WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. -- Chris Bueschers unlikely victory at Pocono Raceway last Sunday put an interesting twist into NASCARs Chase for the Sprint Cup.I know we are throwing a wrench at a lot of peoples brackets for the Chase, Buescher said. Its going to be a pretty wild ride to the end.No question.And another twist could be added this weekend on the Watkins Glen International road course.Nobody really expected Pocono to spit a surprise race winner out of the Pennsylvania mountain fog, but Buescher and Front Row Motorsports took advantage of the circumstances to land a provisional berth in NASCARs 16-driver playoffs.A much more likely venue for a shocking result is Watkins Glen. As one of two road races out of 36 on the Sprint Cup schedule, it truly stands out in advance as a wild-card event.The days of one-off road-course ringers are gone, but Watkins Glen gives full-time Cup drivers with substantial road racing experience the opportunity to win their way into the Chase, even if they are not regular front-runners in a series dominated by ovals.In the not-too-distant past, road racing specialists Robby Gordon, Juan Pablo Montoya and Marcos Ambrose grasped the opportunity to win Cup races at Watkins Glen and would have qualified for the Chase had the current format been in effect. More recently, A.J. Allmendinger triumphed at The Glen in 2014 for JTG Daugherty Racing to become the first driver to earn his way into the 16-driver Chase as a road course wild-card winner.For an ex-road racer like Allmendinger and a small team like JTG Daugherty, the road races tilt the playing ground in their favor, allowing them to overcome the greater resources that NASCARs superteams enjoy.With such a perceived advantage, the danger for Allmendinger is to not let the pressure of being a favorite to win get to him.Watkins Glen and Sonoma -- just road course racing in general -- are places where I think a driver can make more of a difference, but youve still got to have the right package, Allmendinger said.Obviously, for a win youre going to take whatever risk you have to, he added. We just have to go out there and do our jobs. Road races also tend to put a premium on fuel and tire strategy, which also occasionally produces a surprise winner.But more often than not, when fuel strategy comes into play, it works in favor of the more experienced teams and drivers and their ability to read the race and react quickly to unexpected developments.Passing is more difficult than it is on most ovals, so track position is king and an experienced driver who gets out front is generally able to defend his position.Maybe thats why the most successful road racers of NASCARs modern era are Tony Stewart and Jeff Gordon, who lead the series with five and four wins respectively at Watkins Glen.Fuel and tire strategy is expected to be even more critical than usual at Watkins Glen this year. Teams found they could not stretch their fuel long enough to complete this years road race at Sonoma on two stops. More important, Watkins Glen was just fully repaved and Goodyear has brought an extremely conservative tire that has shown very little wear in testing and practice.On Friday, drivers were setting their best times 10 or even 15 laps into a run, with some predicting that the 90-lap race could be completed without a tire change.The biggest thing is pit strategy, said?Kyle Busch, a two-time Watkins Glen winner. Obviously, youve got to pick and choose when youre going to pit and stick to your plan. Whether or not we can still do it on two stops, Im unsure of because Sonoma turned into a three-stop race for us all because the new fuel mileage is a little bit off from where we were last year.The tires are lasting a long time, but its like youre on ice the first few laps, he added. Its a conservative tire, and that way, we are not going to have any tire issues, but it just provides for a lack of grip early in the run.Fellow Toyota driver Martin Truex Jr. says he believes the track will continue to pick up speed as rubber is put down over the weekend.The track is definitely a lot more challenging with the new pavement, Truex said. The tires are really hard -- they dont wear out -- which is typical for repave whether its an oval or a road course. So you dont really change tires or wear tires out, you just keep running on them and they get faster and faster and faster.I think its really challenging just to figure out where your car is, because at some point in the race you have to put tires on. Thats a big challenge, but well see where it goes.The other part of the repave is that many of the curbs lining the 2.45-mile, nine-turn course have been raised or reprofiled. That led to some cars getting slightly airborne during practice as drivers worked out just how much of an advantage they could gain by bouncing over curbs rather than going around them.I dont remember all of my old [braking and turn-in] marks, I just remember there are new ones out there and it took me a little while to kind of get my marks right, Toyota driver Carl Edwards?said. I ran over the curbs wrong a couple times and found some slick spots on the curbs.Its fun to show up at a place and have to catalog everything and remember where all the speed is.Even Allmendinger, the 2014 winner and 2015 pole sitter, struggled to adapt. He had a rough first practice session and overcame a loose oil line in the afternoon to set the fastest time of the day.It looks the same but it drives different, he said. Theres a lot of new things around this place. http://www.ramsrookiestore.com/Rams-Ethan-Westbrooks-Jersey/ . -- If this was Aaron Gordons final home game at Arizona, and it almost certainly was, then he went out in style. http://www.ramsrookiestore.com/Rams-Andrew-Whitworth-Jersey/ . Ancelotti says Ronaldo has recovered from a hamstring injury but "but he doesnt feel comfortable yet so we wont risk him." Madrid is third in the Spanish league, six points behind leader Barcelona, going into Saturdays game against Valladolid. http://www.ramsrookiestore.com/Rams-Robert-Woods-Jersey/ . "I wrote 36 on my sheet at the beginning of the game," the Cincinnati coach said, referring the yard line the ball would need to be snapped from. http://www.ramsrookiestore.com/Rams-Jack-Youngblood-Jersey/ . Cote was eligible to become a free agent Feb. 15. Cote helped running back Jon Cornish run for a league-high 1,813 rushing yards en route to being named the leagues most outstanding player. http://www.ramsrookiestore.com/Rams-Jacob-Mcquaide-Jersey/ . -- Golden State Warriors coach Mark Jackson asked his players a simple question during Fridays morning shootaround: How many of them had ever been on a team 14 games over . Its here.College footballs Rivalry Week features trophies, grudges, season-making wins and season-breaking losses. Heres an illustrated look at seven of the sports biggest rivalries. All seven will be played this weekend, and all have some impact on the College Football Playoff race.We even threw in everything you need to know -- and read -- about each game.The Game (noon ET on Saturday, ABC)How could The Game get any bigger? No. 3 Michigan faces No. 2 Ohio State with playoff implications added to the tradition.All-time series: Michigan leads 58-48-6.Last years result: Ohio State 42, Michigan 13Everything you need to read before kickoffTen years later, the 2006 Michigan-Ohio State game still resonatesFootball and friendship bond Michigans Jourdan Lewis and the Vasher twinsThe power of J.T. Barretts voiceUrban Meyer, Jim Harbaugh lead to rivalrys new Ten Year WarInfographic: Jim Harbaughs handiwork at MichiganJim Harbaughs circle of friends is as cool as youd expectDear Jim Harbaugh, heres how you beat Ohio StateIron Bowl (3:30 p.m. ET Saturday, CBS)Can Auburn put a dent in No. 1 Alabamas perfect season? Can anybody put a dent in Alabamas perfect season??All-time series: Alabama leads 44-35-1.Last years result: Alabama 29, Auburn 13Everything you need to read before kickoffAlabamas Reuben Foster (and his Auburn tattoo) ready for final Iron BowlWhat if Sean White cant start for Auburn?Even for Bama, going undefeated is no easy featHow Auburn can beat AlabamaApple Cup (3:30 ET on Friday, FS1)This season, Washington and Washington State battle for control of the Pac-12 North. At stake (other than state pride, of course): The Huskies playoff hopes.All-time series: Washington leads 70-32-6.Last years result: Washington 45, Washington State 10Everything you need to read before kickoffFor Mike Leach, Apple Cup is the main prize for Washiington StateWashingtons strength of schedule not wowing CFP committeeCelebrating the weird and wonderful history of the Apple CupThe story of Ol Crimson, Wazzus GameDay legendGovernors Cup (noon ET Saturday, ESPN)After falling out of the CFP top four, Louisville tries to bounce back against Kentucky.dddddddddddd The Cardinals are probably a long shot, at best, to crack the CFPs top four. But theres still plenty to play for, especially for Heisman frontrunner Lamar Jackson.All-time series: Series tied 14-14.Last years result: Louisville 38, Kentucky 24Everything you need to read before kickoffLamar Jackson maintains strong Heisman lead despite poor performance against HoustonStoops, Kentucky jump major hurdle by making bowlPaul Bunyans Axe (3:30 p.m. ET Saturday, BTN)Wisconsin needs to keep winning, but Minnesota could make things interesting in the Big Ten West. The Badgers need to take out their old rivals to keep their CFP chances alive.All-time series:?Minnesota leads 59-58-8.Last years result: Wisconsin 31, Minnesota 21Everything you need to read before kickoffHow Wisconsins Vince Biegel went from a cranberry marsh to mashing QBsLand-grant rivals (3:30 p.m. ET Saturday, ESPN)Penn State has B1G title hopes. Can Michigan State, a CFP team a year ago, upset the playoff-hopeful Lions?All-time series:?Michigan State leads 15-14-1.Last years result: Michigan State 55, Penn State 16?Palmetto Bowl (7:30 p.m. ET Saturday, ESPN)No. 4 Clemson is trying to stay in the playoff race. South Carolina would love to ruin any playoff plans.All-time series:?Clemson leads 67-42-4.Last years result: Clemson 37, South Carolina 32Everything you need to read before kickoffJordan Leggett keeps pushing for a fallen teammate Camo China NFL Jerseys Jerseys From China Wholesale Nike NFL Jerseys Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys Youth NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys 2019 Cheap Jerseys 2019 Wholesale Jerseys Free Shipping Wholesale Jerseys 2019 Cheap NFL T-shirts Disocunt Football Jerseys Jerseys NFL Cheap Cheap Jerseys From China Disocunt Football Jerseys Cheap Stitched Jerseys ' ' '