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Mobil 1 301

Date

Sep 21

Track

New Hampshire Motor Speedway

Distance

301 Laps

RACE RECAP

Ryan Blaney delivered a commanding performance at New Hampshire Motor Speedway to win the Mobil 1 301, the opening race of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs Round of 12. Starting on the outside of the front row, Blaney led 116 laps -- including the final 39 -- and held off Josh Berry by 0.937 seconds on the 1.058-mile flat oval to secure his third victory of the 2025 season and automatic advancement to the Round of 8.

The race featured 14 lead changes among 7 drivers and 8 cautions for 45 laps, with strategy and tire management playing critical roles on New Hampshire's unique flat surface. Blaney captured Stage 1, Joey Logano won Stage 2 after leading 147 laps from the pole, and Blaney closed it out with the final-stage win. William Byron finished a strong third, with Logano settling for fourth and Chase Elliott completing the top five.

Blaney's 16th career Cup Series victory in his 372nd start further cemented his status as one of the sport's premier talents, and the win gave Team Penske a crucial Playoff boost. Christopher Bell, Kyle Larson, Michael McDowell, Ross Chastain, and Chase Briscoe rounded out the top ten, with the Playoff implications adding urgency to every position battle on the track.

BY THE NUMBERS

Lead Changes

Leaders

8/45

Cautions / Laps

2,739

Green Flag Passes

.937

Margin of Victory

101.699

Avg MPH

3:07:53

Race Time

15.0%

Under Caution

28.4

Avg Green Run (Laps)

Stage Winners

S1Ryan Blaney

S2Joey Logano

Lap Leaders

#22Logano147laps

#12Blaney116laps

#19Briscoe19laps

#21Berry10laps

#5Larson4laps

#9Elliott3laps

#51Ware2laps

Caution Breakdown

1L64–696L#3, 51 Incident Turn 3LD #60

2L72–776LStage 1 ConclusionLD #51

3L83–875L#21, 88 Incident Turn 2

4L111–1177L#11, 54 Incident Turn 2

5L119–1235L#88, 6, 99, 8, 20, 7, 2, 21 Incident Turn 2

6L149–1535L#42 Incident Turn 3LD #6

7L187–1926LStage 2 ConclusionLD #8

8L255–2595L#3, 51 Incident Turn 2LD #16

KEY TAKEAWAYS

01Ryan Blaney's 116 laps led and race win at New Hampshire delivered maximum fantasy points -- his ability to dominate flat tracks makes him a must-roster when the series visits Loudon.

02Josh Berry's P2 finish was a breakout Playoff performance for Wood Brothers Racing, providing enormous fantasy value at a budget salary against the championship contenders.

03Joey Logano led 147 laps and won Stage 2 but finished fourth -- a classic example of strong laps-led fantasy production that fell short of the win bonus due to late-race strategy.

04New Hampshire's flat surface and tire wear created a track where strategy and consistency trumped raw speed -- high-floor fantasy plays outperformed boom-or-bust options here.

05The Round of 12 intensity elevated every position battle -- Playoff drivers raced with added aggression, creating both fantasy upside and risk for managers tracking the elimination picture.

VALUE PICKS

5.6

pts/$

Joey Logano$13

P4S1:P2S2:P1Led:147

5.26

pts/$

Ryan Blaney$14

P1S1:P1S2:P4Led:116FL

5.00

pts/$

Josh Berry$10

P2S1:P4S2:P10Led:10

5.00

pts/$

Michael McDowell$7

P8S1:P10

4.67

pts/$

Carson Hocevar$9

P11S1:P5S2:P5

BUSTS

0.5

pts/$

Ty Gibbs$11

P35

1.10

pts/$

Kyle Busch$10

P30

1.25

pts/$

Bubba Wallace$12

P26

1.80

pts/$

Brad Keselowski$10

P23

1.83

pts/$

Tyler Reddick$12

P21S1:P9

PERFECT LINEUP

Optimal 5-driver roster for this race

Salary

$50/50

Avg Finish

Total Points

417.25

Group	Driver	Salary	Finish	Led	Bonus	Pts
A	Ryan Blaney	$14	1	116★	+18 S1:10 S2:7 +FL	149.20 2 × 74.60
B	Josh Berry	$10	2	10	+8 S1:7 S2:1	87.50 1.75 × 50.00
C	Joey Logano	$13	4	147	+19 S1:9 S2:10	109.05 1.5 × 72.70
D	Carson Hocevar	$9	11	0	+12 S1:6 S2:6	52.50 1.25 × 42.00
E	Riley Herbst	$4	22	0	0	19.00 1 × 19.00

★ Fastest Lap of the Race (+1 pt)