The NASCAR Cup Series closes its short-track summer swing on Sunday, August 23, 2026, with the Dollar Tree 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon. The green flag is set for roughly 2 p.m. ET on USA Network. This is the second-to-last race of the regular season, so the 1.058-mile flat oval known as the Magic Mile will help shape the 16-driver playoff field. Tyler Reddick won the pole at 131.094 mph, while defending winner Ryan Blaney rolls off eighth. Below we break down the odds board and hand out five picks.
Last Updated: Sunday, August 23, 2026
2026 Dollar Tree 301 — Time & How to Watch
| Where | New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Loudon, NH |
| When | Sunday, August 23 – 2:00 PM ET |
| TV | USA Network |
2026 Dollar Tree 301 Betting Preview
New Hampshire is a flat, one-groove oval that rewards precision over horsepower. The Dollar Tree 301 runs 301 laps and about 318 miles, with stage breaks at laps 70 and 185. Passing is difficult, so track position and short-run restart speed matter more than raw pace. Reddick leads the field from the pole, with Josh Berry alongside him and points leader Denny Hamlin close behind. Blaney, who won last year at New Hampshire, starts eighth. New Hampshire and next week’s Daytona finale are the final two regular-season races, and Shane van Gisbergen holds the last Chase spot by 50 points.
The board reflects that qualifying picture. Blaney is the favorite at +250 on the strength of his title defense. However, the price is short for a driver starting outside the top five. Bell sits next at +550, followed by Hamlin at +650 and a cluster of Fords. Berry’s +800 is shorter than usual, in line with his front-row start. Reddick, despite the pole, sits seventh at +1000, since pit strategy and long-run speed can undo a front-row starter quickly. For the full market, see our Dollar Tree 301 odds preview.
2026 Dollar Tree 301 – Top Odds to Win
| Name | Odds |
|---|---|
| Ryan Blaney | +250 |
| Christopher Bell | +550 |
| Denny Hamlin | +650 |
| Joey Logano | +800 |
| Josh Berry | +800 |
| William Byron | +900 |
| Tyler Reddick | +1000 |
| Kyle Larson | +1200 |
| Ty Gibbs | +1200 |
| Chase Briscoe | +1600 |
Odds accurate as of Sunday, August 23, 2026 via TheSpread.com. Odds change, get the latest NASCAR Odds – Props
2026 Dollar Tree 301 Best Bets
Christopher Bell (+550) is the play to win the Dollar Tree 301. Bell owns two Cup wins at New Hampshire, including a 2024 run in which he led 149 laps, and he has won two of the last four races here. Joe Gibbs Racing brings 14 Cup wins to Loudon, the most of any team. Bell rolls off sixth, topped the 10-lap board in Saturday practice, and enters with seven runner-up finishes in 2026 — the profile of a driver overdue to close.
The reason to look past the +250 favorite is starting position and value. Blaney is the defending winner, but he begins eighth at a track where passing is a grind. Bell starts two rows ahead with a stronger Loudon win rate, and at +550 he pays more than double Blaney for an arguably better track-specific case. The venue’s all-time Cup win list underlines that history.
The case against is real. Seven second-place finishes without a win points to a closing problem. The Penske Fords also proved last year they can dominate this place. If Reddick controls from the pole or the Fords click again, Bell’s number could become another runner-up. Still, no driver matches his blend of recent form and current speed.
Dollar Tree 301 Predictions Mid-Tier Value Plays
Chase Briscoe (+1600) headlines the mid-board value. Briscoe finished runner-up at New Hampshire in 2024 and arrives in form, having led 171 laps in last week’s Richmond race. His Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota can win, and at 10th on the board he sits in the genuine middle of the market, not among the chalk. The knock is track position. Briscoe starts outside the top 10, and digging forward on a one-groove oval is hard. He is also winless at the track, but +1600 is a fair price.
Josh Berry to be Top Ford (+170) is the second value play, a manufacturer-market angle rather than an outright. Berry qualified second and finished runner-up here a year ago, so he brings track position and a proven Loudon result. In the Top Ford market he mainly has to beat Blaney, who starts eighth, and Joey Logano. A front-row start where clean air is gold gives Berry an edge on that pair. The risk is that Blaney is the defending winner for good reason, and one messy restart can bury a front-row Ford. At +170, Berry’s spot makes this defensible.
Long Shot Picks for The 2026 Dollar Tree 301
Chase Elliott (+4000) is a long shot who can genuinely win. The 2020 Cup champion has a runner-up finish at New Hampshire and a Hendrick Motorsports car capable on any given Sunday. His price reflects a quieter stretch, not missing ability, and he sits seventh in points, tied with Bell. What has to break right is track position. Elliott starts outside the top 10, and Hendrick has been hit-or-miss on flat ovals this year. If a strategy call or early caution vaults him forward, +4000 on a former champion is strong value.
Erik Jones (+6600) rounds out the card. Jones topped the 50-minute practice session at 130.251 mph, the fastest lap any driver turned all weekend, and he is a past Cup race winner who can steal one when the speed is there. Legacy Motor Club does not carry JGR or Penske firepower over a full run, and practice pace does not always survive to the finish, so this is a ceiling play. Even so, the best single-lap speed in the garage at +6600 is worth a small ticket.
The Last Word on the 2026 Dollar Tree 301
The Dollar Tree 301 sets up as a track-position chess match, and that is the lens to watch it through. The opening stage to lap 70 will show who has the short-run speed to run up front, while the middle stage to lap 185 rewards cars that stay fast as tires fade. Pit strategy matters, especially if a late caution forces a choice between track position and fresh tires. Watch whether Reddick can turn the pole into control, because a leader in clean air here is hard to pass.
Our lean is Christopher Bell to finally turn a Loudon runner-up into a win, with Chase Briscoe and the front-row Fords in the mix and Chase Elliott and Erik Jones as the swings for upside. The playoff bubble adds tension, too. With only New Hampshire and Daytona left before the Chase, drivers near the cutline will race with an edge, and one bold restart could reshape both this race and the field.
NASCAR Dollar Tree 301 FAQ: Sunday August 23, 2026
Who is the favorite to win the Dollar Tree 301?
Ryan Blaney is the favorite at +250 on TheSpread.com. The defending New Hampshire winner heads a board that includes Christopher Bell at +550 and points leader Denny Hamlin at +650. Blaney starts eighth but has dominated this track before.
What time does the Dollar Tree 301 start?
The Dollar Tree 301 is scheduled to take the green flag at approximately 2 p.m. ET on Sunday, August 23, 2026, at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon. USA Network carries the broadcast, with PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio also on the call.
What channel is the Dollar Tree 301 on?
USA Network broadcasts the 2026 Dollar Tree 301. Radio coverage comes from the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio on channel 90. The race is the 25th points event of the Cup Series season and the second-to-last before the 16-driver playoff field is set.
How many laps is the Dollar Tree 301?
The Dollar Tree 301 runs 301 laps around the 1.058-mile New Hampshire oval, a total of about 318 miles. NASCAR has set the stage breaks at lap 70 and lap 185, with the final stage running to lap 301.
Who is on the pole for the Dollar Tree 301?
Tyler Reddick won the pole for the Dollar Tree 301 with a lap of 131.094 mph. Josh Berry starts second, just 0.015 seconds back, and William Byron lines up third. Reddick rallied from 31st in Saturday practice to claim the top starting spot.
Who won last year’s Cup race at New Hampshire?
Ryan Blaney won the 2025 Cup Series race at New Hampshire, leading a dominant Team Penske effort in the No. 12 Ford. He returns in 2026 as the defending winner and the betting favorite, though he starts eighth.