Despite a quiet opening two stages, Chase Elliott took advantage of a savvy pit call from crew chief Alan Gustafson and held off a dominant Denny Hamlin to win Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway.
Here are four takeaways from the Cook Out Clash:
Chase Elliott delivers first 2026 win for Hendrick Motorsports
The HMS organization entered the weekend winless through the first six races for the first time since 2019. That uncharacteristic start will not extend for another week after Elliott’s breakthrough on Sunday.
With Elliott struggling to find track position through the first half of the 400-lap race, Gustafson elected to bring him down pit road with 139 laps to go — 29 laps sooner than Hamlin — as he attempted to two-stop the final stage. A couple of quick cautions bunched the field back up and Elliott held the lead for the final 67 laps.
Elliott ultimately prevailed by 0.565 seconds for his first win of the season, his second at Martinsville and the 22nd of his career. His 84 laps out front were second-most to Hamlin’s 292 and he now finds himself fourth in the standings, 104 points behind Tyler Reddick.
Denny Hamlin’s dominant drive comes up short
The six-time Martinsville winner and pole sitter for Sunday’s race was the driver to beat, but a missed shift on the restart with 78 laps to go lost him the top spot to Ross Chastain. Elliott also got past Hamlin and inherited the lead shortly after a big pileup produced the race’s final caution.
Hamlin swept the opening two stages and moved into fifth all-time in laps led at