Bold Strategy Call Propels Chase Elliott to Dramatic Martinsville Victory

Martinsville, VA – In a strategic masterstroke that defied conventional wisdom, Chase Elliott piloted his No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet to victory at Martinsville Speedway on Sunday, capturing his first win of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season. The dramatic triumph came after crew chief Alan Gustafson made a daring pit road call under caution, allowing Elliott to leapfrog a dominant Denny Hamlin and hold on for the checkered flag.

Elliott, who started the final stage running ninth, found himself in an advantageous position thanks to Gustafson’s decision to pit during the sole green-flag pit stop cycle. This "short pit" maneuver, executed just over 100 laps from the finish, gained Elliott valuable track position when a timely caution period bunched the field.

"We took a gamble," a jubilant Elliott stated post-race, reflecting on the pivotal strategy. "We were going to two-stop that last stint. I honestly think it was going to work out really good for us, either way, but just so proud of the team, man. They put up with a lot, and they got to put up with me all the time. I just appreciate them for sticking with me. It sure is a lot of fun when days like this work out."

Gustafson elaborated on the decision-making process, explaining the difficult situation the No. 9 team faced. "Super happy that it paid off," he said. "We were just kind of trapped in tenth spot and it’s really hard to pass. We just needed to do something different. Mathematically, it was close for us to either split that run or two-stop it and I just felt like it was worth a shot. When we pitted early, I think it brought a lot of guys down, and that put us in an even better position. Obviously, the caution is great. It gave us track position. The rest is history."

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The victory marks Hendrick Motorsports’ 31st win at the historic half-mile oval and their first of the 2026 season, breaking a drought that had persisted through the initial races. For Elliott, it’s his 22nd career Cup Series win, a significant milestone in his already decorated career.

The race was largely defined by the dominance of Denny Hamlin and the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. Hamlin controlled the proceedings from the outset, securing pole position and sweeping both Stage 1 and Stage 2. He led a substantial portion of the race, demonstrating strong long-run speed and consistent performance around the paperclip-shaped track. However, the strategy gamble by Hendrick Motorsports ultimately proved to be the deciding factor.

Following Elliott and Hamlin across the finish line were Joey Logano of Team Penske in third, Ty Gibbs of Joe Gibbs Racing in fourth, and William Byron, also from Hendrick Motorsports, rounding out the top five. The remainder of the top ten included Ryan Blaney (Team Penske), Christopher Bell (Joe Gibbs Racing), Austin Cindric (Team Penske), Kyle Larson (Hendrick Motorsports), and Josh Berry (Wood Brothers Racing).

Shane van Gisbergen continued to show improvement on oval tracks, scoring points in both stages and finishing 11th after a strong qualifying effort that placed him fifth. His progression in his sophomore Cup Series season has been a notable storyline.

Stage 1:
The opening stage saw Hamlin assert his authority, leading from pole. He briefly surrendered the lead to William Byron when caught behind slower traffic, but quickly reclaimed the top spot. Hamlin’s dominance was evident as he lapped his way up to 23rd place before the first caution flag waved for Cody Ware spinning with three laps remaining in the stage. Hamlin secured the stage win, followed by Byron, Berry, Gibbs, Cindric, Van Gisbergen, Logano, Blaney, Tyler Reddick, and Ryan Preece.

Stage 2:
The second stage was marred by an incident involving Kyle Busch, who hit a tire on pit road during the stage break, causing a chain reaction that involved Connor Zilisch. Busch’s difficult day continued as his No. 8 team was penalized for an uncontrolled tire. On the restart, Gibbs moved into second place behind his teammate Hamlin. The field navigated through a multi-car incident involving Noah Gragson, which brought out another caution. Briscoe benefited from the free pass to get back on the lead lap. Hamlin continued his commanding lead, taking the Stage 2 victory ahead of Gibbs, Logano, Blaney, Byron, Cindric, Reddick, Van Gisbergen, Larson, and Berry. Briscoe once again received the free pass after being caught a lap down by Hamlin.

Stage 3:
As the final stage commenced, Hamlin continued to lead, with Blaney moving into second on the long run. Elliott and Van Gisbergen were among the first of the top-ten contenders to pit under green with approximately 140 laps remaining. The pit cycle saw Hamlin relinquish the lead temporarily. A loose wheel forced Hill to pit road, while Allgaier was penalized for an uncontrolled tire. Hamlin eventually pitted from the lead with around 110 laps to go, cycling Elliott and Van Gisbergen to the front.

However, Hamlin quickly closed the gap on fresher tires, reclaiming the lead with 92 laps remaining. A caution was brought out for debris on pit road, specifically a brake rotor, after Ty Dillon experienced an issue. Daniel Suarez received the free pass. On the ensuing pit stop, Chastain opted to stay out on older tires, taking the lead, while the rest of the field pitted for fresh rubber.

The restart with 78 laps remaining saw Chastain get a strong launch, but Elliott quickly moved into second. A multi-car incident involving Bubba Wallace and Hocevar, among others, brought out another caution. Buescher earned the free pass. Upon the restart with 69 laps to go, Elliott executed an outside pass on Chastain to take the lead. Hamlin attempted to close the gap but could not reach Elliott’s rear bumper.

Chastain, after his strategic decision to stay out, ultimately fell to 16th in the final standings.

In the championship standings, Tyler Reddick maintains his lead, now 82 points ahead of Blaney.

The NASCAR Cup Series season continues with the next event on the schedule.