Elliott Takes Over Points Lead Following Top-10 Finish at Dover

• After practice and qualifying were rained out and the lineup was set according to the rulebook, Chase Elliott and the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts team started on the pole for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Dover Motor Speedway.
• The 29-year-old driver earned the stage one victory and followed it up with a fourth-place finish in stage two. Elliott led laps in the final stage and was running in third when the race was temporarily red flagged due to rain.
• Elliott ended the race with a sixth-place finish following two overtime restarts.
• The 2020 Cup Series champion is the new leader of the points standings by 16 markers over Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron.

Chase Elliott and the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts team started from the pole for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Dover Motor Speedway after practice and qualifying were rained out and the lineup was set according to the rulebook. When the green flag dropped on Sunday, Elliott battled to try to hold onto the lead before settling into second. He kept the leader in sight and eventually took over the top spot on lap 14. Elliott was still out front when the competition caution came out on lap 35. Under the yellow, Elliott reported that he didn’t have a lot of grip. Crew chief Alan Gustafson called Elliott to pit road for four fresh tires and fuel. A fast stop by the crew allowed Elliott to maintain the lead coming off pit road. The 29-year-old held onto the lead following the restart and remained out front to earn his first stage win of the season.

After pitting for four tires and fuel, Elliott controlled the stage two restart on lap 129. He held point until green flag pit stop got under way. Elliott brought the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet to the attention of his crew on lap 185 for four fresh tires and fuel. Unfortunately, an issue on the left side resulted in a lengthy stop. Elliott was back up to fourth by lap 241 where he remained to finish the stage.

Elliott was pretty happy with his No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevy, relaying that he pushed pretty hard and still felt like he ended up in an okay spot. A fast stop by the pit crew gained Elliott two spots on pit road. He restarted from the second position on lap 260, but another quick caution came out as the leader got loose and spun. Elliott managed to avoid it and retook command of the lead on the ensuing restart. The 2020 Cup Series champion remained out front until making a scheduled green-flag pit stop on lap 327. The pit cycle hadn’t concluded yet when the caution flag was displayed for weather. Elliott was scored in third at the time of the yellow flag. Once pit road opened, Gustafson called Elliott in for right-side tires. Elliott restarted fourth on lap 344 and was up to third with 52 laps to go. He was still in that same spot when a caution came out with 16 laps remaining. Under the yellow, rain enveloped the track, forcing a temporary halt to the race.

Once the track was dry, the field rolled back off pit road. Elliott restarted in third with just eight laps to go but another caution came out when a car ahead spun while battling for the lead, collecting others in the process. Elliott made it through the melee and took the green for the overtime restart from the second row. Another incident slowed the race before the leader took the white flag, which led to a second overtime attempt. Elliott lined up for the restart in the third row and ultimately took the checkered flag in the sixth position.

Elliott led a total of 238 laps on the day and earned a playoff point with his stage one victory. He is the new leader of the Cup Series points standings by 16 points over Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron.

Start / Finish: 1 / 6
Points Standing / Total: 1st / 702 pts. (+16)

Next Race: Sunday, July 27, Indianapolis Motor Speedway
How to Watch or Listen: 2:00 p.m. ET on TNT, IMS Radio or SiriusXM

NAPA: @NAPARacing
Chase Elliott: @ChaseElliott
Hendrick Motorsports: @TeamHendrick
No. 9 Team: @Hendrick9Team