Penske’s Blaney Dominates NH and Advances in NASCAR Playoffs

Ryan Blaney Wins in New Hampshire, Securing a Spot in the Next Round of Playoffs

In a race dominated by Fords at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Ryan Blaney emerged as the best, securing the victory in the first race of the second round of the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. Blaney, driving his number 12 Mustang, led 116 laps, including the last 39, demonstrating a solid performance. However, he had to defend himself from the relentless Josh Berry, who got dangerously close, generating intense competition. Blaney secured the victory with a 0.937-second lead, marking his third win of the season and the sixteenth of his career.

That was probably the hardest race I’ve run. I was trying to conserve and pull a little on Josh, then he really started to close in. I had to push myself to the limit to keep him at bay.

Ryan Blaney

This victory positions Blaney as the first driver to advance to the third round of the playoffs, seeking his third consecutive final.

Josh Berry, despite a spin, showed a great recovery and finished in second place.

It was an incredible day. Congratulations to Ryan at the end. All our cars were really strong, and Ryan did a great job there. Honestly, I was surprised to be able to keep up at the end.

Josh Berry

The Fords showed impressive performance, with Joey Logano securing the pole position and leading a large number of laps. William Byron, the best Chevrolet classified, achieved third place.

Penske’s guys were super fast. I felt like they were in another zip code.

William Byron

Joey Logano, who finished fourth, highlighted Blaney’s speed and the importance of scoring points. Chase Elliott, after qualifying in 27th position, managed to climb to fifth place. Christopher Bell finished sixth as the best Toyota. Kyle Larson and Ross Chastain also had good results, with eight of the top ten positions occupied by playoff drivers.

Tension Between Teammates

The race had a tense moment when Denny Hamlin and Ty Gibbs, teammates at Joe Gibbs Racing, were involved in an incident on lap 110. Hamlin, visibly annoyed, questioned Gibbs’ actions and the team’s possible preference for him.

Does Ty know we’re competing for a championship? What (the heck) is he doing?

Denny Hamlin

Gibbs, after the incident, abandoned the race and refused to comment on the crash. Hamlin, after the race, expressed his regret for the incident and the need to resolve the situation internally. Joe Gibbs Racing, which dominated the first round, had a less outstanding performance in New Hampshire, losing important points in the first stage. The next race of the second round of the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs will be held at Kansas Speedway.