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The notable incidents and driver clashes you didn't see on TV at Watkins Glen
TL;DR
The NASCAR Cup Series race at Watkins Glen was mostly uneventful, with only one driver not finishing. However, several key incidents and driver clashes went unreported during the TV coverage.
Key points
- NASCAR Cup Series race at Watkins Glen had few incidents.
- Only one driver did not finish the race.
- 32 out of 38 starters finished on the lead lap.
- Two natural cautions occurred during the race.
- Several key moments were missed by TV coverage.
Motorsport photo
There's no doubt that Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series race at Watkins Glen was fairly calm, as only one driver failed to reach the checkered flag and 32 of 38 starters finished on the lead lap.
There were only two natural cautions -- one for flying debris from the infield, and another for a tire carcass at the side of the track.
But there were several moments that the TV coverage either missed live or didn't show the whole story as the race unfolded. We probably missed some as well but after looking back through onboard footage throughout the field, here's a rundown of the major moments you may have missed:
Carson Hocevar gets frustrated with teammate early in the race
Just 14 laps into the race, Hocevar was running 13th with teammate Daniel Suarez directly behind him. They made slight door-to-door contact through the final corner and Suarez drove away while Hocevar got swamped by the pack.
He lost three additional spots after the loss of momentum, and radioed the team through the esses: "I'm never letting Daniel go again. He can go f*** himself. He doesn't have to run into me ... Never letting him go, don't even argue it."
āIām never letting Daniel (Suarez) go again, he can go fuck himselfā-Carson Hocevar
Some trouble between teammates as CH is obviously not happy with early contact from Suarez that lost him 4 spots.
š„:@WhoisSkid#CH77pic.twitter.com/hK23piDr1A
ā Hocevar HQ (@HocevarHQ) May 10, 2026
Cody Ware slams the tire barrier, suffering race-ending damage
In a moment that probably should have been a caution, the Rick Ware Racing driver crashed hard with ten laps to go. FOX caught the tail-end of it, but was never able to provide a full replay.
Ware was running just inside the top 20 with ten laps to go when got put three-wide through Turn 6. He was on the far-outside, next to Ricky Stenhouse Jr. as Suarez and Kyle Larson went by on the far-inside. Ware ended up getting sideways, tagging the right-rear fender of the No. 47 before spinning wildly into the tire barrier just before the entrance of the final corner. The car was heavily damaged, and photos from the track showed some damage to the barrier as well.
The car shot back out onto the track and came to a rest, but Ware quickly got back rolling. The team sent him back out after making repairs, but he was unable to keep pace and had to retire the car from the race.
Cody Ware wrecked like hell and it didnāt bring out a yellow pic.twitter.com/xAiSNvTCxM
ā Rubbin is Racing (@rubbinisracing) May 10, 2026
Josh Berry crashes on the final lap after multiple late-race incidents
The final stint was not kind to the driver of the No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford. With ten laps to go, Berry spun off the nose of Cole Custer at the exit of Turn 6, just as Ware was crashing into the barrier in a separate incident unfolding just ahead of him at the same time. Custer hit Berry in the left-rear right at the apex of the corner, spinning Berry around and costing him about five positions. It wasn't going to get any better for the No. 21 after that either.
The moment Custer got into the back of Berry
The moment Custer got into the back of Berry
On the white flag lap, Berry put the bumper to Hocevar as they battled for 27th spot into Turn 1. Berry then came up the track at the exit of the corner, and Hocevar wasn't giving him any room. They tangled, and Berry spun out, backing into the third of four tire packs lining the outside of the first corner.
"Not clear," radioed Hocevar, who carried on without issue.Ā Berry limped back to the finish line, dropping to 32nd in the final running order. TV showed us Berry after he got into the tire pack, but viewers at home did not see what caused the incident.
ā Skid (@WhoisSkid) May 10, 2026
JOSH BERRY LAST LAP CRASH @ WATKINS GLEN pic.twitter.com/iHOmANa7p0
ā spongy (@spongyahoy) May 10, 2026
Bubba Wallace spins off the nose of John Hunter Nemechek
We saw Wallace spun at the entrance of Turn on TV, but again, we were missing the start of the story. With 14 laps to go, AJ AllmendingerĀ got to the inside of Wallace on the run down into Turn 1. After giving way to the Kaulig driver and trying to slot in behind him,Ā Nemechek drove deep into the corner and tagged Wallace in the right-rear, spinning him around.
"Typical f*** sh*t," radioed Wallace as he rejoined the race in 29th.
ā Jim Golden āļø (@TheJimGolden) May 10, 2026
Josh Bilicki punts Katherine Legge at the exit of the bus stop
With 29 laps to go, Legge was running 34th and Bilicki was 35th. TV caught Legge mid-spin, but here's the full story on what started it. Bilicki caught up to Legge in the middle of the bus stop, bumping her multiple times before muscling his way by. Legge went for a full 360-degree spin, and took a moment before getting the car re-fired. This incident came after a multi-lap battle between the two part-time Cup drivers and the only open entries in the field. Neither driver said anything about the run-in in the immediate aftermath.
brah pic.twitter.com/acuoAE6y3l
ā Skid (@WhoisSkid) May 10, 2026
Kyle Busch runs out of fuel just before the checkered flag
Busch was moments away from his first top five of the year when the No. 8 Chevrolet started to hiccup as he ran on fumes through the final two corners. Onboard video showed that was initially gaining on ChaseĀ Briscoe for fourth, whose car seemed to burp as well before Busch's own car began to stumble.
He started shaking the car from left to right as Tyler Reddick passed him for fifth into the final corner. Austin Dillon and A.J. Allmendinger then passed him on the frontstretch as the checkered flag flew, dropping Busch to eighth in the final running order. It was still his best finish of the year, but there was obviously some frustration over the radio with just how close they wereĀ to a top five. Bilicki then gave Busch a friendly push back to the pits.
P8! Really really solid day. Had a T5 car, just ran out of fuel on the last lap. Definitely headed in the right direction the last couple weeks!!šš» Free Chips & Queso at @cheddarskitchen tomorrow!šš»@ZonePouches l @RCRracing l @TeamChevypic.twitter.com/t70gPgCSi4
ā Kyle Busch (@KyleBusch) May 11, 2026
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Q&A
What were the major incidents during the NASCAR race at Watkins Glen?
Several notable incidents occurred that were not fully covered on TV, including driver clashes and moments captured in onboard footage.
How many drivers finished on the lead lap at Watkins Glen?
Out of 38 starters, 32 drivers finished on the lead lap during the NASCAR Cup Series race.
What caused the cautions during the Watkins Glen race?
The race featured two natural cautions, one due to flying debris and another for a tire carcass on the track.
Why was the NASCAR race at Watkins Glen considered calm?
The race was deemed calm as only one driver failed to finish, and there were minimal interruptions throughout the event.