Penske’s Blaney Shined in NH: Victory and Playoff Advancement in NASCAR

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 demonstrated his superiority, securing 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, and had to withstand the strong attack of Josh Berry, who finished in second place. Blaney earned his third win of the season and the sixteenth of his career, with a lead of 0.937 seconds.

“They were probably the hardest 20 laps I’ve driven,” Blaney commented.

Ryan Blaney

This victory makes Blaney the first driver to secure a spot in the third round of the playoffs. The Team Penske driver seeks to reach the final for the third consecutive year.

Josh Berry, despite a spin on lap 82, managed to recover and finish in second place. Berry, whose No. 21 Ford has a competitive alliance with Penske, demonstrated a great performance.

“It was an incredible day,” Berry said.

Josh Berry

Joey Logano, Blaney’s teammate, earned the pole position and led 147 laps, finishing in fourth place. William Byron, from Chevrolet, was next in the standings, arriving in third place. “Penske’s guys were really fast,” Byron said. Chase Elliott managed to rally from 27th position to fifth, while Christopher Bell, the best Toyota, finished sixth. The race also saw an incident between Joe Gibbs Racing teammates, when Denny Hamlin spun Ty Gibbs, his teammate, into the wall.

“Does Ty know we’re competing for a championship?” Hamlin asked over his team radio.

Denny Hamlin

Gibbs finished in 34th position, while Hamlin arrived in twelfth position. The next race of the second round of the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs will be held at Kansas Speedway.