(Sports Correspondent: Imran Sohail)
Ryan Blaney Dominates at New Hampshire as Team Penske Gains Edge in NASCAR Playoffs
The NASCAR Cup Series playoffs delivered plenty of drama at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Sunday, where Team Penske emerged as the team to beat while Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) faced both internal friction and on-track struggles.
Ryan Blaney powered his way to victory, leading 116 laps to secure his third win of the season. His teammate Joey Logano also shined, starting from pole position and leading a race-high 147 laps before finishing fourth. The strong performance by Penske at the 1.058-mile oval has raised eyebrows ahead of the season finale at Phoenix Raceway, a track with a similar layout where Penske has captured three straight championships.
“Anytime you win in the playoffs, it’s huge. It gives confidence and momentum to the whole team,” Blaney said after the race.
Meanwhile, Joe Gibbs Racing struggled to find pace. Christopher Bell was the team’s top finisher in sixth, marking the first time since 2014 that JGR failed to secure a top-five at New Hampshire. A heated exchange between Denny Hamlin and teammate Ty Gibbs added to the team’s woes, though officials downplayed the incident as something to be addressed in team meetings.
Team Penske’s rise comes at a critical point in the playoffs, with just six races left in the season. Blaney and Logano’s success echoed Penske’s recent history of late-season surges, where both drivers have delivered titles in the past three years.
Elsewhere, 23XI Racing endured a disappointing outing. Tyler Reddick finished 21st and Bubba Wallace placed 26th, dropping both drivers to the bottom of the playoff standings. Wallace called it “the longest day I’ve had in a race car in a long time,” while Reddick admitted the team needed to find answers quickly.
Hendrick Motorsports showed consistency, placing three drivers in the top 10 for the first time in a decade at New Hampshire. William Byron finished third, Chase Elliott fought his way from 27th to fifth, and Kyle Larson crossed in seventh.
With the same right-side tire used at New Hampshire set to feature in the final two races at Martinsville and Phoenix, the playoff picture is shaping up for a thrilling finish. Penske’s momentum makes them the team to beat, but JGR and Hendrick remain strong contenders as the chase for the championship intensifies.
