Elliott Finishes 15th at Bristol Motor Speedway
- Chase Elliott and the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts team qualified 20th for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway.
- Passing proved difficult for competitors in the race, so track position was at a premium. Tire wear was also minimal compared to practice conditions.
- Elliott finished stages one and two in the 16th position before taking the checkered flag in 15th.
- The 29-year-old driver is fifth in the Cup Series standings, 68 points behind the leader, teammate William Byron.
Chase Elliott and the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts team qualified 20th for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway. Passing proved difficult for competitors in the race, so track position was at a premium. Elliott still managed to improve to 16th before the first stage ended at lap 125.
Under the stage-ending caution, Elliott relayed to crew chief Alan Gustafson that his No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet’s balance was pretty good. After the team made a fast stop for four tires and fuel, Elliott left pit road in the 14th position. The Dawsonville, Georgia, native held strong in 14th in the early portion of the stage until an on-track incident brought out the caution on lap 179. Elliott visited pit road for four fresh tires and fuel. With some teams opting not to pit, the 29-year-old driver restarted from the 17th position. He raced as high as 15th before taking the green-and-white checkered flag for stage two in 16th at lap 250.
During the stage break, Elliott reported that the No. 9 NAPA Chevrolet had a loose handling condition, so the team opted to make a chassis adjustment during the pit stop for four tires and fuel. He took the green flag for the final stage from 17th on lap 265 and advanced to 16th before green-flag pit stops got underway. Elliott made his way to pit road on lap 393 for four tires and fuel. He was back up to 17th on lap 427 and gained two more positions to finish the race in 15th place.
Leaving Bristol, Elliott sits fifth in the Cup Series standings, 68 points behind leader and teammate William Byron.
Start / Finish: 20 / 15
Points Standing / Total: 5th / 278 pts. (-68)
Next Race: Sunday, April 27, Talladega Superspeedway
How to Watch or Listen: 3:00 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN or SiriusXM
NAPA: @NAPARacing
Chase Elliott: @ChaseElliott
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No. 9 Team: @Hendrick9Team
Hendrick Motorsports View All
Founded by Rick Hendrick in 1984, Hendrick Motorsports is the winningest team in NASCAR Cup Series history. At the sport’s premier level, the organization holds the all-time records in every major statistical category, including championships (14), points-paying race victories (312) and laps led (more than 82,000). It has earned at least one race win in a record 40 different seasons, including an active streak of 39 in a row (1986-2024). Headquartered in Concord, North Carolina, the team fields four full-time entries in the NASCAR Cup Series, including the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet driven by 2020 champion Chase Elliott.