Elliott ‘A Few Car Lengths Short’ Of Controlling Martinsville

Chase Elliott (9) led the field for a portion of Sunday's Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway. (Scotte Sprinkle/Race Face Digital photo)

MARTINSVILLE, Va. – For Hendrick Motorsports’ Chase Elliott, the battle for control – and ultimately the win in the Cook Out 400 – came at the end of stage two Sunday at Martinsville Speedway.

The 2020 NASCAR Cup Series champion lined up behind eventual race winner Denny Hamlin and Bubba Wallace for the 50-lap stint to end the second stage. Elliott was in the lead prior to that caution period for Burt Myers’ car losing power.

The No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet worked its way past Wallace's No. 23 McDonald’s Toyota Camry XSE after several laps.

However, Elliott was unable to chase down the No. 11 Progressive Toyota before the end of the stage. That allowed Hamlin to control the field onto and then off pit road.

The sequence of events repeated when a caution waved during a round of green flag pit stops on lap 276, after Shane van Gisbergen’s right rear wheel detached in turn four.

A slow stop for Elliott dropped him from battling with Hamlin to behind Wallace and Christopher Bell as well.

Following another three quick cautions, the Dawsonville, Ga., native remained behind the three Toyota Racing drivers. In the final laps Elliott closed in on Wallace, who was trapped behind Bell.

However, like the 23XI Racing driver ahead, Elliott couldn’t maneuver to complete the pass and took the checkered flag in fourth.

Chase Elliott in action at Martinsville Speedway on Sunday. (Jacob Seelman/Race Face Digital photo)

“I thought our car was really good, honestly,” Elliott said. “I thought our team did a good job yesterday, leading into the weekend, certainly getting this thing to where I thought it needed to be for a balance for today. Just needed control of the race.

“I really needed to get to Denny there at the end of that second stage and try to get control. I knew the second half everybody was going to be better and closer. Just that little bit of being able to control this thing from that point forward means a lot,” Elliott continued. “Unfortunately, I didn't do a great job getting to him. I was trying, just came up a few car lengths short.

“(Being behind) just puts you in a tough spot trying to catch up and whatnot. We need (to be) more than solid, so we’ll keep trucking.”

In the opening stage Elliott led nine laps prior to the first caution of the race, for debris in turn four. The 29-year-old was among those that pitted. He ultimately finished the stage in eighth but was credited with seventh following Erik Jones’ disqualification.

The 13 stage points, nine from stage two and four in stage one, combined with the 33 Elliott earned for finishing fourth to move the Team Chevy driver up from sixth to third in the regular season point standings.

He is 32 behind current series leader, and Hendrick teammate, William Byron and 68 points above the playoff cut line occupied by Michael McDowell.

Next for Elliott, and the rest of the Cup Series, is the Goodyear 400 during NASCAR’s annual throwback weekend at South Carolina’s Darlington Raceway.

In 16 starts at the ‘Track Too Tough to Tame,’ Elliott has a best finish of third, which came after he avoided late-race chaos in the 2023 throwback event.

Broadcast coverage of the Goodyear 400 at Darlington is scheduled for Sunday, April 6 at 3 p.m. ET, live on FS1, the Motor Racing Network, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90.