By David Morgan, Associate Editor
FORT WORTH, Texas – Chase Elliott added another cowboy hat to his collection on Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway after taking command of the Wurth 400 just past the halfway point and never looking back.
Elliott started the day in 14th place, climbing into the top-10 by the end of Stage 1, but once he put himself into the lead for the first time on lap 152, his No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet came alive and he asserted himself as the man to beat for the win.
After winning the second stage, Elliott would lead the lion’s share of the final stage, with the Toyotas of Denny Hamlin and Tyler Reddick running in second and third, within striking distance, but really needing a caution to be able to have a real shot at Elliott.
That caution would come with 11 laps to go, setting up the make-or-break decision to come from the pit box: pit for fresh tires or stay out and keep track position.
Elliott and Hamlin would stay out along with six other cars, while Reddick led the way for those that elected for a new set of Goodyear Eagles.
The green would fly with four laps to go to settle the race and in short order Elliott and Hamlin separated themselves from the pack to duel it out amongst themselves, with Elliott clearing Hamlin off Turn 2 and taking hold of the lead for the final run to the finish.
While Hamlin stayed a steady presence in Elliott’s rear-view, clean air was king for the No. 9 team and Elliott was able to run it out all the way to the checkered flag to score his second win of the season and second win in the last three years at Texas.
SOUND THE SI-REEN!
CHASE ELLIOTT WINS AT TEXAS! pic.twitter.com/StBWknMoHH
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) May 3, 2026
While Texas may not be one of Elliott’s favorite tracks to compete at, he explained afterwards that he’s learning to appreciate it.
“Alan came on the radio and said two-time Texas winner. I thought, I’ll be damned. I’d have never thought,” Elliott said with a laugh.
“Yeah, you know, I’ve trashed this place for years, and I didn’t like what they did to the racetrack in reconfiguring turns one and two. And it was so fun for me, and obviously there’s some selfish opinion in that too because I thought it was a really strong track, and then it turned into not a strong track at all. Those things combined I think just put a bad taste in my mouth.
“But when you run better, it grows you on you little by little. And I think the fan reception over the last couple of years has been strong. I think the energy has been really good out here having one race and whatnot.
“Yeah, you know, for as hard of a time as I’ve given it, for some reason it likes me. It loved me back. I didn’t like it, but it liked me. So I’m learning to come around a little bit. I wish it would share some of that love with some other tracks on the schedule that I want to like (laughing).
No, it’s one of those things that it’s so hard to win in this series, and it’s so hard to have success. Anytime wherever you go on the schedule, no matter what it is or where it is, to be able to compete at a high level, I think is a really difficult thing to do and something to be proud of.”
As for Hamlin, it was another day of what could have been, coming up one spot shy of banking another Texas win, but having to settle for a runner-up spot instead.
“It was really close, for sure,” said Hamlin. “Props to the 9 team and really the 45, that last third stage, you know, they had some really good speed. I thought it was going to be so close if it went green. I thought I was going to get there, you know, especially with as hard as the 6 was trying to hold off the 9.
“Hats off to this whole Progressive Toyota team. Did good. I didn’t have great restarts all day. Then you get set behind a little bit. It’s just those little fine, small details.
“Yeah, I thought I got a good restart there at the end side-by-side, but then, you know, just the way the side draft works there into turn one with him getting the push from the 48, it just allowed his momentum to pick up a little bit quicker than mine. I tried to hang on to the side, but I was just getting tighter as the closer I was getting to him.
“So good, decent day. Just one short.”
Alex Bowman continued to build on the momentum from his top-five at Talladega a week ago to finish third at Texas, followed by Reddick, who charged up to fourth at the finish on his fresh tires, and Chris Buescher finally reversing his bad luck at his home track to round out the top-five finishers.
The remainder of the top-10 went to the Spire Motorsports duo of Daniel Suarez and Carson Hocevar after starting on the front row, along with William Byron rebounding from a crash earlier in the race, Bubba Wallace charging to ninth in a back-up car and Ryan Blaney overcoming a poor qualifying effort with a 10th place run.
Reddick continues to hold the points lead by 109 points over Hamlin followed by Elliott in third place, 117 points back.
Next up for the NASCAR Cup Series is a trip to upstate New York to take on Watkins Glen in a new spring date for the road course. The Go Bowling at The Glen is scheduled for May 10 at 3:00 pm ET.
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