins Glen featured perfect weather, exciting restarts and great racing
Just like pretty much anything in today's world, I would bet that someone feels, or says or writes something negative about Sunday's race at Watkins Glen. I for one simply don't know how they could. We had everything you could want for in a race.
There was great racing throughout the field. The restarts, just like always, were exciting. All that, plus we saw a lot of different strategies which quite honestly you'll have at a road course race.
I've heard some fans complain that they don't believe these drivers race hard enough at times, but I just have to say they all were up on the wheel Sunday from lap one to lap 90. It was simply hard racing all day long. We also saw yet again pit road penalties affect some of our bigger stars.
If you want an example of hard racing, just go look at the last lap from Sundays race. I'm pretty sure neither driver is very proud of how they handled the situation. You had Brad Keselowski spinning out Martin Truex Jr. plus you had A.J. Allmendinger spinning Kyle Busch.
Folks, it is called hard racing. These drivers Sunday almost took a step back in time where you know what, finishing fourth is better than just settling for a fifth place finish. It seemed yesterday that they were racing like second place is better than third place.
Mother Nature gave us great weather all three days at Watkins Glen and as you saw, the grandstands were sold out. The place was simply packed and those folks definitely got their money's worth Sunday.
So everything was positive in my book and I don't know how anyone could want anything different than what we got Sunday. We had a lot of interesting storylines that unfolded. With Denny Hamlin winning Sunday, all four Joe Gibbs Racing drivers are multiple winners this season. It was their tenth win of the year.
I also have to say both Team Penske Fords looked awfully strong finishing second and third. I'll say it again; Tony Stewart might be a dangerous individual in this his last Chase. Sunday was something like his fifth top five in his last eight races.
I think if you go back prior to that and look at the last 80 races, Tony only had five top five finishes. That No. 14 is qualifying well and they are simply fast.
The other underlying story was Chris Buescher on Sunday. Obviously a 30th place finish isn't very good, but if the team hadn't thrashed and got him back out there, they now cut the difference from six points to three points on making the top 30 in points. I still believe they will make the top 30 and make their first Chase with a rookie driver.
The other continuing story in our sport is the Hendrick Motorsports winless streak. This dry spell is the longest for them since back in 2001 and 2002. Since Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished second at Pocono in June, that organization as a whole has only had three top 10 finishes.
They sure don't seem concerned over there but when your best finishing car is a rookie in Chase Elliott at 13th, I just don't see how you can't be definitely concerned. I just have to believe the Mr. Hendrick is asking a lot of hard questions of all his people.
