SAN FRANCISCO --  NASCAR Sprint Cup points leader Kyle Busch has raced three times at Infineon Raceway and his finish has improved each time.

The 23-year-old debuted at Sonoma’s 10-turn, 1.99-mile road course in 2005 and didn’t finish after blowing a transmission. The following year he spun out in Turn 11 and came in 12th. He earned his first and only Top 10 when he placed eighth last year.

But 2008 has been Busch’s best season — in any race car or truck — so odds are he’ll make at least a Top 5 in Sunday’s Toyota/Save Mart 350 if his progress continues.

Especially since his first road course win was earlier this year in a Nationwide car, when he beat out Marcos Ambrose at Mexico City.

Busch has racked up a Cup-leading four wins and three poles and leads second-place Jeff Burton by 32 points going into Sunday’s race. His most recent win came on June 1 at Dover International Speedway. His others include Darlington, Talladega and Atlanta.

His lone focus is to win the Cup title.

“There are guys who can go fast and those who can race,” said veteran driver Kyle Petty, who will be in the broadcast booth this weekend.

“Kyle can go fast and can race. He’s got both. Kyle drives off a lot of talent. He’s got God-given talent. As Kyle gets the mental game, he’ll be even better. There are guys who transcend and take it to another level. I think Kyle can do that. He’ll only get better with age.”

Busch has also tallied nine Top 5s and 10 Top 10s.

And that doesn’t include his combined six victories between the Nationwide and Craftsman Truck Series. The Truck and Nationwide boys are at the Milwaukee Mile this weekend and Busch will be skipping both.

He’ll continue to race his Nationwide ride on companion weekends but will refrain from cross-country trips as he’s done earlier this season.

Busch admits he wishes he was driving another rig this weekend but will take advantage of the extra time. He made the trip west with his girlfriend Samantha Sarcinellas and is staying in the Napa Valley.

He hopes to sightsee a bit and already has a dinner planned with some friends.

Busch disagrees with many of his cohorts when it comes to road course racing. He would like to see two more non-oval races added to the Cup schedule, and thinks putting one into the 10-race Chase at the end of the year would be a good idea.

He’s not sure what tracks should be added, but did admit he wouldn’t like to race twice at Infineon or Watkins Glen.

Last year saw then-rookie Juan Pablo Montoya take his first-ever Cup win at Infineon Raceway, despite the fanfare of road course ringers being the heavy favorite.

“More drivers are rising to that challenge,” Petty said. “Kyle Busch is a race car driver. He can run anything. ... Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon, they rise to the challenge. We always talk about road course ringers, but the Cup guys always win the races. We adapt to the road courses.”

Busch said he’d like to see the Sonoma race add or delete five laps to help with the strenuous fuel strategy needed to be in contention for the checkered flag. He said sometimes the race turns into a two-pit stop contest while other times it’s a three-stop, and it all depends on the number and length of yellows.

He lists Turn 9’s transition into 10 as the hardest on the road course. Riding smoothly is necessary to do well, as is not overdriving the corners.

He recalls having to shift 10 times per lap, which equals 1,100 times for the 110-lap race, not counting cautions.

But that’s exactly what drivers hope for so they only have to pit twice.

According to Busch, one of the most important things about racing well at Infineon is making a seamless stop, but that’s not the only thing.

“Being perfect in the pit and saving fuel from when you leave pit row is big,” Busch said.

“Besides all that, you have to have a car that’s fast and stay on the course all day, too.”

Gordon, a Vallejo native, has taken notice of his former Hendrick Motorsports teammate’s breakout season. Gordon himself has won a record five times at Infineon and has notched five poles.

Gordon’s without a win so far this season, but was on the same page in 2006 when he broke his winless streak with his most recent Sonoma victory.

He’s likely to do the same come Sunday, but not if Busch stays hot.

“Well, I mean, I think that his move to (Joe) Gibbs (Racing) came at a good time,” Gordon said. “I think that’s a great organization. I think that they have really been performing well this year.

“You know, he’s clicked obviously with the team and the crew chief. He’s a great driver, there’s no doubt about that. And I think that they have done what you have to do to be competitive and win, and you know, that’s what every team is out there trying to do.

“Sometimes it happens for you soon, and sometimes it takes time, and for those guys, you know, it’s just come together quick and it’s been a great year so far for him.”