LOUDON, N.H. – It’s getting harder and harder to find Maine natives behind the wheel of a race car in NASCAR, but you don’t have to look far for a Mainer on pit road.

Kyle Coolidge of Poland is in his second season with the No. 96 DLP HDTV Chevrolet for Hall of Fame Racing.

“I’ve been with these guys since the very start,” said Coolidge, who has been in North Carolina for 21/2 years.

Coolidge works as a mechanic, backup tire carrier, and fuel runner.

The team made its Nextel Cup debut last season with Terry Labonte and Tony Raines at the wheel.

“We had a few struggles with a brand new team,” admitted Coolidge. “But everybody’s going to have that.”

The team finished 26th in owner’s points last season and currently sits 27th in points this year.

“We’re doing a little bit better in starting position and our finishes,” said Coolidge. “We’re constantly making gains.”

Windham’s Brett Morrell carries the front tires for the No. 19 Dodge Dealers Dodge team for Evernham Motorsports and driver Elliott Sadler.

The team is 22nd in Nextel Cup points.

Morrell started carrying tires in 2004 for PPC Racing with driver John Andretti in the Cup series before moving to Evernham.

“I like carrying fronts a lot,” said Morrell. “There’s a lot to keep me busy.”

Neither one thought he’d be on a pit crew.

Both raced in various levels in Maine before moving south.

Coolidge started racing at Oxford Plains Speedway 8 in go-karts at age 8 and moved up Mini Cup cars.

“I had a lot of fun there and learned a lot of hands-on work,” said Coolidge, who won back-to-back championships in 2002 and 2003.

He moved to the Allison Legacy cars and had a dominant first half of the season much to the ire of some of the veteran drivers.

“I was a young kid coming in and beating up on all the other guys,” said Coolidge. “So they were picking on me a little bit in tech. But I stuck with it and won a few races after that.”

Two of his wins were at Speedway 95 in Hermon.

“It was different to get around,” he said. “Everybody was running the high groove, and I said, ‘well, if you can make the inside groove work, it’s going to run for you.'”

Morrell also started racing at an early age.

He was 8 when he ran go-karts at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway in Scarborough. By age 14, he had moved up the ladder.

“I raced there in the truck series on Thursday night for three years,” said Morrell. “Then when I graduated high school, I moved down to Moorresville, [N.C.].”

He went to North Carolina for a dealership program with Mercedes and BMW.

“After I moved down, I really liked NASCAR,” he said. “So I kind of moved away from the dealership.”

He went to 5 OFF 5 ON pit crew school and tried out for a few teams before landing with PPC Racing.

Coolidge relocated to the Charlotte area after a friend talked him into moving.

“I’m glad I did,” said Coolidge. “I love every minute of it.”

Last week’s race at Loudon, was a homecoming for both crew members.

“My parents met me in Portland and we went out to eat,” said Coolidge. “I don’t get to see them much because of all the traveling.

“Loudon’s a fun track, too, because I get see all my old friends. I saw Mike Rowe and Bobby Walker, they’ll stop me and say ‘Hey, how are you doing? What’s going on?’ I like it here.”

Morrell mirrored Coolidge’s thoughts.

“I’ve been coming here since I was 10 years old but always in the stands,” said Morrell. “I didn’t think I’d end up doing this.”

Because of Coolidge’s racing background at Oxford, he was excited about the upcoming 34th TD Banknorth Oxford 250 on July 22.

“It’s going to be interesting to see what kind of race that is this year,” said Coolidge, who plans on attending this year’s race. “I watched Mike Rowe win two out of the three.”

He also would jump at the opportunity to race in it.

“If I could get that ride, I’d love to run it,” he said.

Fellow Maine native Dana Worthing of Howland has limited his time over the wall.

Worthing started the season as the front tire changer on the No. 36 OTC Toyota for Bill Davis Racing.

“He wanted to limit his on-the-road time rather than go full-time with Cup,” said a Bill Davis Racing spokesman.

The spokesman said Worthing now works with BDR’s ARCA and Busch Series teams.