The NASCAR Cup Series playoffs are off the mark after a thrilling race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. It was Team Penske’s show all day around, with Ryan Blaney and Austin Cindric sweeping the stages. Whereas, Joey Logano added the winning touch, securing his entry to the next round. And the focus now shifts to the road course race at Watkins Glen International.

It is fair to say that the first playoff race saw some big upsets, like Kyle Larson and Denny Hamlin failing to hit their strides. Which puts the onus on them to fire on all cylinders this weekend. Well, the mere thought and pressure to advance to the next round is enough for the drivers to give it their all. But the added incentive of the prize money and winnings only adds to the prestige of winning a race.

Here’s the purse for the Watkins Glen race weekend

The 2024 NASCAR Cup Series races have seen a trend of better-priced purses compared to last year’s events. It all started with the record-breaking purse for the Daytona 500 race at the start of the season. With a windfall of $28 million, it was $1 million more compared to its previous edition. Across the board, the Cup event saw a significant buff in winnings, but that wasn’t always the case for Xfinity and Truck Series races.

But surprisingly, this weekend’s Xfinity Series race at Watkins Glen will see a significant bump in terms of prize money. “Purse for Watkins Glen, including all payouts, all positions. Includes contribution to year-end points fund, contingency awards and all charter payouts for racing and historical performance, etc. Cup: $7,572,831, Xfinity: $1,312,465.” Bob Pockrass updated on X.

The NASCAR Cup race will see an improved payout of almost $400,000. Whereas the Xfinity race will reach the $1.3 million mark. $7,154,312 was the payout for the Cup Series race last year, whereas $1,257,045 was reserved for the Xfinity event. There won’t be a Truck Series race this weekend; they will resume their playoff action at the Bristol Motor Speedway next weekend.

With the Penske Fords dominating the first playoff races, all eyes will be on the big teams and drivers who drew blanks at Atlanta. But who are the strong contenders that could contend for a win at the Watkins Glens?

Top pick of drivers for the win Watkins Glen International

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1. First up we have Willian Bryon, the HMS driver, who is the defending race winner going into this weekend. Last year he dominated the race, leading 66 of 90 laps and registering a win by 2.632 seconds over Denny Hamlin. The 2024 has been a mixed bag for Byron; despite the three wins, he’s struggled for consistent runs. Although he did have two runner-up finishes at Iowa and Michigan, he’s never looked like a genuine title threat. Well, he does have the opportunity to get back into that conversation, and Glen just might be the race he needs to return to winning ways.
2. Out of all the Toyota drivers, Christopher Bell is arguably the strong contender to run up the front of the field and compete for a win. While he’s not known for his road racing prowess, the JGR driver has adapted quite well to this challenge. Last year he finished P3, and he’s never finished worse than eight at Watkins Glen. He also had a runner-up finish early in the season at COTA and has managed to keep himself in contention. So keep an eye out for Bell, as he has scored three back-to-back top-5 finishes.
3. Last but not least, we have Denny Hamlin. Out of all the drivers, perhaps Hamlin is the one who is feeling the heat to deliver. Once a clear favorite to win the championship, it is now hanging by a mere 2 points above the cutline. But the good thing is that his track record at Glen has been really strong. Three of his last four starts at this road course have ended with top-5 finishes; he finished 2nd last year, which does make him a real contender to win the race.

Apart from these three drivers, Martin Truex Jr., Tyler Reddick, and Kyle Larson are also expected to deliver strong performances.