It’s summer and it’s Stewart Time.

It’s summer and it’s Stewart Time. The winner of last weekend’s Coke Zero 400 powered by Coca-Cola has the next eight races leading to the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup™ squarely in his sights. Beginning with Sunday’s LENOX Industrial Tools 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Stewart has won a combined 20 races at tracks comprising the remaining regular season schedule.

Stewart and Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Ryan Newman – who’s fighting for a Chase "wild card" berth – won both New Hampshire races a year ago. Newman and Stewart finished one-two in the summer; Stewart picked up his second of five Chase victories in September.

Oh and Daytona’s win No. 3 gives Stewart the No. 1 seed if the Chase were to begin today.

Clint Bowyer, on top of the world just days ago as the winner in Sonoma, finds himself the "bubble boy" – 10^th in the standings – headed for New England. Good news: Bowyer is the only two-time winner in Loudon over the past nine races.

The "wild card" race remains anything but tame. A three-way deadlock for the 12^th Chase spot was broken in Daytona but Joey Logano can’t take an easy breath. He is, however, a former New Hampshire winner.

Jeff Burton is New Hampshire’s leading winner with four victories but none since 2000. Perhaps last weekend’s second-place finish at Daytona will put him back in Victory Lane for the first time since Charlotte in the fall of 2008.

Saturday’s New Hampshire stop signals the first round of the NASCAR Nationwide Series’ Dash 4 Cash and a $100,000 payoff for four of the series’ elite performers. Points leader Elliott Sadler, Sunoco Rookie of the Year headliner Austin Dillon, defending series champion Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and rising star Michael Annett face off with the highest finisher claiming the 100K.

Can Kyle Busch extend his three-race Loudon victory streak but this time as an owner-driver? Busch has yet to take his No. 54 Toyota to Victory Lane and this week offers his best opportunity yet at a track where he’s the only multiple series winner.

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series competitors return to action in Saturday’s American Ethanol 200 at Iowa Speedway. Three Iowa races have produced three different winners with resurgent Matt Crafton, coming off a fourth-place finish and Keystone Light Pole at Kentucky Speedway, hoping to duplicate last year’s victory.

Points leader Timothy Peters hasn’t had much success at Iowa Speedway and with a four-point lead over Justin Lofton and Ty Dillon, the Providence, N.C. native will be challenged to retain his spot at the top of the standings. Dillon won last year’s Iowa ARCA race and helped 2012 champion and older brother Austin Dillon celebrate his first NCWTS victory in 2010 at Iowa Speedway.