– Former Cup Series Stars and the Nation’s Top Historic Stock Car Drivers Compete in Saturday’s NASCAR Classic Doubleheader at the NASCAR Go Bowling at The Glen Weekend
– Inaugural Race Winners and Podium Finishers from Last Month’s VIRginia International Raceway (VIR) Series Premiere Compete at The Glen with Familiar and First-Time Teams and Drivers Making NASCAR Classic Debuts
WATKINS GLEN, New York (September 12, 2024) – The second race event ever for the HSR NASCAR Classic presented by Petty’s Garage series, which debuted last month at VIRginia International Raceway (VIR), takes place at Watkins Glen International this Friday and Saturday as part of the packed NASCAR Go Bowling at The Glen Weekend. Opening practice and qualifying sessions on Friday set the stage for Saturday’s twin HSR NASCAR Classic 30-minute races that are scheduled to go green at 8:30 a.m. and 6:15 p.m. EDT.
Open to stock cars that have been retired from active competition, the introduction of the HSR NASCAR Classic presented by Petty’s Garage was a result of the increasing popularity of HSR’s historic stock cars category with competitors and race fans alike. This weekend’s doubleheader is the second-consecutive HSR historic stock cars race at The Glen after HSR made its first-ever appearance on a full weekend of top-tier NASCAR stock car competition at the 2023 Go Bowling weekend as a precursor to the new HSR NASCAR Classic series.
Several drivers that were victorious or reached the top-three podium in the inaugural series race three weeks ago at the Michelin GT Challenge at VIR are looking for more at Watkins Glen. Ryan Gemmell finished second overall in the VIR weekend’s feature race and arrives at The Glen determined to take his first NASCAR Classic race win in in his 2009 No. 6 Toyota Camry.
Fourth overall and first in his class at the VIR opener was secured by Patrick Womack, who put in a solid run in his 2014 No. 11 Toyota Camry campaigned in its prime by Joe Gibbs Racing and Denny Hamlin. Womack finished second in the same car in last year’s HSR stock cars race on the Go Bowling weekend and joins Nemechek Motorsports & Engineering principal and former NASCAR star “Front Row” Joe Nemechek among the drivers making a return appearance for the first NASCAR Classic race at The Glen.
After running a Toyota Camry at VIR, Nemechek is stepping into his 2007 No. 45 Chevrolet Silverado stock car truck (SCT), similar to the Chevy he put on pole last year at The Glen. Another SCT headed to The Glen will be driven by Scott Dolfi, who makes his first NASCAR Classic race start in a 2016 No. 4 Chevrolet Silverado. Dolfi’s Silverado was driven in contemporary NASCAR Truck Series competition by Nemechek’s son, John Hunter Nemechek.
Winning Ford stalwart and HSR competitor Kurt Vogt is also set for his first NASCAR Classic race in his Cobra Automotive-prepared 1997 No. 6 Ford Thunderbird. Like the Nemechek Motorsports & Engineering operation, Vogt’s Cobra Automotive team fields several NASCAR Classic entries this weekend at The Glen.
Vogt recently acquired the ex-Valvoline Racing and Mark Martin Thunderbird he drives in competition for the first time this weekend. Vogt’s Ford is one of three 1990’s era stock cars his Cobra Automotive team brings to The Glen.
Longtime team driver Gary Moore makes his NASCAR Classic debut in the 1994 No. 12 Ford Thunderbird while Jeff Rocco competes in the oldest car in the race, a 1993 No. 2 Miller Genuine Draft liveried car formerly driven by Rusty Wallace.
Eligible NASCAR Classic stock cars include those built to previous NASCAR rule book specifications for Cup, Xfinity, Truck and ARCA competition. Current editions of the rules-eligible cars in each series, such as the Cup series Generation 7 chassis, are not eligible in NASCAR Classic competition.
Spectator tickets for the NASCAR Go Bowling at The Glen race weekend are available online at www.theglen.com.
About HSR: Now an IMSA property, Historic Sportscar Racing (HSR) was formed in the mid-1970s with an event at Road Atlanta. There was one goal then and it remains true today: to celebrate the race cars from the past. As a “time machine” of sights and sounds, HSR provides a venue for competitors and spectators alike to share in the wonderful history and excitement created by the cars that competed at race tracks around the world. HSR currently sanctions 10 vintage and historic racing events at some of the world’s most renowned race tracks, including Road Atlanta, Sebring International Raceway, Daytona International Speedway and more. The complete schedule and full event information can be found on HSR’s website at www.HSRRace.com. Look for the HSR Channel on YouTube and follow HSR on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/HSRrace/
