Ryan Blaney has gone back-to-back in the Granite State.

In his No. 12 Ford for Team Penske, Blaney won his third race of the 2026 season by taking the checkered flag on Sunday, Aug. 23 at the Dollar Tree 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, going to victory lane in Loudon for the second consecutive season. The win is Blaney’s 20th of his NASCAR Cup Series career.

After a restart following a caution that came out when William Byron lost his left rear tire, Blaney battled with Chase Briscoe for the lead for a bit and then took it for good on the 241st lap. The No. 12 Ford led the final 60 laps, holding off a late push from Bubba Wallace for the victory while weaving through lapped traffic.

Blaney is the third driver to win consecutive races at New Hampshire, joining an exclusive club that includes Hall of Famers Jeff Burton and Kevin Harvick.

Team Penske has now won four of the past six races on the Cup Series schedule with Blaney taking checkered flags at Atlanta and New Hampshire, and Joey Logano winning on short tracks at North Wilkesboro and Richmond.

“The momentum Team Penske has on its side is great. Ford and Team Penske have been on a roll recently,” Blaney said. “I’m a big believer in momentum, we just have to keep working at it and see what we can do in the Chase.”

Behind Blaney and Wallace, Josh Berry finished third, marking the first time in his Cup Series career that he’s notched four straight top-10 finishes. It’s also the first time a driver for Wood Brothers has had four consecutive top-10 finishes since Morgan Shepherd in 1994. Berry — who will be replaced in the No. 21 Ford for Wood Brothers next season by reigning O’Reilly Auto Parts Series champion Jesse Love — is racing for a job next season and still currently doesn’t have a Cup Series ride lined up for 2027.

Christopher Bell was fourth, Kyle Larson fifth, Ty Gibbs sixth, Denny Hamlin seventh, Tyler Reddick eighth, Ryan Preece ninth, and Noah Gragson notched his best finish since April to round out the top 10 at New Hampshire.

With his sixth top-10 finish in the past seven races, Hamlin secured the No. 1 seed in NASCAR’s postseason Chase and clinched the regular season championship.

The finish was meaningful for Preece too, as the Connecticut native entered Sunday’s race one spot out of the Chase cutline, trailing Shane van Gisbergen by 50 points. With stage points and a strong finish in his No. 60 Ford for RFK Racing, Preece gained 19 points on van Gisbergen and now has a chance to eclipse him next weekend at Daytona in the regular season finale.

Heading into the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona on Saturday, Aug. 29, drivers in the top 13 positions in the standings have clinched their spot in the Chase. While not mathematically clinched, Wallace would have to have a disastrous day at Daytona to fall out of the postseason as he has a 75-point edge over Preece. Austin Cindric and van Gisbergen have also not clinched yet with Preece and teammate Brad Keselowski still in the hunt. Keselowski, the 2012 Cup Series champion, would need a win at Daytona and help to crack the Chase field.

The Dollar Tree 301 proved to be an unorthodox race with several unusual events. The race started with cars running on wet-weather tires and van Gisbergen was the best on them, jumping out to a 7.7-second lead and leading 30 laps. After switching to dry, slick tires, van Gisbergen slid back in the field and ultimately settled for a 20th-place finish

Carson Hocevar had multiple single-car spinouts and finished 19th, marking the third consecutive race he’s finished outside the top 15 after he had climbed as high as fifth in the point standings. Pole-sitter Tyler Reddick’s tough luck seemed like it would continue, too, as he spun out near the end of the very first lap, but he battled back and landed inside the top 10.

Ross Chastain, who entered Sunday just two spots out of the Chase, had his race ended at the conclusion of Stage 1 with issues under the hood — mathematically eliminating him from making the postseason. Connor Zilisch was involved in multiple collisions, including one in the final stage where he tagged Riley Herbst late after Michael McDowell sent the 23XI Racing driver spinning into the wall.

Blaney won Stage 2, but fell back to 14th place at the start of the final stage after a troublesome pit stop where his crew had to hold him up to tighten his left front wheel. When Herbst crashed on the 225th lap, a parade of cars hit pit road and Blaney was first off after a quick stop for two fresh tires. From there, he kept his No. 12 Ford up front for the rest of the race.

In all, the race at New Hampshire had 15 lead changes among seven different drivers.

Here’s how the Dollar Tree 301 shook out at New Hampshire:

NASCAR highlights from the Dollar Tree 301 at New Hampshire

30 laps to go, Ryan Blaney still leads

Here’s the top 10 as the Dollar Tree 301 enters its final stretch:

1. Ryan Blaney
2. Bubba Wallace
3. Josh Berry
4. Christopher Bell
5. Ryan Preece
6. Kyle Larson
7. Ty Gibbs
8. Denny Hamlin
9. Zane Smith
10. Noah Gragson

William Byron loses a tire, caution back out

Less than two laps into green-flag racing resuming, William Byron lost his left rear tire to bring the caution back out. Losing a tire in the course of a race results in a penalty, so Byron will be parked on pit road for two laps and he will lose two crew members for the next two weeks. Byron was running inside the top 10 for most of the day, making this a costly mistake.

Ryan Blaney jumps back into the lead, winning pit road race

All lead lap cars pitted under the caution brought out by Riley Herbst’s wreck. Ryan Blaney got off pit road first after taking two tires, followed by William Byron, Chase Briscoe, Joey Logano and Zane Smith. Bubba Wallace took four tires and was sixth off pit road. Ryan Preece is seventh and Josh Berry dropped to 11th.

Riley Herbst wrecks hard into the wall to bring out the caution

Riley Herbst received some contact from Michael McDowell, spun up the track and crashed hard into the SAFER barrier in turn 4. Herbst then was tagged again by Connor Zilisch.

Caution flag out as Carson Hocevar spins

Carson Hocevar’s No. 77 Chevrolet spun out again on the 203rd lap, getting loose from the 31st position in turn 4.

Before the flag came out, Ryan Blaney and Denny Hamlin were trading paint door-to-door too.

Under the caution, Christopher Bell, Denny Hamlin, Ryan Blaney, William Byron, Shane van Gisbergen and Chase Briscoe all went to pit road.

Josh Berry still leads with Bubba Wallace and Ryan Preece right behind him.

Josh Berry retakes the lead

Berry, who restarted the final stage in second, didn’t take long to make his way past Bubba Wallace to take the lead. Wallace is in second and Ryan Preece is third with 102 laps to go.

Bubba Wallace wins the race off pit road after Stage 2

Bubba Wallace is the leader in the Dollar Tree 301 as the final stage begins after he won the race off pit road under the competition caution.

Josh Berry will join Wallace on the front row for the restart, followed by Ryan Preece and Kyle Larson. The Stage 2 winner, Ryan Blaney, had trouble on pit road and will restart in 14th.

Ryan Blaney wins Stage 2 at New Hampshire

Ryan Blaney won Stage 2 at the Dollar Tree 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, crossing the finish line first in his No. 12 Ford at the end of 185 laps. It’s Blaney’s seventh stage win of the season, which leads all drivers in the Cup Series.

Here’s how the top 10 shook out at the end of Stage 2:

1. Ryan Blaney, Ford, Team Penske
2. Josh Berry, Ford, Wood Brothers
3. Bubba Wallace, Toyota, 23XI Racing
4. Ryan Preece, Ford, RFK Racing
5. Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports
6. Brad Keselowski, Ford, RFK Racing
7. Chris Buescher, Ford, RFK Racing
8. Ty Gibbs, Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing
9. Denny Hamlin, Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing
10. Christopher Bell, Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing

Preece continues to chip away at Shane van Gisbergen’s lead for the final spot in the Chase, trailing him now by 41 points.

Ryan Blaney takes the lead from Josh Berry

After bearing down on Josh Berry for much of Stage 2, Ryan Blaney finally passed him on the 149th lap. Blaney’s No. 12 Team Penske Ford got inside of Berry’s No. 21 Wood Brothers Ford entering turn 3 and Blaney cleared him on the front stretch.

The race has reached its halfway point and there are 33 laps to go in Stage 2.

Green-flag pit cycles underway in Stage 2

Josh Berry remains in the lead, charging back to the front after pitting on the 132nd lap. Ryan Blaney is still close behind him, followed by Bubba Wallace and Ryan Preece. All four drivers have made green-flag pit stops in the second stage.

Daniel Suarez is running fifth, but hasn’t pitted since the 85th lap.

Berry has led 51 laps. There are 44 laps remaining in Stage 2.

Josh Berry leads with 75 laps to go in Stage 2

Here’s the current top 10 of the Dollar Tree 301 at New Hampshire

1. Josh Berry
2. Ryan Blaney
3. Bubba Wallace
4. Ryan Preece
5. Chris Buescher
6. Kyle Larson
7. Brad Keselowski
8. Ty Gibbs
9. Denny Hamlin
10. Zane Smith

Josh Berry passes Ryan Preece for the lead

Green-flag racing resumed on the 90th lap. Two laps later, Josh Berry vaulted ahead of Ryan Preece to take the lead.

Berry, who is currently without a Cup Series ride for next season, is seeking his fourth consecutive top-10 finish and his first win of the season.

Multi-car wreck involving Hocevar, Logano brings out caution

Multiple cars wrecked on the front stretch at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on lap 84 to bring out the caution flag. Carson Hocevar and Joey Logano both spun out, while Connor Zilisch and Austin Dillon were also involved. Hocevar reportedly has heavy damage to his No. 77 Chevrolet.

Hocevar spun while trying to clear Zilisch’s front end. Logano spun as cars stacked up trying to avoid the wreck and Dillon made contact with Logano.

Logano reported to pit road for steering repairs.

Ryan Preece takes the lead

Ryan Preece, who entered this race one spot outside the cutline for the postseason Chase, is leading at the Dollar Tree 301 to start Stage 2. His No. 60 Ford stayed out during the stage-break caution. Preece will be aiming to pile up some more points in the second stage of the race.

Kyle Larson wins Stage 1 at New Hampshire

Kyle Larson charged to the front near the end of Stage 1 and was the first to cross the finish line after 70 laps. It’s the fifth stage Larson has won this season.

Shane van Gisbergen dominated the wet-weather-tire portion of the opening stage, but fell back when drivers changed to dry, slick tires. van Gisbergen has led 30 laps, but finished the first stage in ninth.

Here’s how the top 10 shook out at the end of Stage 1:

1. Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports
2. Christopher Bell, Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing
3. Carson Hocevar, Chevrolet, Spire Motorsports
4. William Byron, Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports
5. Josh Berry, Ford, Wood Brothers
6. Ryan Blaney, Ford, Team Penske
7. Ty Gibbs, Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing
8. Ryan Preece, Ford, RFK Racing
9. Shane van Gisbergen, Chevrolet, Trackhouse Racing
10. Chase Briscoe, Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing

Preece has now trails van Gisbergen by 49 points in the battle for the final Chase spot.

Elsewhere on the bubble, Ross Chastain is done for the day and will be mathematically eliminated from the Chase after having issues under the hood.

William Byron will restart Stage 2 at the back of the field after he had to return to pit road because a piece of equipment was stuck on the rear of his car.

Kyle Larson takes the lead as green-flag racing resumes

A few laps into the restart out of the caution, Shane van Gisbergen slid back to sixth place as Kyle Larson took the lead and Carson Hocevar charged into the top five.

With nine laps to go in the stage, Larson is followed by Christopher Bell, Hocevar, William Byron and Ty Gibbs.

Ross Chastain is out of the Dollar Tree 301

Ross Chastain’s in-car camera has shutoff. A team member said on the radio of the No. 1 Chevrolet that they were “done.” Chastain’s car reportedly has drivetrain issues. The early exit will end Chastain’s hopes of making the postseason Chase.

Ricky Stenhouse spins into the wall to bring out caution

Green flag racing resumed after teams changed to dry, slick tires, but it didn’t last long as Ricky Stenhouse Jr. spun his No. 47 Chevrolet into the turn 4 wall on lap 52. Stenhouse avoided other drivers, but damaged the rear of his car.

Shane van Gisbergen remains in the lead.

Ross Chastain’s day, and Chase hopes, may be over

Ross Chastain’s No. 1 Chevrolet is heading to the garage as crew members were unable to diagnose a problem under the hood of his car during the competition caution thrown at lap 40. Chastain complained about the car’s power and reported a bad smell inside the car.

Chastain entered Sunday’s race 63 points out of the Chase. If his day is over, or if he has to settle for a bad result, it could eliminate any chances of him making the cut.

NASCAR says it will throw a tire-change caution at lap 40

NASCAR has informed teams it will throw the yellow flag out at lap 40 for a competition caution so cars can change from wet to dry tires.

On lap 37, Shane van Gisbergen has a 7.7-second lead over William Byron.

Shane van Gisbergen passes William Byron for the lead

Road course ace Shane van Gisbergen has taken the lead during green flag racing at an oval. van Gisbergen, who entered this race in the 16th and final Chase spot, passed William Byron on the 26th lap for the lead. The 37-year-old from New Zealand has been running a low line on the corners, driving on the apron while several other drivers are choosing to go high.

van Gisbergen has lapped John Hunter Nemechek, Cody Ware, Ty Dillon, Tyler Reddick, Noah Gragson and Riley Herbst.

No caution as John Hunter Nemechek spins

John Hunter Nemechek spun 360 degrees in his No. 40 Toyota, but didn’t make contact with any other cars or the wall as green flag racing continues.

Shane van Gisbergen is gaining ground on William Byron for the lead on the 25th lap.

William Byron leads the field at New Hampshire 20 laps in

William Byron has led all of the first 20 laps of the Dollar Tree 301 at New Hampshire. Following him is Shane van Gisbergen, Christopher Bell, Ty Gibbs and Josh Berry.

Caution flag out in Lap 2 as Tyler Reddick spins out

Pole-sitter and race leader Tyler Reddick spun his No. 45 Toyota out of turn four on the first lap, bringing out the caution flag. Reddick made slight contact with Denny Hamlin, but there is no significant damage to either car. Reddick will pit for fresh tires and restart at the back of the field. Hamlin will also restart at the rear.

William Byron now leads the Dollar Tree 301, followed by Shane van Gisbergen, Ty Gibbs, Josh Berry and Christopher Bell four laps into the race.

NASCAR reminds teams of adverse condition cutoff time

NASCAR has an adverse condition cutoff time for Sunday’s Dollar Tree 301 at New Hampshire at 7:05 p.m. ET. If the race is still going on at that time, drivers will then race two shootout laps for the finish.

Engines fired, pace laps underway

New Hampshire NASCAR race should begin soon

NASCAR has told crews they can uncover their cars, drivers can hop in and windshields can be cleaned off. Racing at the Dollar Tree 301 should begin momentarily as cars are gridded with wet-weather tires.

New Hampshire NASCAR race under rain delay

The talk on the radio amongst drivers and crew members is that the rain is too heavy to begin the race. Carson Hocevar spun out during pace car laps, but did not make contact with the wall or any other cars.

NASCAR has called the drivers back to pit road as of 2:23 p.m. ET. NASCAR will race on a wet track, but often doesn’t under active ongoing precipitation.

Engines fired, NASCAR race at New Hampshire to start on time despite rain

Drivers have started their engines and the wet weather tires are on as the Dollar Tree 301 is moments away from getting underway.

Tyler Reddick and Josh Berry will start side-by-side on the front row. They’ll be trailed by William Byron, Denny Hamlin, Shane van Gisbergen and Christopher Bell.

New Hampshire NASCAR race to start on wet weather tires

Light rain has come down on New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Sunday and NASCAR intends to start the Dollar Tree 301 on time, but drivers will be using Goodyear’s wet weather tires.

Here’s how some drivers reacted to the tire change while speaking to PRN:

Chase Elliott: “This is going to be a pretty big challenge. We’ll try to go forward efficiently and be there at the end.”

Ty Dillon: “It’s going to make it exciting.”

Tyler Reddick: “We’ll see what the conditions do and just try to keep up with it and be ready.”

What time does the NASCAR Cup race at New Hampshire start?

The Dollar Tree 301 is scheduled to start at 2 p.m. ET on Sunday, Aug. 23, at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, New Hampshire.

What TV channel is the NASCAR Cup race at New Hampshire on?

The Dollar Tree 301 will be broadcast on USA Network. Pre-race coverage will start at 1:30 p.m. ET.

Leigh Diffey will have the call alongside analysts Jeff Burton and Steve Letarte. Burton and Letarte will join host Marty Snider and 1999 Winston Cup champion Dale Jarrett on pre- and postrace shows. Former Daytona 500 winner Trevor Bayne will be the pace-car analyst.

Will there be a live stream of the NASCAR Cup race at New Hampshire?

Unlike last season, NASCAR races broadcast by USA Network cannot be streamed on Peacock. Subscribers to YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV and Sling TV can watch through those services, or fans can log into the USA Network app with their cable provider information.

HBO Max will continue to provide live streams of in-car cameras, while PRN will carry the live radio broadcast.

How many laps is the NASCAR Cup race at New Hampshire?

The Dollar Tree 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.

Who won the NASCAR Cup race at New Hampshire last year?

This race opened the Round of 12 in the old playoff format last season, and Ryan Blaney took the checkered flag with a 0.9-second advantage over Josh Berry after leading 116 laps. William Byron, Joey Logano and Chase Elliott rounded out last season’s top five at New Hampshire. Other active Cup Series drivers who have won at New Hampshire include Christopher Bell, Brad Keselowski, Denny Hamlin and Logano.

A driver behind the wheel of a Chevrolet has not won a Cup Series race at New Hampshire since 2012 when Kasey Kahne took the checkered flag for Hendrick Motorsports.

What is the lineup for the Dollar Tree 301?

(Car number in parentheses)

1. Tyler Reddick (45) — Toyota, 23XI Racing
2. Josh Berry (21) — Ford, Wood Brothers
3. William Byron (24) — Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports
4. Denny Hamlin (11) — Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing
5. Shane van Gisbergen (97) — Chevrolet, Trackhouse Racing
6. Christopher Bell (20) — Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing
7. Ty Gibbs (54) — Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing
8. Ryan Blaney (12) — Ford, Team Penske
9. Kyle Larson (5) — Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports
10. Alex Bowman (48) — Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports
11. Erik Jones (43) — Toyota, Legacy Motor Club
12. Ross Chastain (1) — Chevrolet, Trackhouse Racing
13. Todd Gilliland (34) — Ford, Front Row Motorsports
14. Zane Smith (38) — Ford, Front Row Motorsports
15. Michael McDowell (71) — Chevrolet, Spire Motorsports
16. Chris Buescher (17) — Ford, RFK Racing
17. Chase Briscoe (19) — Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing
18. Ryan Preece (60) — Ford, RFK Racing
19. Noah Gragson (4) — Ford, Front Row Motorsports
20. Connor Zilisch (88) — Chevrolet, Trackhouse Racing
21. Joey Logano (22) — Ford, Team Penske
22. Carson Hocevar (77) — Chevrolet, Spire Motorsports
23. Bubba Wallace (23) — Toyota, 23XI Racing
24. AJ Allmendinger (16) — Chevrolet, Kaulig Racing
25. Brad Keselowski (6) — Ford, RFK Racing
26. Austin Cindric (2) — Ford, Team Penske
27. Riley Herbst (35) — Toyota, 23XI Racing
28. Austin Hill (33) — Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing
29. Chase Elliott (9) — Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports
30. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (47) — Chevrolet, Hyak Motorsports
31. John Hunter Nemechek (40) — Toyota, Legacy Motor Club
32. Cole Custer (41) — Chevrolet, Haas Factory Team
33. Ty Dillon (10) — Chevrolet, Kaulig Racing
34. Austin Dillon (3) — Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing
35. Daniel Suarez (7) — Chevrolet, Spire Motorsports
36. Cody Ware (51) — Chevrolet, Rick Ware Racing