In an exciting race at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway, where the Fords proved to be the fastest, Ryan Blaney took the victory in the first race of the second round of the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs.
Blaney, driving his number 12 Mustang, led 116 laps, including the last 39. However, he had to defend himself from the relentless attack of Josh Berry, who finished in second place.
Blaney secured the victory with a 0.937-second lead, adding his third win of the season and the sixteenth of his career.
“They were probably the hardest 20 laps I’ve driven,” Blaney said. “I was trying to conserve and get a little bit away from Josh, but he started closing in really hard. I had to give it everything to hold him off, trying new lanes. It was good, clean racing. I appreciate Josh for not running me over when he could have.”
Ryan BlaneyBlaney, who is seeking to reach the final for the third consecutive year, became the first driver to secure a spot in the third round of the playoffs.El piloto de la NASCAR Cup Series, Ryan Blaney (12), salta de su coche después de saludar a los aficionados tras ganar el Mobil 1 301 en el New Hampshire Motor Speedway.Josh Berry, with his number 21 Ford from Wood Brothers Racing, recovered from a spin on lap 82 and his elimination in the first round.
“It was an incredible day,” Berry expressed. “Congrats to Ryan at the end. All of our cars were really strong, and Ryan did a great job. Honestly, I was surprised I could hold him off at the end.”
Josh BerryThe Fords demonstrated their dominance from Saturday’s qualifying, with Joey Logano obtaining the pole position and completing a triple with Blaney and Berry.
William Byron, in a Chevrolet, was the highest-ranked in third place.
“It was a good day overall,” Byron commented. “The Penske guys were super fast. I felt like they were on another level.”
William Byron
Logano finished fourth after leading 147 laps.
Chase Elliott, after qualifying in 27th place, achieved fifth place.
Christopher Bell was sixth as the best Toyota.
Kyle Larson and Ross Chastain finished seventh and ninth, respectively.
Tension between teammates
The race became tense for Joe Gibbs Racing on lap 110 when Denny Hamlin spun his teammate Ty Gibbs, impacting the wall.
Hamlin questioned Gibbs’ attitude over the radio. After the accident, Hamlin wondered if the team owner’s grandson, Joe Gibbs, was receiving preferential treatment.
Gibbs briefly returned to the track before retiring due to damage to his car, finishing in 34th place.
Hamlin, after finishing in 12th place, spoke with Joe Gibbs and JGR’s competition director, Chris Gabehart.
“It’s very unfortunate that they spun him there, and obviously the contact came from us,” Hamlin said. “I have no comment other than that. We’ll sort it out and see how it goes. But honestly, it’s unfortunate that the contact happened.”
Denny HamlinAfter dominating the first round with three consecutive victories, Joe Gibbs Racing had an unexpected performance in the first stage at New Hampshire.
The second race of the second round of the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs will be on Sunday at Kansas Speedway.
