Elliott Avoids Last-Lap Multi-Car Incident to Finish 12th at Talladega

• Chase Elliott headed to Talladega Superspeedway this weekend as the most recent NASCAR Cup Series winner at the 2.66-mile tri-oval. 
• In his second week back since recovering from a fractured tibia, the 27-year-old driver qualified 29th for Sunday’s Cup Series race at the superspeedway.
• Elliott’s No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 showed speed from the start of the scheduled 188-lap event. He scored his first stage win of 2023, taking the green-and-white checkered flag for stage one in the top spot. The 2020 Cup Series champion followed that up with second-place result in stage two. 
• The final stage came down to two rounds of overtime. A caution on the final lap of the race for a multi-car incident froze the field. Elliott escaped the melee and was ultimately scored with a 12th-place finish.
• The Dawsonville, Georgia, native earned the most points in Sunday’s race (44) and led seven times for a total of 18 laps on the day.

Chase Elliott qualified 29th for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway, the site of his most recent victory. Despite the uncharacteristic starting position for the 2020 Cup Series champion, Elliott’s No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 showed speed from the start of the scheduled 188-lap event. He was scored in 25th when the first caution of the race came out on lap three. Under the yellow flag, crew chief Alan Gustafson made the call for Elliott to come to pit road to top off on fuel. Elliott restarted 23rd and continued to run towards the back half of the pack. The race’s first round of green-flag pit stops got underway on lap 35, with Elliott and other Chevrolet drivers heading to pit road on lap 39. Elliott’s team made a fast stop for fuel only. As green-flag stops continued, a car spun and stalled on pit road, bringing out the caution. Elliott was in the seventh position and took over the lead when the cars ahead of him opted to pit. He restarted from the front row alongside teammate Alex Bowman. The two battled side by side, swapping the lead over multiple laps. Elliott ended up pulling ahead on the final lap of stage one to score his first stage win of 2023.

Under the stage-ending caution, Elliott brought the NAPA Chevrolet to the attention of his crew for four fresh tires and fuel. He took the green flag for the second stage in the 12th spot and held steady in the main pack. After a long run ensued, teams started making their scheduled pit stops. Gustafson called Elliott in on lap 103 for fuel only. The strategy call helped Elliott gain track position, and he found himself in the lead again on lap 107. He continued to run inside the top five late into the second stage and was holding onto the top spot on the final lap when the car behind him made a move to the outside and narrowly beat Elliott to the line. The 27-year-old driver was scored in the runner-up position to end the stage.

After a pit stop for four tires and fuel, Elliott lined up on the top row to start the final stage inside the top 10 on lap 126. He was running in the eighth position when a caution came out on lap 142. Gustafson, who was calling his 650th race as a Cup crew chief, radioed Elliott to pit road for right-side tires and fuel. Elliott restarted in seventh on lap 147. He continued to run inside the top 10 until a third row of cars formed on the outside, leaving Elliott stuck in the middle lane. The field continued to run in three lanes for several laps before eventually going back to two-wide. When a caution came out with just five laps to go, Elliott was scored 15th. The late yellow flag sent the race into overtime, with Elliott lining up in that same position for the restart. Before the leaders could take the white flag, another incident slowed the field once again. Elliott took the green flag for the second attempt at overtime from the 11th spot and was trying to navigate his way back to the front on the final lap when a spin ahead of him triggered a multi-car incident. Elliott weaved in and out to avoid the melee, losing a few positions before the yellow flag froze the field. The Dawsonville, Georgia, native was ultimately scored with a 12th-place finish after leading a total of 18 laps on the day. Elliott was credited with earning the most points in the race (44) and secured his first playoff point of the season with his stage one victory.

Next weekend, the series heads to Dover Motor Speedway, a track at which Elliott is the most recent Cup Series winner.

Start / Finish: 29 / 12
Points Standing / Total: 31st / 120 pts. (-211)

Next Race: Sunday, April 30, Dover Motor Speedway, Dover, Del.
How to Watch or Listen: 2:00 p.m. ET on FS1, PRN and SiriusXM

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