Penske’s Blaney Dominates in NH and Secures Key NASCAR Playoffs Victory

In a race where the Fords proved to be the fastest at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Ryan Blaney took the victory in the opening of the second round of the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs.Blaney, driving the number 12 Ford Mustang, led 116 laps, including the last 39, but had to defend against the strong pressure from 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.

That was probably the 20 toughest laps I’ve driven. I was trying to save and get a little closer to Josh, then he really started to push. I had to give it my all to keep him at bay, trying new lines. It was a good, clean race. I thank 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, with the number 21 Ford from Wood Brothers Racing, recovered from a spin on lap 82 and his elimination in the first round.

It was an incredible day. My 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 Berry

Ford’s dominance extended from Saturday’s qualifying, where Joey Logano took the pole position, completing a top-three sweep with Blaney and Berry. This trio led 273 of the 301 laps on Sunday.William Byron, in a Chevrolet, finished in third place.

It was a good day overall. The Penske guys were very fast. I felt like they were on another level.

William Byron

Logano, who led 147 laps, finished fourth.

Blaney was very fast in practice, and he showed it again in the race. Obviously, we got a lot of points today, so we did what we had to do, but I’d rather win. That’s just the ambition I have, especially when it’s at home.

Joey Logano

Chase Elliott, after qualifying in 27th place, achieved a fifth-place finish.Christopher Bell was the best Toyota in sixth position.Kyle Larson and Ross Chastain finished seventh and ninth respectively, with eight of the top ten positions occupied by playoff drivers.

Incidents Between Teammates

The race took an unexpected turn on lap 110 when Denny Hamlin collided with his teammate Ty Gibbs, sending him into the wall.Hamlin questioned the situation over the radio, asking if Gibbs was receiving preferential treatment.Gibbs, who had to retire from the race due to the damage, finished in 34th place and avoided commenting on the incident.Hamlin, after speaking with Joe Gibbs and Chris Gabehart, stated that the contact was unfortunate.Joe Gibbs Racing, surprisingly, struggled in the first stage at New Hampshire, where the team had won the previous three races and six consecutive stages.The second race of the second round of the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs will be held on Sunday at Kansas Speedway.