Martinsville, Va. (AP) — The strategy calls don’t always work out for Chase Elliott in the Cup Series.
So when the plan comes together — as it did in a victory Sunday at Martinsville Speedway – it’s especially sweet for NASCAR’s eight-time most popular driver and his legions of adoring fans.
“It’s really cool when this stuff works out, and to win these races is so tough,” Elliott said while celebrating on the frontstretch to huge cheers after his first win this season and the 22nd of his career. “So just really, really grateful for the opportunity. I never take it for granted. Trust me, this is a dream come true for me.”
The 30-year-old from Dawsonville, Georgia, capitalized on a shrewd gamble by crew chief Alan Gustafson to pit the No. 9 Chevrolet earlier than the other contenders. When the caution flew on the 312th lap, Elliott was in second behind Denny Hamlin and pitted with the rest of the lead-lap drivers aside from Ross Chastain, who took the lead by staying on track.
Elliott took first from Chastain after a restart and led the final 69 laps to win by 0.565 seconds over Hamlin’s No. 11 Toyota.
“It was definitely a team effort,” Elliott said after his second win on the 0.526-mile oval. “That was awesome. So proud of Alan and the whole team. They did a great job, and we took a gamble. But just so proud of them. They put up with a lot, and they got to put up with me all the time. So I just appreciate them for sticking with me.”
Joey Logano finished third, followed by Ty Gibbs and William Byron.
Elliott, who has been voted NASCAR's most popular driver annually since 2018, led 84 laps in delivering the first win this year for Hendrick Motorsports. The winningest team in NASCAR history has a record 31 victories at Martinsville.
Gustafson, whose calls are frequently second-guessed by one of NASCAR's biggest fan bases whenever Elliott struggles, said he got a supportive call Sunday morning from team owner Rick Hendrick.
“He’s like, ‘Everything’s great, love you guys, playing the long game, and this is a marathon, not a sprint,’” Gustafson said in recounting the conversation. “But nevertheless, when the boss calls you, it gets your attention.”
The decision was virtually a no-brainer for Gustafson after Elliott started 10th and ran mostly outside the top five for the first half of the 400-lap race.
“We were just kind of trapped in like the 10th spot,” Gustafson said. “It’s really hard to pass, and we just need to do something different. I just felt like it was worth a shot. And when we pitted early, I think it just drug a lot of guys down. Obviously, the caution’s great. It gave us track position, and the rest is history.”
Hamlin, who has a series-best six wins at Martinsville, started from the pole position and dominated, leading 292 of the first 317 laps. The Joe Gibbs Racing star got shuffled from the lead during a pit stop sequence under a yellow flag that began on the 312th lap and then lost momentum on the ensuing restart. He also thought a loose wheel caused his handling to fade in the final stage.
“(Elliott) did a good job of controlling the pace there,” Hamlin said. “It just really came from that bad restart I had. Just not much really I could have done, and it felt like we gave it our all. We’ll check it out here, but I just thought the wheel was loose here on that last run. Either way, these are just some of the races that get away from you and your career.”
The win came 11 years to the day of Elliott’s debut in the Cup Series. He finished 38th in the March 29, 2015, race that was won by Hamlin. Elliott said he was reminded of the anniversary at an autograph session Sunday morning.
“A couple fans that were here that day came up to me and told me about it,” Elliott said. “So I got to thinking about it. Really cool to kind of see all that come full circle.”
Future deal
Tyler Reddick’s blazing start to the Cup season comes during a contract year for the 23XI Racing driver. Though he would be the hottest free agent in NASCAR on the open market, Reddick has said he’s committed to staying at the team he joined three years ago.
After winning the pole position Saturday, Hamlin guaranteed that 23XI would sign Reddick to an extension soon.
“Tyler’s one of those guys that was very important for us to get our hands on him very early,” Hamlin said. “I think he’s lived up to the expectations for us. We’re seeing it this year. He’s putting it all together, and our race cars are really fast, too.”
Hall of Fame nominees
The NASCAR Hall of Fame unveiled a list of 15 candidates for the three-member class of 2027 that will include two from the Modern Era category and one from the Pioneer division. Among the new nominees are 2014 Cup Series champion Kevin Harvick, six-time ARCA champion Ray Elder, championship crew chief and engine builder Ernie Elliott, winning car owner Ray Fox and championship crew chief Herb Nab.
Some of the notable holdover nominees are Cup Series winners Jeff Burton and Greg Biffle, who was killed in a plane crash last December.
Up next
After an off weekend for Easter, the NASCAR Cup Series will continue its short-track swing at Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee on Sunday, April 12. Kyle Larson has won two of the past three races at the 0.533-mile oval, leading 411 of 500 laps in a victory last April.
___
AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing
