Ladies and gentlemen, it’s officially that time of year… Team Penske is very much on the rise in the NASCAR Cup Series and the organization that has won the last three championships is showing their hand in qualifying from New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
Defending NASCAR Cup Series champion Joey Logano will lead the field to green in Sunday’s Mobil 1 301 at the 1.018-mile racetrack in Loudon, New Hampshire after putting down an incredible lap in the final moments of qualifying.
It’s the 33rd NASCAR Cup Series pole for Logano, and his first at New Hampshire Motor Speedway – which 16 years ago was the site of his first victory at NASCARs top-level. But Logano isn’t the only Penske-related driver making a splash.
Ryan Blaney will start alongside Logano on Sunday in his No. 12 Ford Mustang Dark Horse, completing a Team Penske sweep of the front row. Blaney was the closest driver to his teammate in terms of lap time, but his lap was still nearly two tenths of a second off the pole-winning time.
PRACTICE RESULTS: 2025 NCS Mobil 1 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway
Josh Berry, who was eliminated from the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs after quite possibly the worst post-season run of all-time (with three consecutive last-place finishes), recovered impressively at New Hampshire, and will start from third place.
The only Penske or Penske-aligned driver not starting Sunday’s event inside the top-five is Austin Cindric, who himself was also on an incredible lap until a bobble in the final set of corners killed any potential pole-winning speed out of the No. 2 Ford Mustang. Cindric will start from 22nd.
Tyler Reddick will roll from the fourth position, with William Byron (the fastest driver in Saturday’s practice session) rounding out the top-five. Carson Hocevar was sixth-fastest in qualifying, with Alex Bowman in seventh, Ross Chastain in eighth, and Denny Hamlin in ninth.
Laying down an impressive lap in qualifying on Saturday was Shane Van Gisbergen, who posted the 10th-fastest time in his No. 88 Jockey Infinite Cool Underwear Chevrolet. It’s the best qualifying run that the Auckland, New Zealand-native has had on an oval – beating out a previous best of 11th in the Brickyard 400.
Other NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs drivers that didn’t qualify inside the top-10 include Bubba Wallace (14th), Kyle Larson (16th), Chase Briscoe (18th), Christopher Bell (19th), Austin Cindric (22nd) and Chase Elliott (27th).
The Mobil 1 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway will take place on Sunday, September 21 at 2:00 PM ET on USA Network. Performance Racing Network, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
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