In an exciting race at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway, where the Fords proved to be the fastest, Ryan Blaney stood out, securing the victory in the first race of the second round of the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs.
Blaney, driving his number 12 Mustang, led a total of 116 laps, including the last 39. Despite the intense pressure from Josh Berry, who got dangerously close in the last ten laps, Blaney managed to hold the position and cross the finish line in first place.
With a 0.937-second lead, Blaney earned his third win of the season and the sixteenth of his career.
“They were probably the hardest 20 laps I’ve driven,” Blaney commented, highlighting the intense competition. “It was a clean race and I thank Josh for not using the bumper when he could have.”
Ryan BlaneyBlaney, in his attempt 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.Ryan Blaney celebra su victoria en el Mobil 1 301 en el New Hampshire Motor Speedway.Josh Berry, despite a spin on lap 82, managed to recover and finish in second place, demonstrating the competitiveness of his number 21 Ford from Wood Brothers Racing.
“It was an incredible day,” said Berry, who led 10 laps. “Congratulations to Ryan. Our cars were very strong, and Ryan did a great job. I was surprised I could hold him off at the end.”
Josh Berry
The race in New Hampshire confirmed the dominance of the Fords, who had already shown their potential in Saturday’s qualifying. Joey Logano, Blaney’s teammate, took pole position, completing a sweep of the top three grid positions.
William Byron, the highest-ranked Chevrolet driver, finished in third place.
“Penske’s guys were super fast. I felt like they were in another league,” Byron said.
William Byron
Joey Logano, who led the most laps (147), finished in fourth place. Logano, originally from Middletown, Connecticut, considered this race his home race.
“[Blaney] was very fast in practice, and he showed it again in the race,” Logano said. “We got a lot of points today, so we did what we had to do, but I’d rather win.”
Joey LoganoChase Elliott, after qualifying in 27th place, managed to climb to fifth place.
Christopher Bell finished sixth, being the best Toyota in the race. Kyle Larson and Ross Chastain also achieved good results, securing a place in the top ten.
The competition at Joe Gibbs Racing intensified on lap 110, when Denny Hamlin collided with his teammate Ty Gibbs.
Hamlin, on his radio, questioned Gibbs’ actions, suggesting he might be receiving preferential treatment. Gibbs, who finished in 34th place, declined to comment on the incident.
After the race, Hamlin had a conversation with Joe Gibbs and JGR’s competition director, Chris Gabehart.
“It’s a shame he’s gone,” Hamlin said. “I have no comment, but we’ll see how it goes. It’s a shame the contact happened.”
Denny Hamlin
The next race of the second round of the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs will be held on Sunday at Kansas Speedway.
