One year after earning his first New Hampshire Motor Speedway (NHMS) victory, Ryan Blaney returned to “The Magic Mile” and did it again Sunday, overcoming challenging weather conditions and holding off a late charge from Bubba Wallace to win the Dollar Tree 301 NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) race.

Blaney took control for the final time on lap 228 and led the remaining 74 laps, stretching a two-tire gamble through the longest green-flag run of the afternoon to earn his second consecutive victory at NHMS. The defending race winner crossed the finish line 0.586 seconds ahead of Wallace with Josh Berry, Christopher Bell and Kyle Larson completing the top five. The victory was Blaney’s third of the 2026 season and 20^th of his NCS career.

“Yeah, that made it difficult,” Blaney said of the late strategy call. “No, it was a good call after our issue on pit road. We did two at the end to try to hopefully get the lead, and we did.

“It was a long, long run to the end, longest run we had. Just tried to manage my stuff. Knew the four-tire guys would pressure me eventually. Bubba came on hard there. Just tried to manage the lap traffic and manage the tire, not make a mistake.”

Sunday’s 301-lap race presented a bevy of challenge from the moment the green flag flew. With rain falling at NHMS, the field began the afternoon on wet-weather tires before NASCAR called a competition caution on lap 42 to allow teams to switch to slick tires as the track began to dry.”

Pole winner Tyler Reddick was among three cars involved in an incident on the frontstretch before even completing a lap, while William Byron, Shane van Gisbergen, Larson, Ryan Preece and Berry all spent time at the front during the opening two stages.

Larson won the opening stage after leading the final 18 laps before the first stage break. Berry then emerged as one of the strongest cars of the afternoon, taking the lead for the first time on lap 92 and keeping it for 56 consecutive laps.

Blaney moved to the front on lap 148 and went on to win the second stage, but the race remained far from decided as Berry and Wallace traded turns at the front during the opening portion of the final stage.

The complexion of the race changed again following a late sequence of cautions. After an incident involving Michael McDowell, Riley Herbst and Connor Zilisch brought out the yellow on lap 226, teams faced their final major strategy decision of the afternoon. Blaney’s team elected to take two tires, putting the No. 12 Team Penske Ford back at the front for the lap 228 restart.

A William Byron incident brought out the final caution six laps later, but once the race returned to green, Blaney was tasked with making the two-tire call last all the way to the checkered flag.

Wallace worked his way into second and began closing the gap over the long green-flag run, but a vibration in the closing laps kept him from mounting a final challenge. The runner-up result marked Wallace’s third top-10 finish in nine starts at NHMS and his 11^th top 10 of the season.

“We fought, man,” Wallace said. “Had a nice day just by myself, regrouping. Got the head right. I knew I had to fight all day. That’s what it takes. Where it starts is with this 23 team. Man, they pushed me to be the absolute best.”

Asked whether the late vibration ended his chances of catching Blaney, Wallace said “It did. I picked up a big vibration on the left front. That was kind of it.”

Berry finished third after leading four times for 73 laps, second only to Blaney’s race-high 115. The result continued Berry’s impressive record at “The Magic Mile,” giving him his third top-10 finish in as many NCS starts at the track.

“Fought hard to get back through there, man. That was everything I had. Everything I could do today,” Berry said. “The car was really solid. Managed the rain, drying the track, all the different conditions we had to stay up front like we did. Was a good day.”

Bell finished fourth despite a pit-road mishap, while Larson rounded out the top-five. Ty Gibbs, Denny Hamlin, Reddick, New England native Ryan Preece and Noah Gragson completed the top 10. Preece led 17 laps during the first stage and showed good speed before ultimately finishing ninth.

For Blaney, the victory continued a remarkable run at NHMS. After breaking through for his first “Magic Mile” win in 2025, the 2023 NCS champion returned one year later to become a back-to-back winner at the track, collecting another Loudon the Lobster in the process.

“What a cool race,” Blaney said. “Fun day starting with the rain. Ended up being a beautiful day. Everybody came out, thanks for sticking with it.”

With one race remaining before the NCS Chase begins, Blaney leaves New Hampshire second in the standings and carrying plenty of momentum into the regular season finale at Daytona International Speedway.

“You always want to continue momentum,” Blaney said. Team Penske has been on a heck of a tear the last couple months. Props to everybody at Team Penske who is keeping their head down, working hard.

After collecting NHMS’s famous trophy for a second consecutive year, Blaney already knows where his newest prize is going.

“It is cool to win here two in a row. I look forward to getting another lobster.”

Asked what he planned to do with the second lobster, Blaney smiled and said “Put it right up next to the first one.”

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