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Statistical Advance: Analyzing the Tioga Downs 125 at The Glen

The NASCAR Camping World Series East is set for its first road course event of the season with the Tioga Downs Casino 125 at The Glen on Saturday, June 6 at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International.

Watkins Glen International Data
Race Date: 6/6/09
East Race: #5 of 11 | ENTRY LIST
Track Layout: 2.45-mile, 11-turn paved road course
Race Length: 51 laps/125 miles
• The Glen held its first NASCAR Camping World Series East race in 1993.
• Road course racing began in 1948 in Watkins Glen, N.Y. … The current permanent facility opened in 1956 and the first professional race at the new track was a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event in 1957.

Qualifying/Race Data
2008 Pole Winner: Antonio Perez (118.831 mph, 74.223 seconds – TRACK RECORD)
2008 Race Winner: Matt Kobyluck (70.203 mph, 1:55.10)

NCWSE Race Winners at WGI
1993 Bobby Dragon
1994 Butch Leitzinger
1995 Joe Bessey
1996 Andy Santerre
1997 Ted Christopher
1998 Kim Baker
1999 Bryon Wall
2000 Andy Santerre
2001 Tom Carey
2002 Bryon Wall
2003 Ted Christopher
2004 Brad Leighton
2008 Matt Kobyluck

At Watkins Glen International:
• The NASCAR Camping World Series East debuted at Watkins Glen International in 1993.
• WGI will be the first of two road courses that the NCWSE will compete at in 2009 along with Lime Rock Park in Lakeville, Conn.
• Bobby Dragon won the inaugural race at WGI in 1993 and Matt Kobyluck was victorious last year.
• Of the 13 NCWSE races held a the 2.45-mile course, only Ted Christopher, Andy Santerre and Bryon Wall have reached Victory Lane more than once, with two wins apiece.
• Antonio Perez set the series’ qualifying record at WGI last year … He will look to join Dale Quarterly as the only driver two earn more than one Coors Light Pole Award at the track.

Up to Speed:
• Brian Ickler won the NASCAR Camping World Series East season-opener at Greenville (S.C.) Pickens Speedway on April 11 … Rookie Brett Moffitt became the youngest driver in NCWSE history to earn a Coors Light Pole Award at the event.
• Matt DiBenedetto was victorious on April 25 at Tri-County Motor Speedway in just his second start … Rookie Alan Tardiff earned his first career Coors Light Pole Award at the event.
• Kyle Busch – a standout in NASCAR’s three national series – made his NCWS debut in the East/West combination race at Iowa Speedway on May 17 … He set the series’ track qualifying record and went on to lead 168 of 200 laps to capture the race win.
• Last time out at South Boston (Va.) Speedway, Moffitt became the youngest race winner in series history … Ryan Truex also earned his first career Coors Light Pole Award.
• Jody Lavender is the current NCWSE points leader with a 26-point advantage on Moffitt.
• The No. 18 Toyota of Joe Gibbs Racing and J.D. Gibbs is atop the current owners standings … The team has registered two wins and top-10 finishes in each of the first four races.

Selected Driver Highlights:
Eric Curran (No. 36 Chevrolet)
• Will make his first NASCAR Camping World Series East start of the 2009 season.
• Debuted in the series with a sixth-place finish at Lime Rock Park in 2008.
• Competes regularly in the SCCA Speed World Challenge … Is a teammate to Sonny Whelen in SCCA action, who will also be his teammate at Watkins Glen International.

Dustin Delaney (No. 39 Chevrolet)
• Is up to sixth in the season standings.
• Has registered three-straight top-10 finishes entering WGI, the first top 10s of his career.
• Finished 16th in his debut at WGI in 2008.

Matt DiBenedetto (No. 18 Toyota)
• First-year driver for Joe Gibbs Racing that splits time in the car with Max Gresham.
• Finished 10th in his NCWSE debut at Greenville (S.C.) Pickens Speedway.
• Won in his second start at Tri-County Motor Speedway in Hudson, N.C.
• Is scheduled for 3-4 more starts in the car this year.
• WGI will be his first road course experience.

Jason Holehouse (No. 81 Toyota)
• Has one top-10 finish in seven career NCWSE starts … All starts have come at WGI and LRP.
• Finished seventh at WGI in 2008.
• Is the chief instructor of the Eastern Region for the Skip Barber Racing School.

Matt Kobyluck (No. 40 Chevrolet)
• The 2008 NCWSE champion … WGI was one of his four wins last year.
• Has seven poles, 16 wins and 87 top 10s in 161 career NCWSE starts … Has won at 11 different tracks.
• Won the NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown for the second time in his career in January.
• Has finished in the top five in three of his last four starts at WGI.
• Has won four of his last five NCWSE road course starts, including the last three in a row … Three of those four wins came at LRP.

Jody Lavender (No. 88 Chevrolet)
• The current points leader … Registered best career finish of second at GPS.
• Has nine top 10s in 16 career NCWSE starts.
• Finished 15th at WGI in his first race there last year.

Patrick Long (No. 03 Chevrolet)
• Made series debut in the 2009 opener at GPS.
• In two starts in the No. 03, he has registered finishes of sixth at GPS and fifth at TCMS.
• Drives a Porsche in the GT2 class of the American Le Mans Series full-time and has won races this year at St. Petersburg, Fla., and Long Beach, Calif.
• Was part of the winning GT-class team in the Rolex 24 at Daytona in January.

Eddie MacDonald (No. 71 Chevrolet)
• Has five wins and 42 top 10s in 114 career NCWSE starts.
• Is currently third in the standings with three top 10s in four starts.
• Has completed 663 of 665 laps so far this year, the most among all drivers.
• Suffered a blown engine at WGI last year and finished 27th.
• Best career road course finish was a third at WGI in 2003.

Brett Moffitt (No. 44 Chevrolet)
• Sunoco Rookie of the Year points leader has finished in the top five in three of his first four starts.
• Became youngest driver in NCWSE history – surpassing Joey Logano – to earn a Coors Light Pole Award when he accomplished the feat in the season opener at GPS.
• Also surpassed Logano by becoming the youngest race winner in series history at South Boston Speedway.

Steve Park (No. 35 Chevrolet)
• Has two wins and 17 top 10s in 30 career NCWSE starts.
• Is currently eighth in points with a best finish of seventh in the opener at GPS.
• Has wins in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Nationwide Series, Camping World Truck Series and Whelen Modified Tour in addition to his pair in the Camping World Series East … First NSCS win came at WGI in 2000.
• Finished fifth in this race a year ago.

Antonio Perez (No. 12 Dodge)
• Has five career NCWSE starts … Finished 19th at TCMS in his only 2009 start.
• Finished 10th at WGI in 2008 … Earned the Coors Light Pole Award and set a new series track qualifying record for the race.
• The defending NASCAR Mexico Series champion … Is currently 12th in the 2009 standings.

Ryan Truex (No. 00 Toyota)
• Has five career NCWSE starts … Is a 2009 Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidate competing for Michael Waltrip Racing.
• Earned his first career Coors Light Pole Award last time out at SBS, and his third place race finish was his first career top-10 effort.
• Along with his older brother Martin Jr., who earned 13 poles, the Truex’s became the second set of brothers to win Coors Light Pole Awards in the NCWSE along with Brandon and Franklin Butler.

Sonny Whelen (No. 31 Chevrolet)
• Has four career NCWSE starts … Ran at WGI and LRP in 2003 and 2004 … Best finish was 16th in his series debut in 2003 at WGI.
• Competes regularly in the SCCA Speed World Challenge … Is a teammate to Eric Curran in SCCA action, who will also be his teammate at Watkins Glen International.
• Is the owner and executive vice president of Whelen Engineering.

Brian Wong (No. 89 Toyota)
• Has four career starts in the NASCAR Camping World Series West, all in 2008.
• Two best NCWSW finishes came at road courses: 16th at Infineon Raceway and 14th at Miller Motorsports Park.