Chase Elliott silenced any lingering doubts about his 2026 pace this weekend, roaring to his second NASCAR Cup Series victory of the season at Texas Motor Speedway. The Hendrick Motorsports driver controlled the late stages of the race, fending off a desperate charge from teammate William Byron to claim the checkered flag and jump to 3rd in the regular season standings.
Chase Elliott’s Path to His 2nd 2026 Win
Elliott entered Texas coming off a 12th-place finish at Martinsville, looking to build on his season-opening win at Daytona. He qualified 4th, worked his way to the front by lap 80, and led 128 of the final 187 laps to secure the victory.
Key Stats From Elliott’s Texas Triumph
- 2nd win of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season
- 19th career Cup Series victory
- First Texas Motor Speedway win since 2023
- Led 128 laps, most of any driver in the field
- 3rd in the 2026 regular season standings, 42 points behind leader William Byron
Top 5 Race Winners at 2026 Texas NASCAR Event
Beyond Elliott’s dominant run, several drivers capitalized on strong runs to lock in top-10 finishes. Here are the full race winners and top performers:
- 1. Chase Elliott (Hendrick Motorsports): Dominated late, held off teammate Byron for the win.
- 2. William Byron (Hendrick Motorsports): Charged hard in the final 20 laps but fell 0.8 seconds short of Elliott.
- 3. Kyle Larson (Hendrick Motorsports): Consistent top-5 run all day, extended his streak of top-10 finishes to 8 races.
- 4. Denny Hamlin (Joe Gibbs Racing): Steady run in the top 5, gained 2 spots in playoff standings.
- 5. Ryan Blaney (Team Penske): Recovered from a spin on lap 150 to finish 5th, his 4th top-5 of 2026.
Race Losers: Who Faltered at Texas Motor Speedway
Not every driver left Texas with good news. Several playoff contenders saw their days derailed by crashes, mechanical issues, or poor strategy:
- Joey Logano (Team Penske): Engine failure on lap 120 ended his day early, dropping him to 16th in the standings.
- Bubba Wallace (23XI Racing): Spin on lap 100 caused a 5-car wreck, finished 28th, his worst result of 2026.
- Daniel Suarez (Trackhouse Racing): Involved in a late-race crash with 15 laps to go, finished 32nd.
- Austin Cindric (Team Penske): Pit road speeding penalty took him out of contention, finished 22nd.
What’s Next for the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series
Elliott’s Texas win gives Hendrick Motorsports a 1-2-3 sweep of the top 3 spots, tightening their grip on the regular season standings. The series heads to Kansas Speedway next week for the AdventHealth 400, where Elliott will look to make it back-to-back wins.
Will Elliott’s momentum carry to Kansas? Let us know your predictions in the comments below.
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