In a race where the Fords proved to be the fastest at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Ryan Blaney took the victory in the first race of the second round of the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. Blaney, driving his No. 12 Mustang, led 116 laps, including the last 39, but had to defend against the attack of Josh Berry, who got dangerously close within a few lengths before going off a turn. Blaney secured the victory with a 0.937-second lead, earning his third win of the season and the sixteenth of his career.
Blaney, who is seeking to reach the Championship 4 final for the third consecutive year, became the first driver to secure a spot in the third round of the playoffs.“Those were probably the 20 hardest laps I’ve driven,” commented the Team Penske driver. “I was trying to save my pace and push Josh a little, but then he really started to close in. I had to give it my all to keep him at bay, trying new lanes. It was good, clean competition. I appreciate Josh for not using the bumper when he could have.
Ryan Blaney
“It was an incredible day,” said Berry, who led 10 laps. “My respects to Ryan at the end. All our cars were very strong, and Ryan did a great job. Honestly, I was surprised I could hold him off at the end.”
Josh BerryThe Fords backed up their impressive performances in Saturday’s qualifying, when Penske star Joey Logano won the pole position, completing a sweep of the top three spots with Blaney and Berry. The same trio led 273 of the 301 laps on Sunday. William Byron was the highest-ranked Chevrolet driver, finishing in third place.“It was a good day overall,” said Byron, who is the highest-ranked driver behind Blaney in the playoff standings with two races remaining in the second round. “The Penske guys were super fast. I felt like they were on another level.”
William ByronLogano finished fourth after leading 147 laps in the No. 22 Ford. The Middletown, Connecticut native started from the pole for the first time at New Hampshire, which he considers his home track.“[Blaney] was incredibly fast in practice, and he showed it again in the race,” Logano said. “Obviously, we got a lot of points today, so we did what we had to do, but I’d rather win. That’s the ambition in me, especially when it’s at home.”
Joey LoganoAfter classifying 27th, the last among the 12 playoff drivers, Chase Elliott achieved a fifth place. Christopher Bell finished sixth as the highest-finishing Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing, which remained undefeated in the first round of the playoffs. 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. 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 did not qualify for the playoffs, seemed to be hindering the progress of his teammates Hamlin and Christopher Bell when the incident occurred.“Does Ty know we’re competing for a championship?” Hamlin said over his team radio shortly before they made contact. “What the (expletive) is he doing?”
Denny HamlinAfter the crash, Hamlin questioned whether the team owner’s grandson, Joe Gibbs, was receiving preferential treatment. “Are they afraid to talk to him? That’s what I feel,” Hamlin said over the radio to his team. “They’re afraid of him.” Ty Gibbs briefly returned to the track before being forced to go to the garage due to damage to his Camry. He finished 34th and refused to talk about the incident or what Hamlin said when asked directly about both.“It’s unfortunate, but I’m excited to race next week and I’m looking forward to it,” said Gibbs, the 2022 Xfinity Series champion who remains winless after 117 Cup series starts.
Ty GibbsAfter finishing 12th, Hamlin had a post-race conversation with Joe Gibbs and JGR’s competition director, Chris Gabehart, before speaking with the media.“It’s very unfortunate that he spun out there, and obviously the contact came from us,” Hamlin said. “I have no comment other than that. We’ll sort it out, but we’ll 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 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 any points in the first stage on Sunday, as Hamlin, Bell, and Chase Briscoe finished outside the top 10 in the 70-lap segment. The second race of the second round of the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs is on Sunday at Kansas Speedway.
