Chase Elliott has his first win of 2026. The Hendrick Motorsports driver held off Denny Hamlin by 0.565 seconds to win the Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway, earning his 22nd career Cup Series victory and giving Chevrolet its first win of the season. It was short-track racing at its best — close quarters, tempers flaring, and a photo-finish battle between two of the sport's biggest names.
Short Track Masterclass
Martinsville Speedway is the oldest and shortest track on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule. The 0.526-mile paperclip-shaped oval has been hosting races since 1949, and its flat corners and tight racing surface create some of the most physical competition in the sport. Passing requires either patience or a bumper, and more often than not, both.
Elliott's No. 9 Chevrolet was strong all afternoon. His Hendrick Motorsports crew gave him a car that could fire off on short runs and maintain speed as the tires wore down over longer green-flag stretches. That combination is the holy grail at Martinsville, where restarts are intense and track position is everything. Elliott worked his way forward through the field with clean, aggressive passes and put himself in position to lead when the final stage began.
The Battle with Hamlin
Denny Hamlin made it interesting. The Joe Gibbs Racing veteran, fresh off his Las Vegas victory two weeks earlier, ran in the top five for most of the race and pressured Elliott relentlessly in the closing laps. Hamlin pulled to within a car length multiple times, looking for an opening, but Elliott's line through Martinsville's flat turns was too precise to crack. The final margin of 0.565 seconds was the closest finish at Martinsville in several seasons.
Behind the top two, Joey Logano brought his Team Penske Ford home in third, followed by Ty Gibbs in fourth and William Byron in fifth. Byron's top-five finish was particularly significant for Hendrick Motorsports, giving the organization two cars in the top five and demonstrating that the No. 24 team has speed to complement Elliott's No. 9.
Top 5 Results
| Pos | Driver | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chase Elliott | Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet) |
| 2 | Denny Hamlin | Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota) |
| 3 | Joey Logano | Team Penske (Ford) |
| 4 | Ty Gibbs | Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota) |
| 5 | William Byron | Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet) |
Chevrolet Gets on the Board
Elliott's victory was the first for Chevrolet in 2026. Through the first six races, Toyota (Reddick three wins, Hamlin one win) and Ford (Blaney one win) had claimed every checkered flag. The Bowtie brand was due for a breakthrough, and Elliott delivered at one of the most iconic tracks on the schedule. Hendrick Motorsports, the winningest team in Cup Series history, showed that they are not going to sit on the sidelines while 23XI Racing and Team Penske trade victories.
Standings Through Seven Races
Tyler Reddick continues to lead the championship standings with 353 points, 82 ahead of Ryan Blaney in second. Denny Hamlin sits third with 259 points, followed by Elliott at 249 and William Byron at 248. The top five is set, and the gap between Reddick and the rest of the field is substantial. But with 29 races remaining before the Championship 4 at Homestead, there is plenty of time for the standings to shift.
Four different drivers have now won races in 2026: Reddick (4), Blaney (1), Hamlin (1), and Elliott (1). All four are Toyota, Ford, and Chevrolet representatives, meaning all three manufacturers have won. The championship fight is wide open behind Reddick, and the battle for positions two through five in the standings could go in any direction as the schedule moves into spring.