Honestly, if you missed the Go Bowling at The Glen this year, you missed a clinic. Watkins Glen International has a reputation for being the fastest road course on the NASCAR calendar, but on August 10, 2025, it felt more like a private track day for one guy in particular. Shane van Gisbergen—the "Kiwi" everyone can't stop talking about—didn't just win; he basically deconstructed the field.
He crossed the line 11.116 seconds ahead of the next car. In NASCAR terms, that’s not a win; that’s a different zip code. It was the 24th race of the 36-race Cup Series season, and the tension was already high with the playoffs looming, but SVG made it look like a Sunday drive through the Finger Lakes.
Breaking Down the Watkins Glen Race Results
The official Watkins Glen race results show Shane van Gisbergen in the No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet taking the checkered flag for his fourth Cup win of 2025. It’s wild because he’s a rookie. You don't see rookies do this. He led 38 of the 90 laps, which was a race-high. Christopher Bell managed to snag second place, but he was never really a threat in the closing stages. Chris Buescher, who actually won Stage 1, ended up third.
The top five was rounded out by William Byron and Chase Briscoe. If you’re looking at the raw data, the average speed was a clipping 101.263 mph. There were only three cautions for eight laps, which is remarkably clean for a road course battle.
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- Shane van Gisbergen (Winner)
- Christopher Bell (+11.116s)
- Chris Buescher (+11.825s)
- William Byron (+16.218s)
- Chase Briscoe (+17.182s)
Ryan Blaney was the pole sitter and led 35 laps, even winning Stage 2. He looked like the man to beat early on, but eventually, he fell back to sixth. Daniel Suarez followed him in seventh, with Bubba Wallace, Tyler Reddick, and Ross Chastain filling out the rest of the top ten.
The Connor Zilisch Factor in Xfinity
We can't talk about the weekend results without mentioning the Xfinity Series Mission 200 at The Glen on Saturday. Connor Zilisch is 19 years old and he's terrifyingly good. He won that race, marking his sixth win of the 2025 Xfinity season. He held off Sam Mayer in a chaotic final restart, though the celebration was cut short when Zilisch had to be taken to the care center for exhaustion. He's fine now, but it shows how hard these guys were pushing in the New York heat.
Why These Results Actually Matter for the Playoffs
NASCAR is all about the "win and you’re in" mentality, but the Watkins Glen race results did something interesting to the points gap. With only two races left in the regular season after the Glen, the bubble was starting to burst for some big names.
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Kyle Busch finished 22nd. That’s a disaster for him. He left the track 102 points below the playoff cutline. On the flip side, Tyler Reddick stayed safe in the 14th spot in the standings, sitting 117 points above the 17th-place cutoff. Ryan Preece was the first man out, trailing Chris Buescher by 34 points.
The field is shifting. We're seeing road course specialists like SVG and AJ Allmendinger (who finished 11th) fundamentally change how teams approach these specific weekends. If you aren't hitting the simulator for right-hand turns, you're basically giving away points.
Some Nuance Most People Ignore
People love to say the "Inner Loop" or the "Bus Stop" is the only place to pass at Watkins Glen. That’s kinda lazy analysis. If you watched the 2025 race closely, the real moves were happening in Turn 1 and the entrance to the Esses. SVG was findng grip in places where Kyle Larson—who finished 39th after a late-race issue—seemed to struggle. Larson actually had the fastest lap of the race at 73.203 seconds, but speed doesn't mean much if you aren't there at the end.
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Real-World Stats You Should Know
- Total Race Time: 2 hours, 10 minutes, and 39 seconds.
- Lead Changes: 8 among 6 different drivers.
- Lap Record Pace: Kyle Larson’s 73.2s lap was a rocket ship, but he finished 15 laps down.
- Manufacturer Dominance: Chevrolet took the win, but Toyota and Ford both put cars in the top six.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Bettors
If you’re following the circuit or looking ahead to the 2026 schedule, keep these takeaways in mind. First, don't bet against SVG on a road course. Ever. He has tied Chase Elliott for the second-most consecutive road course wins in history (4). He’s chasing Jeff Gordon’s record of six.
Second, watch the points gap for the "bubble" drivers. The Watkins Glen results proved that stage points are the lifeblood of a season. Chris Buescher didn't win the race, but by winning Stage 1, he buffered his lead over Ryan Preece.
Your Next Steps:
Check the entry list for the upcoming race at Daytona. Since Watkins Glen left several drivers like Kyle Busch in a "must-win" situation, the aggression level at the next superspeedway is going to be through the roof. Watch for teams like Spire Motorsports or Richard Childress Racing to take massive fuel gambles to leapfrog the standings before the playoffs officially begin.