Watkins Glen International’s famed 2.45-mile road course is a permanent litmus test of precision and nerve, and its 2025 Cup Series qualifying didn’t disappoint. Ryan Blaney etched his name into the history books with a razor-edged lap of 1:11.960, narrowly outpacing Shane van Gisbergen by just 0.033 seconds to claim the Busch Light Pole. Meanwhile, in the cutthroat midfield, Brad Keselowski found himself embroiled in a flashpoint, friction and miscommunication with Carson Hocevar emerged after the latter unexpectedly slowed in front of Keselowski during a flying qualifying lap. In the confined, high-pressure environment of The Glen paddock, such misunderstandings can morph into flashpoints. But qualifying tension wasn’t the only chapter in their saga; dust from earlier clashes lingered.

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