In an emotion-filled race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, where the Fords demonstrated their speed, 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, and had to defend against the attack of Josh Berry, who finished in second place. Blaney secured his third win of the season and the sixteenth of his career, with a lead of 0.937 seconds.
Blaney, 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.It was probably the most difficult 20 laps I’ve driven. I was trying to conserve and pull a little bit of Josh, and then he really started coming. I had to push myself to the limit to keep him at bay, trying new lines. It was a good, clean race. I thank Josh for not using the bumper on me when he could.
Ryan Blaney
It was an incredible day. Congratulations to Ryan at the end. All our cars were very strong, and Ryan did a great job there. Honestly, I was surprised to be able to keep him at bay at the end.
Josh BerryThe Fords dominated Saturday’s qualifying, with Joey Logano taking the pole position, completing a sweep of the top three spots with Blaney and Berry. This trio led 273 of the 301 laps of the race. William Byron, was the highest-finishing Chevrolet, finishing in third place.Joey Logano, who led 147 laps, finished in fourth place. Chase Elliott, starting from the 27th position, managed to climb to fifth place. Christopher Bell, finished in sixth place, being the highest-ranked Toyota. Kyle Larson and Ross Chastain finished in seventh and ninth place respectively. The race had a tense moment for Joe Gibbs Racing on lap 110, when Denny Hamlin spun out his teammate Ty Gibbs. Hamlin questioned by radio if Gibbs was receiving preferential treatment. Ty Gibbs, after briefly returning to the track, had to retire with damage to his car and finished in 34th position. After the race, Hamlin had a conversation with Joe Gibbs and Chris Gabehart.It was a good day overall. The Penske guys were super fast. I felt like they were on another planet.
William ByronThe next race of the second round of the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs will be held at Kansas Speedway.It’s very unfortunate that the spin happened there, and obviously the contact came from us. I have no comment other than that. We’ll sort it out and everything, but we’ll see how it goes. But honestly, it’s a shame the contact happened.
Denny Hamlin
