CONCORD, N.C. -- Like all the tracks on the NASCAR Cup Series circuit, Watkins Glen International has its own characteristics that make it unique and challenging for the teams in the field. The seven-turn road course had been a steady staple on the schedule for over 30 years before the COVID-19 pandemic forced NASCAR to alter the Cup schedule and drop Watkins Glen in 2020.
Now The Glen’s doors are back open and the teams have taken the past two weeks to re-familiarize themselves with the twists and turns of the 2.45-mile track. One of the most unique, yet difficult aspects of the road course is pitting backward. Everything the crews are used to doing on tracks that aren’t road courses has to be flipped around.
“It’s actually kind of tough because everything completely the opposite of what you’re used to,” No. 48 tire carrier Allen Stallings said. “And then you’re coming back from two weeks off, so it’s almost like you got to find your rhythm but you got to find your rhythm backward. It’s a little tricky.”
While getting back in a groove can take a little bit of time, most of the pit crew members said having the two weeks off was crucial in letting their bodies rest and having any small nicks and bruises heal. Not only are they rested physically, but mentally they are ready to get back on pit road.
“It’s a little switch up, but we’re able to come back and ease into it,” No. 9 jackman T.J. Semke said of pitting backward. “There’s not going to be a lot of opportunities to do pit stops this weekend – probably two or three at most. We are going to go out there, do them cleanly and get them done.”
Spencer Bishop, the jackman for the No. 24 crew, said coming back from the break is one of the better ways to prepare for Watkins Glen. Like Semke, Bishop feels rested and clear minded to taking on backward pitting, rather than having to adjust after grinding for multiple races. He also has full faith in driver William Byron, who has finished inside the top 10 three times in the last seven road course races.
“William is a good road course racer, and Hendrick Motorsports’ cars seem to do really well at road courses,” Bishop said. “I think we have a good shot to win. It shows you how talented he really is – he’s a great guy to pit for because every week you got a shot with him.”
On Byron’s end, he said his pit crew will be crucial during his run at The Glen. With much fewer pit stops, any ground gained on pit road could be the key needed to secure a win.
“The biggest thing is not driving through too many pit stalls coming in, and then once you get squared up, you try to just get the middle of the car with the sign,” Byron explained. “It’s not a huge deal for me, I just need to make sure I don’t make any mistakes that would be a penalty.”
Perhaps the pit crew member who is most looking forward to Watkins Glen is pit coach Jon Carvin. An Upstate New York native, his sister picked him up after he flew into Syracuse on Thursday so he could spend extra time with his family before the race.
“I’m staying at my mom’s house for the weekend and can’t wait to visit with them,” Carvin said. “I love going to Watkins Glen. I love that Chase (Elliott) wins there all the time. It’s a great place to go, a great, beautiful country up there. I’m definitely excited.”
While it’s been two years since Elliott’s win at Watkins Glen, he’s currently the back-to-back champion of the road course. The driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE swept the stages during 2019 event and led 52 of 90 laps in 2018.
“I’ll never lean on the No. 9 – we’re always trying to beat those guys!” Lineback joked. “I think our team, the No. 48 and Alex (Bowman) are always prepared. We’ve had fast race cars and Alex is awesome at road courses. We respect the No. 9 a lot and we know that Chase is really good there. It’s always good to see a Hendrick car win. That’s momentum for all of us and if all of us can learn from the winner, it helps our race cars, our teams and our drivers.”
Catch all the action for Sunday’s race at Watkins Glen at 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN to see if Hendrick Motorsports can extend its win streak at the road course to three.