Ryan Blaney booked his ticket into the Round of 8 of the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs after taking the checkered flag at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Sunday, Sept. 21.
It was Blaney’s third victory of the season and the 16th of his NASCAR Cup Series career.
Blaney’s No. 12 Ford was the fastest car in practice on Saturday, and it was once again one of the fastest on race day, especially in the third and final stage. Blaney took the lead with 74 laps remaining in the race and regained it on a restart with less than 50 to go before holding off Josh Berry to take the checkered flag in the Mobil 1 301 – the first of three races in the second round of the 2025 playoffs.
Blaney said he was looking forward to receiving – and tasting – one of the most unique prizes in NASCAR. The winner of the race at New Hampshire is given a live lobster – a staple in New England.
‘I’ve wanted a lobster ever since I was a little kid coming to watch these races. I’ve always wanted one of those things, so I’m looking forward to it,’ Blaney said.
Blaney, who started second, led 116 of 301 laps at New Hampshire, second only to Team Penske teammate Joey Logano, who started on the pole and led 147 laps. Logano finished fourth behind Blaney, Berry and Hendrick Motorsports driver William Byron, the regular-season champion.
Byron led a rebound of HMS drivers on Sunday after the normally dominant team looked average in the first round of the playoffs. All three of Hendrick’s remaining playoff drivers finished in the top 10, with Chase Elliott coming home fifth and Kyle Larson seventh.
Christopher Bell, who won last weekend’s race at Bristol Motor Speedway, led the Joe Gibbs Racing contingent Sunday after the team swept all three races of the first round. Bell took sixth, while teammates Chase Briscoe and Denny Hamlin finished 10th and 12th, respectively.
Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain was the other playoff driver to earn a top-10 finish, coming home ninth.
NASCAR New Hampshire race results
Here are the top 10 finishers in the Mobil 1 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, with starting position in parentheses, team and car manufacturer and time behind winner:
- (2) Ryan Blaney, Team Penske Ford
- (3) Josh Berry, Wood Brother Ford, 0.937 seconds behind
- (5) William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, -3.082
- (1) Joey Logano, Team Penske Ford, -5.365
- (27) Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, -6.838
- (19) Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, -7.138
- (16) Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, -8.745
- (11) Michael McDowell, Spire Motorsports Chevrolet, -9.016
- (8) Ross Chastain, Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet, -10.435
- (18) Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, -11.945
Updated NASCAR playoff standings
Here is where the 12 playoff drivers rank in the standings following Sunday’s NASCAR Mobil 1 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Four drivers will be eliminated from playoff contention in two weeks at Charlotte Motor Speedway:
Ryan Blaney wins New Hampshire playoff race
Ryan Blaney held off Josh Berry in the closing laps to win the Mobil 1 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. With the victory, Blaney secured automatic advancement to the Round of 8 of the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs.
Caution flag flies as Ware crashes at New Hampshire
Cody Ware crashed into the outside wall with 51 laps remaining in the Mobil 1 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Austin Dillon got into the back of Ware and sent the No. 51 spinning before he crashed front first into the wall on Lap 250 of 301 scheduled laps.
During the caution, all of the leaders except for Josh Berry and Chase Elliott came down pit road to change two tires. Team Penske teammates Ryan Blaney and Joey Logano will restart third and fourth, respectively, followed by William Byron, Denny Hamlin and Kyle Larson. All of the top seven drivers except for Berry are playoff drivers.
Blaney passes Logano for lead at New Hampshire
Ryan Blaney chased down Joey Logano over multiple laps, finally passing his teammate with 74 laps remaining in the Mobil 1 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Ford drivers hold the top three spots with Josh Berry running third. Hendrick Motorsports drivers Kyle Larson and William Byron run fourth and fifth, respectively, followed by Denny Hamlin and Chase Elliott.
Playoff drivers dominating early laps of Stage 3 at New Hampshire
Joey Logano leads William Byron, Kyle Larson, Ryan Blaney, Denny Hamlin, Chase Elliott, Austin Cincric, Ross Chastain, Josh Berry and Christopher Bell, with 100 laps remaining in the Mobil 1 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Berry is the only non-playoff driver in the Top 10.
Joey Logano wins Stage 2 at New Hampshire
Pole winner Joey Logano took the checkered flag to win Stage 2 of the Mobil 1 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Logano has led a race-high 100 laps of the 301-lap race. Playoff drivers took the top four spots, with Kyle Larson finishing second, William Byron third and Ryan Blaney fourth. Carson Hocevar was the top non-playoff driver in fifth. He was followed by four more playoff drivers: Christopher Bell in sixth, Chase Elliott in seventh, Denny Hamlin in eighth and Chase Briscoe in ninth.
NASCAR at New Hampshire: Lap 165 update
Playoff drivers hold the top four positions with 20 laps to go in Stage 2 of the Mobil 1 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Joey Logano leads Kyle Larson, William Byron and Christopher Bell, with Carson Hocevar rounding out the top five.
Caution comes out again at New Hampshire after multi-car crash
Brad Keselowski tried to slide under Shane van Gisbergen to the inside on a restart but ran out of room and clipped the inside wall, triggering a multi-car pileup during Stage 2 of the Mobil 1 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Daniel Suarez and Justin Haley were also involved. Playoff drivers Ross Chastain, Christopher Bell and Bubba Wallace just missed the chaos and were able to slip through without damage.
Ty Gibbs brings out caution after race battle with JGR teammates
In a battle for position between three Joe Gibbs Racing teammates, Denny Hamlin made contact with the left rear quarter pannel of Ty Gibbs, sending Gibbs’ No. 54 Toyota spinning into the outside wall. Gibbs, Hamlin and Christopher Bell were racing together midway through the second stage as Gibbs tried to slide up in front of Hamlin, which frustrated the veteran driver. Hamlin and Bell are among the 12 playoff drivers remaining in the championship hunt – JGR’s Chase Briscoe is also still in playoff contention – while Gibbs failed to make the playoffs.
Berry spins, brings out caution early in Stage 2
Shane van Gisbergen made contact with the driver side of Josh Berry while the two battled for position in the Top 10 after just a handful of laps in Stage 2 of the Mobil 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Ryan Blaney kept the lead on the restart to begin Stage 2 with Joey Logano running second and William Byron third. The second stage is scheduled for 115 laps.
Ryan Blaney wins Stage 1 at New Hampshire
Ryan Blaney outdueled Team Penske teammate Joey Logano on a restart and took the checkered flag in a one-lap shootout to win the opening stage of the Mobil 1 301 and earn a playoff point. Five playoff drivers finished in the top 10 of Stage 1: Blaney (1st), Logano (2nd), William Byron (3rd), Kyle Larson (6th) and Tyler Reddick (9th).
Ware spins in closing laps at New Hampshire
Cody Ware spun to bring out the caution with seven laps remaining in the opening stage of the Mobil 1 3-1 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Austin Dillon made contact with the back of Ware’s No. 51 Ford, and Ware spun out right in front of leader Ryan Blaney.
Following the caution, all of the leaders came down pit road for fuel and tires. The stage will conclude with a one-lap shootout.
Blaney passes Logano for lead at New Hampshire
Ryan Blaney passed his Team Penske teammate Joey Logano for the lead on Lap 53 of the Mobil 1 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Logano had led the first 52 laps of the 70-lap opening stage. Josh Berry runs third, William Byran fourth and Shane van Gisbergen fifth.
NASCAR New Hampshire Lap 25 update
Pole winner Joey Logano has led every lap so far of the 70-lap opening stage. Ford drivers hold the top-three positions with Josh Berry in second and Ryan Blaney running third. Chevrolet drivers round out the top five with William Byron in fourth and Carson Hocevar in fifth.
NASCAR playoff race at New Hampshire goes green
The green flag has waved in the Mobile 1 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Pole winner Joey Logano and Team Penske teammate Ryan Blaney are on the front row to start the race.
What time does the NASCAR playoff race at New Hampshire start?
The Mobil 1 301 is scheduled to start at 2 p.m. ET on Sunday, Sept. 21 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, New Hampshire.
What TV channel is the NASCAR playoff race at New Hampshire on?
The Mobil 1 301 will be broadcast on USA Network. Pre-race coverage will start at 1:30 p.m. ET.
Will there be a live stream of the NASCAR playoff race at New Hampshire?
Yes, the Mobil 1 301 will be streamed on Peacock, HBO Max, Sling TV and Fubo, which is offering a free trial to new subscribers.
Stream all NASCAR Cup Series playoff races on Fubo
How many laps is the NASCAR playoff race at New Hampshire?
The Mobil 1 301 is 301 laps around the 1.058-mile track for a total of 318.46 miles. The race will have three segments (laps per stage) — Stage 1: 70 laps; Stage 2: 115 laps; Stage 3: 116 laps.
Weather forecast for NASCAR playoff race at New Hampshire
The Weather Channel is forecasting a beautiful fall day in Loudon, New Hampshire with mostly sunny skies with temperatures in the high 60s up to 70 degrees for today’s Mobil 1 301.
Who won the most recent NASCAR Cup races at New Hampshire?
Christopher Bell led 149 of 305 laps, including the final 64, of the USA TODAY 301 on June 23, 2024. Bell outlasted the rain, darkness, repeated cautions and the rest of the field before pulling away from Chase Briscoe by 1.104 seconds following an overtime restart.
Two years ago, on July 17, 2023, Martin Truex Jr. earned his 34th and final win of his Cup Series career with a dominating performance in the Crayon 301. Truex led 254 laps, including the final 24, before edging Joey Logano by 0.396 seconds
What are the NASCAR playoff standings entering New Hampshire?
- Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing, 3,034 points
- William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports, 3,032
- Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports, 3,032
- Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing, 3,028
- Ryan Blaney, Team Penske, 3,028
- Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing, 3,018
- Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports, 3,013
- Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing, 3,009
- Austin Cindric, Team Penske, 3,008
- Joey Logano, Team Penske, 3,007
- Ross Chastain, Trackhouse Racing, 3,007
- Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing, 3,006
What is the lineup for the Mobil 1 301 at New Hampshire?
Here is the lineup for the NASCAR Cup Series playoff race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (car number in parentheses; P=playoff driver):
- (22) Joey Logano (P), Ford
- (12) Ryan Blaney (P), Ford
- (21) Josh Berry, Ford
- (45) Tyler Reddick (P), Toyota
- (24) William Byron (P), Chevrolet
- (77) Carson Hocevar, Chevrolet
- (48) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet
- (1) Ross Chastain (P), Chevrolet
- (11) Denny Hamlin (P), Toyota
- (88) Shane Van Gisbergen, Chevrolet
- (71) Michael McDowell, Chevrolet
- (16) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet
- (54) Ty Gibbs, Toyota
- (23) Bubba Wallace (P), Toyota
- (17) Chris Buescher, Ford
- (5) Kyle Larson (P), Chevrolet
- (6) Brad Keselowski, Ford
- (19) Chase Briscoe (P), Toyota
- (20) Christopher Bell (P), Toyota
- (38) Zane Smith, Ford
- (7) Justin Haley, Chevrolet
- (2) Austin Cindric (P), Ford
- (60) Ryan Preece, Ford
- (8) Kyle Busch, Chevrolet
- (35) Riley Herbst, Toyota
- (43) Erik Jones, Toyota
- (9) Chase Elliott (P), Chevrolet
- (3) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet
- (42) John Hunter Nemechek, Toyota
- (10) Ty Dillon, Chevrolet
- (41) Cole Custer, Ford
- (99) Daniel Suarez, Chevrolet
- (4) Noah Gragson, Ford
- (47) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chevrolet
- (51) Cody Ware, Ford
- (34) Todd Gilliland, Ford