NASCAR Cup Series

Few races change lives, but last year’s NASCAR Sprint Cup race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway certainly altered the life and career of Brian Vickers.

Clint Bowyer recorded his seventh top-10 finish of the season last weekend in a rain-shortened race at Daytona International Speedway where he finished ninth. The Michael Waltrip Racing driver in his No. 15 5-hour ENERGY Toyota will look to add to that total when the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series travels to New Hampshire Motor Speedway this weekend.

Daytona Recap: Denny Hamlin finished sixth in Sunday’s rain-shortened NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Daytona International Speedway, avoiding major damage in a pair of multi-car incidents in the 112-lap event won by Aric Almirola, to record his third-straight top-six finish in points-paying restrictor plate races in the #11 FedEx Ground Toyota.

Ford Racing is in the midst of a three-race winning streak as the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads to New Hampshire Motor Speedway, and it’s happened on three different styles of race tracks by three different organizations. The one consistent in all three victories has been the power of Roush Yates Engines, which now has 83 series victories since beginning operation in 2004.

Richard Childress has four victories as a team owner at New Hampshire Motor Speedway with Robby Gordon (2001), Kevin Harvick (2006) and Clint Bowyer (2007 and 2010). In 100 starts at the 1.058-mile oval, Childress also has two pole awards, 15 top-five and 36 top-10 finishes with 10 different drivers including Dave Blaney, Jeff Burton, Bowyer, Dale Earnhardt, Jeff Green, Gordon, Harvick, Steve Park and Mike Skinner.

David Ragan, driver of the No. 34 Taco Bell Ford, comments on racing at New Hampshire Motor Speedway:

David Gilliland, driver of the No. 38 Long John Silver's Ford, comments on racing at New Hampshire Motor Speedway:

Surprising: In spite of the fits and starts of the race due to the rain, the Coke 600 was still the stuff of legends, from the anniversary victory for The King and Richard Petty Motorsports to the last call of Barney Hall of Motor Racing Network.

1. Jeff Gordon: Gordon overcame damage in an early wreck at Daytona and finished 12th, maintaining the points lead. He leads Dale Earnhardt, Jr. by 27, as Hendrick drivers occupy the top three spots.

Aric Almirola was not favored to return the iconic 43 that Richard Petty won his 200th win the Independence Day weekend thirty years ago, but he did. The rains that delayed the action for a day, and delayed it again early on Sunday, returned to finally put a wash to the proceedings prior to the three-quarter mark. The man in front was the 30-year old Tampa, Florida native, recording his first Cup victory in 125 starts.