LOUDON -- Ricky Craven is back to his old tricks — leading the field.

After suffering a head injury that caused vision problems back in the late '90s, the Newburgh, Maine, native climbed behind the wheel and won the pole for the Sprint Cup Jiffy Lube 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in June of 1998.

Sunday, Craven was back at the speedway, driving the pace car for the Lenox Industrial Tools 301 to help NHMS celebrate the 20th anniversary of its first Sprint Cup race.

“I'll be leading, and I like that,” chuckled Craven, who jump started his racing career here at the Magic Mile. “This speedway is so valuable to me. Bob Bahre (former owner) was always good to me, and I have so many fond memories of this place. Driving the pace car is a bonus.

“That was an incredible feeling to come back (from injury) with that kind of fortune,” continued Craven, “and to do it at home.”

Craven's biggest moment in racing came at Darlington in 1997 with his fender-banging victory over Kurt Busch. But he relishes the time he spent in the Busch North Series here at NHMS as well.

“I watched as the track was being built — competed in its first event and celebrated a few times in victory lane,” he reminisced. “When they built the track, I felt this was an opportunity to audition on a national level. I desperately wanted to capitalize on it, and the track rewarded me.”

Craven was the speedway's Busch North track champion back in 1992 and went on to become the 15th driver in NASCAR history to record wins in Sprint Cup (2), Busch Grand National (4) and Craftsman Trucks (2). He was named the 1995 Sprint Cup Rookie of the Year and became the first driver to ever earn the title in three major NASCAR touring series.

“The 20th anniversary represents a great opportunity for all of us to reflect on the many races and events. I'm proud to have been a member of several and I'm excited to be coming home,” Craven said.

______

WINDHAM MIDDLE SCHOOL eighth grader, 13-year-old Emma Joanis, sang the national anthem prior to the start of the Lenox Industrial Tools 301. Back in April, Joanis won the Speedway Star competition. She sang the anthem prior to both Boston Bruins and Celtics games this past winter, and sang “God Bless America” between innings during a Red Sox game last season.

______

NASHUA WON $20,000 in education grants as School Board President Robert Hallowell selected Kasey Kahne to win the Lenox Industrial Tools 301. NHMS officials paired 26 Sprint Cup drivers with 13 city representatives across the Granite State in a NASCAR-themed draft with the winner collecting the prize.

______

THE PRESSURE REMAINS for Clint Bowyer until the last Race for the Chase. “Not until we go to Richmond until your in, put one of them chase hats on, that's when the pressure quits. (I) didn't need him (Kahne) to (win). That's a wild card spot that I had by points and now I'm going to have to get me another win to have him by a win.”

______

KEN SCHRADER, driving for owner Frank Stoddard of North Haverhill, finished 31st in his No. 32 Federated Auto Parts Ford. Stoddard had been looking for a finish of 30th.

______

JIMMIE JOHNSON observed, “It was the Gibbs cars (Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin) and the Hendrick cars (Kahne, Jeff Gordon, Dale Ernhardt, Jr. and Johnson), and at times I was he best Hendrick car running top two, two three. But then the (late race) caution put us back in traffic.” Johnson finished seventh.

______

GORDON flies to Rwanda today to help inaugurate the Butaro Cancer Center of Excellence which will be the first national cancer center referral facility in rural Rwanda. His children's foundation is a part of the project.