Almost anyone can catch magic on Loudon's mile

LOUDON, N.H. -- Unpredictability is not a trait usually associated with the Granite State, where the surroundings often are rustic and the populace often is reserved. But cruise down Route 106 North to New Hampshire Motor Speedway, and volatility reigns.

At least on the race track, where the past eight Cup Series events have been won by as many different drivers. No one has repeated on the flat, 1-mile oval since Kurt Busch swept both races on the Magic Mile in 2004, replicating a feat achieved by Jimmie Johnson the previous year.

New Hampshire is the kind of track where one driver can hit it and leave everyone else behind, as Jeff Burton did in leading a rare restrictor-plate event wire to wire in 2000, and Clint Bowyer did by leading 222 of 300 laps seven years later. But it's also a place where pit strategy, fuel mileage and other factors commonly come into play, turning it into one of those venues where almost anyone believes they can win. Hit the right combination of factors, as Busch did by staying out and waiting on the rain last June, and a driver can prevail even if he doesn't necessarily have the best car.

"Track position and pit strategy plays out so much here that you'll get guys that take some big risks," said Jeff Gordon, who's won three times at New Hampshire, most recently in 1998. "Obviously last year here, Kurt Busch took a big risk by staying out when it rained, and that paid for them. Then you have seen guys take two tires, no tires, you just see so many different strategies that have paid off here. The fastest car doesn't always win at a track like this. It is more true here than others because it is tough to pass. With the aerodynamics, especially with this car, being out front is huge."

The track seems relatively straightforward, almost board-flat in a state known for mountains, a mile oval with the turns banked between two and seven degrees. But it's also highly technical, with tricky corners that require real skill to navigate at high speeds, and a surface that lends itself to a variety of setup options.

"I know we've had a lot of success here each time we've been here, but we've been here with a different setup every single time," said Denny Hamlin, a New Hampshire winner in 2007. "It's just a real hard track to kind of perfect and get right. I think the drivers can make up for a little bit, but I think for the team guys, I don't think we've got it figured out on the car side yet. I don't think anyone has."

"It's very smooth. It's a perfect oval. It's a very, very technical race track," added Carl Edwards, whose best finish in New Hampshire is second, in 2006. "I've come here and had the fastest car. We had that Red Sox car that one year and it was just outstanding. I've [also] come here and couldn't run 20th to save my life, so it's based how well your crew chief gets that car perfect and how precise you can be as a driver. I think one of the reasons you see all the different winners is because it's almost a strategy race. It's a tough track to pass on. If a guy gets out front, you can go a little faster than if you're fifth or sixth. So if we unload and my car's fast right off that bat, it's going to be great. If it's not, we've got a lot of work ahead of us. It's a very technical race track."

If Friday is any indication, Edwards has some work to do. The Roush Fenway driver placed 15th in opening practice, a session paced by Busch -- who showed all signs of having a car strong enough to end the track's streak of different winners. Qualifying was rained out and the field set on points, so teams transferred into race setups and will take to the track again Saturday in a pair of practices set for 9 and 11:45 a.m. local time.

Then it's off to race day, when the possibility looms for a ninth different winner in as many races on this otherwise unassuming oval.

"I think every year this track changes a little bit, and every year everybody gets a little bit better on what it takes to be good here," said points leader Tony Stewart, who won at Loudon in 2005 and was awarded Sunday's pole position. "This is a unique place, and I think that's the reason guys every year try to hit or miss it. Obviously, weather has played a factor at a couple of these races and changed the outcome. Other than that, I really don't know."

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