LOUDON, N.H. — Ryan Blaney opened the second round of the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs with an emphatic victory for Team Penske, which flaunted its speed at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Sunday.

Blaney, the 2023 Cup champion, led 116 laps, including the final 39, to beat Josh Berry by 0.937 seconds for his third victory of the season.

Blaney, who is trying to reach the Championship 4 season finale for the third consecutive year, became the first driver to advance into one of the eight available spots in the third round of the Cup playoffs.

“What a cool day, what a cool weekend, super fast car,” Blaney said. “It’s great to get a win in the first race of the round.”

William Byron finished third, and Joey Logano, Blaney’s Penske teammate, took fourth after leading a race-high 147 of 301 l

See Full Page