Contested over 90 laps, it was the twenty-second race of the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season and the second of two road course competitions on the schedule.

The track had set up more than 30 police cars with loudspeakers, nine television screens, and the staff has text message availabilities, all intended on warning fans of any thunderstorms approaching.

Watkins Glen International is one of two road courses to hold NASCAR races, the other being Sonoma Raceway.

With three laps to go and Kyle Busch leading, Bobby Labonte's number 47 suffered a drawn-out engine failure, leaving oil all around the track.

Keselowski and Ambrose battled hard for first place, both driving through the grass to avoid more oil in turn 8.