The 2.5-mile road course at Watkins Glen International has played host to some of the most entertaining races in NASCAR history. One such event was the 2012 Finger Lakes 355. It was a standard Cup Series race with Kyle Busch dominating the majority of the event.
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However, the final few laps gave the viewers such action that it left a lasting impact on the fandom, prompting them to talk about it for more than a decade to come.
With four laps to go in the race at the time, Busch appeared to be cruising toward victory lane with a 2.1-second lead over second-placed Marcos Ambrose. Ambrose was a driver for Richard Petty Motorsports at the time and piloted the #9 Ford. Brad Keselowski was further behind him in third. Two laps remained when all hell broke loose at ‘The Glen’.
After Bobby Labonte’s car spilled oil over the track and as the white flag dropped to signal the start of the final lap of the race, Busch was still leading. Heading into turn 1 of the facility, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver at the time went wide which allowed Keselowski who was now in second place to close up.
ONE OF THE CRAZIEST NASCAR FINISHES EVER!
Twelve years ago, Marcos Ambrose and Brad Keselowski battled hard for the win at Watkins Glen. pic.twitter.com/lfnFfyTSTJ
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) September 11, 2024
As the duo climbed the subsequent esses on the track, Keselowski was seen nudging Busch into a spin as the latter tried to block the #2 Dodge Charger driver. Keselowski suddenly found himself in the lead of the race with Ambrose in hot pursuit.
The Australian driver did well to drive up to Keselowski’s bumper in the meantime, passing him later in the lap with liberal use of the same. Keselowski returned the favor and tried to repass Ambrose into the second last turn of the track.
Both drivers’ aggressive driving was a result of finding grip off-line where oil had not soiled the grip levels of the tarmac, which meant either driving unconventional lines or duking it out in the grass. The drivers rode each hard as the white flag approached. Heading into the final corner, both drivers were seen level with each other.
On this day in 2012, Marcos Ambrose won at Watkins Glen! pic.twitter.com/gI7ikYZnBt
— Nascarpixtures (@Nascarpixtures) August 12, 2023
Ambrose eventually found more grip on the outside to overtake Keselowski and win the thrilling race. Fans almost fell off the edges of their seats. The scene was completed with Jeff Gordon spinning out behind him.
The unanswerable question that clouded the 2012 Watkins Glen race
Almost every driver on the field complained that the track was suddenly covered in oil for the final two laps. Jimmie Johnson said at the time, “I thought I blew a right-front tire when I turned in (the corner). (I thought), ‘Why would I blow a right front?’ The right front was in the oil slipping, and I could feel that.” Dale Jr., Jeff Gordon, and Brad Keselowski were of the same opinions.
However, NASCAR analyzed the situation and told the press that there was no evidence of oil on the track. So, how could the weird character of the track be explained? Busch’s crew chief Dave Rogers said that Bobby Labonte’s #47 car faced some issues and sprayed oil all over the track.
The spillage was so severe that Keselowski at one point thought that it was Busch who was facing an issue. The race ended with Johnson in third place and Clint Bowyer rounding off the top five along with Sam Hornish Jr. Keselwoksi would go on to win the 2012 Cup Series championship 14 races later.
