But he still holds the Cup record for most top-10 finishes at Infineon, 13, and he won the race in 1997 driving for owner Jack Roush. Even so, Martin cautioned that many of those finishes occurred when relatively few Cup drivers were skilled at driving the curvy road course.
Now, races at Sonoma and Watkins Glen, N.Y., the other road course on the Cup circuit, have become "much more of a challenge because all of the drivers are really good at it now, and all the teams put just as much emphasis on the road-course races as they do every race," Martin said. "It's a tough deal right now with the competition like it is."
And racing in June at Infineon is demanding generally, said Martin, who is known for his rigorous physical-fitness regimen. "This one is a physical race and it gets really hot," said Martin, a native of Batesville, Ark.
Pit stops
Stewart said "it's a possibility" that his Stewart-Haas Racing might add a third Cup car to its team in 2010 "if the right opportunity comes along and the right sponsor comes along." . . . . NASCAR said its Hall of Fame being built in Charlotte, N.C., would open May 11, 2010.
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james.peltz@latimes.com
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(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)
Toyota/Save Mart 350
Site: Sonoma, Calif.
Schedule: Today, practice (Speed, 9:30 a.m.-noon); Sunday, race, 2 p.m. (TNT, 12:30-5:30 p.m.).
Track: Infineon Raceway (road course, 1.99 miles).
Race distance: 218.9 miles, 110 laps.
Last year: Kyle Busch raced to the fifth of his eight 2008 victories, winning for the first time in Cup competition on a road course. David Gilliland was second, followed by Jeff Gordon. Busch also won on the road course at Watkins Glen, N.Y., in August.
Last week: Mark Martin won for the third time this year, saving just enough gas at Michigan International Speedway. Jimmie Johnson dominated most of the race but ran out of fuel with two laps to go, giving the lead to Greg Biffle, who then ran out of gas on the final lap.
Fast facts: Tony Stewart leads the season standings with 2,189 points, followed by Gordon (2,142), Johnson (2,047), Kurt Busch (1,961) and Ryan Newman (1,934). . . . Gordon has a Cup-record nine road-course wins, five at Sonoma and four at Watkins Glen. . . . Juan Pablo Montoya won the 2007 race for his lone Cup victory. Before joining NASCAR, the Colombian star won seven Formula One races, the 1999 Champ Car title and 11 open-wheel races, including the 2000 Indianapolis 500. . . . Canadian Patrick Carpentier will drive the No. 55 NAPA Toyota in place of owner-driver Michael Waltrip.
Next race: Lenox Industrial Tools 301, June 28, New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Loudon, N.H.
-- Associated Press
