The NASCAR Cup Series heads north to New Hampshire Motor Speedway for the Dollar Tree 301 on Aug. 23.
Two races remain in the regular season before the Chase field is locked. Austin Cindric and Shane van Gisbergen can take a big step toward securing a Chase spot with solid performances at New Hampshire.
On the other side of the cutline, Ryan Preece and Ross Chastain need to fully maximize their points this weekend and next week at Daytona to have a shot.
Here are The Tennessean's expert picks for Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series race at New Hampshire:
NASCAR predictions for New Hampshire Cup Series race: Here's who wins the Dollar Tree 301
Mike Organ's pick: Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Team Penske Ford
Blaney is right back where he was in 2025, headed to New Hampshire with two wins on the
season and lots of momentum for the Chase. He picked up his third victory at the Magic Mile in 2025 after leading much of the way and will do the same on Aug. 23 in the next-to-last race in the regular season.
Nick Gray's pick: Christopher Bell, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing
Matching drivers to tracks is easy to do when matching Bell to New Hampshire. This is his place to dominate.
Tom Kreager's pick: Chase Briscoe, No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Toyota remains the dominant car this year. Briscoe let a win slip away a week ago. It doesn't happen this time.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: NASCAR New Hampshire predictions 2026, expert picks for Dollar Tree 301 Cup race
