New Hampshire Cup Series race begins on wet-weather tires

By Liam Tremblay — 23 August 2026 — 3 min read

Reddick secures pole position

Tyler Reddick, driving the No. 45 Toyota for 23XI Racing, secured the pole position for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. His qualifying lap of 29.054 seconds, at a speed of 131.094 mph on the 1.058-mile oval, placed him ahead of Josh Berry by 0.015 seconds. This marks Reddick’s fourth pole of the season and his first since April at Kansas Speedway. William Byron qualified third, followed by Denny Hamlin and Shane van Gisbergen.

Reddick’s strong qualifying performance followed a challenging practice session where he was 31st fastest. He noted that his team made crucial adjustments to improve the car’s speed, stating, “I can’t recall a practice when I’ve complained like that. But we just figured out what we need to work on.” He emphasized the significance of this turnaround, especially after a difficult practice, and expressed optimism about the race.

This pole position comes after a period of struggle for Reddick, who had won five of the first nine races, including the Daytona 500 season opener. He had accumulated a 129-point lead in the standings but then dropped to fourth after four finishes of 30th or worse in a six-race stretch. A visit and pep talk from NBA great Michael Jordan, who co-owns Reddick’s car with Hamlin, preceded an 11th-place finish at Richmond Raceway, where Reddick led seven laps despite starting 32nd.

Drivers’ varied objectives for the race

As the green flag waves at New Hampshire, drivers will have differing objectives for the 301-lap race. For some, like Shane van Gisbergen (SVG), the focus is on maintaining his position in the Chase standings. SVG currently holds the 16th and final Chase spot with a 50-point lead over Ryan Preece. Preece, on the other hand, aims to reduce this gap to improve his chances of securing a Chase spot before the regular season concludes at Daytona.

Drivers higher in the standings, such as Chase Elliott and Christopher Bell, have already secured their spots in the Chase. They are tied at 695 points entering New Hampshire, and their goal is to improve their starting position when the points reset for the postseason. Denny Hamlin is in a different situation, leading Ryan Blaney by 115 points. Hamlin has an opportunity to secure the Chase‘s No. 1 seed if he earns 37 points on Sunday, a feat that would solidify his top seeding before the Daytona race.

Josh Berry, who achieved a career-best second-place qualification at New Hampshire, is also building momentum. He has recorded three consecutive top-10 finishes for Wood Brothers Racing. Berry is actively seeking a ride for the next season, as Jesse Love is scheduled to move into the team’s No. 21 Ford in 2027. Berry expressed his determination, stating, “We’re fighting hard. I need to make the most of it and try to figure out what’s next.”

Carson Hocevar’s unique paint scheme draws attention

Beyond the competition for points and positions, Carson Hocevar‘s No. 77 car is expected to attract significant attention at New Hampshire due to its distinctive “Fast & Flirty” paint scheme. The car features pink hearts, kisses, and “ILY” lettering, which has already generated discussion. This design has been linked to social media activity involving Hocevar and creator Tabitha Swatosh, who has used similar lettering.

Hocevar acknowledged that the heavily feminine design received some “weird looks” but highlighted the positive feedback from female fans excited about the car. This initiative is seen as a way to engage new audiences with NASCAR, similar to how other sports have attracted new fans through personalities or unique events. The aim is to provide a reason for people to pay attention to the sport, even if their initial interest is not solely in racing.

The race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway is scheduled for Sunday.

Source: tsn.ca