Ryan Blaney Wins Again at New Hampshire, Keeps Team Penske Rolling
Ryan Blaney climbed out of his No. 12 Ford after winning his second straight race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Aug. 23, and he already had his sights set on a familiar prize: another lobster.
“It's cool to win here two in a row,” Blaney said on the USA Sports broadcast. “I look forward to getting another lobster.”
Blaney, who now has 20 career Cup Series victories, plans to hang “Loudon the Lobster” right next to the one he took home in 2025. The trophy is one of the rewards for claiming NASCAR's Dollar Tree 301.
His 2026 victory looked a lot like his 2025 triumph. After leading 116 laps a year ago, he paced the field for 115 circuits this time, holding off Bubba Wallace and Josh Berry in the closing laps.
Team Penske Heats Up
With Blaney's win, Team Penske has now captured four of the last six races. Blaney started the run at Atlanta on July 12. Joey Logano followed with a win at North Wilkesboro and another at Richmond last week, setting the stage for Blaney's repeat performance at New Hampshire.
Even Austin Cindric, the third Penske driver, has been running strong, finishing a season-best third at Richmond.
“Props to everybody at Team Penske who's keeping their head down and working hard,” Blaney said.
Blaney now sits second in the standings with three wins this season.
Josh Berry Makes His Case
Josh Berry is racing for his future. In June, Wood Brothers Racing announced that Berry will not drive the No. 21 Ford next season, with O'Reilly Auto Parts Series standout Jesse Love taking over.
But Berry is making a strong argument for another ride. His third-place finish at New Hampshire was his best of the year and marked the first time a Wood Brothers driver posted four consecutive top-10s since Morgan Shepherd in 1994.
“That was everything I had and everything I could do today,” said Berry, who led 73 laps.
Berry ranked seventh at Indianapolis, fourth at Iowa, and eighth at Richmond. He jumped from 30th to 29th in points, though he is already eliminated from Chase contention.
NASCAR Heads Back to Daytona
For the first time since February, NASCAR returns to Daytona International Speedway for the Coke Zero Sugar 400, which wraps up the Cup Series regular season.
The 160-lap race is no longer an automatic win-and-in for drivers outside the playoff bubble, but it will decide the final spots based on points and solidify the Chase order.
The green flag flies shortly after 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 29, with coverage on NBC.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal.