Race Recap NextGen
Watkins Glen International
Fri, Apr 24, 2026Round 6
Cotten Dominates Watkins Glen International: Leads from Pole to Victory
Race at a Glance
🏁Field Size
19
🔄Laps
50
⏱Avg Lap Time
1:22.093
🟡Cautions
2
⚠️Caution Laps
7
🔀Lead Changes
5
🛡️Clean Runners
5
🏎️Lead Lap Finishers
13
Winner Spotlight
Brandon Cotten
P1 Finish
Brandon Cotten
Started P1 • Inc 0
Nicolas Deal
Started P7 • Inc 9
John W Crosby
Started P2 • Inc 5
Race Story
Brandon Cotten captured the victory at Watkins Glen International in DES NextGen action, navigating 5 lead changes across a competitive field of 19 cars to take the checkered flag from P1.
Starting from the pole, Brandon Cotten led a dominant race, controlling the field throughout the event. The win saw Brandon Cotten leading the majority of the race laps.
Nicolas Deal secured second place, just behind Brandon Cotten. John W Crosby rounded out the podium in third.
The hard charger award goes to Tiyler Walts, who gained 7 positions from the starting grid to the checkered flag.
The race saw 2 caution periods, covering 7 laps, while 5 of 19 drivers completed the event without a single incident.
With the win, Brandon Cotten adds another trophy to the cabinet. Full results below.
Top Movers
Tiyler Walts45
▲ +7Brandon M Hinton5
▲ +6Nicolas Deal10
▲ +5Finishing Order
| Finish | Start | +/- | Car # | Driver | Inc | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 71 | Brandon Cotten | 0x | — |
| 2 | 7 | +5 | 10 | Nicolas Deal | 9x | — |
| 3 | 2 | -1 | 73 | John W Crosby | 5x | — |
| 4 | 10 | +6 | 5 | Brandon M Hinton | 2x | — |
| 5 | 6 | +1 | 97 | Jonathon Howell | 6x | — |
| 6 | 13 | +7 | 45 | Tiyler Walts | 2x | — |
| 7 | 12 | +5 | 25 | Donald Ristau | 2x | — |
| 8 | 8 | 0 | 84 | Jeff Dynda | 0x | — |
| 9 | 3 | -6 | 99 | Christian Clark | 8x | — |
| 10 | 4 | -6 | 79 | Michael Scimia | 3x | — |
| 11 | 15 | +4 | 47 | Paul Mrzywka | 0x | — |
| 12 | 9 | -3 | 32 | Jonathan Geist | 4x | — |
| 13 | 14 | +1 | 98 | Jamie Howell | 8x | — |
| 14 | 5 | -9 | 74 | Tyler Smith | 17x | — |
| 15 | 16 | +1 | 82 | Jacob Akers | 5x | — |
| 16 | 11 | -5 | 23 | Thomas Long | 10x | — |
| 17 | 17 | 0 | 81 | Dylan Hinton | 7x | — |
| 18 | 18 | 0 | 88 | Hunter Davis | 0x | — |
| 19 | 19 | 0 | 20 | Robert Sanders | 0x | — |