If there was one major takeaway from the opening race of the Round of 12 at New Hampshire, it's that the way teams perform in the most critical portion of the season goes a long way toward whether they can win a Cup Series championship.

In a dominant performance highlighted by Ryan Blaney's win, Team Penske reminded everyone yet again that the path to a Cup championship runs through them as they seek their fourth straight. And that reminder came through an on-track display of cohesion that was decidedly the opposite of what was displayed by another one of NASCAR's top programs in Joe Gibbs Racing.

With Blaney and Team Penske already having moved onto the Round of 8, it's up to the other playoff teams to respond in the Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway, the middle race in the second

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