The NASCAR Cup Series Playoff picture dramatically reshaped at New Hampshire Motor Speedway as Ryan Blaney drove his Team Pense Ford to victory in the opening race of the Round of 12, securing his place in the Round of 8.
While Blaney’s performance was dominant — leading 116 laps, second only to teammate Joey Logano’s 147 — the race at “The Magic Mile” was anything but quiet, marked by a shocking intra-team incident and big problems for several contenders.
Blaney’s breakthrough, and the playoff standings
The win was a major statement for Blaney, the defending series champion, who had struggled to find Victory Lane in the first round of the Playoffs. He held off a strong charge from fellow Ford driver Josh Berry to punch the first ticket to the next round.
The current Cup Point Standings heading into the next race show the intensity of the fight for the seven remaining spots in the Final Eight:
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- Ryan Blaney Round of 8 (Win) N/A
- William Byron Above +47
- Kyle Larson Above +41
- Christopher Bell Above +29
- Denny Hamlin Above +27
- Joey Logano Above +24
- Chase Elliott Above +14
- Chase Briscoe Above +12
- Ross Chastain Below -12
- Austin Cindric Below -19
- Tyler Reddick Below -23
- Bubba Wallace Below -27
JGR drama: Hamlin vs. Gibbs
So, all of this playoff drama brings us to the biggest headline from New Hampshire and the bubbling feud between Joe Gibbs Racing veteran Denny Hamlin and his young teammate, Ty Gibbs.
The flashpoint came on Lap 110 when the two were racing hard for position inside the Top 10. Frustrated by the non-playoff-eligible Gibbs holding him up, Hamlin made contact with Gibbs’s car, sending the younger driver spinning into the wall and ending his day with a 35th-place finish.
Hamlin, who eventually finished 12th, downplayed the contact as an “unfortunate” racing incident, but the message was clear: in the Playoffs, a playoff driver expects a non-playoff teammate to yield. Gibbs, known for his aggressive style and past teammate incidents, was terse post-race, simply stating, “It’s unfortunate.”
The incident has ignited a heated debate about team loyalty versus personal ambition and also how team owner and yes, Ty’s grandfather could handle this delicate situation and how the unresolved tension could spill over in the coming weeks.
Who’s hot, and who’s not
Team Penske has found their pace at the perfect time. Ryan Blaney is undeniably Hot with the win, and Joey Logano — who led the most laps (147) and finished fourth — is right there with him. William Byron had a solid third-place run, improving his position greatly after a rocky Round of 16. Chase Elliott also belongs in the Hot category for his tremendous comeback drive, rallying from a 27th-place start to finish fifth.
On the other side, Tyler Reddick and Bubba Wallace are struggling, as of late, to find their pace in the Round of 12. Both 23XI Racing drivers finished outside the Top 20 (21st and 26th, respectively), significantly worsening their points situation and making the pressure cooker even hotter.
Chase Briscoe, who sits on the bubble, salvaged a 10th-place finish but needs much more to feel safe.
The Road to the Final Eight: Kansas preview
The urgency for a great run is immense for the drivers currently below the cutline: Ross Chastain (−12), Austin Cindric (−19), Tyler Reddick (−23), and Bubba Wallace (−27).
With only two races left in this round (Kansas and the Charlotte Roval), they are in “must-perform” territory. A win for any of them would be the easiest way to punch their ticket.
This week, the Cup Series heads to Kansas Speedway for the second race of the Round of 12. The 1.5-mile intermediate oval often produces intense racing and high speeds, a contrast to the flat, technical New Hampshire track.
Kyle Larson is the defending winner of this race and holds one of the strongest records at Kansas, making him a pre-race favorite track, but the lingering shadow of the Hamlin/Gibbs fallout could affect JGR’s overall performance. Christopher Bell and Denny Hamlin have also had considerable success at th
For Reddick, a former Kansas winner, this is a prime opportunity to turn his playoffs around.
For Logano and Elliott, strong runs are necessary to cement their positions before the wild card of the Roval in Charlotte. The race this weekend promises high stakes, with every stage point and every position critical in the fight for a spot in the Final Eight.
Coming up
I’ll have a complete run down off the race on Augusta Free Press and on Dickenson Media on Monday next week, and you can join us next week, as Chris and I will preview the ROVAL at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the cutoff race for the final eight positions in the NASCAR Playoffs.
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