Chase Elliott wins in Texas against a resurgent Hamlin

The duo had already battled for the win at Martinsville earlier in the year, with the same result going to the 2020 Cup Series Champion. In a race that saw several big names fall victim to mishaps, Elliott and Hamlin remained unfazed by a final caution with eleven laps remaining, caused by Corey Heim's (23XI Racing) off-track excursion. The reigning Truck Series Champion led 69 of the 267 laps on an alternative strategy, but ultimately couldn't capitalize on his race and his chances of a top-10 finish.

After perfectly executing the restart with four laps to go, Elliott took the win ahead of Hamlin, Alex Bowman (Hendrick Motorsports), and championship leader Tyler Reddick (23XI Racing). The driver of the Toyota No. 45 once again ran a discreet race but managed to be present at the opportune moment, at the end of the race.

"I wasn't really sure whether I should take the inside line or the outside line.", Elliott said regarding the latest restart. “The inside line often had the advantage during restarts. I thought that if I couldn't get clear as soon as I exited turn 2, I was going to be in big trouble. Luckily, Alex gave me a great boost. I was able to negotiate turns 1 and 2, pull away a little, and then manage the last few laps… Yeah, it's crazy. When you think about all the difficulties we've had here, it's pretty incredible to have won two races in the last few years.”

Elliott is indeed the only driver in the last ten years to have won multiple times in Texas, following his victory in the 2024 event. The Georgia native managed to avoid the pitfalls encountered by Christopher Bell (Joe Gibbs Racing), a collateral victim of Todd Gilliland's (Front Row Motorsports) spin in the first segment, while he was battling for the lead against Denny Hamlin. In the pits, Joey Logano (Team Penske) saw his day end with a violent collision with Cole Custer (Haas Factory Team), which allowed Ty Gibbs (Joe Gibbs Racing) to restart from his garage. Both men were forced to retire.

Now it's time for a road circuit event with the Watkins Glen race on Sunday, May 10th.

NASCAR – Texas
The classification of the race

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