NASCAR Mobil 1 301 Opens Round of 12 at New Hampshire

The NASCAR Cup Series returns to New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Sunday for the Mobil 1 301, the opening race of the Round of 12 in the playoffs. The 301‑lap, 318.46‑mile event at the 1.058‑mile "Magic Mile" in Loudon is set to run Sunday afternoon, with the green flag slated around 2 p.m. Eastern and USA Network carrying television coverage. Joey Logano won the pole Saturday, putting the No. 22 Team Penske Ford on the front row with teammate Ryan Blaney alongside him.

Logano said after qualifying, "I've got a great group of guys. Paul Wolfe knows how to help me get the car good and where it needs to be. It's my home track; it feels so good to run well here." Josh Berry qualified third, completing a Ford sweep of the top three starting positions. Christopher Bell, the defending New Hampshire winner and last week's Bristol victor who advanced through the opening playoff round, will start 19th. Officials have set Stage 1 to end at Lap 70 and Stage 2 at Lap 185.

The race carries heightened significance because of the playoff format. The field was trimmed following last weekend's race at Bristol, leaving 12 championship‑eligible drivers who will be further reduced over the next two...