Cup Series: Blaney holds off Berry, locks into Round of 8 with New Hampshire victory

Written by Sean McKean

Credit: Sean Gardner / Getty Images for NASCAR

Amidst great pressure from Josh Berry behind, Ryan Blaney secured his third win of the season and a Round of 8 berth in New Hampshire. 

It was Blaney’s first win at New Hampshire.

As it unfolded

From his second pole of the season, Joey Logano shot away well to secure the lead over Josh Berry.

With the help of lapped traffic, Ryan Blaney passed Berry for second on Lap 44. This eventually turned into a pass for the lead eight laps later on teammate Logano. 

With seven laps to go in the stage, Cody Ware went for a spin directly in front of the leaders. He sustained no damage, but it was quite a close call for Blaney and Logano.

Every playoff driver came down pit road. Blaney retained his lead followed by Berry and Logano.

One lap remained in the stage when Blaney led the way again. 

Blaney easily secured the stage win followed by Logano and William Byron.

Stage 1 Results:

1. No. 12 - Ryan Blaney (Team Penske) [Playoffs]

2. No. 22 - Joey Logano (Team Penske) [Playoffs]

3. No. 24 - William Byron (Hendrick Motorsports) [Playoffs]

4. No. 21 - Josh Berry (Wood Brothers Racing)

5. No. 77 - Carson Hocevar (Spire Motorsports)

6. No. 5 - Kyle Larson (Hendrick Motorsports) [Playoffs]

7. No. 88 - Shane van Gisbergen (Trackhouse Racing)

8. No. 48 - Alex Bowman (Hendrick Motorsports)

9. No. 45 - Tyler Reddick (23XI Racing) [Playoffs]

10. No. 71 - Michael McDowell (Spire Motorsports)

Blaney led the way back to green on Lap 78. 

Whilst battling for fourth, Shane van Gisbergen got into the back of Josh Berry ahead of him. This sent the Wood Brothers driver into a spin. Berry luckily kept the car undamaged. 

Blaney controlled the Lap 88 restart.

After many laps of battling for 11th, Denny Hamlin sent teammate Ty Gibbs into a spin in Turn 1. Gibbs hit the wall on the left side but drove away from the incident.

Every driver came down pit road during this caution. Chase Briscoe, having taken two tyres, came out first followed by Logano and Carson Hocevar.

Briscoe led the way again on Lap 118, and whilst Hocevar got a great jump to shoot for the lead, a crash behind brought the caution back out. This was for a messy tangle between Shane van Gisbergen, Brad Keselowski, Daniel Suarez and others.

Briscoe controlled the Lap 124 restart. Although Briscoe led for a few laps, Kyle Larson quickly made his way by for the lead on Lap 135.

Larson retained the lead only briefly, however, as a lunge by Joey Logano on Lap 138 saw him take the lead again.

John Hunter Nemechek brought out the caution again on Lap 148. In Turn 3, he lost the rear and hit the wall very hard. He retired from the race.

Of those who came down pit road, Logano, Larson and Byron were the first ones out. 

Logano controlled the Lap 155 restart.

Logano held on to win the second stage decisively over Larson and Byron.

Stage 2 Results:

1. No. 22 - Joey Logano (Team Penske) [Playoffs]

2. No. 5 - Kyle Larson (Hendrick Motorsports) [Playoffs]

3. No. 24 - William Byron (Hendrick Motorsports) [Playoffs]

4. No. 12 - Ryan Blaney (Team Penske) [Playoffs]

5. No. 77 - Carson Hocevar (Spire Motorsports)

6. No. 20 - Christopher Bell (Joe Gibbs Racing) [Playoffs]

7. No. 9 - Chase Elliott (Hendrick Motorsports) [Playoffs]

8. No. 11 - Denny Hamlin (Joe Gibbs Racing) [Playoffs]

9. No. 19 - Chase Briscoe (Joe Gibbs Racing) [Playoffs]

10. No. 21 - Josh Berry (Wood Brothers Racing)

Everyone came down pit road during the stage break. Logano was first out followed by Austin Cindric and Byron.

Logano got a great jump on the Lap 193 restart. 

After hounding him for over 20 laps, Ryan Blaney finally made his way by teammate Logano on Lap 228. Behind, Josh Berry – who had the fastest car all day – passed Larson for third.

Green flag pit stops began five laps later with Ryan Blaney. The top three remained the same once pit cycles finished. 

When everything looked in favour of Blaney to the very end, a caution with 48 laps remaining changed everything. This came following a crash into the outside wall in Turn 2 from Cody Ware.

Most drivers, barring Josh Berry and Chase Elliott, came down pit road. Blaney, Logano and Byron were again the first three out. 

Berry controlled the restart with only 42 laps to go, but Blaney quickly made his way through within three laps.

However, Berry never left the mirror of Blaney, and with 21 laps to go, car no. 21 began hounding the Penske ahead. 

Nonetheless, Blaney survived the pressure to secure a berth into the Round of 8.

Provisional Results:

1. No. 12 - Ryan Blaney (Team Penske) [Playoffs]

2. No. 21 - Josh Berry (Wood Brothers Racing)

3. No. 24 - William Byron (Hendrick Motorsports) [Playoffs]

4. No. 22 - Joey Logano (Team Penske) [Playoffs]

5. No. 9 - Chase Elliott (Hendrick Motorsports) [Playoffs]

6. No. 20 - Christopher Bell (Joe Gibbs Racing) [Playoffs]

7. No. 5 - Kyle Larson (Hendrick Motorsports) [Playoffs]

8. No. 71 - Michael McDowell (Spire Motorsports)

9. No. 1 - Ross Chastain (Trackhouse Racing) [Playoffs]

10. No. 19 - Chase Briscoe (Joe Gibbs Racing) [Playoffs]

11. No. 77 - Carson Hocevar (Spire Motorsports)

12. No. 11 - Denny Hamlin (Joe Gibbs Racing) [Playoffs]

13. No. 3 - Austin Dillon (Richard Childress Racing)

14. No. 60 - Ryan Preece (RFK Racing)

15. No. 48 - Alex Bowman (Hendrick Motorsports)

16. No. 4 - Noah Gragson (Front Row Motorsports)

17. No. 2 - Austin Cindric (Team Penske) [Playoffs]

18. No. 17 - Chris Buescher (RFK Racing)

19. No. 34 - Todd Gilliland (Front Row Motorsports)

20. No. 16 - AJ Allmendinger (Kaulig Racing)

21. No. 45 - Tyler Reddick (23XI Racing) [Playoffs]

22. No. 35 - Riley Herbst (23XI Racing)

23. No. 6 - Brad Keselowski (RFK Racing)

24. No. 41 - Cole Custer (Haas Factory Team)

25. No. 47 - Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (Hyak Motorsports) +1 lap

26. No. 23 - Bubba Wallace (23XI Racing) [Playoffs] +1 lap

27. No. 38 - Zane Smith (Front Row Motorsports) +1 lap

28. No. 43 - Erik Jones (Legacy Motor Club) +1 lap

29. No. 10 - Ty Dillon (Kaulig Racing) +2 laps

30. No. 8 - Kyle Busch (Richard Childress Racing) +4 laps

31. No. 51 - Cody Ware (Rick Ware Racing) +5 laps

32. No. 88 - Shane van Gisbergen (Trackhouse Racing) +51 laps

33. No. 7 - Justin Haley (Spire Motorsports) +94 laps

34. No. 42 - John Hunter Nemechek (Legacy Motor Club) [DNF]

35. No. 54 - Ty Gibbs (Joe Gibbs Racing) [DNF]

36. No. 99 - Daniel Suarez (Trackhouse Racing) [DNF]

After a Penske-dominated proceeding in New Hampshire, the new playoff grid looks as follows:

Provisional Playoff Grid:

1. No. 12 - Ryan Blaney: [1 WIN; ADVANCED]

2. No. 24 - William Byron: +47

3. No. 5 - Kyle Larson: +41

4. No. 20 - Christopher Bell: +29

5. No. 11 - Denny Hamlin: +27

6. No. 22 - Joey Logano: +24

7. No. 9 - Chase Elliott: +14

8. No. 19 - Chase Briscoe: +12

PLAYOFF CUT-LINE

9. No. 1 - Ross Chastain: -12

10. No. 2 - Austin Cindric: -19

11. No. 45 - Tyler Reddick: -23

12. No. 23 - Bubba Wallace: -27