2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series Watkins Glen Preview
It’s a little later than usual, but the NASCAR Xfinity Series heads to upstate New York for their annual trip to Watkins Glen International. Coverage for the ‘Mission 200 at the Glen’ begins at 3PM EST on USA.
Last year’s race went to overtime, where Sam Mayer was able to bulldoze his way through Ty Gibbs, pass an out of control Sheldon Creed, and cruise to victory for the second time in 2023.
Best Bets for Xfinity
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Best Bets for Xfinity |
Shane van Gisbergen +120 | Top 5 -700
Shane van Gisbergen enters this weekend as the favorite to win at Watkins Glen. Despite not having a start on this road course, it’s his history with road courses throughout his rookie Xfinity season. He crossed the line 2nd at COTA, but was relegated to 27th for cutting the esses. SVG would then go on to win the most recent road course races at Portland, Sonoma, and Chicago. Safe to say he’ll be fun to watch this weekend.
Ty Gibbs +400 | Top 5 -200
Ty Gibbs led the most laps in last year’s Watkins Glen race before being dumped by Sam Mayer on the last restart of the race with 70. Gibbs will be looking for a better outcome this weekend, like a trip to victory lane similar to 2021. His best Xfinity finish in his four starts this season came at the Chicago Street Course in 2nd. At the end of the day, it’ll be a support race for Gibbs as his main goal will be to capitalize his Cup weekend to stay in the Playoffs, but he’ll be fast for Saturday.
Connor Zilisch +800 | Top 5 +105
Connor Zilisch will make his Xfinity Series debut for JR Motorsports this weekend and is seen as one of the favorites to contend for the win. Last year, Zilisch finished 2nd at Watkins Glen in the ARCA Menards Series race and led 34 laps, despite having a broken trackbar. Zilisch made his Craftsman Truck Series debut earlier in the year at COTA, earning a pole and a 4th place finish.
AJ Allmendinger +850 | Top 5 +105
AJ Allmendinger has yet to score a victory in 2024, but is heading back to a track where he’s had solid finishes and even his first career Cup win in 2014. In his four Xfinity starts at Watkins Glen, Allmendinger has finished 2nd place three times, with the other finish being 37th in 2019. He’s been overshadowed by teammate SVG, who’s won three of the four Xfinity road course races this season. Allmendinger will look to take that spotlight and earn his first win of the season this weekend.
Sam Mayer +1800 | Top 5 +230
Sam Mayer won this race in controversial fashion last year, dumping Ty Gibbs in Turn 1 and taking the lead from Sheldon Creed in Turn 7 after slipping and sliding. Mayer will be looking for some momentum in the right direction, after failing to finish inside the Top 10 in his last five races. Mayer will look to be in the right place at the right time for the second year in a row at Watkins Glen.
Parker Kligerman +2200 | Top 5 +280
Parker Kligerman recently announced his retirement from full time competition at the end of the 2024 season at just 33 years old. He’s been so close to winning this year, and has had a very consistent second half of the season, where his AVG finish in his last twelve races has been 9th. He’s finished inside the Top 10 in every Xfinity road course race this season, his best finish being 4th at Chicago. Watch out for Parker this weekend.