Stewart likes Watkins Glen

By Jim Pedley

Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service

There is a sizable handful of Sprint Cup Series drivers who, from the sound of it, are relying mainly on things like crossed fingers and hopeful talk to get them through Sunday’s road race at Watkins Glen International.

Not Tony Stewart. Not with his numbers.

Stewart can put his faith in his incredible history of success at The Glen — he has finished first or second the past six years and has five wins overall.

“There are some drivers that don’t look forward to the road-course races, and with us, we actually look forward to it,” he said. “We like the change in pace and doing something different for a weekend. That’s something we always look forward to, and it kind of gets us boosted up for the weekend.”

He then called racing at The Glen “fun.”

Fun? Going to the brake-toasting, fender-shredding, 2.45-mile, seven-turn Glen road course five races before the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup begins is fun?

Some don’t think so.

Like 14th-place Dale Earnhardt Jr., who said, “I’m nervous about losing points and not making the Chase. Just having a bad week.”

Or 12th-place Clint Bowyer, who said, “I think we’re going to be better than we’ve been in years past.” But then quickly added, “I seem to struggle at Watkins Glen, though.”

But Stewart has those seemingly impossible numbers at The Glen.

His five victories are the most among all drivers — active or retired. He has nine top-10 finishes in 11 starts. His average finish is fifth. He has led 225 laps, two short of leader Jeff Gordon, even though Gordon has six more starts.

And DNFs? Those are for others, as Stewart has finished every race he has started.

So, while others will start Sunday’s race hoping to hold serve as the Chase relentlessly moves closer, Stewart will be looking to improve on his current eighth-place points position. Perhaps, by winning.

“When you’ve won five races,” said Stewart, who is 189 points ahead of 13th-place Mark Martin, “it gives you that confidence that you know how to win and know what you have to do to get to victory lane.”

Stewart will arrive this weekend with his routine nailed, and although he says that is huge every week, it is especially so at a road course.

“I know what I feel I need when we get here,” Stewart said. “It’s just a matter of going out and practicing and putting yourself in that position. We seem to have taken to the road-racing side of it fairly well, and we just have had good luck with it.”

Weather forecasters are calling for warm temperatures and abundant sunshine on race day. That’s just fine with Stewart.

“I like it when it gets hot and slick there,” he said. “It’s kind of played into our hands for the last 10 years it seems like. This part of the year when the temperatures are at their highest, we tend to pick up. I think we can handle the slicker conditions sometimes a little better than some of the guys around us. A lot of guys panic because they know it’s going to get slick. I get excited when I know it’s going to get slick.”

Yep, sounds like fun.