Elliott wins Martinsville
Chase Elliott took the Cook Out 400 at Martinsville after Denny Hamlin dominated much of the race but couldn’t close — Elliott beat William Byron and Ryan Blaney to the checkered flag. (x.com) Post‑race inspection cleared the top six, cementing Elliott’s result in the standings. (x.com)
The victory was Elliott’s 22nd career NASCAR Cup Series win, delivered Hendrick Motorsports its first victory of the 2026 season and pushed the team’s Martinsville tally to 31 all-time wins. (motorsport.com) Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin led a race-high 292 of 400 laps and won both Stage 1 and Stage 2, though he radioed a rear‑under‑braking issue around lap 356 during the closing run. (motorsport.com) Hendrick crew chief Alan Gustafson called an aggressive short‑pit on lap 261 that split the final stage and — after a restart with 68 laps remaining — vaulted Elliott into the lead for good. (nascar.com) Elliott crossed the line 0.565 seconds ahead of the next car in a race that produced eight lead changes among six drivers and five cautions for a total of 54 laps over the 400‑lap distance. (autoracing1.com) The win moved Elliott up to fourth in the Cup standings following Race 7 of the 36‑race regular season, while Tyler Reddick remained the points leader after Martinsville. (hendrickmotorsports.com) The Cup schedule pauses for an off weekend and resumes at Bristol Motor Speedway on April 12, with television coverage expected on FS1. (racingamerica.com)
