LOUDON, N.H. - It was a tale of two races and Mother Nature for Elliott Sadler and the Best Buy Dodge team on Sunday in the rain-shortened NASCAR Sprint Cup race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

When it was all over Sadler earned a season-best, fifth-place finish for Gillett Evernham Motorsports.

"I can't thank my team enough," said Sadler. "We never gave up today. We kept working and working and then at the end our car was really fast and our strategy was perfect."

The first half of the race proved to be as frustrating as any of the season for Sadler and Crew Chief Rodney Childers. Then some pit adjustments midway through the race turned Sadler's Dodge into one of the fastest on the track.

As he was staging a late-race rally, the rain came at lap 284 of the 301 lap race and the Best Buy team took advantage.

"Everyone worked hard today and it paid off," said Childers whose decision to keep Sadler out on the track during the penultimate caution made the difference between a 20th-place finish and a fifth-place finish.

The race didn't start as well as it ended for Sadler who carried a special paint scheme promoting Hancock - Will Smith's new movie.

After starting 11th, Sadler began to fall back through the field.

He was 16th when the field made its first stop on lap 65. He dropped to 20th in lap 77 and ran 24th on lap 86 when the second caution came.

"I can't get turned in the middle," said Sadler. "Track position is going to be very important today."

Things got worse when he lost a lap on lap 131 then barely missed the lucky dog eight laps later.

Childers brought Sadler to pit lane and made some chassis changes that turned the day around.

Sadler began turning laps as quick as the top 10 drivers.

"Those are great laps," said Childers over the team radio.

Sadler just missed another chance at the lucky dog and returning the lead lap on lap 203 when A.J. Allmendinger's car blew an engine and brought out the caution.

"I need you to go up on air pressures so I can get going on the restarts," Sadler told Childers.

Sadler restarted the race in 31st – a lap down - on lap 209.

He continued turning good lap times and that paid off on lap 216 when Eric Almirola spun bringing out the caution and returning Sadler to the lead lap.

"It's definitely coming to me better," Sadler said.

The race restarted on lap 219 with Sadler in 30th but now on the lead lap.

That's when some new challenges cropped up – fuel and rain.

"You are really about five laps short of making it and there is a little bit of rain coming," Childress warned.

That didn't slow Sadler who began climbing through the field and moved to 23rd by lap 250.

He asked if he should race hard, hoping the rain would come, or save fuel to make it to the end knowing most in front of him would have to pit.

Then a three-car accident on lap 271 brought out another caution.

Nearly all of the 25 lead lap cars came to pit road, while the Best Buy team and four other cars stayed on the track.

The race restarted on lap 278 with Sadler in fifth place.

"Save all you can here man, this is going to be very close," Childers said.

The race restarted on lap 280 but another three-car accident brought out the caution.

"Come on rain," pleaded Sadler over the team radio during the caution.

He plea worked as the raindrops began to fall on the mile oval.

NASCAR brought the field to pit lane and as the winds picked up the drops fell harder NASCAR ruled the race over.

"That's a great finish for us," Sadler said. "We've had some bad luck over the last few weeks and we deserved a break today."

Sadler is now 25th in the Sprint Cup driver points.

The top five finishers were Kurt Busch, Michael Waltrip, J.J. Yeley, Martin Truex Jr. and Sadler.

Sadler isn't the only one who will celebrate the best finish in the history of Best Buy Racing. Best Buy Reward Zone Members who are members of the racing club will enjoy triple reward zone points for each dollar spent this week because of Sadler's top-five finish. For more information go to www.myrewardzone.com to join the racing club so you too can earn the bonuses every time a Gillett Evernham Motorsports driver posts a good run on the track.

"You can't beat a deal like that," said Sadler when reminded of the bonuses. "I think I had a lot of fans rooting for the rain with me today."

The Sprint Cup Series returns to action Saturday night for a 400-mile race at Daytona International Speedway. Sadler finished sixth in the Daytona 500 in February.