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April 9, 2025 – When the NASCAR Cup Series rolled into New Hampshire Motor Speedway last July, few predicted the kind of door-to-door, bumper-to-bumper finish that would define the race. Yet that’s exactly what Ryan Blaney delivered, holding off a determined Bubba Wallace over the final two laps to secure his third win of the 2024 season and boost his playoff seeding.
The 1.058-mile oval, known for its flat turns and tire‑management challenges, played host to a race that was clean for most of the afternoon — until a caution with 12 laps to go bunched the field and set up a green‑white‑checker finish. Blaney, who had led a race‑high 89 laps, lost the lead on the restart to Wallace, who dove deep into Turn 1 and cleared the No. 12 Ford. But Blaney refused to settle. Using the high line through Turns 3 and 4, he retook the lead on the backstretch of the final lap, crossing the line just 0.128 seconds ahead.
The conversation all week had been about tire falloff and the “mushy” feel of the track after a morning rain shower. Crew chiefs debated two‑tire vs. four‑tire calls throughout the day. On the final caution for a spin by Ryan Preece, Blaney’s crew chief, Jonathan Hassler, chose to take only two right‑side tires, while Wallace’s team, led by Bootie Barker, bolted on four fresh Goodyears.
“I knew Bubba would be strong on the outside of the restart, but I also knew my car had better forward drive on the long run,” Blaney said in the post‑race press conference. “Once I got the clean air on the final lap, I could feel the rear grip come back.”
Wallace, who had been chasing his first win of the season, was visibly disappointed but praised the team’s effort. “We did everything right except the last corner. I’ll be thinking about that one for a while,” he told reporters.
With the win, Blaney locked himself into the Round of 12, easing the pressure on Team Penske as the regular season wound down. For Wallace, the runner‑up finish kept him comfortably inside the top 16, but the missed opportunity left a sting. Analysts noted that the 1.3‑second gap between first and second at the line was the closest margin of the season outside of superspeedways.
Beyond the final‑lap drama, the race featured several key storylines. Denny Hamlin, who started from the pole, struggled with a loose‑handling car and finished 11th. Kyle Larson, the points leader at the time, recovered from a pit‑road penalty to finish fifth. And the early‑race battle between Christopher Bell and Tyler Reddick produced some of the best side‑by‑side racing of the year.
But the main event was the Blaney‑Wallace duel. The two drivers, both former teammates at the driver development level, have shown mutual respect on and off the track. This race only added to their rivalry.
As of this writing, Blaney’s win at New Hampshire is still being analyzed by engineers and fans alike. The data from the final restart — throttle trace, steering angle, and brake pressure — has been studied by multiple teams as a blueprint for short‑track restarts. Some insiders believe the two‑tire call by Hassler will become a more common strategy in similar situations, despite the risk of losing track position on the initial green.
Looking ahead to the 2025 season, both drivers have already shown strong form. Blaney has two wins in the first nine races, while Wallace has notched four top‑fives. The New Hampshire race remains a benchmark for how both drivers handle pressure in the closing laps.
Final Thoughts: The 2024 New Hampshire race was a reminder that short‑track racing in the Next Gen era is as good as it gets. Blaney’s ability to read the restart and execute a textbook pass on the outside of a determined Bubba Wallace will be remembered as one of the best finishes of the year.
(This article was originally published on July 22, 2024, and updated with additional analysis on April 9, 2025.)
