Ryan Blaney powered to victory today in the Mobil 1 301 NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) Playoffs race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (NHMS), kicking off the Round of 12 in the NASCAR Playoffs and marking another thrilling chapter in the track’s storied racing history. The race drew a sold-out crowd for the NCS’s only stop in New England this season.

Since first hosting NASCAR’s premier series in 1993, NHMS has been a cornerstone of the sport in the Northeast. This year’s playoff battle once again showcased the intensity of racing on “The Magic Mile,” with drivers trading paint and battling for crucial postseason points.

2023 NCS champion Blaney secured today’s win after crossing the finish line ahead of Josh Berry and William Byron. The victory clinched Blaney’s spot in NASCAR’s Round of 8 in the NCS Playoffs and marked his third win of the season.

“I’ve wanted to hold that [expletive] lobster for like 30 years,” Blaney told reporters. “I wanted to hold that thing up in victory lane just because I saw guys doing it when I was growing up.”

Blaney established his dominance early, taking the win in stage one and staying consistently up front throughout the race. The momentum continued deep into the final stage, where, with 40 laps to go, Blaney made the decisive pass on Berry for the lead and never looked back.

“[Josh Berry] got close a couple time,” Blaney continued. “He’s been a great support to that organization this year. I’m proud of those guys for having a good run. They came on strong for a while.”

Fans packed NHMS for an unforgettable day of racing, enjoying not only the high-speed action but also the energy of NASCAR’s return to the region. The event highlighted the speedway’s longstanding role as New England’s hub for major motorsports events.

Drama unfolded in stage two when Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Denny Hamlin and Ty Gibbs clashed. Racing aggressively for position, Gibbs spun off the front bumper of Hamlin in a moment that sparked tension on the team radios.

“Game on…” Gibbs said following the contact.

When Hamlin was asked for his side of the story during a post-race interview, he simply said “No comment.”

Gibbs would break a toe link shortly after and DNF with a 35^th place result.

Moments later, a multi-car crash collected Brad Keselowski, Shane van Gisbergen, Kyle Busch and Daniel Suarez. Suarez was forced to retire early from the race due to damage.

Joey Logano managed to navigate the chaos and came away with the stage two win before ultimately finishing in fourth place.

Runner-up Berry, who finished last in the previous three races to start the playoffs, said “It was an awesome day, and I had a really good car. Stinks to finish second, but after the last couple weeks, it feels really good.”

Byron, who rounded out the top-three and earned his first career top-10 at NHMS, said post-race, “Good day overall. Penske guys were super-fast coming out of a different zip code, but other than that, I felt like we were really competitive.” He added, “Wasn’t expecting to be this strong here.”

As the checkered flag waved, it was Blaney who stood tall in victory lane with Loudon the Lobster. This win punched his ticket to the Round of 8, adding another milestone to his 2025 campaign, and making him one of the strong favorites for the NCS title.

Fans who renew their NASCAR weekend tickets and camping for NHMS’s Aug. 22-23, 2026 NASCAR weekend will get a free renewal gift, while supplies last, along with the best available pricing.

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