The NASCAR Cup Series returns to Watkins Glen International on Sunday for the Go Bowling at The Glen race. This event one of the six road-course races on the 2025 schedule. With Shane van Gisbergen dominating road courses this season it will take a great race for someone else to beat him. Here, you can continue reading to get my breakdown of this race, including my 2025 Go Bowling at The Glen prediction.
Our Go Bowling at The Glen Pick
- Pick: Shane van Gisbergen
- Confidence: ★★★★☆
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Go Bowling at The Glen Preview
This will be the 24th race of the 2025 Cup Series season and it takes place at Watkins Glen’s storied 2.454‑mile track. Stages will end at laps 20 and 40 and the final stage will take place over the remaining 50 laps. Chris Buescher enters as the defending champion from 2024. Christopher Bell has done well on road courses at COTA and in Phoenix. But Shane van Gisbergen is the clear favorite to take the checkered flag this weekend.
SVG has already scored three road course wins at Mexico City, the Chicago street course, and Sonoma. His ability to deliver under pressure makes him the early odds‑on favorite at +140. Connor Zilisch is only a part‑time Cup Series entrant and an Xfinity full‑timer. But he is second in the betting odds at +550 due to his road‑course win at The Glen on the Xfinity circuit last year and solid Cup performances on road courses.
Kyle Larson and William Byron both sit around +1100 and have past success at Watkins Glen. But Larson has struggled in recent races and Byron lacks recent road‑course success. Christopher Bell, Tyler Reddick, and Chase Elliott are available at longer odds and will look to make their mark here.
Go Bowling at The Glen Track Info
- Course length: 2.454 miles, asphalt, seven turns with elevation changes.
- Total distance: 90 laps, 220.5 miles.
- Stage structure: Stage 1 – 20 laps, Stage 2 – 20 laps, Final Stage – 50 laps.
- Broadcast: USA Network at 2:00 p.m. ET
- Last year’s winner: Chris Buescher
Betting Odds
Below is a list of all drivers who are +2500 or shorter to win this year’s Go Bowling at The Glen.
- Shane van Gisbergen: +140
- Connor Zilisch: +450
- Kyle Larson: +1100
- William Byron: +1100
- Christopher Bell: +1100
- Michael McDowell: +1400
- Chase Elliott: +1600
- Kyle Busch: +1800
- A.J. Allmendinger: +2000
- Chris Buescher: +2000
- Ross Chastain: +2000
- Tyler Reddick: +2000
- Chase Briscoe: +2200
- Ty Gibbs: +2500
Go Bowling at The Glen Prediction
Shane van Gisbergen is the clearest choice to win this race. His three road‑course wins this season are unmatched. Each time he has gone off as the betting favorite he has converted in style. His ability to perform on road courses leads me to believe another strong performance at Watkins Glen is coming. He doesn’t need the win for playoff positioning and should just be able to focus on performing well in this race.
Connor Zilisch is intriguing as a secondary option. His rise through the Xfinity ranks includes a victory at this circuit. He’s shown pace in two prior Cup Series races, including an 11th‑place finish at Atlanta. I don’t think he will be able to outperform SVG on this stage, but it certainly wouldn’t be impossible either.
