<table> </table> Maybe it was the calming influence of the falling rain or another of the spasms of maturity that he has been exhibiting in recent years &#8212; or maybe he was just in the mood to talk. But on Friday, Tony Stewart did a bit of thoughtful waxing.</p><p>Point blank: Stewart said he wears his skill at road racing with pride, and he loves driving at the Glen, an 11-turn, 2.45-mile track.</p><p>&#8220;I think it&#8217;s big,&#8221; Stewart said.</p><p>&#8220;I think it&#8217;s important to show how versatile you are as a driver. Obviously we don&#8217;t get a chance to run dirt tracks or anything else during the season. &#8230; But guys that have been successful in this series over a long haul have been successful with the road courses also, and I think it&#8217;s something that we take a lot of pride in.&#8221;</p><p>Although the days of NASCAR drivers stumbling around road courses like sailors on leave in New Orleans are pretty much over, many do not look forward to the twice-yearly visits to twisted tracks. That might well be because they race on road courses just twice annually.</p><p>For Stewart, however, road courses have come to feel like home.</p><p>And that&#8217;s because he knows he can be good.</p><p>He has won three of the last four races at the Glen and four of the nine races he has started there.</p><p>&#8220;Batting .300 will get you in the Hall of Fame, and we&#8217;re over .400 right now here at the Glen,&#8221; Stewart said.</p><p>Stewart said his favorite win was a year ago, when he beat a guy who also has four victories at the Glen.</p><p>&#8220;It was just a classic battle between Jeff (Gordon) and myself &#8230; a race that I&#8217;ll remember the rest of my life,&#8221; Stewart said.</p><p>Gordon was winning late in that race. But entering turn one, he spun out.</p><p>Credit Stewart, Gordon said.</p><p>&#8220;I was pushing to stay ahead of him, and I just pushed too hard,&#8221; Gordon said.</p><p>Like Stewart, Gordon will be looking to win for the first time this year.</p><p>If history means anything, one of those two will get his first victory of 2008 today.</p><p><hr class="infobox-hr-separator" /> <div class="infobox"> <strong><span class="subhead">Sprint Cup </span></strong></p><p></div> <hr class="infobox-hr-separator" /> <div class="infobox"> 1 <strong>Jimmie Johnson:</strong> He is mighty darn hot in the series right now, but he has never won on a road course.</p><p>2 <strong>Clint Bowyer (below):</strong> Bowyer absolutely needs a good showing today. He has been grimly hanging on to the final Chase berth.</p><p>3 <strong>Matt Kenseth:</strong> He is the guy chasing Bowyer to the Chase. The are separated by just 11 points. He finished 12th at the Glen last year and Bowyer was 16th.</p><p>4 <strong>Juan Pablo Montoya:</strong> Even when he doesn&#8217;t win, he is a hoot to watch in stock cars on road courses.</p><p>5 <strong>Marcos Ambrose:</strong> He is driving the Wood Brothers car this weekend and has been looking good on road courses in Cup and Nationwide this season.</p><p></div> <hr class="infobox-hr-separator" /> <div class="infobox"> <strong><span class="subhead">Centurion Boats at the Glen</span></strong></p><p>Where: Watkins Glen International, Watkins Glen, N.Y.</p><p>Start: 1 p.m. | ESPN</p><p>2007 winner: Tony Stewart</p><p></div>