In an action-packed race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, where the Fords proved to be the fastest, 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 a total of 116 laps, including the last 39, and had to defend against the fierce attack of Josh Berry, who finished in second place.
Blaney managed to cross the finish line with a 0.937-second lead, securing his third win of the season and the sixteenth of his career.
That was probably the 20 most difficult laps I’ve driven.
Ryan Blaney
Blaney, who is seeking to reach the championship final for the third consecutive year, became the first driver to secure his place in the third round of the playoffs.El piloto de la NASCAR Cup Series, Ryan Blaney (12), celebra después de ganar el Mobil 1 301 en el New Hampshire Motor Speedway.Josh Berry, despite a spin on lap 82, showed great recovery and finished in second place.
It was an incredible day. My respects to Ryan at the end. All our cars were very strong, and Ryan did a great job there.
The outstanding performance of the Fords 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 of the race.
William Byron, was the best-positioned Chevrolet driver, finishing in third place.
Logano, who led the most laps (147) in his No. 22 Ford, finished fourth.
Chase Elliott, after qualifying in 27th position, managed to climb to fifth place.
Christopher Bell, was the highest-ranked Toyota, in sixth place.
Kyle Larson and Ross Chastain also stood out, taking seventh and ninth place, respectively.
Tension between teammates
The race took an unexpected turn on lap 110 when Denny Hamlin spun his teammate, Ty Gibbs, into the wall, while they were competing for eleventh place.
Hamlin questioned the situation over his team radio, suggesting that Gibbs might be receiving preferential treatment.
Gibbs, who had to abandon the race due to the damage to his car, refused to comment on the incident.
Hamlin, after talking with Joe Gibbs and Chris Gabehart, JGR’s director of competition, expressed his regret for the incident.
After dominating the first round with three consecutive victories, Joe Gibbs Racing underperformed in New Hampshire.
The next race of the second round of the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs will take place on Sunday at Kansas Speedway.
