With Sunday's Cheez-It 355 at the Glen fast approaching, it's that time of the week again. Here are some nuggets of news and other assorted bits of knowledge to help you get ready.
-Hard to believe, but it was at this track one year ago where Tony Stewart's life was basically turned upside down after he struck Kevin Ward in a Sprint car accident at Canandaigua, N.Y. Ward passed away from his injuries.
Stewart hasn't been the same since he returned to the race track. No wins, confidence that comes and goes. It's a rough thing to watch.
But there's a tiny bit of hope starting to emerge of Stewart's potential return to his old self. He's qualified well in back-to-back efforts and finished ninth at Pocono last weekend. It will be his first full race back at the Glen since last year's accident - he qualified, but stepped out of the car after the Ward incident - and all eyes will be on Stewart to see how ready he is to race there.
Stewart has finished outside the top 10 only four times in 14 career starts at the Glen. Even with the likely distractions, a win there will put him back in his happy place once and for all.
-For racing on NASCAR's last road course of 2015, it's almost imperative to qualify toward the front. Since Robby Gordon won from 14th in 2003, only one driver has won from outside the top 10. Stewart came from 13th to Victory Lane in 2009.
None of the other winners in the last 12 Glen races have started worse than seventh.
-The last pole winner to win at the Glen was Kyle Busch in 2008. He's also the last driver who swept both road course races (Sonoma) in a Sprint Cup season.
-In three of Tony Stewart's five wins at Watkins Glen (2004, 2005, 2007), qualifying was rained out. Rain isn't in the forecast for Saturday when qualifying happens, but there's a 40 percent chance of the wet stuff Sunday.
For the first time, though, NASCAR is planning to run a Cup race on rain tires should the need arise. That's going to be interesting to watch.
-Kyle Busch update: Even with a 21st-place out-of-gas run at Pocono, Busch is only 13 points behind in the race to get to the top 30 and guarantee a Chase spot.
He was fortunate to be up front when his fuel cell ran dry, but there's no room for error now with only five races to go until the cutoff. Any finish in the high 20s or worse between now and Richmond (Busch was 43rd after wrecking at Michigan in June) will be bad news.
-Unlike at Sonoma, where Busch broke a streak of 10 different race winners there in June, Watkins Glen seems to reward the winning feeling often. Stewart won four of six races at one stretch between 2004 and 2009, and Marcos Ambrose went back-to-back in 2011 and 2012.
Plenty of intrigue awaits this weekend. Save me a seat for all the madness.
Tom Zulewski has been writing about racing throughout his 18-year career in journalism. He thanks you for reading this blog and invites all followers to offer opinion and follow on Twitter @Tomzsports.
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