Newburgh’s Ricky Craven applauded the decision by NASCAR and New Hampshire International Speedway officials to postpone Sunday’s New Hampshire 300 Winston Cup race in light of the terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in Arlington, Va.

The race has been rescheduled for Friday, Nov. 23, the day after Thanksgiving. It would be the final race on the Winston Cup schedule.

“I really support the decision. They showed a lot of common sense,” said Craven. “This is real life stuff. My thoughts and prayers are with the families directly affected by this. We [drivers] don’t have our heads on racing right now. I just hope they can continue to find survivors like they did today.”

Craven said he has been “consumed” by the television coverage and wants to be able to continue to focus on the rescue efforts.

“That’s where my thoughts are and where I want them to be as opposed to making laps,” added Craven.

Craven said he is glad they decided to reschedule the race rather than cancel it.

“I’m very thankful they didn’t cancel the race,” said Craven. “Obviously, the two events at New Hampshire are two races I single out. They are two of the most important races on the schedule for me, personally, and for my family.”

Craven’s wife, K.K., is a New Hampshire native and a University of New Hampshire graduate.

“Ending the season there will be very unique. It won’t happen again. The [points] championship could be decided at New Hampshire. I think it’s wonderful,” said Craven.

The weather could make things interesting but Craven doesn’t mind.

“We’ll have some fun with it. It will be a challenge, especially if the weather doesn’t cooperate,” said Craven.

How about a little snow?

“I own a snowmobile dealership so I can’t campaign against snow,” joked Craven, who owns Ricky Craven Motorsports North in Belfast. “Hopefully, it will snow in Maine that day but it stays east of New Hampshire.”

Although the race is scheduled for Friday, Craven said he expects it to be pushed back a day to Saturday.

“We’ll need a practice day,” said the 35-year-old Craven.

The 1995 Winston Cup Rookie of the Year is currently enjoying one of the best stretches of his career.

He has three top-10 finishes, an 11th and an 18th-place over his last seven races.

His results have been the 13th best among all drivers during the seven-race span.

Craven has climbed to 23rd in the points standings. His average starting position has been 22nd and his average finish has been 24th.

He has led for at least a lap in five races and his earnings stand at $1,361,259. He has run 6582 laps.

“I figure we need to average a 12th-place finish over the remaining 10 races to finish in the top 20 in points. If we can step it up a little more, and I’m sure we will, we could finish in the top 20 and that would be a great accomplishment for a first-year team,” said Craven, who led the two races in which he didn’t manage a top 20 finish.

A transmission problem at the Global Crossing at The Glen (N.Y.) and a crash at the Sharpie 500 at Bristol (Tenn.) resulted in 35th and 38th-place finishes, respectively.

Craven is ecstatic about his Tide Ford team and the sponsor.

“Boy am I having fun right now. I feel I’m at the prime of my career. I feel good about everything. Tide has been a tremendous sponsor,” said Craven. “The next five years should be the best of my career. I’ve gotten rid of the perception that I’m an injured driver. That was frustrating.

“I’m not sure I’d ever get this opportunity but I got the opportunity and I feel I’ve made good on it,” Craven said.

He added that he wanted to pass along his best wishes to University of Maine hockey coach Shawn Walsh, who has been hospitalized with breathing difficulties and an infection as he continues his battle with kidney cancer.

Bangor man looks to sell tickets

Bangor’s Bruce Morneault has two tickets he will eventually try to sell to the rescheduled New Hampshire 300.

“I think I’m going to have a hard time finding someone now,” said Morneault. “I don’t think there are going to be many people who want to sit out in the cold.”

But Morneault, wife Stephanie, daughter Marie and son-in-law Joey Wedge of Southwest Harbor intend to sit out in the cold.

“Nothing will stop us. We’re huge NASCAR fans. I like the fact it’s going to be the last race of the season,” said Morneault, who feels it could decide the points race.

He is a Jeff Gordon fan and saw what he considers the rare ugly side of NASCAR fans when he watched Gordon qualify on the pole for the New England 300 on July 22 at Loudon.

“I had was wearing my Gordon stuff and people were shouting insults at me. I felt threatened. It was incredible,” said Morneault who added that most of the people they have met have been wonderful.