It’s time for the big lobster!
The Cup Series completes a doubleheader weekend Mobil 1 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
Thirty-six teams brought cars to Loudon for the race as the Cup Series begins the second round of the playoffs.
The teams are divided into two groups for 25 minute practice session.
The first driver on the track to make a qualifying run is 29.773 seconds around the one mile track.
With a time of 29.159 seconds Joey Logano put his number 22 car on the pole with teammate Ryan Blaney alongside on the front row.
The starting lineup for the Mobil 1 301:
Joey Logano – playoffs
Ryan Blaney – playoffs
Josh Berry
Tyler Reddick – playoffs
William Byron – playoffs
Carson Hocevar
Alex Bowman
Ross Chastain – playoffs
Denny Hamlin – playoffs
Shane van Gisbergen
Michael McDowell
AJ Allmendinger
Ty Gibbs
Bubba Wallace – playoffs
Chris Buescher
Kyle Larson – playoffs
Brad Keselowski
Chase Briscoe – playoffs
Christopher Bell – playoffs
Zane Smith
Justin Haley
Austin Cindric – playoffs
Ryan Preece
Kyle Busch
Riley Herbst
Erik Jones
Chase Elliott – playoffs
Austin Dillon
John Hunter Nemechek
Ty Dillon
Cole Custer
Daniel Suarez
Noah Gragson
Ricky Stenhouse Jr
Cody Ware
Todd Gilliland
During the inspection process prior to practice and qualifying, the Rick Ware racing car driven by Cody Ware failed twice. As a result the team will lose a crew member at NASCAR’s discretion (usually the car chief or engineer) and will have their pit stall assigned by NASCAR.
Stage one is 70 laps, stage two is 115 laps, and stage three is 116 laps for a total 301 laps around the one mile track.
NASCAR Hall of Fame driver Kurt Busch gives the command to start engines.
Joey Logano brings the field down for the green flag start of the race with teammate Ryan Blaney alongside. Logano edges out for the lead as drivers get three and four wide through the field.
Lap two, Joey Logano leads the race with Josh Berry in second; Carson Hocevar, William Byron, and Tyler Reddick round out the top five.
Lap five, Shane van Gisbergen is just outside the top five in sixth place in a battle with Ryan Blaney.
Lap eight, Joey Logano has a half second lead on Josh Berry; Carson Hocevar, William Byron, and Tyler Reddick round out the top five.
Ten laps into the race, Josh Berry has run the fastest lap so far.
Lap 13, Josh Berry has closed the gap on leader Joey Logano to under half a second; Carson Hocevar, William Byron, and Ryan Blaney round out the top five.
Lap 20, Joey Logano has increased the gap on Josh Berry to over half a second; Ryan Blaney, Carson Hocevar, and William Byron round out the top five.
Lap 23, the top 10 drivers are separated by nearly nine seconds. A one mile track, drivers in the back of the field will soon encounter race leaders; on lap 25 all drivers are on the lead lap.
Lap 29, Joey Logano holds a half second lead on Josh Berry; Ryan Blaney, William Byron, and Carson Hocevar round out the top five.
Tyler Reddick is reporting some possible brake issues.
Lap 33, Josh Berry is slowly closing the gap to leader Joey Logano.
Lap 37, leader Joey Logano has begun lapping slower cars; with 33 cars on the lead lap.
Lap 41, Joey Logano has led every lap so far; Josh Berry, Ryan Blaney, William Byron, and Carson Hocevar round out the top five.
Lap 43, Ryan Blaney battles with Hosh Berry for second and takes the spot.
Lap 46, Ryan Blaney is closing the gap on teammate Joey Logano and is just a third of a second back.
Lap 48, Ryan Blaney is just a tenth of a second behind leader Joey Logano.
Lap 51, Ryan Blaney begins the challenge to take the lead from Joey Logano.
Lap 53, Ryan Blaney takes the lead.
The top five are Ryan Blaney, Joey Logano, Josh Berry, William Byron, and Shane van Gisbergen.
Lap 59, Chase Elliott is finally in the top 20.
Lap 60, Josh Berry passes Joey Lobano for second.
Lap 62, there are 26 cars on the lead lap.
Just eight laps remain in stage one with Ryan Blaney nearly a second and a half lead on Josh Berry.
The caution flag comes out on lap 62 when Cody Ware spins out…right in front of the leaders! Ryan Blaney avoids a crash.
Bubba Wallace is reporting handling issues that make him feel like he is going to crash.
Drivers come down pit road for service including the leaders. Ryan Blaney wins the race off of pit road with Josh Berry in second.
Ryan Blaney brings the field down for the green flag shootout to end stage one with Josh Berry alongside. Blaney gets out in front for the lead with Joey Logano in second.
Ryan Blaney wins stage one.
The top 10 at the end of stage one:
Ryan Blaney
Joey Logano
William Byron
Josh Berry
Carson Hocevar
Kyle Larson
Shane van Gisbergen
Alex Bowman
Tyler Reddick
Michael McDowell
Ricky Stenhouse Jr was charged with crew members going over the wall too soon and will have to restart the race from the back of the field.
Ryan Blaney brings the field down for the green flag start of stage two with William Byron alongside on lap 78. Getting a bit of a push from Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney gets out in front for the lead. Joey Logano and William Byron battle for second.
Lap 80, Ryan Blaney has a half second lead on Joey Logano; William Byron, Carson Hocevar, and Josh Berry round out the top five.
Josh Berry and Shane van Gisbergen battle for fifth.
Josh Berry spins out after contact with Shane van Gisbergen to bring out the caution flag on lap 82. Right behind them, Tyler Reddick missed the wreck.
Shane van Gisbergen got on his radio and said that he didn’t mean to spin Josh Berry, but Berry pinched him and he had nowhere to go.
Some of the drivers back in the field come down pit road but the leaders stay out on the track.
Ryan Blaney brings the field down for the green flag restart on Lap 88 with William Byron alongside. Blaney takes the lead as Byron and Joey Logano battle for second. Back in the field drivers are three and four wide as they battle for position.
The top five are Ryan Blaney, Joey Logano, Carson Hocevar, William Byron, and Kyle Larson.
Lap 92, Ryan Blaney has a half second lead on teammate Joey Logano; Carson Hocevar, William Byron, and Kyle Larson round out the top five.
With the wavearounds, all 36 cars are on the lead lap.
Lap 99, Ryan Blaney has pulled out to a lead of nearly a second and a half on Joey Logano; Carson Hocevar, Kyle Larson, and William Byron.
Lap 108, Ryan Blaney has pulled out to a near three second lead on Joey Logano; Carson Hocevar, Kyle Larson, and William Byron round out the top five. Byron and Larson teammate Alex Bowman holds down the sixth place.
The caution flag comes out on lap 110 when Ty Gibbs gets into the wall after a battle with teammates Denny Hamlin and Christopher Bell. Denny Hamlin made contact with Gibbs to send him spinning.
Drivers come down pit road for service with Chase Briscoe winning the race off of pit road after taking only two tires.
Chase Briscoe brings the field down for the green flag restart with Joey Logano alongside on lap 118. Briscoe edges out for the lead but Joey Logano and Carson Hocevar move up to make it a three way battle for the lead.
The caution flag comes out on lap 118 for a big crash when Christopher Bell gets into Shane van Gisbergen and spins him around in a four wide battle. Shane van Gisbergen, Brad Keselowski, Kyle Busch, Justin Haley, and Daniel Suarez were all involved in the crash.
Chase Briscoe brings the field down for the green flag restart with Joey Logano alongside on lap 124. Briscoe gets out int front for the lead.
The top five are Chase Briscoe, Kyle Larson, Joey Logano, Carson Hocevar, and Ryan Blaney.
Lap 126 Carson Hocevar and Joey Logano battle for third. Kyle Larson is on leader Chase Briscoe’s bumper and looking to take the lead.
Daniel Suarez is out of the race. Justin Haley and Shane van Gisbergen are off the track.
Lap 132, the top five drivers are separated by just over a second.
Lap 133, Chase Briscoe leads the race but Kyle Larson has begun the battle to take the lead.
Lap 134, Kyle Larson leads the race.
The top five are Kyle Larson, Joey Logano, Chase Briscoe, Carson Hocevar, and Ryan Blaney.
Lap 136, Ryan Blaney passes Carson Hocevar for fourth.
Lapa 138, Joey Logano passes Kyle Larson for the lead.
Ty Gibbs had returned to the track but got loose and went running off the course. The track stayed green and Gibbs retuned to pit road for more repairs.
The caution flag comes out on lap 148 when John Hunter Nemechek is stopped sideways on the track after spinning out and hitting the wall hard enough to get airborne. Nemechek remains in the car with the window net up; he wants to be taken to the garage for repairs and remain in the race.
Drivers come down pit road for service with Joey Logano winning the race off of pit road with just two tires. Several of the drivers took only two tires.
Chase Elliott leaves pit road while the fuel can was still attached; the fueler “tackled” the fuel can to dislodge it and avoid a penalty.
Joey Logano brings the field down for the green flag restart on lap 153 and holds on to the lead with Kyle Larson in second; William Byron, Christopher Bell, and Denny Hamlin round out the top five.
Kyle Busch is the only car on the track not on the lead lap.
John Hunter Nemechek, Ty Gibbs, Justin Haley, and Shane van Gisbergen are off the track with Daniel Suarez out of the race.
Lap 159, Joey Logano has a near one second lead on Kyle Larson; William Byron, Christopher Bell, and Carson Hocevar round out the top five.
John Hunter Nemechek is out of the race.
Ty Gibbs is out of the race.
Lap 165, Joey Logano has pulled out to a lead of over a second on Kyle Larson; William Byron, Christopher Bell, and Carson Hocevar round out the top five.
Shane van Gisbergen is back in the race 50 laps down.
Carson Hocevar passes Christopher Bell for fourth.
Ryan Blaney passes Christopher Bell for fifth.
Lap 175, Chase Elliott started the race in 26th place; he is now in the top 10 in seventh place.
With eight laps remaining in stage two, Kyle Larson has closed the gap on leader Joey Logano to under a second.
Ryan Blaney passes Carson Hocevar for fourth.
Joey Logano wins stage two for a Team Penske sweep.
The top 10 at the end of stage two:
Joey Logano
Kyle Larson
William Byron
Ryan Blaney
Carson Hocevar
Christopher Bell
Chase Elliott
Denny Hamlin
Chase Buescher
Josh Berry
Drivers come down pit road for service with Joey Logano winning the race off of pit road. Ty Dillon was caught speeding on pit road and will restart the race from the back of the field.
Joey Logano brings the field down for the green flag start of stage three with William Byron alongside on lap 193. Logano jumps out in front to hold on to the lead. Drivers are three and four wide through the field.
The top five are Joey Logano, William Byron, Kyle Larson, Austin Cindric, and Chase Elliott.
Chase Elliott passes Austin Cindric for fourth.
Lap 200, Joey Logano has a half second lead on William Byron; Kyle Larson, Ryan Blaney, and Chase Elliott round out the top five.
Lap 204, Joey Logano has increased his lead on William Byron to a second; Ryan Blaney, Kyle Larson, and Denny Hamlin round out the top five.
Lap 205, Josh Berry is the only driver in the top 10 not in the playoffs.
Lap 215, Joey Logano has dominated the race so far and has a lead of over haldf a second on Ryan Blaney; Kyle Larson, William Byron, and Denny Hamlin round out the top five.
Justin Haley has returned to the track 93 laps down.
Lap 219, Ryan Blaney has a third of a second lead on teammate Ryan Blaney; Kyle Larson, William Byron, and Josh Berry round out the top five.
Lap 222 Joey Logano has a quarter of a second lead on Ryan Blaney.
Lap 225, Ryan Blaney has caught leader Joey Logano and begins to challenge for the lead.
Josh Berry passes Kyle Larson for third.
Ryan Blaney passes Joey Logano for the lead.
With 70 laps to go, Joey Logano retakes the lead when Ryan Blaney begins the cycle of green flag pit stops.
Lap 239, leader Joey Logano comes down pit road for his pit stop and gives the lead over to Josh Berry.
Lap 241, Josh Berry comes down pit road and gives the lead over to Chase Elliott.
Lap 243, Chase Elliott comes down pit road and gives the lead over the Ryan Blaney.
Lap 245, Ryan Blaney has a near four second lead on Joey Logano; Josh Berry, William Byron, and Kyle Larson round out the top five.
The top five are separated by nearly 10 seconds.
The caution flag comes out on lap 253 when Cody Ware gets loose and into the wall head on. He drives the car to pit road.
Most of the field comes down pit road for service with many of them taking only two tires.
Josh Berry and Chase Elliott stayed out on the track.
Kyle Larson and Tyler Reddick narrowly avoided a crash on pit road.
Josh Berry brings the field down for the green flag restart with Chase Elliott alongside with 42 laps remaining in the race. Berry takes the lead with Ryan Blaney in second; William Byron and Chase Elliott battle for third.
Forty to go, the top five are Josh Berry Ryan Blaney, William Byron, Chase Elliott, and Joey Logano.
With 39 laps to go, Ryan Blaney passes Josh Berry for the lead.
Thirty-seven to go, Chase Elliott and Joey Logano battle for fourth.
Christopher Bell passes Carson Hocevar for eighth.
Thirty to go, Ryan Blaney has a lead of over half a second on Josh Berry; William Byron, Chase Elliott, and Joey Logano round out the top five.
Joey Logano finally gets around Chase Elliott for fourth.
Just 25 laps to go, Josh Berry is less than haf a second behind leader Ryan Blaney; William Byron, Joey Logano, and Chase Elliott round out the top five.
Christopher Bell and Kyle Larson battle for sixth.
Twenty to go, Josh Berry has caught leader Ryan Blaney.
There are 24 cars on the lead lap.
Fifteen laps to go in the race; Ryan Blaney holds on to the lead with Josh Berry just a third of a second behind; William Byron, Joey Logano, and Chase Elliott round out the top five.
Thirteen to go, leader Ryan Blaney and Josh Berry are just a tenth of a second apart; third place driver William Byron is nearly three seconds back.
Ten to go! Ryan Blaney holds on to the lead with Josh Berry on his bumper; William Byron, Joey Logano, and Chase Elliott round out the top five.
Three laps to go, Ryan Blaney has pulled out to a one second lead on Josh Berry.
Ryan Blaney takes the white flag.
Leading 116 laps of the race, Ryan Blaney wins the Mobil 1 301 for his first New Hampshire win.
Ryan Blaney is the first driver to secure a spot in the next round of the playoffs.
The unofficial results of the Mobil 1 301:
Ryan Blaney
Josh Berry
Willaim Byron
Joey Logano
Chase Elliott
Charistopher Bell
Kyle Larson
Michael McDowell
Ross Chastain
Chase Briscoe
Carson Hocevar
Denny Hamlin
Austin Dillon
Ryan Preece
Alex Bowman
Noah Gragson
Austin Cindric
Chris Buescher
Todd Gilliland
AJ Allmendinger
Tyler Reddick
Riley Herbst
Brad Keselowski
Cole Custer
Ricky Stenhouse Jr
Bubba Wallace
Zane Smith
Erik Jones
Ty Dillon
Kyle Busch
Cody Ware
Shane van Gisbergen
Justin Haley
John Hunter Nemechek
Ty Gibbs
Daniel Suarez