Updated

Updated · Tennessean · Aug 23

Ryan Blaney Wins New Hampshire Dollar Tree 301 by 0.586 Seconds for 2nd Straight Year

Updated

Updated · Tennessean · Aug 23

Ryan Blaney Wins New Hampshire Dollar Tree 301 by 0.586 Seconds for 2nd Straight Year

Q: What hidden advantage allowed Shane van Gisbergen to conquer the damp New Hampshire oval while veterans spun out?

Shane van Gisbergen’s hidden advantage was his wet-weather background and comfort finding grip on a changing surface, a skill many longtime oval specialists do not use as often. The New Zealander built his reputation in Supercars and on road and street courses, where racing in mixed or damp conditions is far more common and drivers must constantly search for the best line, manage wheelspin and braking, and adapt corner by corner. That translated well when New Hampshire opened on wet-weather tires and the groove was unsettled. While others spun — including pole-sitter Tyler Reddick and John Hunter Nemechek — van Gisbergen was able to read the slick patches and capitalize when William Byron slipped. That advantage was not just about experience in the rain. It was also about feel. Recent reporting around van Gisbergen’s NASCAR transition has repeatedly highlighted his ability to “find the limit,” experiment with lines, and benefit from extra track time as conditions evolve. On a damp, flat one-mile oval where grip changed lap by lap, that adaptability mattered as much as outright speed. So the edge was partly hidden because it did not come from oval pedigree. It came from skills honed outside traditional NASCAR racing: wet-surface car control, rapid adjustment to inconsistent grip, and a road-racer’s instinct for where the track still had adhesion. On Sunday, those traits let van Gisbergen look composed while more established Cup veterans were caught out.

3 articles · Updated · Tennessean · Aug 23

Ryan Blaney held off Bubba Wallace and Josh Berry to win the Dollar Tree 301 at New Hampshire, finishing 0.586 seconds ahead of Wallace for his second consecutive victory at the track.
Blaney controlled much of the race despite a slow Stage 2 pit stop that dropped him to 14th, then retook command with about 60 laps left and stayed ahead as Wallace's fresher tires closed the gap.
Josh Berry finished third after briefly leading late, while Christopher Bell was fourth and Kyle Larson fifth; Denny Hamlin's top-10 run secured the top Chase seed.
Ryan Preece faded to ninth in the closing laps but still trimmed his deficit to Shane van Gisbergen before next week's regular-season finale at Daytona.