Pirelli World Challenge Returns to The Glen, With Championships Up for Grabs

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. - Multiple Pirelli World Challenge championships will be decided this weekend, Aug. 30 - Sept. 2, and what better place to battle them out than at the home of North American road racing, Watkins Glen International?

With a 29-point lead in the overall standings, newly crowned GT SprintX champion Toni Vilander seeks the overall championship, although the R. Ferri Motorsport driver trails Pfaff Motorsports’ Scott Hargrove by eight points in the GT Sprint title.

Hargrove is making his rookie performance in PWC an impressive one with double wins at St. Petersburg and consistent podium finishes both Sprint and SprintX.

Porsche factory driver Michael Christensen is still in the GT points fight along with the K-PAX Racing pair of Rodrigo Baptista and former GT champion Alvaro Parente.

In the GT overall manufacturers’ standings, Ferrari has 140 to Porsche’s 134 and Bentley’s 106, while Pfaff Motorsports tops the GT Sprint team points with 144 to K-PAX Racing’s 138 and R. Ferri Motorsport’s 134.

In the GTA class, Martin Fuentes seeks a repeat of his 2016 title with an 18-point margin over Yuki Harata, while the class title will likely come down to the Squadra Corse Garage Italia and Dream Racing.

In GTS, James Sofronas already collected the GTS SprintX Pro-Am title with Alex Welch, but also leads the overall and Sprint championships heading into the weekend.

The GMG Racing owner/driver, who won the 2017 GTA and GT SprintX Pro-Am titles, holds a 38-point lead over Racers Edge Motorsports’ Harry Gottsacker in the overall title race and 21 points ahead of Lawson Aschenbach in the Sprint championship fight. 

In addition, the manufacturers’ point battle is extremely close with Audi leading at 97 followed by Chevrolet at 89, Ford at 88 and Panoz at 86. GMG tops the teams championship with 179 to Racers Edge at 170 followed by Blackdog Speed Shop at 161, Team Panoz Racing at 158 and PF Racing at 147.

Newly crowned SprintX Am champion Drew Staveley, meanwhile, also leads the GTSA points, but only six markers ahead of Jeff Courtney, with Tony Gapes and Mike Hedlund tied for third in the standings.

A total of 79 cars are entered across the GT, GTS and Touring Car races this weekend. Weekend and Sunday only tickets will be sold along with camping at the facility’s Gate 2 entrance. For more information, visit www.TheGlen.com or call 866-461-RACE.

Cup Drivers Highlight Great Outdoors RV Superstore 100 Lineup

There is no question that the K&N race at Watkins Glen International is full of talent year in and year out. On the entry list for this year’s Great Outdoors RV Superstore 100, there are 25 total cars which include two very popular Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers.

Erik Jones, as well as Bubba Wallace will test out their skills at road course racing on Friday, in preparation for Sunday’s big race. These two young guns are entered into tomorrow’s race to gain more experience at Watkins Glen International and to assure their teams that they are prepared for the challenge. Jones did this prior to running at Sonoma in June, which he believed made a big difference in the outcome of the race. Jones finished sixth in the K&N Pro Series West race and ended up seventh in the Cup race that Sunday.

Bubba Wallace ran full-time in the K&N Pro Series East from 2010 to 2013. Over those three years, Bubba had six wins, 16 top fives, and 25 top tens. Bubba is still working out the kinks of a rookie season this year driving the No. 43 for Richard Petty Motorsports in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. Running in the K&N Pro Series East race tomorrow will take Bubba back to his roots, and help him to feel more confident for when he straps in the car on Sunday, August 5^th, for the Go Bowling at The Glen race.

Also joining the field is Brett Moffitt and Noah Gragson. Moffitt and Gragson both run full-time in the Camping World Truck Series with Moffitt running the No. 16 Toyota for Hattori Racing Enterprises and Gragson in the No. 18 Kyle Busch Motorsports owned Toyota. Gragson is also a part-time driver in the NASCAR Xfinity Series as a part of the Joe Gibbs Racing team.

Defending race winner Will Rodgers, a member of the 2018 NASCAR Next class is looking to defend his title again this year. Fellow NASCAR Next member Ryan Vargas is a member of the stacked driver lineup as well as the series point’s leader Tyler Ankrum. These drivers will be putting it all on the line for their shot at victory during tomorrow’s Great Outdoors RV Superstore 100 at The Glen.

Six Things to See While at The Glen

Go Bowling Fan Experience

This year, Go Bowling joined the Watkins Glen International family as our title sponsor for the Monster Energy Cup Series race on Sunday, August 5th. Bowling, similar to racing, is all about friends, family, and fun! Enjoy the best of both worlds by stopping over to the Go Bowling fan experience display on the Midway! Go Bowling has set up a pair of bowling lanes for fans to enjoy. Fans will also have the opportunity to win bowling gear, free games and prizes, a chance to meet both PBA and NASCAR professionals, as well as a chance to win upgraded Pit Box seats!

Zippo Display

The Zippo display is where you can enjoy music by a live DJ, and participate in some awesome giveaways. Rock your Zippo swag this weekend!

If you ordered a 2018 commemorative Zippo lighter, you can pick it up here at the Zippo Hotspot.

Great Outdoors RV Superstore Exhibit

If you love to camp, or even if you don’t, make sure to check out the Great Outdoors RV Superstore display on the Midway. You can tour different types of RV's, and check out the latest camping gear! Great Outdoors RV Superstore will satisfy all of your outdoor needs.

McDonald's Kids Zone

The McDonald’s Kids Zone, located next to The Pyramid, will feature fun games and awesome inflatables! On Saturday, August 4th, the McDonald Kids Zone will host a McDonald’s Movie Night featuring the film Coco. The movie will begin at 8:30 p.m. Bring chairs, blankets, and your favorite movie time snacks. It's fun for the whole family!

Concerts

Friday night, Watkins Glen International is proud to present on the Jack Daniel’s Summer Stage Small Town Shade and the Preston James Band. Small Town Shade is a country rock group based out of Cortland, N.Y. They have opened up for many big name artists like Steve Moakler, Tyler Farr, Craig Campbell, and Old Dominion just to name a few. The Preston James Band from Nashville, Tennessee features 17 year old Preston James. In 2016, James secured a top 48 spot on Season 11 of NBC’s The Voice as a member of Blake Shelton’s team. The Preston James Band features many talented young musicians who set their focus on the country music genre.

Saturday night, located at the Gate 1 Concert area, local artist Devon Franks will be performing. Devon Franks has opened up for Dierks Bentley, Travis Tritt, Jon Pardi, and many more. Also happening that night at the Gate 7 Concert area is a bluegrass country band, the Pete Franks Band. All concerts will begin at 7:00 p.m.

The Glen Dog

The Glen Dog is our most famous Watkins Glen International concession stand item. It is a Sahlen’s hot dog on a pretzel bun, covered in mac & cheese with crunchy Goldfish crackers sprinkled on top. Make sure to bring your appetite and swing by one of the Watkins Glen International concession stands this weekend!