LOUDON, N.H. -- After the track surface began crumbling during the 2002 New England 300, New Hampshire International Speedway owner Bob Bahre vowed to solve the problem. This past spring, each of the track's four corners were ground and repaved.

"It should be a little bit more forgiving because it's wider," Jeff Gordon said. "But other than that it's not a whole lot different. I think you're going to see a very similar race to the last time we were here."

But not everyone believes the track will race the same.

"The track's gonna have a little more grip so the competition is gonna stay a little bit closer," John Andretti said. "It's still not a super wide groove. But anywhere we race it doesn't matter how wide the groove is, there's only one fast line."

The main trouble spot last July was the low groove between turns 3 and 4. This all but eliminated the primary passing zone at the end of the track. But that element is expected to return on Sunday.

"I think if you do have your car set up right where you can get down to that bottom lane without upsetting the car too much, you can still pass," Gordon said. "It has definitely opened the track up to where you can pass."

Therapeutic advice
For the first time since his May 2 practice crash at Richmond, Jerry Nadeau visited the speedway. He held a news conference Friday and has been mingling in the garage, greeting friends and interacting with other drivers.

Some of his fellow competitors have experienced what Nadeau is going through and have attempted to help put the situation in perspective.

"Right now it's just patience," said Steve Park, who suffered a closed head injury during a Busch series race at Darlington in 2001. "The rehabilitation that he's going through is real similar to what I went through and it's hard to keep your patience when you're going through all that stuff. Stuff that you did when you were 10 years old, you're doing all over again, just to help the doctors gauge at what point you are at with your recovery."

Ricky Craven, who was sidelined for 12 races in 1998 with post-concussion syndrome, offers his insight.

"He's been through the most difficult part. He still has the most frustrating part ahead," Craven explained. "The timetable isn't something he can control or predict. He needs to give himself space and not set his expectations too high."

Nadeau has been racing since he was 4-years-old, and it may be this passion that provides motivation.

"The goal that I had was to get back behind the wheel of a race car again and It's very similar to Jerry's goal," adds Park. "I mean he wants to get back behind the wheel of a race car again. So, that's what drives you. That's what gives you the drive to get through your therapy and get through all your rehabilitation."

The approach to Nadeau's comeback will be systematic. He has already started driving go-karts and will continue to do so until he is physically and mentally ready to move into a late model. Beyond that, no timetable has been set for his return to Winston Cup.

"What's important, beyond racing, is that Jerry's healthy and he's here and he's able to enjoy his family," Craven said. "Hopefully he can come back and race, do something that he loves to do, at the same level that he did before. But that's really secondary."

Gordon's NHIS magic
For Jeff Gordon, New Hampshire International speedway has truly been the Magic Mile. In 16 starts Gordon has three wins, and has led more than 900 laps.

Last year however, Gordon recorded two disappointing New Hampshire finishes. He finished 29th in July and 14th in September. Fearing he had lost his edge, Gordon used one of his five testing dates at New Hampshire earlier this month.

"We came up here and tested for a reason, because we weren't good enough to win up here any more," says Gordon. "And whether that's me driving the track different or our set up or the track being different, we wanted to come up here and improve and I feel like we did."

Gordon ranks second in the standings and appears poised to make a charge at Championship number five. At the next four racetracks on the WC schedule -- NH, Pocono, Indianapolis and Watkins Glen -- Gordon has a combined 13 victories

"This is definitely a time when our team can shine," Gordon said. "I think the chemistry's there. The work ethic is there. When we really are challenged that seems to be when we rise to the occasion. So, I'm pretty excited. We've got a lot of good tracks coming up."

With a fourth-place finish last week at Chicagoland Speedway, Gordon closed to within 165 points of Winston Cup leader Matt Kenseth.

"We're gonna give it our best effort to catch those guys," Gordon said. "Kenseth and those guys are doing a good job. They're smart. They're consistent. They don't make too many mistakes and that's why a bad day for them is a 12th-place finish. And we've got to make sure we're running in the top five and finishing in the top-5."

Gordon has eight top-5s at New Hampshire, more than any active driver.

Newman likes track, too
In two New Hampshire starts Ryan Newman has yet to finish outside the top-5. He was fifth in this event a year ago and topped that in September by recording his first Winston Cup win. But despite Newman's success, Penske Racing left that winning car at the shop this time around.

"We left 'Olive Oil' at home," Newman said. "We just figure we have a better piece. It hasn't been run yet but we'll see how it works."

Newman, fresh of a win in Chicagoland last week, now has three victories. However, five DNFs have negated an otherwise stellar season and relegated him to 16th in the standings. Still, with half the season remaining, he feels like there is plenty of time to make a run at the title.

"Our hopes for the championship are still there," Newman said. "Mathematically they'll always be there until we're not mathematically capable of doing it. But the team is gonna work as hard, I'm gonna work as hard and do the best job I can and hopefully at the end of the season we will have made a great comeback."

Dark horse?
It has been more than four years since Terry Labonte has been to victory lane. But judging by practice speeds Saturday it appears he may be a contender Sunday. During the first practice he was 6th and in Happy Hour he was fifth-fastest.

"I think we're closer than we've been, definitely, in a long time," Labonte said. "We've been a lot more consistent this year and to win races you have to be consistent. You can't just go out there and run good once or twice and expect to win. You have to be consistent. You can have some top 10s and top fives and then you can think about winning. I think we're getting close though."

Labonte will be driving the car he won the pole with at Richmond earlier this year. He led 30 laps there before breaking a shock and winding up 21st.

Playing the numbers
Larry Foyt's Harrah's Dodge had a different number when it arrived at the racetrack Friday. Instead of 14 the car was numbered 50. The move was a calculated strategy.

"It was something that my dad decided on, probably looking at the big picture, looking at Indy," explained Foyt. "We have only one provisional left with the 14 car and we wanted to have it at Indy."

In addition to saving their final provisional the 50 is technically considered a new team. Consequently when it passed tech inspection Friday morning that was an "official attempt at qualifying." With that the 50 will now receive four additional provisionals.

There is a downside however. Because qualifying was rained out and points established Sunday's grid, Larry Foyt's 50 car did not make the field. Had they decaled the car with 14 they would start 42 in the New England 300.

Mike Massaro covers NASCAR for ESPN and ESPN.com.