Gordon

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. -- Robby Gordon believes the time has come for him to win at Watkins Glen International.

"Honestly, ever since 2000, we've been the car to beat here and we haven't won the race,'' he said. "We'd like to come back and capitalize on that, but it's not going to be given to us.''

If it isn't, however, he might take it Sunday -- the way he did in winning two months ago on NASCAR's only other road course. Late in the race in Sonoma, Calif., Gordon violated the so-called gentleman's agreement and passed Richard Childress Racing teammate Kevin Harvick as the cars headed back to the line after a caution flag waved.

That led to considerable criticism, but Gordon pointed out that he did nothing illegal. Harvick, a winner last week at the Brickyard 400, and four-time Winston Cup champion Jeff Gordon were Robby's harshest critics.

"I think here they're going to be gunning for us a little bit harder,'' he said of the Sirius at The Glen.

Even if he did steal the race in Sonoma, Robby Gordon was owed one after what happened here two years ago.

The television telemetry box on the dashboard malfunctioned, sending smoke through his cockpit and forcing him out of a race he was leading.

The former CART series driver is an ace on the road courses, but is taking nothing for granted. Despite his prowess on this serpentine layout, Gordon tested here last month.

"We probably didn't need to,'' he said. "We didn't go to Sonoma and test, and we still won the race.''

Another factor in his decision to test is the winter weather in the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York.

"The track grows bumps,'' he said. "Sometimes, you'll come here with one setup and try to bring the same setup back and it won't work.''

Gordon was happy with the test. He said his car was at least as quick as it was in the final practice last year in happy hour.

"But we want to be better than that,'' he explained. "You can't just do the same as last year because other guys are going to come here and be better for sure.''

Gordon knows one area where his team must make a vast improvement. Last year, he led the most laps but finished third.

He was leading, but came out ninth after a poor pit stop.

"Track position is very important,'' he said. "We can't afford to give up anything in pit lane.''

The procedure for pits stops on road courses is the reverse of what it is on the ovals where the Winston Cup cars compete 34 of 36 times.

"My guys are going to work real hard,'' Gordon said. "Normally, you run around the car and do the right side tires first, but when you come here to Watkins Glen you'll run around and do the left sides first. And that takes a little bit to get used to.''

Among those Gordon will have to beat is defending race and series champion Tony Stewart, whose season has been ruined by accidents, mechanical failures and poor pit stops. He has only one victory this year.

Problems stops have ruined dominant efforts in five other races. Stewart led for 60 laps Sunday but failed to win at Indianapolis a week after driving from his 33rd starting position to the lead at Pocono Raceway before blowing his engine.

He's 13th in the series standings -- a whopping 732 points behind leader Matt Kenseth -- but is taking his misfortune in stride.

"There's no point getting worked up over it,'' he said. "I think we're just looking at it with a little less emotion than in the past.''

The stiffest competition for Gordon could come from non-regular Ron Fellows. The Canadian driver is generally acknowledged as the finest North American road racer.

He led and might have won two months ago in Sonoma, but got a bad break from a late caution flag. Fellows has five NASCAR victories here -- three in Busch series cars and two in truck races.

Four-time Watkins Glen winner Jeff Gordon -- NASCAR's king of the road with seven career victories -- is the biggest threat among the other series regulars.