The NASCAR Cup Series takes on a road course for the final time in the regular season with the Go Bowling at The Glen on Aug. 10 at Watkins Glen International.
Shane van Gisbergen is the race favorite and for good reason after three straight road-course wins.
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But Watkins Glen features close-quarters racing with higher speeds and more tight braking zones than tracks like Mexico City.
Last year, Chris Buescher outdueled SVG late for the win at Watkins Glen. Buescher needs a good weekend at WGI, entering the weekend 23 points ahead of teammate Ryan Preece for 16th.
Here are The Tennessean’s expert picks for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Watkins Glen:
NASCAR predictions for Cup Series Watkins Glen race: Here’s who wins the Go Bowling at The GlenMike Organ’s pick: Connor Zilisch, No. 87 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
ZIlisch, 19, has six career Xfinity Series wins as he returns to where he got his first Xfinity victory last year. Zilisch has been on fire in the Xfinity Series, having won three of the last four races.
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Nick Gray’s pick: Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
Call it a hunch (and a reason to talk about someone other than SVG): Spire has been too good not be a factor in the playoffs somehow. Maybe it’s a playoff-race win for a non-playoff driver, or maybe it’s McDowell claiming a not-that-surprising win at Watkins Glen. He has two top-5 finishes at road courses this summer.
Tom Kreager’s pick: Shane van Gisbergen, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Is this cheating? Afterall, van Gisbergen has been a bit of a cheat code on road courses in 2025. So why not ride the No. 88 until proven otherwise?
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: NASCAR Watkins Glen predictions 2025: Expert picks for Cup Series race