Blaney holds off Berry for Round of 12 opener win at Loudon

Report: Blaney Dominates Mobil 1 301, Secures Playoff Advance

New Hampshire Motor Speedway, October 1, 2023 – Ryan Blaney capitalized on a strong performance from Team Penske, securing a robust victory at the Mobil 1 301 and advancing to the NASCAR Cup Series’ Round of 8. Blaney’s No. 12 Ford led 116 of 301 laps, finishing 0.937 seconds ahead of fellow Ford competitor Josh Berry.

The win not only marks Blaney’s 16th career victory but also breaks a dominant streak by Toyota, which had swept the previous three playoff races. Three Fords placed in the top five, while three Chevrolets rounded out the top eight.

Blaney started from the front row and maintained his grip on the race, holding off a strong late challenge from Berry, who recovered from an early spin. “Probably the hardest 20 laps I drove,” Blaney remarked. “I appreciate Josh not throwing me the bumper when he could have.”

Joey Logano, also from Team Penske and the pole sitter, led the most laps (147) but finished fourth, just behind Playoff contender William Byron, who completed the race in third. Logano indicated the day was challenging for his team: “Our only chance to beat him was on pit road… but the No. 12 was fastest in practice and showed that again in the race.”

This race signifies a potential shift in competitive balance, as Christopher Bell, the reigning winner, was the leading Toyota driver, finishing sixth. Denny Hamlin dropped from the championship lead to fifth after finishing 12th following an incident with teammate Ty Gibbs.

In the playoff standings, Byron currently sits second, 47 points above the cutoff, while Larson is 41 points above and Bell is 29 points clear. The top eight positions are contested tightly, with Chase Briscoe narrowly ahead of Ross Chastain for the final playoff spot.

Looking ahead, the series moves to Kansas Speedway for the Hollywood Casino 400 next Sunday, where Chastain will defend his title. The pressure intensifies as teams strive for position in the final playoff races.