2011 Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at The Glen

Watkins Glen International, the road course where the race was held.

Watkins Glen International is one of two road courses to hold NASCAR races, the other being Infineon Raceway.[4] The standard short road course at Watkins Glen International is a 7-turn course that is 2.45 miles (3.94 km) long;[5] the track was modified in 1992, adding the Inner Loop, which lengthened the long course to 3.4 miles (5.5 km) and the short course to the current length of 2.45 miles (3.94 km).[6]

Before the race, Carl Edwards was leading the Drivers' Championship with 720 points, and Jimmie Johnson stood in second with 711 points. Kyle Busch and Kurt Busch followed in third and fourth with 709 and 706 points, six ahead of Kevin Harvick and 38 ahead Jeff Gordon in fifth and sixth. Ryan Newman with 658 was 16 points ahead of Tony Stewart and 19 ahead of Dale Earnhardt, Jr.[7] In the Manufacturers' Championship, Chevrolet was first with 140 points, 21 ahead of Ford, and 26 ahead of Toyota. Dodge was placed fourth with 89 points.[8] Juan Pablo Montoya is the race's defending winner from 2010.[9] Kyle Busch began leading, but when they entered turn 1 of the last two laps, he turned too far and immediately in second place Brad Keselowski and Marcos Ambrose in third place passed him. Keselowski lead until Marcos Ambrose quickly took the lead in the Inner Loop. Ambrose continued to lead when a major crash occurred at turn 2 in the final lap involving Boris Said, David Ragan, David Reutimann and few other cars that saw Reutimann go airborne and end up on his roof. This accident did not bring out the caution flag, but was brought out soon after when Tony Stewart spun out of control at the Inner Loop and Ambrose won the race.