NASCAR’s finest weren’t the only ones zooming across New Hampshire last Sunday.

Grand Marshal and 2008 likely, Republican presidential frontrunner John McCain was in rare form according to his New Hampshire aide-de-camp.

``I can’t remember him any more fired up than he was. We dragged him out of Loudon after three hours at New Hampshire International Speedway. At the house party, he was still going on all cylinders,’’ reported Straight Talk Executive Director Michael Dennehy.

Former Republican State Chairman Steve Duprey couldn’t let McCain visit the first primary state without making a real campaign stop, an open-bar affair at the West Parish Road home of he and wife, Susan.

``I knew he’d enjoy seeing a bunch of old friends and he sure did,’’ Duprey said.

Some attributed to the larger-than-lively McCain to his being in the maelstrom of a battle with the White House about treating enemy combatant prisoners.

``The senator loves a good fight,’’ Duprey said.