Running recap: Kyle Larson takes Stage 1 as Cup Series stars dodge the damp at NHMS

Kyle Larson sealed a Stage 1 victory, weathering challenging conditions as Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series race got underway in damp conditions at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Larson led 14 of the 70 laps in the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, notching his fifth stage win of the 2026 season. The full scheduled distance of Sunday's Dollar Tree 301 (USA Network, HBO Max, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) is 301 laps for the next-to-last race of the Cup Series' regular season. RELATED: Live leaderboard | At-track photos: NHMS Christopher Bell finished second at the Stage 1 break in the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. Carson Hocevar was third with William Byron fourth and Josh Berry completing the top five. The field rolled off pit lane for a scheduled start at approximately 2:15 p.m. ET, with the each of the 36 cars equipped with Goodyear wet-weather tires. Rain, however, intensified during those pace laps, and Hocevar's No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet spun out of Turn 4, prompting competition officials to halt the field on pit road to resume track-drying efforts. Pole starter Tyler Reddick led the field to green, but his No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota spun from Turn 4 on the first lap, sparking the first yellow flag and blocking the path of series points leader Denny Hamlin and Chris Buescher. John Hunter Nemechek also continued after a solo spin and wall scrape on Lap 22 with his No. 40 Legacy Motor Club Toyota. Ross Chastain was the race's first retiree, taking his No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet to the garage with drivetrain issues. Chastain will finish last after completing just 41 laps, squashing his faint postseason hopes. Race officials announced Friday that the start time would be moved one hour earlier, facing the potential threat of inclement weather in the forecast. Persistent rain in the late morning and early afternoon pushed the actual green flag back closer to its originally scheduled time. The 16-driver Chase postseason field will be locked in after Sunday's New Hampshire event and Saturday's Coke Zero Sugar 400, the regular-season finale at Daytona International Speedway (7:30 p.m ET, NBC, HBO Max, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). This story will be updated.