Bobby Travis · NASCAR/IndyCar Correspondent
Two races before the regular season ends, the stakes in Loudon go well beyond the checkered flag, with several drivers facing the possibility of missing the playoffs entirely.
On Sunday, August 23, the Dollar Tree 301 takes place at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, the Magic Mile in Loudon, marking race 25 of 36 in the NASCAR Cup Series and the second-to-last regular season event before the playoffs begin. Green flag drops at 3:10 p.m. Eastern Time, with coverage on USA Network and Max, while radio listeners can tune in via PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio channel 90. For the 16 drivers currently in the playoff field, it's about accumulating ranking points; for everyone else, it represents one final critical opportunity to make a statement through a win or strong stage finishes before Daytona closes the door.
Schedule at the Magic Mile
The weekend kicks off Saturday with Cup Series practice at 10:30 a.m., followed by qualifying at 11:35 a.m., both broadcast live on truTV. That afternoon at 1:30 p.m., the Craftsman Truck Series takes over with the Team EJP 175, airing on FS1. Sunday belongs entirely to the Cup field: 301 laps spread across three stages of 70, 115, and 116 laps respectively, totaling 318.46 miles on the flat oval that's renowned for its tight pack racing and extended restart zones.
Weather could add another wrinkle to the weekend. Forecasts call for warm, humid conditions with a chance of rain, potentially bringing NASCAR's wet-weather tire package for short tracks into play. Should that package be deployed, it would significantly scramble strategy options during the race, a factor teams need to weigh carefully when planning tire selection and pit stop timing.
The Cutoff Looms: Who's Sweating It Out
Denny Hamlin sits atop the standings with 969 points, four wins, and 14 top-5 finishes, emerging as the clear regular season leader, with Ryan Blaney (854 points, two wins) and Ty Gibbs (842 points, two wins) holding second and third. Tyler Reddick leads the wins column with five victories but trails in overall points with 831, sitting fourth in the championship.
The tension increases further down the grid. Chris Buescher currently holds a playoff spot in tenth with 653 points, as do Bubba Wallace in fourteenth with 587 points and Austin Cindric in fifteenth with 574 points, though none of the three have won this season. Hovering just outside, Ryan Preece sits with 517 points, 50 markers behind the cutoff, followed by Ross Chastain at 504 points (63-point deficit) and Brad Keselowski at 489 points (78-point gap). Erik Jones rounds out the bubble group in twentieth with 480 points, 87 points adrift of safety. Shane van Gisbergen occupies sixteenth but has already secured a playoff berth thanks to two wins this season, affording him considerably more peace of mind compared to non-winning drivers on the bubble. For Buescher, Wallace, Cindric, and the group behind them, New Hampshire means this: every stage point matters, and every position lost at a restart could determine whether they see playoff racing.
Blaney as Defending Champion, Dollar Tree Brings New Sponsorship
Ryan Blaney arrives in Loudon as defending champion and ranks among the favorites alongside Christopher Bell, Joey Logano, and current points leader Denny Hamlin according to the oddsmakers on the Magic Mile. Bell himself brings ten top-5 and twelve top-10 finishes without a season win, yet remains traditionally one of the most consistent performers on flat-track ovals like this one, a consistency reflected in his seventh-place standing with 695 points.
Off track, the weekend brings fresh developments. Dollar Tree has secured title sponsorship rights for the New Hampshire race through 2026, expanding its motorsports footprint while maintaining its multi-year partnership with Legacy Motor Club, whose drivers Erik Jones and John Hunter Nemechek are also fighting for every point to stay connected to the playoff picture.
With just one race remaining after Loudon before the playoffs commence, the regular season finale at Daytona, bubble drivers have virtually no margin for error. Whether the field tightens further in New Hampshire or whether one of the favorites positions itself for the postseason will reveal itself only on Sunday afternoon on the Magic Mile.
