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Ryan Blaney of Team Penske rebounded from a critical pit crew mistake to capture his second straight NASCAR Cup Series victory Sunday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon. Blaney commanded 115 of the race’s 301 laps and edged Bubba Wallace to the checkered flag by 0.586 seconds in a dominant performance on the 1.058-mile oval.
The victory marked Blaney’s 20th career win and third of the 2024 season. Josh Berry of Wood Brothers Racing finished third, continuing a streak of four consecutive top-10 finishes, while Christopher Bell and Kyle Larson rounded out the top five competitors.
Blaney’s path to victory proved treacherous after a lug nut detached from his No. 12 Ford’s left-front tire during a pit stop with 111 laps remaining under caution conditions. The 2023 Cup Series champion recovered from the setback, advancing through traffic to seventh place before another yellow flag flew on lap 226 for a three-car accident.
Crew chief Jonathan Hassler executed an aggressive two-right-side-tire strategy that propelled Blaney up six positions on pit road and back into the lead. Blaney led the final 74 laps to secure the victory and maintain momentum heading into the Chase for the Cup.
Ross Chastain’s playoff hopes evaporated when his No. 1 Chevrolet suffered mechanical failure after just 40 laps, forcing him to a last-place finish. Ryan Preece finished ninth and gained 19 points on Chase contender Shane van Gisbergen, who completed the race in 20th place and retained the 16th and final playoff spot.
The race began on wet-weather tires following a midafternoon rain shower, but track conditions dried rapidly, prompting teams to switch to slick tires by lap 40. The NASCAR Cup Series regular season concludes August 29 at Daytona International Speedway with a 160-lap race that will determine the 16-driver Chase field.
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