Penske’s Blaney Dominates in NH, Victory and Playoff Secured!

Ryan Blaney Wins in New Hampshire, Securing a Spot in the Next Round of Playoffs

In a race dominated by Fords at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Ryan Blaney, driving the No. 12 Ford, proved to be the best in class in the first race of the second round of the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. Blaney led a total of 116 laps, including the last 39, and had to defend his position against the strong pressure from Josh Berry, who finished in second place. Berry got close to Blaney a few meters away with ten laps to go, but went off track on a turn. Blaney secured the victory with a 0.937-second lead, marking his third win of the season and the sixteenth of his career.

It was probably the hardest 20 laps I’ve driven. I was trying to maintain my pace and stretch out a bit on Josh, then he started to really close in. I had to give it everything to keep him at bay, trying new lines. It was a good, clean race. I appreciate Josh for not bumping me when he could have.

Ryan Blaney

Blaney, who is seeking to reach the championship final for the third consecutive year, became the first driver to secure a spot in the third round of the playoffs.

Josh Berry, whose No. 21 Ford for Wood Brothers Racing has a competitive alliance with Penske, recovered from a spin on lap 82 and his elimination in the first round, after finishing last in the first three playoff races.

It was definitely an incredible day. My congratulations to Ryan at the end. All of our cars were really strong, and Ryan did a great job there. Honestly, I was surprised to be able to keep him at bay at the end.

Josh Berry

The Fords backed up their impressive performance in Saturday’s qualifying, where Penske star Joey Logano won the pole position, completing a sweep of the top three spots alongside Blaney and Berry. This same trio led 273 of the 301 laps on Sunday. William Byron was the highest-ranked Chevrolet driver, finishing in third place. Logano finished fourth after leading a total of 147 laps with the No. 22 Ford. The native of Middletown, Connecticut, started from the pole for the first time in New Hampshire, a circuit he considers his home track. Chase Elliott, after qualifying in 27th place, the last among the 12 playoff drivers, managed to finish in fifth place. Christopher Bell, finished in sixth place, as the best-positioned Toyota from Joe Gibbs Racing. Kyle Larson finished seventh, and Ross Chastain ninth, with the playoff drivers occupying eight of the top ten positions on the 1.058-mile oval.

Tension Between Teammates

The race became complicated for Joe Gibbs Racing on lap 110, when Denny Hamlin spun his teammate Ty Gibbs into the wall in Turn 2 while they were competing for 11th place. Gibbs, the only JGR driver who didn’t qualify for the playoffs, seemed to be hindering the progress of his teammates Hamlin and Christopher Bell when the incident occurred. After the accident, Hamlin questioned whether the team owner’s grandson, Joe Gibbs, was receiving preferential treatment. Ty Gibbs briefly returned to the track before being forced to enter the garage due to damage to his Camry. He finished in 34th place and refused to speak about the incident or Hamlin’s statements. After finishing in 12th place, Hamlin spoke with Joe Gibbs and JGR’s director of competition, Chris Gabehart, before speaking with the media. After dominating the first round with three consecutive victories, Joe Gibbs Racing surprisingly faltered in the first stage at New Hampshire, where the team had won the last three Cup races and six consecutive stages. The team failed to score points in the first stage on Sunday, as Hamlin, Bell, and Chase Briscoe finished outside the top ten in the 70-lap segment. The second race of the second round of the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs will be held on Sunday at Kansas Speedway.