Half a second decided 301 laps
0.586 seconds. That was the gap between Ryan Blaney and Bubba Wallace when the Dollar Tree 301 finally ended at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, after 301 trips around a 1.058-mile oval that rarely gives anything away.
Blaney led 115 laps in the No. 12 Team Penske Ford and grabbed the lead for keeps late. Getting there took some patience. Nine cautions broke the race into pieces, and seven different drivers swapped the lead 15 times. Josh Berry actually spent more time out front than the winner did, 73 laps, and came home third in the No. 21.
Christopher Bell and Kyle Larson completed the top five.
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Number 20, and the playoff math looks fine
This was Blaney’s 20th Cup Series victory. His third of 2026 too, alongside a 17th top-10 run of the year, which is the number that tends to matter more once the playoff picture starts hardening.
New Hampshire clearly agrees with him. Second win at the flat northeastern oval, a place where tire management and clean air through traffic beat raw speed almost every time. Penske has short tracks figured out right now.
Hamlin took the hit and barely felt it
Denny Hamlin salvaged seventh, which was enough. His championship cushion sits at 77 points, and Blaney’s afternoon shaved off only a sliver of it.
Wallace walked away with his 11th top-10 of the season after 22 laps out front in the No. 23 Toyota. He has been quietly stacking results all year, and at this point in the calendar a single position can swing a playoff berth.
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