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Chase Elliott of Hendrick Motorsports secured his second victory of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season at Texas Motor Speedway, holding off a determined challenge from Denny Hamlin to take the checkered flag. The win marks Elliott’s 23rd career Cup Series triumph and his second at the Fort Worth oval in the past three years, further solidifying Hendrick Motorsports’ early-season success.
The No. 9 Chevrolet driver battled fiercely in the closing laps, demonstrating precise control and strategic execution to maintain his lead. Behind Elliott, Denny Hamlin of Joe Gibbs Racing finished a close second, with Alex Bowman completing the podium in third place for Hendrick Motorsports. Tyler Reddick, who made a late charge on fresh tires, secured fourth place, followed by Chris Buescher of RFK Racing in fifth. The remainder of the top ten was rounded out by Daniel Suarez, Carson Hocevar, William Byron, Bubba Wallace, and Ryan Blaney.
Elliott, who has previously expressed a complex relationship with the Texas track, acknowledged the significance of his recent success at the venue. "Man, I think, first off, thanks, everybody, for coming out," Elliott stated in his post-race remarks. "You are awesome. Great crowd as always. I have not been a huge fan of this place, and I’ve made that very obvious, but you know, to continue to work hard, and I really think this is a testament to the whole team, but not just the 9 team, but everybody at Hendrick Motorsports."
He further elaborated on the team’s collective effort, noting, "We have not been where we’ve wanted to be throughout portions of the season. Man, everybody has just been digging in very hard, from the engine shop to Hendrick Motorsports to all the setup shops, to everybody at Team Chevy. Appreciate our partners with Napa and Prime on the car this week. Really cool to have them back. Obviously they’re coming to Charlotte races in a few weeks, to Charlotte." Elliott concluded by reflecting on his unexpected success at Texas, calling it "pretty wild" to have won twice there in recent years and expressing gratitude for the support that made it possible.
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The race was a dynamic affair, marked by strategic pit calls, multiple cautions, and intense on-track battles across all three stages.
Stage 1: Hocevar’s Early Lead and Bell’s Race-Ending Incident
The opening stage saw Carson Hocevar, starting from pole in his Spire Motorsports Chevrolet, lead the initial laps. However, Denny Hamlin and Chase Briscoe quickly moved to the front, with Hamlin taking the lead around lap 20. A strategic undercut on pit road during green-flag stops saw Briscoe momentarily leapfrog Hamlin. The battle for the lead intensified among Joe Gibbs Racing entries, with Christopher Bell eventually taking command of the stage.
Disaster struck with just 12 laps remaining in the stage when Todd Gilliland spun at the exit of Turn 4, sliding into the path of the race leader, Bell. The No. 20 Toyota slammed into the outside wall, forcing Bell’s immediate withdrawal from the race and creating a significant shake-up in the running order.
Hocevar opted for a two-tire call off pit road, while five other cars gambled by staying out to contend for stage points. Erik Jones, managing to hold the lead on the restart, maintained his advantage to win Stage 1, followed by Hocevar, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Ty Gibbs, Briscoe, Kyle Busch, AJ Allmendinger, Chase Elliott, William Byron, and Denny Hamlin.
Stage 2: Chaos on Pit Road and Larson’s Spin
Stage 2 commenced with a spirited duel between Hocevar and Ty Gibbs for the lead, with Hocevar ultimately prevailing. The caution flag waved when William Byron spun at Turn 4, narrowly avoiding contact with the rest of the field, including a fortunate escape for Joey Logano.
The subsequent pit stops proved costly for several drivers. Logano, attempting to navigate pit road, made heavy contact with Cole Custer, who had slowed significantly to enter his pit stall. Kyle Larson and Chase Briscoe also made contact during the pit sequence. The damage sustained by Logano, the defending Texas race winner, resulted in his retirement from the event.
The field order shifted again as Corey Heim inherited the lead after staying out. However, Ty Gibbs’s race ended prematurely when he spun and impacted the wall after contact from Ryan Preece. Heim continued to lead until he was forced to pit, handing the advantage to Chase Elliott.
With only a few laps remaining in the stage, Kyle Larson spun independently and hit the wall in Turn 2, bringing out another caution. In a strategic gamble, the RFK Racing duo of Brad Keselowski and Ryan Preece stayed out for a one-lap sprint to the stage finish. Elliott, however, powered through the field to win Stage 2, with Reddick and Hamlin following, while Keselowski and Preece secured fourth and fifth, respectively. Daniel Suarez, Chris Buescher, Riley Herbst, and Carson Hocevar completed the top ten in the stage.
Stage 3: Elliott’s Strategic Masterclass and Late-Race Drama
The final stage began with Elliott leading Reddick. The field settled into a rhythm until a round of green-flag pit stops commenced around the 60-lap mark. Ross Chastain, who had worked his way into the top ten, incurred a speeding penalty on pit road, impacting his day.
Elliott reclaimed the lead with 29 laps remaining as Heim pitted from the front. The race saw another caution with 11 laps to go when Heim brushed the wall, bunching the field for a restart. Reddick, running third, opted for a pit stop for fresh right-side tires, restarting ninth. Elliott and Hamlin, among others, chose to stay out, with eight lead-lap cars electing not to pit.
The restart with just four laps remaining set the stage for a dramatic finish. Reddick immediately made a bold three-wide move through Turns 1 and 2, gaining multiple positions. Hamlin attempted to maintain proximity to Elliott’s No. 9 machine, but Elliott managed to build a sufficient gap to hold the lead.
As the field approached the white flag, Kyle Busch and John-Hunter Nemechek tangled, resulting in Nemechek’s No. 42 car crashing. Despite the incident, the race remained under green-flag conditions. Nemechek managed to get his car off the racing surface, allowing the event to conclude under green as Elliott crossed the line for the victory.
Hendrick Motorsports has now recorded two wins in the 2026 season, both achieved by Chase Elliott, showcasing a strong start to their campaign. The team will aim to continue this momentum in upcoming events.
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