In a race where the Fords demonstrated their speed 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 his No. 12 Mustang, led 116 laps, including the last 39, but had to defend against the attack of Josh Berry, who finished in second place. Blaney earned his third win of the season and the sixteenth of his career, beating Berry by 0.937 seconds.
Blaney, who is looking to reach the championship final for the third consecutive year, secured his place in the third round of the playoffs.They were probably the 20 hardest laps I’ve driven. I was trying to maintain my pace and push Josh a bit, but then he started to close in. 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
It was an incredible day. Congratulations to Ryan at the end. All of our cars were very strong, and Ryan did a great job. Honestly, I was surprised to be able to hold him off at the end.
Josh BerryThe Fords demonstrated their dominance from qualifying, where Joey Logano took pole position, completing a top-three sweep with Blaney and Berry. The same trio led 273 of the 301 laps. William Byron, was the highest-finishing Chevrolet, finishing in third place. Joey Logano, after leading 147 laps, finished in fourth place. Chase Elliott, who qualified in 27th place, managed to move up to fifth place. Christopher Bell and Kyle Larson finished in sixth and seventh place respectively. The race had a tense moment when Denny Hamlin collided with his teammate Ty Gibbs on lap 110. Hamlin questioned whether Gibbs was receiving preferential treatment. Gibbs, after briefly returning to the track, was forced to abandon the race due to damage to his vehicle, finishing in 34th place. The next race of the second round of the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs will be held at Kansas Speedway.