NASCAR returns to road course action this weekend with the Watkins Glen race, for its fifth such event of the season, following a three-week stint on the ovals at Dover, Indianapolis, and Iowa. Shane van Gisbergen has held the upper hand on the non-oval tracks so far, collecting three wins in the four road course races.
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Watkins Glen, a venue where he has already turned heads in both the Cup and Xfinity Series, will now set the stage for another showdown. But with the stakes raised, road course aces like Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson will have every reason to dig deep and try to reclaim their turf.
According to Bob Pockrass, NASCAR is upping the ante this year, with the Cup Series purse for the Go Bowling at The Glen sitting at $9,797,935. That figure encompasses race payouts, contingency awards, and year-end points fund allocations. It marks a considerable jump from last season’s 2024 Go Bowling at The Glen purse of $7,572,831.
Purses for Watkins Glen weekend including all payouts, all positions incl contingency awards and year-end points fund. For Cup, incl all charter-associated payouts:
Cup: $9,797,935
Xfinity: $1,651,939
Truck: $782,900
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) August 6, 2025
The Xfinity Series drivers will also see a bump in earnings this weekend, with NASCAR putting $1,651,939 on the table, up from $1,312,465 in 2024. Meanwhile, after a three-year break, the Truck Series returns to Watkins Glen, with $782,900 in prize money up for grabs.
Drivers to look out for in the 2025 Go Bowling at The Glen race
Last year, Chris Buescher stole the spotlight at Watkins Glen, snatching his first-ever road-course win in a bumper-to-bumper, last-lap showdown, as he outdueled road-course aficionado SVG, who had muscled his way to the front with a bold inside move from the second row on an overtime restart. But Buescher wasn’t about to back down, chasing him down and sealing the deal when it mattered most.
With SVG back in the mix, he naturally headlines the favorites, but Buescher will be keen to defend his crown and punch his ticket to the playoffs. Meanwhile, Elliott, a two-time winner at the Glen, and Christopher Bell, who boasts an impressive average finish of 8.0 at the circuit, remain names to watch closely.
Kyle Busch, who has logged two wins and an average finish of 11.7 across 19 starts at Watkins Glen, will also arrive with a chip on his shoulder, eyeing a victory that could erase the sting of last season’s playoff miss.
