Chase Elliott Wins Stage 1 of Cup Series Race at the Daytona Road Course
Chase Elliott took his sixth Stage Win of the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season Sunday in Stage 1 of the Go Bowling 235 at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course. Elliott inherited the lead when Martin Truex Jr. opted to pit before the end of Stage 1 as part of his overall race strategy.
Chase Elliott has been a road course ace in his young NASCAR Cup Series career as he has three wins in 10-career NCS starts on road races. He will look to add to that total in the first-ever Cup Series race at the Daytona Road Course.
Joey Logano finished Stage 1 in the runner up spot, while Jimmie Johnson, Clint Bowyer and Matt DiBenedetto capped off the top-five.
Erik Jones, William Byron, Truex, Cole Custer and Ryan Preece rounded out the top-10 finishers in Stage 1 on Sunday.
Denny Hamlin received a left front tire rub after battling with his teammate Truex for the lead. This led to an extended pit stop from Hamlin for repairs. Hamlin finished the Stage in 12th.
Kyle Busch had issues flat-spotting tires early in the Stage, which led to an unscheduled pit stop. Busch would end the Stage in 26th, but he is on the lead lap.
As the Stage was ending, Alex Bowman suffered a flat tire, which forced him to limp to pit road. Bowman will start Stage 2 in 38th, one lap off the pace.
Stage and Playoff Points Awarded in Stage 1:
| Finish | Driver | Stage Points | Playoff Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chase Elliott | 10 | 1 |
| 2 | Joey Logano | 9 | 0 |
| 3 | Jimmie Johnson | 8 | 0 |
| 4 | Clint Bowyer | 7 | 0 |
| 5 | Matt DiBenedetto | 6 | 0 |
| 6 | Erik Jones | 5 | 0 |
| 7 | William Byron | 4 | 0 |
| 8 | Martin Truex Jr. | 3 | 0 |
| 9 | Cole Custer | 2 | 0 |
| 10 | Ryan Preece | 1 | 0 |
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Toby is the Founder, Editor and go-to man for TobyChristie.com. He is also the co-host of The Final Lap Weekly Podcast. Additionally, Toby is a NMPA (National Motorsports Press Association) award winning writer, and has followed NASCAR as a fan since 1993.