Rain‑Soaked Battle at New Hampshire
The NASCAR Cup Series headed to New Hampshire Motor Speedway on August 23, 2026 for the Dollar Tree 301, a 301‑lap race divided into three stages. The event took place under damp conditions that forced teams to run wet‑weather tires for much of the competition.
Stage one saw Kyle Larson take the lead after a brief exchange involving Shane van Gisbergen and Ricky Stenhouse Jr., securing the stage win. Stage two was claimed by Ryan Blaney, who passed Josh Berry in the closing laps of that segment.
The final stage delivered the most excitement, with multiple lead changes among Blaney, Bubba Wallace and Josh Berry. After a series of overtakes, Blaney crossed the finish line first, followed by Wallace in second and Berry in third, rounding out the top three.
Other notable performances came from Christopher Bell and Kyle Larson, who also featured prominently throughout the race, while Tyler Reddick and Josh Berry started from the front row. The race underscored the series’ ability to produce competitive racing even when the track is wet.