Drivers weigh in on Watkins Glen vs. Infineon

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. -- They are two very different tracks, unique in so many ways.

But as the only two road-course venues currently on NASCAR's Sprint Cup schedule, Watkins Glen International and Infineon Raceway also are intertwined in a way that leaves them open to inevitable and endless comparison by the drivers who must negotiate their many tricky turns each year.

Several talked about the differences between the tracks in between practice sessions Friday at Watkins Glen. The bottom line? Sonoma, with several more turns no matter how they are counted over its 1.99-mile layout, has almost a short-track feel to it, where beating and banging on each other remains a requisite as cars fight constantly for track position. Watkins Glen, with its seven turns that include the infamous esses and the challenging inner-loop Bus Stop stretched over 2.45 miles, is much more wide open with long straightaways that demand as much speed as man and machine can muster.

Perhaps no driver is more qualified to discuss the qualities of the two tracks than four-time Cup champion Jeff Gordon , who has five career wins at Infineon (three more than anyone else) and also has won four times at Watkins Glen (second only to the five victories earned by Tony Stewart at the facility).

"As a driver, you've got to be very comfortable with the downshifts," Gordon said of The Glen. "You've got to be comfortable with turning right, and really being able to push the car very aggressively. This track is a lot different than Sonoma. This track you've got to be very aggressive and it's a fast race track, where Sonoma is much more of a finesse track and it's much more about not going off-track and not over-attacking the corners. Here, it's exactly the opposite. I think you've really got to attack these corners -- and when you attack the corners here, you've got to be careful not to make a mistake with the downshifts or with getting too much brake in it. And then you've also got to have a really good spring-and-shock package because downforce is important -- because it is such a fast race track. So that body pitch and attitude are important.

"To me, this is really a combination of car and driver. And when you figure out that side of it -- the car especially -- it's a little easier on the driver and it allows you to attack this race track the way you need to."

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It also can be a matter of how you define finesse. Marcos Ambrose , who has yet to win a Cup race but has three Nationwide Series victories at Watkins Glen and has been a consistent contender at Infineon, agreed with Gordon in principle but actually said somewhat the opposite.

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