It seems quite apparent that Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway will be a knock-out drag-out battle between Brad Keselowski and Denny Hamlin.
The two have raced in close quarters all race long, and after Hamlin took the Stage 1 win, Keselowski scored the Stage 2 win after a two lap duel with the driver of the No. 11 at the end of the Stage.
Joey Logano finished behind the duo in third, while Aric Almirola and William Byron capped off the top-five finishers in Stage 2.
Clint Bowyer, Austin Dillon, Martin Truex Jr., Chase Elliott and Matt DiBenedetto rounded out the top-10 finishers in Stage 2.
Truex had to overcome an uncontrolled tire penalty on pit road during the Stage.
The Stage was stopped twice by two separate spins by Christopher Bell on lap 170 and by Matt Kenseth on lap 178.
There was also a brief caution for sprinkles on the track, but the weather moved out of the way and the Stage played out without any stoppage.
Stage and Playoff Points Awarded in Stage 2:
| Finish | Driver | Stage Points | Playoff Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brad Keselowski | 10 | 1 |
| 2 | Denny Hamlin | 9 | 0 |
| 3 | Joey Logano | 8 | 0 |
| 4 | Aric Almirola | 7 | 0 |
| 5 | William Byron | 6 | 0 |
| 6 | Clint Bowyer | 5 | 0 |
| 7 | Austin Dillon | 4 | 0 |
| 8 | Martin Truex Jr. | 3 | 0 |
| 9 | Chase Elliott | 2 | 0 |
| 10 | Matt DiBenedetto | 1 | 0 |
