Stewart optimistic for 300th Cup start

Stewart is looking also at achieving his 30th Nextel Cup victory on Sunday at the scene of two of his five road course career victories. He won at the 1.99-mile track in 2001 for the first time and then scored another victory in 2005.

"It's definitely a place I feel like we've got the potential to win, even before we make a single lap," said Stewart. "I feel like we've run really well on the road courses, especially at Sonoma.

"It's one of my favorite tracks on the circuit because it is so unique and different. It's a race I look forward to going to ever year.

"You've just got to have a good handling car. Aerodynamics are not the least bit important at Sonoma, which is great because it's one of the few tracks that we go to that we don't have to worry about aero balance or anything like that.

"It's just a matter of keeping a well-balanced car all day and having good pit stops and pit strategy and staying out of trouble."

Stewart's team are regarded as one of the current best with the Car of Tomorrow, which will be raced this weekend for the seventh time during the season.

After testing the car at the VIR and Alton road courses,  he expects it to be much slower than the current car around Infineon, although still enjoyable.

"Well, it crashes the same," he said.  "I went off track twice and tore up a lot of stuff. It's just slower. It doesn't drive as well, obviously. But it's still a fun car to drive on a road course because it is different."

The Joe Gibbs' driver believes strategy and tyre management will be the keys to Sunday's race.

"You have to play the race strategy out. It's such a long track that guys don't go a lap down as easily as they do on an oval. You have to run as hard as you have to in order to stay ahead of everybody," he added.

"And when you get yourself in a position where you can be easy on your equipment, especially the tires, you take that opportunity, because if it is a long run, a lot of times that'll work out in your favor.

"If your car's not right, you can't just keep pushing it or else you'll drive the tires right off of it."

Stewart is currently seventh in the Nextel Cup driver standings and is seeking his first win of the season, having won for the last time at Martinsville in October last year.