Chase Elliott Breaks Bad Streak with Epic Victory in Texas

Chase Elliott achieved victory at the Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 at Texas Motor Speedway. This victory marked the end of a 42-race winless streak, dating back to the 2022 season. Elliott, the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series champion and repeatedly chosen as the sport’s most popular driver, stood out in the final laps and two overtime periods to secure his first win on this 1.5-mile track and his first trophy since a playoff victory at Talladega Superspeedway in October 2022.

Elliott, driving the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, prevailed after overcoming three late-race restarts, including two in overtime. He celebrated his victory with a reverse victory lap in homage to Alan Kulwicki, a previous series champion who was also sponsored by the Hooters restaurant chain.

Brad Keselowski, owner and driver of RFK Racing, achieved second place, marking his best result of the season in a race that lasted over three and a half hours and included a track record of 16 caution periods. In the penultimate lap of regular racing, Elliott was side by side with Denny Hamlin, whose vehicle lost traction and crashed into the wall, leading the race into a two-lap playoff. Ross Chastain of Trackhouse Racing, who was unable to pass Elliott in the final laps, finished in 32nd place after an incident in the penultimate lap.

The race was full of diverse pit strategies and various issues on pit road, which influenced the final results. Among them, Tyler Reddick stood out briefly as he led with the day’s largest advantage, more than six seconds, before encountering issues during a pit stop that cost him valuable time.

The next event in the NASCAR Cup Series will be the GEICO 500 at the famous Talladega Superspeedway, where Kyle Busch will seek to defend his title as last year’s race champion.