Ryan Blaney captured his second straight NASCAR Cup Series victory at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, controlling the race for 115 of 301 laps and edging Bubba Wallace by 0.586 seconds.
A strategic pit stop turns the tide
A late‑race caution forced teams to choose between fresh slick tires and the dwindling wet‑weather rubber. Blaney’s crew elected to stay out, a move that paid off when a lug nut fell off his left‑front wheel, briefly dropping him to seventh. The team’s quick work and an aggressive call to gamble on track position allowed him to surge back to the front.
Josh Berry finished third, delivering Wood Brothers Racing its fourth consecutive top‑10 finish, while Christopher Bell and Kyle Larson rounded out the top five. Ryan Preece’s ninth‑place run kept him inside the Chase, and Shane van Gisbergen’s 20th place left him on the cusp of the title run.
The race marked the end of the regular season, with the championship now set to shift to Daytona International Speedway’s 160‑lap showdown on August 29. Ross Chastain’s mechanical failure after just 40 laps extinguished his playoff hopes, underscoring the fine line between triumph and setback.
For Team Penske, the win adds another chapter to its storied legacy, while the Wood Brothers Racing partnership continues to prove its resilience. As the series heads to Daytona, the stage is set for another dramatic showdown that could reshape the championship picture.