Ryan Blaney turned a pit crew mistake into a victory Sunday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, winning his second consecutive NASCAR Cup Series race and his third of the season.
Blaney led a race-high 115 of 301 laps and crossed the finish line 0.586 seconds ahead of Bubba Wallace, according to ABC News. It was the 20th career victory for the Team Penske driver and the 2023 Cup Series champion.
The win nearly did not happen. A lug nut fell off the left-front tire of his No. 12 Ford during a pit stop under caution with 111 laps remaining, dropping Blaney back to 17th place. He worked his way back up to seventh before a three-car crash on lap 226 brought out another yellow flag.
Crew chief Jonathan Hassler made an aggressive call, taking only two right-side tires during the caution stop. Blaney gained six spots in the pits and retook the lead. He then led the final 74 laps on the 1.058-mile oval without serious challenge.
Josh Berry finished third, his best result of the season. Christopher Bell and Kyle Larson rounded out the top five. Berry, who is trying to find a ride for the 2027 season, extended his streak to four consecutive top-10 finishes for Wood Brothers Racing.
Ryan Preece finished ninth and kept his Chase hopes alive by gaining 19 points on Shane van Gisbergen, who finished 20th and holds the 16th and final spot in the 10-race title run.
Ross Chastain's slim Chase hopes ended after his No. 1 Chevrolet suffered a mechanical failure after just 40 laps, leaving him last. "The speed has gotten better, so we'll hopefully keep moving forward on that," Chastain said. "That's the important part. With the things in our control, we were able to make them better through the summer. I've learned that's really tough to do in the NASCAR Cup Series. We did get better, but we've got a ways to go."
The NASCAR Cup Series regular season concludes Saturday, Aug. 29, at Daytona International Speedway in a 160-lap race that will set the 16-driver field for the Chase.
