There's little to be desired about the winter, but summer in New England? There's nothing better.

Some of my most vivid childhood memories involve spending vacation time on the New England shore. I remember Hampton Beach had the best fried dough you ever tasted, the coldest ocean water you ever felt and a carnival atmosphere only a kid can appreciate.

It just so happens that Hampton Beach is a mere stones throw from the New Hampshire International Speedway. So as the Winston Cup Series heads to NHIS this weekend to officially kick off the second half of the 2003 campaign, I decided to make a trip to the familiar sands and boardwalk that helped shape my adolescence.

Pizza parlors, ice cream stores and arcades dot the main strip for miles. And there he was, the Psychic who read my palm when I was 12.

I approached the stand of 'Orassam The Great.' But my curiosity was different than 20 years ago. After all, I've already met the girl and have the job of my dreams. So I inquired about -- of all things -- the future of the Winston Cup Series in 2003. Here's what he predicted.

"Twenty names will be engraved," said Orassam. Interpretation: there will be a record 20 winners this season.

It seems likely, considering 14 different drivers have already visited victory lane. Previous race-winners who haven't won yet this year include Rusty Wallace, Bill Elliott, Jeff Burton, Sterling Marlin, Mark Martin, Kevin Harvick, Ward Burton, Terry Labonte, Elliott Sadler, Johnny Benson, Ricky Rudd, Jeremy Mayfield, Kyle Petty, Steve Park, Jimmy Spencer, Jamie McMurray, Ken Schrader and John Andretti.

"The crown will be revealed near the southern sand," continued the Psychic. Translation: the championship will not be determined until the final race of the season at Homestead Miami Speedway.

That makes sense. Matt Kenseth has a solid 165-point advantage but he's fending off some heavy hitters. Jeff Gordon is the closest pursuer and he seems poised to make a charge. At the next four tracks -- NHIS, Pocono, Indianapolis and Watkins Glen -- Gordon has a combined 13 victories.

	Ward Burton won at Loudon, N.H., last year but is still looking for a win in 2003.

"Eight will drive for five in the heart of Dixie," Orassam added. I knew what he meant but could hardly believe it. Can Dale Earnhardt Jr. possibly win five in a row at Talladega?

Why not? If it weren't for bad fuel mileage and pit strategy he probably would have won at Daytona two weeks ago. So with his championship hopes pinned on doing well where he's expected to, the Budweiser team will undoubtedly be on top of their game when the schedule winds back to Alabama.

"The truck couldn't be much worse," joked Orassam, making a not so subtle reference to Dale Jarrett's struggles. It appears the 1999 Winston Cup Champion's season may get worse before it gets better.

Last weekend the UPS team debuted the first of 10 newly purchased Hopkins chassis. Despite high hopes, the car qualified 33rd and ended up 30th. The results were so disappointing that the team scraped plans of taking that car to Indianapolis to test. Instead they went back to Charlotte to regroup.

"The 'Kid' will be 'Happy' again," prophesied Orassam. In other words, Kevin Harvick will return to form.

We've seen signs of this recently. Harvick finished third at Sonoma, then led 54 laps and finished ninth at Daytona. Last week he led 46 laps before miscalculated fuel mileage cost him an almost certain top-five finish. If Harvick continues to run like he has over past three weeks he'll finish the season top-five overall.

"A maple leaf will fly in triumph over the finger lakes," continued Orassam. This could only mean that Canadian driver Ron Fellows will win at Watkins Glen.

That's very believable. The road course ringer finished seventh in Sonoma driving for the Pennzoil Chevrolet. Fellows will again be driving for Dale Earnhardt Incorporated at The Glen, a track where he has already claimed two victories in a NASCAR Truck and three in a Busch Series car.

"Newman will be a new man," explained Orassam. Ryan Newman will finally find consistency.

No driver has more wins that the 2002 rookie of the year (three) yet Newman ranks 16th in the standings. However, most of the inconsistency can be attributed to things beyond Newman's control. The law of averages suggests that his bad luck is behind him and as long as Penske Racing continues to give Newman a rocket ship he'll drive the wheels off of it. Expect Newman to finish inside the top-10 and establish himself as a championship contender for 2004.

"Smoldering 'Smoke' will begin to catch fire," asserted the Psychic. Tony Stewart, known in certain racing circles as 'Smoke', will overcome his slow start and begin to make some noise.

Last week Stewart finished second at Chicagoland Speedway, climbing from 11th to eighth in the standings. Now he heads into his favorite stretch of the season, the heat of the summer. When tracks become hot and slippery -- that's when it seems Stewart is at his best.

This week should be a good opportunity for him to continue his charge. In eight previous New Hampshire races Stewart has finished inside the top-five five times.

OK, you probably figured it out already but in case you didn't, "Orassam The Great" is a fictitious character. The predictions however, are real. But if they don't materialize I'm blaming them on him.

Mike Massaro covers NASCAR for ESPN and ESPN.com.