MOTOR RACING: Chase Elliott nips Denny Hamlin in Texas for second win of '26

Chase Elliott credited a full team effort after powering to victory in Sunday’s Wurth 400 at Texas Motor Speedway, marking his second win of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season.

The 2020 series champion showcased dominant pace throughout the race, leading a race-high 87 laps and holding off Denny Hamlin in a tense four-lap sprint to the finish. Elliott ultimately crossed the line 0.407 seconds ahead to secure the 23rd victory of his career.

Elliott took control with 29 laps remaining following a cycle of pit stops and had built a lead of more than a second before a late caution reset the field. After Corey Heim crashed with 11 laps to go, most frontrunners stayed out, setting up a decisive restart. Choosing the inside lane, Elliott surged ahead with help from teammate Alex Bowman and cleared Hamlin exiting Turn 2 to seal the win.

“I’ve not been a huge fan of this place, and I’ve made that very obvious,” Elliott said. “This is a testament to the whole No. 9 team and everyone at Hendrick Motorsports. We’ve kept digging, even when results weren’t where we wanted them.”

Hamlin finished second after struggling on restarts in the closing laps. “Props to the 9 team,” he said. “I felt it would be close if it stayed green, but I didn’t have great restarts today.”

Bowman completed a strong day for Hendrick Motorsports in third, followed by Tyler Reddick and Chris Buescher. With the victory, Elliott joins Reddick as the only drivers with multiple wins this season.

Chevrolet continued its dominance at Texas, earning its 19th all-time Cup Series win at the track and sixth victory in the past eight races there.

The race featured multiple incidents and lead changes. Polesitter Carson Hocevar led the opening 19 laps, while Hamlin and Christopher Bell also spent time at the front. Bell’s race ended early after contact during a late Stage 1 incident.

Erik Jones claimed his first career stage win, while chaos continued into the later stages, including a pit road collision involving defending race winner Joey Logano.

Heim, driving for 23XI Racing, led 69 laps and appeared to be a contender before late-race developments shuffled the order. A separate incident saw Kyle Larson crash out in Stage 2 after losing control in Turn 2.

In the end, Elliott’s strong restart and consistent speed proved decisive, delivering a statement win as the Cup Series season continues.

-Field Level Media/Reuters