Ryan Blaney secured a pivotal NASCAR Cup win at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, halting Toyota’s dominance in the Cup playoffs on September 17. Ford’s strong presence saw three of its drivers lead the majority of the Mobil 1 301 race, with Blaney’s victory marking a crucial moment in his playoff campaign.
Ford Drivers Dominate After Toyota’s Early Playoff Success
Although Joe Gibbs Racing’s Toyota drivers swept the first three races of the playoffs’ opening round, the tide turned at New Hampshire. Ford drivers led 273 of the 301 laps, demonstrating superior speed and control on the challenging one-mile track. This set the stage for Ryan Blaney’s breakthrough postseason triumph.
Intense Battle Among Teammates and Contenders
Joey Logano, who claimed pole position, led the most laps at 147 while Blaney controlled 116 laps, including the decisive final 39. Josh Berry also made his mark by leading for 10 laps during the race’s middle stages. The close contest between Blaney and Berry extended to the finish, with Blaney narrowly holding off Berry by less than a second.
Blaney’s victory was his third of the 2024 season and the 16th in his Cup career, automatically advancing him into the Round of 8. This achievement also tied a personal best for Blaney, marking the third time he has won three races in a single season, while securing his sixth win in a playoff event.
That was probably the hardest 20 laps that I drove,
Blaney reflected.
I was trying hard to kind of bide my stuff and kind of pull Josh (Berry) a little bit. Then he really started coming, and I started to get super free. It was all I could do to hold him off, trying new lanes. We were able to gap him there at the end with his right-rear going away.
– Ryan Blaney, Driver
Joey Logano’s Aggressive Strategy and Its Consequences
Despite starting first and dominating much of the race, Logano finished fourth after pushing hard in the closing stages. He acknowledged that attempting to overtake Blaney was a calculated risk.
The last restart I could have restarted behind him and probably finished third in the race, but I wanted a chance to win and if I was behind the 12 (Blaney), I wasn’t gonna win,
Logano said.
I went for it, and it cost us a spot.
– Joey Logano, Driver
Logano’s aggressive effort paid off in the standings, elevating him to sixth place and 24 points above the playoff cutline, a significant improvement from his position at the race’s start.
Complete Race Results from New Hampshire Motor Speedway
The Mobil 1 301 unfolded with intense competition and multiple lead changes, as detailed below:
1. (12) Ryan Blaney (Playoffs), Ford, 301 laps, 57 points
2. (3) Josh Berry, Ford, 301 laps, 43 points
3. (5) William Byron (Playoffs), Chevrolet, 301 laps, 50 points
4. (1) Joey Logano (Playoffs), Ford, 301 laps, 52 points
5. (27) Chase Elliott (Playoffs), Chevrolet, 301 laps, 36 points
6. (19) Christopher Bell (Playoffs), Toyota, 301 laps, 36 points
7. (16) Kyle Larson (Playoffs), Chevrolet, 301 laps, 44 points
8. (11) Michael McDowell, Chevrolet, 301 laps, 30 points
9. (8) Ross Chastain (Playoffs), Chevrolet, 301 laps, 28 points
10. (18) Chase Briscoe (Playoffs), Toyota, 301 laps, 29 points
11. (6) Carson Hocevar, Chevrolet, 301 laps, 39 points
12. (9) Denny Hamlin (Playoffs), Toyota, 301 laps, 28 points
13. (28) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, 301 laps, 24 points
14. (23) Ryan Preece, Ford, 301 laps, 23 points
15. (7) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet, 301 laps, 25 points
16. (33) Noah Gragson, Ford, 301 laps, 21 points
17. (22) Austin Cindric (Playoffs), Ford, 301 laps, 20 points
18. (15) Chris Buescher, Ford, 301 laps, 19 points
19. (36) Todd Gilliland, Ford, 301 laps, 18 points
20. (12) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet, 301 laps, 17 points
21. (4) Tyler Reddick (Playoffs), Toyota, 301 laps, 18 points
22. (25) Riley Herbst, Toyota, 301 laps, 15 points
23. (17) Brad Keselowski, Ford, 301 laps, 14 points
24. (31) Cole Custer, Ford, 301 laps, 13 points
25. (34) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chevrolet, 300 laps, 12 points
26. (14) Bubba Wallace (Playoffs), Toyota, 300 laps, 11 points
27. (20) Zane Smith, Ford, 300 laps, 10 points
28. (26) Erik Jones, Toyota, 300 laps, 9 points
29. (30) Ty Dillon, Chevrolet, 300 laps, 8 points
30. (24) Kyle Busch, Chevrolet, 297 laps, 7 points
31. (35) Cody Ware, Ford, 296 laps, 6 points
32. (10) Shane Van Gisbergen, Chevrolet, 250 laps, 9 points
33. (21) Justin Haley, Chevrolet, 207 laps, 4 points
34. (29) John Hunter Nemechek, Toyota, 146 laps, 3 points (Accident)
35. (13) Ty Gibbs, Toyota, 134 laps, 2 points (Accident)
36. (32) Daniel Suarez, Chevrolet, 117 laps, 1 point (Accident)
The race featured an average winning speed of 101.699 mph and lasted 3 hours, 7 minutes, and 53 seconds. Caution flags appeared eight times over 45 laps, and the competition saw 14 lead changes among seven drivers, highlighting the race’s intense pace and frequent shifts at the front.
Race Dynamics and Impact on Playoff Standings
Multiple lead changes kept the field tightly packed throughout the event, with Logano and Blaney exchanging control several times, alongside brief leads from Cody Ware, Chase Briscoe, and Kyle Larson. The final stage saw Blaney regain the lead and fend off Josh Berry’s late challenge.
Blaney’s success significantly alters the playoff picture, ensuring his place in the Round of 8 and disrupting Toyota’s momentum, which had been almost unassailable during the early playoff rounds. Meanwhile, Logano’s effort to climb in the standings shows the intensity of battles by well-positioned Ford drivers.
The Mobil 1 301 outcomes mark a crucial turning point in the 2024 NASCAR Cup playoffs, signaling a resurgent Ford presence and raising the stakes as the championship advances. Fans and teams alike will be keen to see if Blaney can maintain his momentum and how Toyota responds in the upcoming races.
