Elliott wins Martinsville
Chase Elliott won the Cook Out 400 at Martinsville — his first Cup Series victory of 2026 and Chevrolet’s first of the season — holding off Denny Hamlin down the stretch in a tense finish. Hendrick Motorsports notched its 31st win at Martinsville in the result, while the weekend produced multiple highlight reels for pit‑crew work and race‑defining passes. (x.com) (sports.yahoo.com) (youtube.com)
Crew chief Alan Gustafson short‑pitted Elliott on lap 261 to gain track position, and Elliott took the lead after a late restart with 68 laps remaining before winning by 0.565 seconds. (nascar.com) Denny Hamlin dominated early, winning both stages and leading a race‑high 292 of the 400 laps. (nascar.com) Hamlin earned the pole with a lap of 19.275 seconds at 98.241 mph during on‑track qualifying, and he led the bulk of the race until the green‑flag pit sequence in Stage 3. (speedwaymedia.com) Elliott started 10th, led twice for a total of 84 laps and recorded the 22nd victory of his Cup Series career. (speedwaymedia.com) The race ran 2:47:18 with an average speed of 75.457 mph, featured 5 cautions for 54 laps and saw 8 lead changes among 6 drivers. (si.com) A debris caution on lap 312 reset the field and proved pivotal to the short‑pit strategy that vaulted Elliott into contention. (racingamerica.com) Official highlight packages and race video captured multiple quick pit‑road exchanges and decisive short‑track passes that replayed across social feeds after the Cook Out 400. (youtube.com) The Cup Series pauses for a weekend before returning to action at the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway on April 12. (racingamerica.com)
