Search
Close this search box.

Partner

Chase Elliott Holds Off Denny Hamlin in Three-Lap Shootout to Win First Cup Race at Daytona Road Course

DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA – AUGUST 16: Chase Elliott, driver of the #9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet, drives during the NASCAR Cup Series Go Bowling 235 at Daytona International Speedway on August 16, 2020 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

Chase Elliott has cemented himself as a road racing ace. On Sunday in the NASCAR Cup Series Go Bowling 235 at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course, Elliott scored his fourth-career road win in only his 11th start, and it’s his third-consecutive win on tracks where right turns are involved.

Elliott, who won Stage 1 of the race, had a huge lead in the closing laps, but a late-race caution for a spinning Kyle Busch, which set up a three lap shootout at the end, forced him to hold off a hard-charging Denny Hamlin. But Elliott never wavered.

This is Elliott’s second win of 2020, and it’s his eighth-career NCS victory. Elliott led a race-high 34 laps.

Hamlin, who won Stage 2 and finished second, led 16 laps in his No. 11 Toyota Camry.

Martin Truex Jr. worked his way around Jimmie Johnson to take a third place finish after a bevy of errors and pit road issues on the day. Johnson finished fourth, and Chris Buescher surprised with a solid fifth-place finish in Roush Fenway Racing’s No. 17 car.

Clint Bowyer, who typically does well on road courses, finished sixth, but the surprise of the day was Kaz Grala.

Grala, 21, was making his Series debut in Richard Childress Racing’s No. 3 car, after Austin Dillon tested positive for COVID-19 this week. Grala led three laps on the day and finished an an impressive seventh in the race.

William Byron, Joey Logano and Michael McDowell rounded out the top-10 finishers on the day.

For McDowell, who is in the midst of a career-year, this is his third top-10 finish of the year. That marks a career-best.

Point leader Kevin Harvick had a couple of spins on the day, and finished 17th, while Kyle Busch suffered from a spin, a failed rotor and another crash after returning from the garage for mechanical issues. Busch finished 37th, 12 laps off the pace.

Post-Race Stat Pack:

share it
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Latest Post

Kyle Weatherman JJ Yeley Jason Miller shove post race fight video 2024 Atlanta NASCAR Xfinity Series
Video: "Next Time You Touch My Racecar" Kyle Weatherman Takes Post-Race Shove After on-Track Incident with Yeley
Kyle Busch car chief ejected COTA inspection Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Richard Childress Racing JTG Daugherty Racing
Kyle Busch, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Car Chiefs Ejected After Multiple Failed Inspection Attempts
Screen Shot 2024-03-08 at 9.15
Stewart-Haas Hauler Involved in Multi-Vehicle Accident in Texas; Headed Back to North Carolina
2024 NASCAR Cup Series manufacturer point standings
2024 NASCAR Cup Series Driver Point Standings
NASCAR TV schedule Saturday March 16 Bristol Truck Series Weather Guard Truck Race NASCAR Cup Series
NASCAR TV Schedule: Saturday, March 16 at Bristol
Hopkins Butcher
Video: Late-Race Battle Ends in Crash, Retaliation at Hickory

Join Our Newsletter

Ready to have NASCAR news hand-delivered to your email daily?

Related Article