RADIO
Ryan Blaney Nabs his Third Victory of 2026 at New Hampshire
Team Penske's Ryan Blaney won the Dollar Tree 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway after leading the most laps (115). Blaney started the race from the eighth position and ran well throughout the entire race. In the first stage, Blaney ran inside the top 10 throughout the whole stage and ended the stage in sixth, earning five stage points. In the second stage, Blaney's car was improved by his team, and he gained positions to run in the top five. Midway through the second stage, Blaney made it up to second and chased down Josh Berry, passing him on lap 148. The No. 12 Ford driver ran away with the lead and went on to win the second stage. Blaney lost the lead during pit stops in the stage break, and it was not until another set of pit stops after a lap 225 caution that he returned to the lead. The rest of the third stage consisted of Blaney maintaining a gap between him and Bubba Wallace, who made a charge in the later laps of the race. Although Wallace cut the gap down to 0.5 seconds, he did not have enough time to pass Blaney, and he held on to win at New Hampshire for the second year in a row. Blaney's third win of the 2026 season now puts him second in the Cup Series standings after 25 races.
Source: NASCAR.com
Source: NASCAR.com
Bubba Wallace Misses Out on Victory at New Hampshire
Bubba Wallace of 23XI Racing finished Sunday's Dollar Tree 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway as the runner-up despite a late-race charge. Wallace faced an uphill battle from the beginning as he began the race from 23rd place. In the first stage, Wallace displayed plenty of speed early as he gained several positions during the stage. He ended the first stage in 11th, falling one position short of earning stage points. In the second stage, Wallace continued to move up through the field with his fast car. Wallace's execution of pit stops by his pit crew, combined with his gaining of track position, left him placing third by the end of the second stage, scoring eight stage points. In the final stage, Wallace competed with Josh Berry for the lead for several laps until he went to pit road during a caution on lap 225. Wallace came off of pit road in sixth after taking four tires behind drivers that took two tires. For the rest of the race, Wallace passed other drivers and made it up to second, where he spent the rest of the race chasing Ryan Blaney for the victory. Despite cutting Blaney's lead from over two seconds to 0.5 seconds, Wallace could not get past Blaney and settled for second place. With 25 races completed, Wallace is now 14th in the Cup Series standings.
Source: NASCAR.com
Source: NASCAR.com
Josh Berry Scores his Best Finish of 2026 at New Hampshire
Wood Brothers Racing driver Josh Berry was one of the top contenders to fight for the win during the Dollar Tree 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Berry started the race from second and displayed plenty of speed early as he ran inside the top five throughout the first stage. The No. 21 Ford driver did contend for the lead directly on a few restarts, but fell back to fifth by the end of the first stage, earning six stage points. After falling a few positions during the stage break due to other drivers staying out, Berry had a faster car than most and moved up to the lead on lap 98. Berry held onto the lead outside of pit stops until lap 148, when Ryan Blaney passed him for what eventually was the second stage win. In the final stage, Berry kept trading the lead with Bubba Wallace until a lap 225 caution caused Berry to pit for four tires and fall further back in the pack. From there, Berry rallied all the way to the third position behind Wallace and Blaney to score his best finish of the 2026 season so far. After his fourth consecutive top-10 finish in the last four races, Berry moves up to 29th in the Cup Series standings after 25 races this year.
Source: NASCAR.com
Source: NASCAR.com
Kyle Larson Finishes Fifth at New Hampshire and Clinches A Chase Spot
Kyle Larson was the top-finishing driver from Chevrolet in Sunday's Dollar Tree 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Larson started ninth in Sunday's race after qualifying, but showed plenty of speed early in the first stage. The No. 5 Chevrolet driver made up positions on track and through pit road, and on lap 57, he gained the lead and went on to win the first stage without much competition. During the stage break, Larson was the first driver off pit road among the drivers who pitted, but he lost the lead because other drivers stayed out. He spent the rest of the second stage trying to return to the lead, but only made it as high as fifth, earning six more stage points. In the final stage, Larson kept his car clean and ran in the top 10 through most of the stage. By the end of the race, Larson finished in fifth position and was the only Chevrolet driver to finish in the top 10. After 25 races this season, Larson is now seventh in the Cup Series standings and has clinched a spot in The Chase for 2026.
Source: NASCAR.com
Source: NASCAR.com
Denny Hamlin Clinches the No. 1 Seed in The Chase After New Hampshire
Denny Hamlin ended Sunday's Dollar Tree 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway with a top-10 finish. Hamlin began the race from the fourth position but quickly dealt with a positional setback on the first lap. Tyler Reddick spun his car in front of Hamlin, causing Hamlin to slow down to avoid crashing into him. Reddick's spin caused Hamlin to move to the back of the field and made him lose positions that he spent the rest of the first stage trying to recover. By the end of the first stage, Hamlin made it back to 20th, but failed to score stage points. In the final two stages, Hamlin marched through the field and made it back to the top 10 thanks to good pit stops and a fast enough car. Hamlin scored two stage points after finishing ninth at the end of the second stage and then went on to finish seventh by the end of the race. With his best finish since 2023 at New Hampshire of seventh, Hamlin now clinched the No. 1 Seed in The Chase and is seen as one of the top favorites to win this year's NASCAR Cup Series Championship.
Source: NASCAR.com
Source: NASCAR.com
Ryan Blaney the Favorite to Win at New Hampshire
Ryan Blaney won the Cup Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway last season, and sportsbooks are thinking he will do it again this year. Blaney is the favorite among all major books to win this weekend's Dollar Tree 301, and for good reason: the No. 12 Ford was the best long-run car in practice on Saturday, and obviously Team Penske knows how to set up their race cars for short, flat tracks. Blaney ranked fastest in 15-, 20-, 25-, and 30-lap averages during practice and will start from the eighth position for Sunday's race. For daily fantasy lineups, Blaney is the perfect pick: he has a little bit of Place Differential upside, along with dominator and race-winning potential as well. He's expensive ($11.2K on DraftKings), but the upside is worth it. He should be one of, if not the highest-scoring driver on the slate.
Source: NASCAR.com
Source: NASCAR.com
Christopher Bell Should Contend for Another Win at New Hampshire
We're at a short, flat track this weekend, so that means Christopher Bell needs to be on your radar. Looking at his six starts here in the Cup Series, CBell has won twice already at this track and has another second-place finish on his resume as well. This weekend, he's looked strong from the start, as the No. 20 Toyota had the best 10-lap average during practice before qualifying sixth for Sunday's Dollar Tree 301. Looking at DFS strategy, Christopher Bell is an interesting pick. He comes in at a $500 discount (salary-wise) from race-favorite, Ryan Blaney, and he starts a couple of positions higher as well (sixth compared to eighth). Bell should be a contender on Sunday in New Hampshire, but the question remains: will he finally get the elusive first win of his 2026 season? Commenting about his race car, Bell stated, "I thought we had some strengths and weaknesses for sure, but really overall, I think the green Camry is gonna be in the game."
Source: Pit By Numbers
Source: Pit By Numbers
No Reason to Expect a Bad Race From Denny Hamlin
Penciling Denny Hamlin in for a single-digit finish is pretty easy these days. Through 24 races this season, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver has posted 16 top-10 finishes, and 14 of those were also top-five results. He is currently on a four-race streak of top-fives, and there is no reason to think that he won't extend that to five here at New Hampshire on Sunday. Hamlin is a three-time Cup Series winner at this race track and owns the best average finish here (9.9) among active drivers with more than two starts under their belt. This weekend, Hamlin has had a pretty quiet one but also strong. The No. 11 Toyota ranked seventh-fastest in 30-lap average during practice and Denny ended up qualifying fourth for the race. Go ahead and pencil him in for a top-five finish on Sunday, as he gets closer to locking in the number one seed for the Chase.
Source: The Athletic
Source: The Athletic
Ty Gibbs Should Be Strong at New Hampshire
Don't count out Ty Gibbs in the Dollar Tree 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway this weekend. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver has been great on the short, flat tracks this season and recently went to victory lane at Iowa (another short, flat track) a couple of weeks ago. This weekend at New Hampshire, Gibbs has been fast since the team unloaded his No. 54 Toyota, as he ranked fourth-fastest in 30-lap average during practice on Saturday and then went out and qualified seventh for the start of the race. As far as track history goes, Gibbs has never finished better than 15th here at New Hampshire, but we all know by now to throw out his past when analyzing him this season. As far as DFS goes, Gibbs looks to be an excellent play on DraftKings with his affordable $9.2K salary. He has race-winning upside and a little bit of Place Differential room.
Source: ifantasyrace
Source: ifantasyrace
Joey Logano a Great DFS Option at New Hampshire
The NASCAR Cup Series is at another short, flat track this weekend, which means Joey Logano should be in the running for the victory. He's fresh off of a win at Richmond last weekend, and we just saw the No. 22 go to victory lane at North Wilkesboro a month ago as well. Now we're at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, a track where Joey is a two-time winner. Can he grab a third on Sunday? It's certainly possible, but it likely won't be a dominating effort. Logano qualified back in 21st-place for this weekend's Dollar Tree 301, which makes him a great Place Differential option in DFS, but also means he's going to have to drive a very calculated race to get to the front. Logano has finished fourth or better in four of his last six starts at this track, though, so he definitely knows how to drive this place. In practice on Saturday, the No. 22 Ford ranked eighth-fastest in 30-lap average.
Source: Daytona Beach News-Journal
Source: Daytona Beach News-Journal
Chase Briscoe Has Potential at New Hampshire
Don't be surprised if Chase Briscoe clicks off another good finish at New Hampshire Motor Speedway this weekend. With his second-place finish at Richmond last weekend, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver has now finished sixth or better in six of the last seven races, and it wouldn't be surprising if he made it seven of the last eight after Sunday's Dollar Tree 301. Briscoe has finished 10th, second, and 10th over the last three races at this track, and the No. 19 Toyota showed good speed in practice this weekend, ranking 11th-fastest or better in all major lap average categories. As far as DFS goes, Briscoe is a solid Place Differential option, as he qualified back in 17th but should be able to grab positive Place Differential during the race on Sunday. However, his salary of $10.0K makes it a little difficult to fit him into lineups, as his dominator upside is limited. Briscoe may be a little too expensive to make sense in DFS this weekend.
Source: WTOC
Source: WTOC
Kyle Larson Searching for First Top-Five Finish in Months
It has now been six straight races without a top-five finish for Kyle Larson, as the last time he cracked that mark was at Sonoma back in June. He got close at Richmond last weekend, though, coming home sixth despite starting back in 30th. Can he find the top five again here at New Hampshire on Sunday, though? Larson has never won at "The Magic Mile," but he does have five podium finishes to his credit in 15 career starts at the track. Over the last three races here, Larson has finished between third and seventh each time, and he will roll off the starting grid from ninth here on Sunday for the Dollar Tree 301. What can we expect from the Hendrick Motorsports driver, though? It has been no secret that the Hendrick Chevrolets have struggled on short, flat tracks this season, although Larson did finish third at Phoenix earlier this year. In practice on Saturday, the No. 5 Chevrolet ranked second- or third-fastest in 15-, 20-, and 25-lap average, so the speed was there for Larson to have a good run. In DFS, Larson could be an under-the-radar tournament play at his $9.5K salary on DraftKings this weekend.
Source: Driver Averages
Source: Driver Averages
Is Another Top-10 Finish in the Cards for William Byron?
William Byron and the No. 24 team are starting to find their groove again. They haven't come out with race-winning speed in quite a while, but after his ninth-place run at Richmond last weekend, Byron has back-to-back top-10 finishes for the first time since March of this year. Can he make it three in a row, though? The No. 24 Chevrolet ended up third-fastest in qualifying at New Hampshire this weekend, which means that Byron will start from row two for Sunday's Dollar Tree 301. In last year's race at this track, he started fifth, finished third in both Stages, and wound up third at the checkered flag, too. Speed-wise, Byron was impressive during practice on Saturday, ranking fifth-best in 25- and 30-lap averages. The No. 24 Chevrolet appears poised for a potential top-five finish, but given how this team has struggled to maintain speed throughout an entire race this season, don't be surprised if Byron falls back as the race day goes on.
Source: Hendrick Motorsports
Source: Hendrick Motorsports
Tyler Reddick Has Never Finished in the Top Five at New Hampshire
In a bit of a surprising turn of events, Tyler Reddick won the pole for this weekend's Dollar Tree 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. In practice on Saturday morning, Reddick's No 45 Toyota was not fast at all, ranking 31st-fastest out of 36 cars on the overall speed chart. In an interview afterward, Reddick stated, "Oh man, I was really unhappy. I can't recall a practice when I've complained like that." The No. 45 team must have figured out what they needed to work on, though, because Reddick was fastest in practice and will start from the pole on Sunday. Will that turn into race success, though? After qualifying, the Toyota driver remarked, "We still got a lot of work to do, but we got a lot of motivation to really make sure we nail it for tomorrow." As far as DFS goes, Reddick is an interesting option, as he is affordable ($8.7K on DraftKings) and with the first-place starting spot, he's in prime position to dominate early. However, can Reddick get the finish to offset his potential negative Place Differential? One thing to note: he's never had a top-five finish at New Hampshire in six career attempts.
Source: ABC
Source: ABC
Chase Elliott Struggling to Find Speed at New Hampshire
It seems to be a recurring theme as of late, as Chase Elliott has once again struggled to find speed this weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. The No. 9 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports was able to post the eighth-fastest lap in practice on Saturday morning, but when it came to actual long-run race speed, Elliott wasn't very good. His 10-lap average ranked just 27th-best out of 36 drivers, and his 20-lap average dipped down to 29th-fastest. With that being said, Chase's falloff was impressive compared to the rest of the field, but his overall speed was what was lacking. So what does that mean this weekend? Elliott will be a prime Place Differential option for DFS players on Sunday, as he qualified way back in 29th-place. We've seen the No. 9 team use strategy to get track position recently, and there's no doubt they'll take the risk to do so again this weekend. As far as daily fantasy goes, you can't avoid Chase Elliott entirely. He's super affordable ($8.5K on DraftKings) and finished fifth here at New Hampshire last season. If he achieves track position on race day, Chase could very well make it into the optimal DraftKings lineup as well.
Source: Hendrick Motorsports
Source: Hendrick Motorsports
