It was a result nobody expected. New Hampshire Motor Speedway has traditionally been a Toyota stronghold, especially during the Next-Gen era. The Japanese manufacturer has swept every race at the ‘Magic Mile’ in the last few years, winning every stage and leading approximately 83% laps since 2022. But in a dramatic turn of events, Ford broke that dominance at the 2025 Mobil 1 301 with three Blue Oval drivers leading 273 laps at the venue before Team Penske took the win.

Ryan Blaney edged Josh Berry to take the win, finishing 0.937 seconds ahead, while William Byron ended up third. The Team Penske driver was surprised to see Toyota struggle for speed at the 1.508-mile venue, given their history at the venue and Joe Gibbs Racing’s dominance in the Round of 16.

Ryan Blaney highlights NASCAR’s unpredictability

New Hampshire Motor Speedway can almost be called ‘Toyota’s turf.’ Since the introduction of the Gen-6 car in 2013, the Japanese manufacturer has won 7 out of 11 Cup Series races at the venue. That dominance continued in the Next-Gen era, with Martin Truex Jr. leading 254 of 301 laps at the 2023 Crayon 301, while Christopher Bell emerged victorious in 2022 and used wet tires and triumphed in overtime last year. They’ve not just won, but dominated races, and have consistently been at the front whenever the race was held in New Hampshire.

But everything changed this time around. Ford and Chevy dominated the pack, despite the momentum being on Toyota and Joe Gibbs Racing’s side. Sharing his thoughts in the post-race press conference, Ryan Blaney said, “I didn’t think they had the pace that I expected out of them. I saw it in practice a little bit. Denny always runs really good here, Christopher Bell. And they didn’t really seem to be as good as they have been in the past. But this sport, it just ebbs and flows. It’s waves, ups and downs, and you never know how you’re going to unload.”

What has worked well for Joe Gibbs Racing and Toyota at New Hampshire in the past is the car setup. The track is a relatively flat oval with somewhat tight turns. This means that the vehicle needs to be tuned in such a way that it can handle well and provide stability in traffic while drivers can maintain control over the throttle. These factors, combined with a good pit strategy, managing cautions and restarts, have worked well for the Japanese manufacturer. But they got it wrong this time around, while Ford capitalized.

Highlighting just how fine the margins can be, Ryan Blaney went on to say, “That’s just motorsports, you just never know who’s going to be good and who’s going to need to find pace at any weekend.” With two races remaining in the Round of 12, Joe Gibbs Racing will hope to turn its fortunes around at Kansas Speedway and the Charlotte Roval to maintain its dominance in the playoffs. But before going back to the drawing board and assessing race strategy and car setups, they’ll want Denny Hamlin and Ty Gibbs to bury the hatchet after the veteran driver wrecked the No. 54 Toyota in bizarre circumstances.

Ryan Blaney gives credit to his team for the New Hampshire triumph

Ryan Blaney will rest easy after his playoff win. Despite two races left in the Round of 12, Roger Penske’s driver has already locked his spot amongst the final eight, which means the No. 12 team will begin preparing for the Las Vegas race much earlier than anticipated. However, momentum can be a big thing in NASCAR, and while the results at Kansas and the Charlotte Roval are inconsequential, the 31-year-old will want to be in the mix in the weeks ahead.

Praising his crew for the result at the ‘Magic Mile,’ Blaney said, “I’m just proud of them, man. These guys are great. I’ve said it for years. All the guys on the 12 team are awesome. Jonathan is unbelievable. It’s been a pleasure to work with them for as long as I have, and just continue to get better. These guys continue to refine the craft and become closely bonded and trust each other that you have a hundred percent trust already, but it just builds with time.”

Somehow, Roger Penske’s side seems to have found a formula to win championships, with Blaney lifting the Bill France Cup in 2023. If the No. 12 team continues to secure such clutch results in the remaining five races, there’s no reason why they won’t be in contention for yet another championship at Phoenix Raceway at the end of the year. As for Blaney, he already has his eyes on the prize, going on to say, “It’s a championship-contending team.”

Do you think the team will fulfill expectations at the end of the season? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!