WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. — A.J. Allmendinger knows all too well what’s at stake on the road course at Watkins Glen International. So, too, does Kyle Busch.

Both drivers enter Sunday’s Sprint Cup race at the storied road course with a keen eye on NASCAR’s postseason – the Chase for the Sprint Cup. Allmendinger, the defending race winner and 23rd in points, needs a win to get into the Chase. Busch simply needs a solid finish to continue his remarkable comeback.

Joey Logano leaves the pits with a gas can stuck to his car during the Xfinity Series race Saturday at Watkins Glen International. Logano was penalized for the incident but rallied to win the race. The Associated Press

SPRINT CUP

WHAT: Cheez-It 355

WHEN: 2 p.m. Sunday

WHERE: Watkins Glen, New York

TELEVISION: NBCSN

Busch has won four of the last six races after missing the first 11 because of a broken right leg and left foot suffered in the Xfinity Series season opener at Daytona. His amazing rally against stiff odds began in earnest at Sonoma in June – he won in just his fifth race back, and on a road course, no less – and he has moved to within 13 points of 30th place in the points, the cutoff for the Chase.

“You try to make the most of it and have some fun with it, come out of here with some decent finishes,” said Busch, who has two wins in 10 starts at The Glen and will start eighth Sunday. “I’m feeling better this week for sure than what I was at Sonoma. I’m doing really, really good, and I feel really, really good week in and week out getting out of the car.”

Allmendinger, 33, has emerged as one of the top road racers in the series. He beat the best in Marcos Ambrose in a fender-slamming victory last year for his first triumph in 213 career Cup starts.

That gave JTG Daugherty Racing its first spot in the Chase, and a year later the same scenario presents itself – win and they’re in again.

At least one obstacle is gone. Ambrose, who won twice in Cup and four straight times in NASCAR’s second-tier series at The Glen, returned to race in his native Australia after last season.

Allmendinger didn’t waste time taking advantage, capturing the pole Saturday.

“Just to experience something that I’ve worked so hard for eight or nine years … was really special,” Allmendinger said. “The thing I’ve learned about the Sprint Cup Series is it doesn’t matter whether somebody needs a win or not. If the opportunity is there, he or she is going to go out there to do whatever they can to get the win.

“It’s no different than last year. The only difference is having the confidence that if it comes down to crunch time like that, I’m able to go out there and make it happen.”

In six career starts at Watkins Glen, Allmendinger has two top-fives and four top-10s, and has the third-best driver rating (100.5). He won the pole on the road course at Sonoma in June before faltering when a fuel pickup problem sapped the power of his No. 47 Chevrolet. That was the same car he drove to victory here a year ago and the same car he’ll race Sunday.

“I feel confident,” Allmendinger said. “I have to be on my `A’ game to have a shot to win. They say Marcos isn’t here, it should be easy for you. You have to remember Jeff Gordon was leading (last year) when he broke. There’s a lot of great drivers. You can’t just single out one or two.”

XFINITY: Joey Logano outdueled Penske Racing teammate Brad Keselowski, overcoming a stop-and-go penalty early in the 82-lap race at Watkins Glen, New York.

It’s the first road course win of his career and 25th in NASCAR’s second-tier series.

The Penske duo led all but three laps on the 2.45-mile layout.

Series points leader Chris Buescher was third, followed by Boris Said and Ty Dillon.

INDYCAR: Series officials announced next year’s schedule will include a race at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.

Practice and qualifying on the 14-turn, 4.048-mile road course will be held June 24-25. The race is set for June 26.

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