SPRINT CUP SERIES – CHEEZ-IT 355 AT THE GLEN,

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES – CHEEZ-IT 355 AT THE GLEN, SUNDAY, AUGUST 11, 1 P.M. ET ON ESPN

Johnson Can Clinch Chase Berth At The Glen

Jimmie Johnson this week can become the first driver to clinch a berth in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup™. The five-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion needs to leave Watkins Glen International with at least a 193-point lead over the driver holding the 11th position in the standings. Johnson, the only driver to appear in all previous nine editions of the Chase, currently leads 11th-place Tony Stewart by 178 points. The Hendrick Motorsports driver has never won at The Glen, but has finished third twice – including a year ago.

Truex’s Chase Chances Could Improve With Road-Course Sweep

Sonoma winner Martin Truex Jr., second in the current Chase Wild Card standings, could improve his postseason chances considerably by sweeping the season’s two NASCAR Sprint Cup road races. A victory at The Glen would mark the first season sweep since Kyle Busch won both road races in 2008. Truex, who drives for Michael Waltrip Racing, owns two top-five and four top-10 finishes at The Glen. His best performance at the track was fourth in 2011.

Ambrose Bids To Become Third Driver To Score Glen "Triple"

Australian import Marcos Ambrose has his sights set squarely on a Glen "triple" as the two-time reigning winner of this weekend’s Cheez-It 355 at The Glen. Ambrose’s 2011 victory was his first in NASCAR’s premier series. A year ago, the Richard Petty Motorsports competitor repeated by holding off champion-to-be Brad Keselowski in a door and fender rubbing, on- and off-track lap that proved to be one of the most intense and exciting serials of the 2012 campaign. Only two drivers – Jeff Gordon (1997-99) and Mark Martin (1993-95) – have won three consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup races at The Glen.

Stewart Nothing Short Of Superlative At The Glen

Nobody does The Glen better, arguably, than three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Tony Stewart. The Indiana competitor has the most victories at the 2.45-mile road course – five over the past 11 races, the most recent victory coming in 2009. A sixth win most likely would cement a Chase Wild Card spot – Stewart provisionally holds the top Wild Card position – and could restore him to the top 10 in the NASCAR Sprint Cup standings. Stewart, five points behind 10th-place Greg Biffle, owns The Glen’s top Driver Rating of 120.4.

Is This Gordon’s Weekend For First 2013 Victory?

NASCAR Sprint Cup’s all-time road-race winner Jeff Gordon, with nine victories, continues his mid-season climb into championship contention. Gordon has won four times at The Glen, most recently in 2001. His second-place finish at Pocono Raceway advanced the four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion to ninth in the standings – one spot behind Pocono winner and Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kasey Kahne. All four of the Hendrick drivers – Johnson, Kahne, Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr. – occupy a top-10 spot and provisional Chase berths.

Kurt Busch Continues Pursuit Of Chase History

Drivers from single-car teams have been under-represented in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup™ - in fact, never represented at all. Kurt Busch, who drives the No. 78 Furniture Row Chevrolet, can eliminate that statistic; especially if he wins this Sunday’s event at The Glen. The 2004 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion is winless at the New York track but has a road-racing victory at Sonoma in 2011. Busch, who finished third at Pocono, is in the thick of the Chase’s top 10/Wild Card fray ranking 13th in the standings just 11 points behind 10th-place Greg Biffle.