Chase Elliott beats Denny Hamlin at
Martinsville Speedway for 1st NASCAR win of season
[March 30, 2026]
By NATE RYAN
Martinsville, Va. (AP) — The strategy calls don’t always work out
for Chase Elliott in the Cup Series.
So when the plan comes together — as it did in a victory Sunday at
Martinsville Speedway – it’s especially sweet for NASCAR’s
eight-time most popular driver and his legions of adoring fans.
“It’s really cool when this stuff works out, and to win these races
is so tough,” Elliott said while celebrating on the frontstetch to
huge cheers after his first win this season and the 22nd of his
career. “So just really, really grateful for the opportunity. I
never take it for granted. Trust me, this is a dream come true for
me.”
The 30-year-old from Dawsonville, Georgia, capitalized on a shrewd
gamble by crew chief Alan Gustafson to pit the No. 9 Chevrolet
earlier than the other contenders. When the caution flew on the
312th lap, Elliott was in second behind Denny Hamlin and pitted with
the rest of the lead-lap drivers aside from Ross Chastain, who took
the lead by staying on track.
Elliott took first from Chastain after a restart and led the final
69 laps to win by 0.565 seconds over Hamlin’s No. 11 Toyota.
“It was definitely a team effort,” Elliott said after his second win
on the 0.526-mile oval. “That was awesome. So proud of Alan and the
whole team. They did a great job, and we took a gamble. But just so
proud of them. They put up with a lot, and they got to put up with
me all the time. So I just appreciate them for sticking with me.”
Joey Logano finished third, followed by Ty Gibbs and William Byron.
Elliott, who has been voted NASCAR's most popular driver annually
since 2018, led 84 laps in delivering the first win this year for
Hendrick Motorsports. The winningest team in NASCAR history has a
record 31 victories at Martinsville.
Gustafson, whose calls are frequently second-guessed by one of
NASCAR's biggest fan bases whenever Elliott struggles, said he got a
supportive call Sunday morning from team owner Rick Hendrick.
“He’s like, ‘Everything’s great, love you guys, playing the long
game, and this is a marathon, not a sprint,’” Gustafson said in
recounting the conversation. “But nevertheless, when the boss calls
you, it gets your attention.”
The decision was virtually a no-brainer for Gustafson after Elliott
started 10th and ran mostly outside the top five for the first half
of the 400-lap race.
“We were just kind of trapped in like the 10th spot,” Gustafson
said. “It’s really hard to pass, and we just need to do something
different. I just felt like it was worth a shot. And when we pitted
early, I think it just drug a lot of guys down. Obviously, the
caution’s great. It gave us track position, and the rest is
history.”
Hamlin, who has a series-best six wins at Martinsville, started from
the pole position and dominated, leading 292 of the first 317 laps.
The Joe Gibbs Racing star got shuffled from the lead during a pit
stop sequence under a yellow flag that began on the 312th lap and
then lost momentum on the ensuing restart. He also thought a loose
wheel caused his handling to fade in the final stage.
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Chase Elliott (9) performs a burnout after winning a NASCAR Cup
Series auto race in Martinsville, Va., Sunday, March 29, 2026. (AP
Photo/Chuck Burton)
“(Elliott) did a good job of controlling the pace
there,” Hamlin said. “It just really came from that bad restart I
had. Just not much really I could have done, and it felt like we
gave it our all. We’ll check it out here, but I just thought the
wheel was loose here on that last run. Either way, these are just
some of the races that get away from you and your career.”
The win came 11 years to the day of Elliott’s debut in the Cup
Series. He finished 38th in the March 29, 2015, race that was won by
Hamlin. Elliott said he was reminded of the anniversary at an
autograph session Sunday morning.
“A couple fans that were here that day came up to me and told me
about it,” Elliott said. “So I got to thinking about it. Really cool
to kind of see all that come full circle.”
Future deal
Tyler Reddick’s blazing start to the Cup season comes during a
contract year for the 23XI Racing driver. Though he would be the
hottest free agent in NASCAR on the open market, Reddick has said
he’s committed to staying at the team he joined three years ago.
After winning the pole position Saturday, Hamlin guaranteed that
23XI would sign Reddick to an extension soon.
“Tyler’s one of those guys that was very important for us to get our
hands on him very early,” Hamlin said. “I think he’s lived up to the
expectations for us. We’re seeing it this year. He’s putting it all
together, and our race cars are really fast, too.”
Hall of Fame nominees
The NASCAR Hall of Fame unveiled a list of 15 candidates for the
three-member class of 2027 that will include two from the Modern Era
category and one from the Pioneer division. Among the new nominees
are 2014 Cup Series champion Kevin Harvick, six-time ARCA champion
Ray Elder, championship crew chief and engine builder Ernie Elliott,
winning car owner Ray Fox and championship crew chief Herb Nab.
Some of the notable holdover nominees are Cup Series winners Jeff
Burton and Greg Biffle, who was killed in a plane crash last
December.
Up next
After an off weekend for Easter, the NASCAR Cup Series will continue
its short-track swing at Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee on
Sunday, April 12. Kyle Larson has won two of the past three races at
the 0.533-mile oval, leading 411 of 500 laps in a victory last
April.
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