LOUDON, N.H. (AP) – Dark skies and a clinging mist dampened plans Monday for the first of two NASCAR practice days at New Hampshire International Speedway.

Nextel Cup and Busch Series drivers converged to prepare for the New England 200 and 300, scheduled for July 24 and 25, but were forced off the track and into garages during the morning and afternoon.

The delay was harder on some than others. Martin Truex Jr., who leads the Busch Series and already has learned the track in repeated Busch North Series races, said his experience would pay off later this month even with testing delays.

“Just being here and having experience knowing what I need my car to do around this track to go fast,” he said, “is definitely going to be a big help for me.”

He put the focus on a future Cup debut. It would come in New Hampshire’s highest-profile race – the title chase that begins Sept. 19.

“If we run a Cup race this will be where it will end up being,” he said. “It will be here in September, so that’s another part of the reason why we’re out here doing it.”

Kyle Busch, ranked 2nd in the Busch Series, made his first appearance at the track to close a wide knowledge gap of the territory with Truex. The two men have been in neck-and-neck competition, with Truex most recently widening his lead to 68 points. Busch said his goal is to at least keep Truex in sight this month, preserving the hope of overtaking him later this year.

“It’s going to be important to us, basically because we’ve got to make sure we keep up with him,” he said. “He can’t just go out there and lead every lap and win the race. Even if he does do that, hopefully we’re at least second to him.”

In the Cup, Jimmie Johnson continues to lead Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jeff Gordon has surged into 3rd place after winning Saturday in Daytona Beach, Fla. A Johnson win in New Hampshire would mark his third and a track record.

This month’s back-to-back racing weekend places the track’s highest level of NASCAR prize cash up for grabs. More than $5 million will be at stake in the Cup race, and more than $1 million in the Busch Series competition. The Busch series has attracted Cup drivers, including Kasey Kahne, 11th in points and 9th in money, and Michael Waltrip, 18th in points and 13th in money.

A win for Cup driver Joe Nemecheck, also racing in the Busch Series, would mark the track’s first Busch Series repeat win. A win for Busch Series driver David Green would make him the track’s first two-time Busch Series winner.

Former Andy Petree Racing driver Paul Menard also is scheduled to make his debut for Dale Earnhardt Inc. July 24. He’ll run the last 15 Busch Series races this year and the full schedule in 2005.

He said mechanical concerns would take priority over aerodynamics in his race strategy.

“Brakes are going to be really, really big here,” he said. “We’ve got to get our break package down.”

Drivers praised repaving work and a steel-and-foam safety barrier added last year at the 1.058-mile oval. The improvements came after surface deterioration caused problems at two turns in 2002 and after driver Adam Petty died while running practice laps in 2000.

Ryan Newman, who scored his first career Cup win at the track in 2002, said he used to have a low opinion of the speedway. But, he said, the changes have boosted his confidence in it. Newman ranks 9th in points, 7th in money.

“Since they’ve put the safer barriers and everything else up here, it’s been a good racetrack,” he said. “I’ve never been a big fan of flatter racetracks. But since it’s been restructured a little bit, it’s been a lot better as far as racing and raceability.”

AP-ES-07-05-04 2005EDT