Rain could play a role in this weekend’s qualifying at Watkins Glen International, and NASCAR drivers Chase Briscoe and Connor Zilisch have shared their thoughts on social media. If rain affects this weekend, both drivers are hoping Mother Nature shakes things up in an unusual way—by pushing NASCAR toward a single-group qualifying format in wet conditions.
The question surfaced after a fan on X (formerly Twitter) asked whether NASCAR would allow practice and qualifying sessions to take place in the rain. Saturday’s weather at Watkins Glen predicts a 70 percent chance of a race. FOX Sports’ Bob Pockrass responded to a fan query with a realistic assessment of the situation.
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“Could see a practice in the rain but likely not qualifying as the conditions could be very different for each of the two groups.” Pockrass wrote.
On road courses like Watkins Glen, NASCAR has increasingly embraced wet-weather racing conditions in recent years, equipping cars with rain tires, windshield wipers, and other modifications to handle slick conditions.
Rather than cancelling qualifying altogether, Joe Gibbs Racing driver Chase Briscoe offers a more exciting alternative. Usually, road course qualifying is split into two groups.
Responding to Pockrass’s tweet, the #19 JGR Toyota driver wrote:
“Hopefully they just make it one group and let us qualify, would be super cool to qualify in the wet.”
NASCAR rising star Connor Zilisch also reacted with a one-word reply:
“Fax”
Chase Briscoe has shown strong road course performance, finishing fifth at Watkins Glen last month. NASCAR Cup Series Rookie of the Year contender Connor Zilisch won back-to-back O’Reilly Auto Parts Series races at Watkins Glen (2024 and 2025).
How are Chase Briscoe and Connor Zilisch performing in the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season?
Chase Briscoe and Connor Zilisch had a disappointing start to their 2026 NASCAR Cup Series campaign with an outside top-30 finish at the Daytona 500. Both drivers have had a topsy-turvy season so far, including two DNFs each.
Briscoe has three top-five and four top-10 finishes with an average finish of 18.7 through 11 races. He stands 16th in the NASCAR Cup Series points standings with 242 points.
Whereas Zilisch has failed to score zero top-fives and zero top-10 finishes so far. He stands 33rd in the NASCAR Cup Series points standings with 124 points.
Watch Chase Briscoe and Connor Zilisch in action at Watkins Glen International on Sunday, May 10, at 3 pm ET.
Edited by Yash Soni


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