Current:Home > Contact-usChase Elliott triumphs at Texas, snaps 42-race winless streak in NASCAR Cup Series-InfoLens
Chase Elliott triumphs at Texas, snaps 42-race winless streak in NASCAR Cup Series
View Date:2024-12-23 16:54:50
Chase Elliott said last week after his third-place finish at Martinsville Speedway that he felt his day to win was coming.
It arrived Sunday in the Lone Star State.
Elliott broke a 42-race winless streak by holding off Brad Keselowski and William Byron in double overtime to win the caution-filled NASCAR Cup Series race, Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway.
Elliott and Denny Hamlin restarted on the front row twice in the final laps of regulation, but Hamlin brought out the 14th caution in Turn 4 while outside of Elliott's No. 9 Chevrolet.
After Harrison Burton's wreck caused the 15th caution, Elliott restarted and won a drag race down the backstretch with Chastain, who also wrecked in the process to wave the final yellow flag. That earned Elliott the victory under caution in the 276-lap race, the season's ninth event. Chastain finished 32nd
"It couldn't feel any better," said a relieved Elliott, who won for the first time at Texas in his 14th start. "I couldn't be more grateful for this journey and kind of the path that hasn't always been fun. (Our team has) been working really hard together."
The six-time NASCAR Most Popular Driver said the track, which produced 15 cautions, was difficult, including navigating Turn 4 that claimed the No. 11 Toyota of Hamlin.
"This track is so sketchy," he said. "I haven't seen a replay of Denny and us, but I don't think I did anything crazy. ... I just had to run for it. I don't think I did anything to crash him."
The victory was the 19th of Elliott's career and first since he won at Talladega on Oct. 2, 2022.
Keselowski came in second, with Byron, Tyler Reddick and Daniel Suarez rounding out the top five.
See the full results here.
In the NASCAR Cup Series' lone stop at the 1.5-mile track, Kyle Larson started from the point and set out to prove that he was as good as his hot lap in Saturday's qualifying session.
Larson's No. 5 Chevrolet dominated most of Stage 1, only giving up the lead briefly to teammate Elliott after pitting. He then got back to the front to win the 80-lap segment over Christopher Bell and Hamlin.
The only incident occurred when seven-time Cup champion Jimmie Johnson, who wrecked during Saturday's practice, looped his car while working his way through Turns 3 and 4 on Lap 50.
Ryan Blaney, Austin Hill, Ty Gibbs and Chris Buescher decided not to stop and led the restart for the 85-lap Stage 2.
However, as dominant as Larson seemingly was, he could not escape mechanical failure, as his right rear wheel came off on the frontstretch under caution. NASCAR held the Chevrolet on pit road for a two-lap penalty.
Larson got one lap back when Michael McDowell wrecked hard in Turn 4 after racing side-by-side with Chastain with 23 laps left in Stage 2.
Chastain went on to win the segment's bonus point in his first stage win of 2024.
Reddick's No. 45 Toyota soon worked its way around Burton's No. 21 Ford with 88 circuits remaining.
veryGood! (87)
Related
- Todd Golden to continue as Florida basketball coach despite sexual harassment probe
- Solid state batteries for EVs: 600 miles of range in 9 minutes?
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, At Last! Coffee!
- Olympics highlights: Closing ceremony, Tom Cruise, final medal count and more
- All the Ways Megan Fox Hinted at Her Pregnancy With Machine Gun Kelly
- Sabrina Carpenter Narrowly Avoids Being Hit by Firework During San Francisco Concert
- Time to start house hunting? Lower mortgage rates could save you hundreds
- Georgia No. 1 in preseason AP Top 25 and Ohio State No. 2 as expanded SEC, Big Ten flex muscles
- GM recalling big pickups and SUVs because the rear wheels can lock up, increasing risk of a crash
- Patriots fan Matt Damon loved Gronk's 'showstopping' 'Instigators' cameo
Ranking
- Steelers' Mike Tomlin shuts down Jayden Daniels Lamar comparison: 'That's Mr. Jackson'
- Elle King says dad Rob Schneider sent her to 'fat camp,' forgot birthday
- Adrian Weinberg stymies Hungary, US takes men's water polo bronze in shootout
- Tragic 911 calls, body camera footage from Uvalde, Texas school shooting released
- Princess Kate to host annual Christmas carol service following cancer treatment
- Breaking made history in Paris. We'll probably never see it at Olympics again.
- Who is Yseult? French singer steals hearts to cap off Paris Olympics closing ceremony
- USA wrestler Kennedy Blades wins silver medal in her first Olympic Games
Recommendation
-
Dwayne Johnson Admits to Peeing in Bottles on Set After Behavior Controversy
-
Olympics 2024: Tom Cruise Ends Closing Ceremony With Truly Impossible Stunt
-
Social Security's 2025 COLA will be announced in less than 2 months. Expect bad news
-
Aaron Rai takes advantage of Max Greyserman’s late meltdown to win the Wyndham Championship
-
Bitcoin has topped $87,000 for a new record high. What to know about crypto’s post-election rally
-
'Snow White' trailer unveils Gal Gadot's Evil Queen; Lindsay Lohan is 'Freakier'
-
Kate Middleton Makes Surprise Appearance in Royal Olympics Video
-
Winners and losers from Olympic men's basketball: Steph Curry, LeBron James lead gold rush