INDYCAR, Watkins Glen International announce multi-year extension

Watkins Glen International is officially New York’s home for INDYCAR racing once again.

In a joint announcement made at the New York State Fair in Syracuse, Governor Andrew Cuomo, Watkins Glen International President Michael Printup, New York State Senator Tom O’Mara, INDYCAR President Jay Frye, and INDYCAR driver Will Power confirmed that the Verizon IndyCar Series will return to the historic circuit in 2017 and beyond.

“In the end, this was the goal of both Watkins Glen International and INDYCAR – to announce a multi-year agreement. We are very much looking forward to next weekend’s Grand Prix at The Glen, and can’t wait to get started with our efforts to grow this event moving into the 2017 season,” said Printup. “Of course, this would not be possible without the outstanding support that we receive from New York State and Governor Cuomo. It’s just a great day and a very exciting announcement for our fans and partners.”

State Senator Tom O’Mara praised Watkins Glen International as a first-class attraction in the Finger Lakes Region, and a boon to New York State in general.

“The excitement just keeps building for the return of IndyCar racing to The Glen on Labor Day Weekend and so today’s news that we can look forward to this racing for at least two more years is just outstanding. Our thanks to Governor Cuomo and his team for their continued support of racing in Watkins Glen.”

Following the cancellation of the planned Grand Prix of Boston, Printup and Frye announced in Indianapolis that the series would return to Watkins Glen International September 1-4, Labor Day weekend, on a one-year deal that would fill the open date on the schedule.(WGI)

Logano dominates Zippo 200 to notch third straight win at Watkins Glen International

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. -- Joey Logano is off to a fast start at Watkins Glen International – again.
With a win in Saturday’s NASCAR XFINITY Series Zippo 200 at The Glen, the 26-year-old Connecticut native is halfway to a second straight sweep of races of the historic circuit, thanks to a dominant performance and a tire issue that ended teammate Brad Keselowski’s late-race bid.
“It was a lot of fun racing with Brad today,” Logano said in Gatorade Victory Lane. “What an awesome win for Penske today. This has been a long time coming for the XFINITY team and I’m just so happy for them.”

For Team Penske, it was, surprisingly, first XFINITY Series win of the 2016 season. Logano led 67 laps en route to his 26^th series win. Defending NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Kyle Busch challenged for the lead in the early stages of the 82-lap race, but was forced to retire after recurring splitter issues and damage from his involvement in a nine-car incident that brought the race to a halt for a brief red flag. The crash also collected Todd Bodine, Ryan Sieg, Bubba Wallace, Blake Koch, JJ Yeley, Tomy Drissi, Nicolas Hammann, and Scott Heckert.
Paul Menard, who passed Keselowski with seven laps to go, finished second. He was followed by Kyle Larson, Daniel Suarez, and Trevor Bayne.
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Cheez-It™ 355 rounds out the weekend of racing from Watkins Glen International on Sunday, with the green flag scheduled for 2:30 p.m. EST. Tickets for Sunday’s action at The Glen are available at the track's ticket office, located at Gate 4A just off of County Route 16. The race will be broadcast LIVE on USA Network beginning at 2:00 p.m. EST.(WGI)

Cindric stays perfect with win in Bully Hill Vineyards 100 at Watkins Glen International

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. -- Youth was the name of the game on Friday at Watkins Glen International.

The top four finishers of the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East Bully Hill Vineyards 100 were under 20, including eventual winner Austin Cindric, who dominated the 40-lap race that kicked off a tripleheader weekend of NASCAR action at the historic circuit in New York.

Cindric, a high school senior, kept his record in the series perfect, as he leaves Watkins Glen with two starts that have ended in trips to Gatorade Victory Lane. Kaz Grala was the first driver to put pressure on Cindric, who started from the pole, and then relinquished second place to Cole Custer with 10 laps remaining. With just five to go, point leader Justin Haley overtook Custer and pushed Cindric for the final two laps but just didn’t have enough to catch Cindric.

The 17-year-old Cindric is the son of Team Penske president Tim Cindric, and has established an impressive racing resume this season, competing in several stock car and sports car racing series around
the country. He set the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East qualifying record at the newly repaved Watkins Glen earlier Friday with a lap of 1:12.408.

"It's just a lot of fun to do these weekends," Cindric said. "It's great because it's a way to make my name in stock car racing since I'm very new. Hopefully, it will transfer over when I start to do some oval stuff."

The race weekend continues on Saturday, August 6 with qualifying for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Cheez-It 355 at 12:15 p.m. and the green flag drops  on the NASCAR XFINITY Series Zippo 200 at The Glen at 2:00 p.m. Tickets for Saturday and Sunday's action at The Glen are still available online at www.theglen.com, or at the track's ticket office, located at Gate 4A just off of County Route 16.(WGI)

Stewart-Haas Racing to Field NASCAR XFINITY Series Team Beginning in 2017

KANNAPOLIS, N.C. – Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), the championship-winning NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team, will expand into the NASCAR XFINITY Series in 2017.

The organization will field a full-time, single-car team in the XFINITY Series with a driver and sponsor lineup to be announced prior to the conclusion of the 2016 season. The XFINITY Series team will be run from SHR’s headquarters in Kannapolis, North Carolina.

“In order to maintain the competitiveness that has earned SHR two championships since our debut in 2009, we needed an outlet to develop drivers and team personnel for the Sprint Cup Series,” said Greg Zipadelli, vice president of competition, SHR. “People make the difference between winning and losing. An XFINITY Series team gives us added depth that will allow us to promote from within whenever necessary.”

SHR won its first Sprint Cup championship in 2011 with Tony Stewart and earned its second title in 2014 with Kevin Harvick. Since its inception in 2009, SHR has won 33 point-paying races, two non-point races and 28 poles.

“An XFINITY Series team has always been something we would consider when the time was right, and that time is now,” said Stewart, who co-owns SHR with Gene Haas, founder of Haas Automation. “Staying successful in this sport means staying ahead of the curve, and having an XFINITY Series team provides an in-house driver development program and a new channel for personnel to make a positive impact with our race team.”

“This is a natural progression of SHR’s growth and one that allows us to be more self-sufficient,” Haas said. “If you look at all the teams that are successful in Sprint Cup, they have a direct connection to the XFINITY Series where drivers, engineers, mechanics and pit crew members are developed. We’re an established team with a strong infrastructure that is ready for this endeavor.”(SHR)

Watkins Glen International partners donate Cheez-It™ 355, Zippo 200 tickets to soldiers, families

Watkins Glen International announced Friday the generous donation, made by several of the track’s partners, of more than 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Cheez-It™ 355 and NASCAR XFINITY Series Zippo 200 tickets to soldiers and their families.

Kaplan University, Nextera Energy, Genesee Construction, VP Small Engine Fuels, and Weaver Media all purchased tickets to the August 4-7, 2016 race weekend at The Glen, before sharing with U.S. Army, New York Army National Guard, U.S. Marine Corps, and U.S. Air Force representatives. Now, an event known for its armed forces tributes will be complete with military families taking in all of the pageantry and excitement that comes with NASCAR’s lone trip to New York State.

“We couldn’t be more grateful to these five organizations for what they have done for these soldiers and their families,” said Watkins Glen International President Michael Printup. “We look forward to a great contingent of soldier families in the stands and walking the grounds during the upcoming race weekend. In addition, we will have over 100 soldiers from around the area sworn into the military with the oath of Enlistment ceremony, committing to defend the Constitution of the United States of America.”(WGI)