Chase Elliott snaps winless streak in survival of Texas’ fittest

FORT WORTH, Texas — Seemingly the only good time to be the leader Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway was at the checkered flag.

Or the caution flag.

When the record-setting 16th caution fell upon the NASCAR Cup Series field in the longest overtime period in track history, Chase Elliott was out in front and snapped a 42-race winless streak.

Elliott earned his 19th NASCAR Cup Series win and first since Talladega Superspeedway in October 2022.

“It’s really easy when things go bad to jump ship. It is and it happens a lot. But it’s been an extremely important thing to climb this mountain again together and get back to where we need to be. A lot of us are still there who have been there for most of my 9 years. I look at it as a credit to them. They’ve pushed me to be better and identify my weaknesses. I still have work to do but we’ve been back in the mix more often and that is worth being proud of,” Elliott said.

TOP-10 FINISHERS: Elliott (led three times for 39 laps), Brad Keselowski, William Byron, Tyler Reddick (led twice for 37 laps), Daniel Suarez, Chase Briscoe, Bubba Wallace (led 5 laps), Austin Dillon, Kyle Busch, Carson Hocevar

Hocevar earned his first career top-10 finish in the NASCAR Cup Series.

Five drivers led double-digit laps and finished outside of the top-10. The best of them was Joey Logano who finished 11th after leading 14 laps.

Kyle Larson finished 21st after leading five times for 77 laps (race-high). Larson also claimed stage one.

Three drivers led double-digit laps and finished 30th or worse: Denny Hamlin (30th; 37 laps led), Ross Chastain (32nd, 33 laps led), Ryan Blaney (33rd, 17 laps led).

The race featured a track and NASCAR 400-mile intermediate race record 16 cautions for 72 laps. Nine laps of overtime was the most in track history for the NASCAR Cup Series.

One caution flew in stage one. Jimmie Johnson spun in turn two on lap 55.

STAGE ONE TOP-10: Larson, Bell, Hamlin, Reddick, Briscoe, Blaney, Elliott, McDowell, Byron, Wallace

Then troubles began. Christopher Bell spun exiting turn four and smacked the outside wall. That triggered a secondary incident involving John Hunter Nemechek and wiping out Alex Bowman who finished 37th.

On lap 115, Carson Hocevar spun in turn one and just narrowly avoided the wall. Kyle Busch narrowly avoided him, as well.

The next two cautions were for Josh Berry whose race turned from trouble, when he spun in turn two and slightly rear-ended the wall on lap 122, to catastrophe, when he spun a little further in the corner and smacked the outside wall on lap 138. Needless to say, his done was done after the second incident, finishing 36th.

The second incident drew a caution that shook up the strategies again. Michael McDowell had a good day going before and wanted to capitalize on it by staying out. He battled Ross Chastain for the lead until he crashed in turn four, ending his day.

When the race went green again, Bubba Wallace almost tracked down Chastain for the stage win but just fell short.

STAGE TWO TOP-10: Chastain, Wallace, Blaney, E. Jones, Briscoe, Keselowski, Burton, Stenhouse, Gibbs, Elliott

Stage three began and the wrecks didn’t end. Frontrunners Wallace and Briscoe spun in turn four. Then, Blaney spun in turn two.

Tyler Reddick emerged as the leader, even passing Denny Hamlin back after he had a slow stop. He had a comfortable lead but the feel of the race was that of being in the same room as a ticking time bomb.

The bomb went off on lap 230 when John Hunter Nemechek wrecked in turn four.

Reddick lost his advantage after Chase Elliott pulled off an impressive restart. Elliott wouldn’t have it for long as, after leading 10 laps, Hamlin showed his strength.

Ten laps later, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. triggered another spin cycle that put the race under caution and shuffled the momentum on lap 254 with 13 laps to go.

Elliott took the lead on lap 260 right as Kyle Larson and Zane Smith spun in turn one.

The next caution, in turn three on the subsequent restart with two laps to go, wiped out Hamlin.

In the first overtime, TMS bit Harrison Burton and Kaz Grala in turn one. In the second overtime, it bit Ross Chastain. He wrecked with William Byron on the backstretch as they tried tracking down Elliott for the win on the final lap.

Elliott survived all the chaos to snap his 42-race dry spell. It was also the first time he crossed the line first and won on a regular in 56 races, dating back to Nashville Superspeedway in June 2022.

“It starts with Alan and everyone who makes us fast. Our little group we travel with and spend the most time with have a big impact on that process. We’re around each other all the time, about as much as our families, so it’s important we’re pulling in the same direction. I’m fortunate that we’re surrounded by people who can be open and honest with what we say. It’s well received and that’s progress. That’s being mature adults,” Elliott said.

Elliott also earned the win 10 years and 10 days after his first Xfinity Series win, which also came at TMS.

“That was a special year. And the success that started here led to the partnerships and opportunities going into ’16,” he said Sunday.

POINTS STANDINGS

Kaz Grala is printed in red as he is not entered for the GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway.