Does qualifying really matter at Watkins Glen ?
Qualifying in the Top 15 seems to be the place to start if your going to win at Watkins Glen. In looking back at the last 12 races at the Glen, there has never been a provisional winner. The race has been won only once from 15th or back and that was 18th. In 7 of the 12 races they were won from within the Top 5 or 58%. Four of those were from the pole. An incredible 67% of the winners have started in the Top 10. So it seems that a good qualifying run is necessary to win at this track and a Top 15 effort seems essential. The average starting position of the winner in the last 7 races is 8.57. Taking the pole has not had a lot of good times in the last 7 races, as the pole winner has finished in the Top 10 in only 3 of the last 7 races and in the other 4 races, they have finished 19th or worst. Kevin Harvick did win this race from the 7th starting spot last year. The average finishing position of the pole winner in the last 7 races is a whopping 19.14. So qualify in the Top 15, race hard
