The chase for the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series championship is down to 12 drivers following the first elimination race last weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway to conclude the first round.
Joe Gibbs Racing drivers swept the three races of the Round of 16, with Chase Briscoe winning the playoff opener at Darlington Raceway, Denny Hamlin earning the victory at World Wide Technology Raceway and Christopher Bell taking the checkered flag at Bristol.
The three-race Round of 12 begins Sunday, Sept. 21 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, then moves to Kansas Speedway on Sept. 28 before concluding with another elimination race on Oct. 5 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on the part oval/part road course Roval.
New Hampshire is hosting a playoff race for the first time since 2017 and just the fourth time since the current playoff format was enacted in 2014. Bell has won two of the past three races at the track, though recent races were held during warmer weather in June or July.
The playoff standings were reset to kick off the second round at New Hampshire, with Hamlin holding the top position (3,024 points). He has a two-point lead over Hendrick Motorsports drivers William Byron and Kyle Larson, with Bell six points back in fourth and Team Penske driver Ryan Blaney rounding out the top five, seven points behind.
Here is all the information you need to get ready for the Mobil 1 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway:
What time does the NASCAR playoff race at New Hampshire start?
The Mobil 1 301 is scheduled to start at 2 p.m. ET on Sunday, Sept. 21 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, New Hampshire.
What TV channel is the NASCAR playoff race at New Hampshire on?
The Mobil 1 301 will be broadcast on USA Network. Pre-race coverage will start at 1:30 p.m. ET.
Will there be a live stream of the NASCAR playoff race at New Hampshire?
Yes, the Mobil 1 301 will be streamed on Peacock, HBO Max, Sling TV and Fubo, which is offering a free trial to new subscribers.
Stream all NASCAR Cup Series playoff races on Fubo
How many laps is the NASCAR playoff race at New Hampshire?
The Mobil 1 301 is 301 laps around the 1.058-mile track for a total of 318.46 miles. The race will have three segments (laps per stage) — Stage 1: 70 laps; Stage 2: 115 laps; Stage 3: 116 laps.
Who won the most recent NASCAR Cup races at New Hampshire?
Christopher Bell led 149 of 305 laps, including the final 64, of the USA TODAY 301 on June 23, 2024. Bell outlasted the rain, darkness, repeated cautions and the rest of the field before pulling away from Chase Briscoe by 1.104 seconds following an overtime restart.
Two years ago, on July 17, 2023, Martin Truex Jr. earned his 34th and final win of his Cup Series career with a dominating performance in the Crayon 301. Truex led 254 laps, including the final 24, before edging Joey Logano by 0.396 seconds
What are the NASCAR playoff standings entering New Hampshire?
- Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing, 3,034 points
- William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports, 3,032
- Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports, 3,032
- Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing, 3,028
- Ryan Blaney, Team Penske, 3,028
- Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing, 3,018
- Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports, 3,013
- Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing, 3,009
- Austin Cindric, Team Penske, 3,008
- Joey Logano, Team Penske, 3,007
- Ross Chastain, Trackhouse Racing, 3,007
- Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing, 3,006
What is the lineup for the Mobil 1 301 at New Hampshire?
Here is the lineup for the NASCAR Cup Series playoff race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (car number in parentheses; P=playoff driver):
- (22) Joey Logano (P), Ford
- (12) Ryan Blaney (P), Ford
- (21) Josh Berry, Ford
- (45) Tyler Reddick (P), Toyota
- (24) William Byron (P), Chevrolet
- (77) Carson Hocevar, Chevrolet
- (48) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet
- (1) Ross Chastain (P), Chevrolet
- (11) Denny Hamlin (P), Toyota
- (88) Shane Van Gisbergen, Chevrolet
- (71) Michael McDowell, Chevrolet
- (16) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet
- (54) Ty Gibbs, Toyota
- (23) Bubba Wallace (P), Toyota
- (17) Chris Buescher, Ford
- (5) Kyle Larson (P), Chevrolet
- (6) Brad Keselowski, Ford
- (19) Chase Briscoe (P), Toyota
- (20) Christopher Bell (P), Toyota
- (38) Zane Smith, Ford
- (7) Justin Haley, Chevrolet
- (2) Austin Cindric (P), Ford
- (60) Ryan Preece, Ford
- (8) Kyle Busch, Chevrolet
- (35) Riley Herbst, Toyota
- (43) Erik Jones, Toyota
- (9) Chase Elliott (P), Chevrolet
- (3) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet
- (42) John Hunter Nemechek, Toyota
- (10) Ty Dillon, Chevrolet
- (41) Cole Custer, Ford
- (99) Daniel Suarez, Chevrolet
- (4) Noah Gragson, Ford
- (47) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chevrolet
- (51) Cody Ware, Ford
- (34) Todd Gilliland, Ford
