Chase Elliott resurfaces

Chase Elliott took the Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway on March 29, 2026, crossing the line 0.565 seconds ahead of Denny Hamlin to claim the victory. (nascar.com) Elliott’s No. 9 team short-pitted on lap 261 in a two-stop strategy called by crew chief Alan Gustafson, then moved into the lead after a restart with 68 laps remaining. (nascar.com) The win was the 22nd of Elliott’s NASCAR Cup career, extended Hendrick Motorsports’ record at Martinsville to 31 victories, and delivered Chevrolet’s first Cup Series victory of the 2026 season. (nascar.com) Denny Hamlin dominated much of the day—winning both Stage 1 and Stage 2 and leading a race-high 292 laps—while Joey Logano finished third, Ty Gibbs fourth and William Byron fifth in the official order. (speedwaycollective.com) A 74-lap-to-go incident between Bubba Wallace and Carson Hocevar triggered a multi-car caution that reshaped the final stage and ultimately intensified the late-race restarts. (heavy.com) After seven of 36 races the standings show Tyler Reddick with 353 points, Ryan Blaney 271, Denny Hamlin 259 and Chase Elliott 249 in the official Cup standings. (nascar.com) The series returns to action at the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway on April 12, 2026, the eighth race of the 2026 Cup season. (nascar.com)