In a race dominated by Fords 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 the No. 12 Ford, led 116 laps, including the final 39, but had to defend against the attack of Josh Berry, who finished in second place. 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 final for the third consecutive year, became the first driver to secure a spot in the third round of the playoffs.“They were probably the hardest 20 laps I’ve driven,” Blaney stated.
Ryan Blaney
“It was an incredible day,” Berry commented.
Josh BerryThe Fords demonstrated their superiority from qualifying, where Joey Logano took pole position, completing a dominance of the top three places with Blaney and Berry. These three drivers led 273 of the 301 laps of the race. William Byron, with a Chevrolet, finished in third place.Logano, who led 147 laps, finished fourth.“Penske’s drivers were very fast,” Byron said.
William ByronChase Elliott, after qualifying in 27th place, managed to move up to fifth place. Christopher Bell finished sixth, being the best Toyota driver. Kyle Larson and Ross Chastain also finished in the top 10. The race was also marked by an incident between teammates. In lap 110, Denny Hamlin spun his teammate Ty Gibbs, crashing into the wall. Hamlin questioned by radio if Gibbs was receiving preferential treatment. Gibbs, who finished in 34th place, did not comment on the incident. Hamlin, after a conversation with Joe Gibbs, competition director, simply said that what happened was unfortunate. The next race of the second round of the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs will be held at Kansas Speedway.“[Blaney] was incredibly fast in practice, and he showed it again in the race,” Logano said.
Joey Logano
