Since 1993, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series has made a temporary home in New England with its annual July race date up in Loudon, NH. While the New Hampshire Motor Speedway has hosted two Cup race dates for the past 14 years, it's this Sunday's race that's the special one in The Granite State.

New Hampshire's past winners include heroes and villains, like its inaugural race victor Rusty Wallace, who was slowly shedding his dark image as a tough but likeable racer to last year's event champion in Jimmie Johnson, NASCAR's "Darth Vader."

This track might be a 1.058-mile speedway but it has the characteristics of a short track. With sweeping variable banking corners and long straights, Loudon's pride and joy often brings out the best and (sometimes) the worst out of the Cup drivers, as they'll trade paint, go fender-to-fender and most of all, deliver some of the most exciting racing yet this season.

Past winners include the likes of Jeff Gordon, Jeff Burton, Tony Stewart, Jimmie Johnson, Mark Martin and the Busch brothers. To say the least, this track is almost the epitome of a New Englander - friendly yet a bit mysterious with its ways in terms of being a moody motorsports venue.

Good handling, brakes, as well as patience to race for two and a half hours around this track for 301 laps and miles are just some of the keys to getting around this track successfully. 

With that in mind, you're wondering who's got the best shot to score a win at New Hampshire Motors Speedway this Sunday, right? Well, you're at the right place, here on The Podium Finish with this week's edition of "Going Green: Five Faces to Follow for Sunday's Lenox Industrial Tools 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway!"