LOUDON, N.H. – The pavement received passing grades.

OK, maybe New Hampshire International Speedway isn’t ticketed for the head of the class when most NASCAR Winston Cup drivers jot down a mythical list of their favorite tracks on the circuit.

Leave it at this: Sunday’s post-race assessments lacked the sound and fury of recent vintage.

“(Speedway chairman) Bob Bahre spent a lot of money to give the fans what they want and what they deserve, and that’s side-by-side racing,” said Kevin Harvick. “Now you can do it. They’ve made it something more than a one-groove track. It’s a lot more fun.”

Harvick was the bridesmaid of a 500-mile weekend. He finished second to David Green in Saturday’s New England 200 Busch Series race and was Jimmie Johnson’s closest pursuer at the end of Sunday’s New England 300 for the top division.

His comments, consequently, were telling.

Last July, even winning driver Ward Burton and crew chief Tommy Baldwin complained about a broken-up racing surface, blistering tires and the lack of a passing lane.

NHIS officials responded early this spring by adding new asphalt in the corners, making the low-lying apron part of the racing surface in an effort to give drivers two distinct “grooves” in which to steer their 3,400-pound chariots.

The track still flaunted all the personality of a track half its size, with many drivers utilizing bump-and-run techniques in an effort to gain an advantage.

But there were also extended side-by-side battles. Harvick and Johnson ran door to door on multiple occasions.

“It definitely held up a lot better,” said Johnson. “One thing about it now is that the bottom groove is a little off camber. Coming off the corner, you have to let the car slide up into the door of the car on the outside a little bit to make it work. I was racing hard with the 29 (Harvick).”

Drivers didn’t always exhibit that level of patience or ability to work with each other, however.

Twelve caution flags slowed the race. John Andretti and Jimmy Spencer set the tone on lap 10 when their cars swapped paint from the front stretch through the entrance to turn two, where Andretti’s car buckled, spun sideways and collected the outside wall.

Andretti, who was dismissed from his longtime ride at Petty Enterprises last month, was making his first start for the Haas Racing No. 0 Chevrolet.

“I’ve been around long enough to know the difference between an accident and when a guy wrecks you intentionally,” said Andretti. “He has a full-time job. He certainly didn’t help my cause today.”

Burton and Mike Wallace shared a similar encounter on lap 119, with Wallace spinning into the back wall and leaving a shroud of smoke.

“I found out you can’t race with the 22 car,” said Wallace, who appeared to make contact with Burton at least once on the previous lap.

Most of the yellow flags were waved to clean up debris or when a driver cut a tire, which are relatively normal occurrences in a Winston Cup race.

Leaders enjoyed exceptional tire wear, Many remained at the front of the pack despite changing only two tires or none at all during scheduled fuel stops.

“We had probably a 10th-place car, and we got a top-five out of it,” said fifth-place finisher and former NHIS race winner Robby Gordon. “We’re real pleased with that.”

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