Elliott Places Sixth in Coca-Cola 600

• Chase Elliott and the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts team qualified 22nd for Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
• Elliott earned valuable points by finishing in the top 10 in each of the first three stages of the 600-mile race.
• In the fourth and final stage, the 29-year-old driver was running outside the top 10 at the end of the final pit cycle and advanced to sixth to finish the longest NASCAR Cup Series race of the year.
• Elliott leaves Charlotte fourth in the points standings, 84 markers behind leader and teammate William Byron.

Chase Elliott and the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts team qualified 22nd for the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Once the green flag dropped on the longest race of the NASCAR Cup Series season, Elliott steadily gained ground. He reached 15th by lap 18 and reported not long after that the rear of his No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet felt disconnected from the track. Once the caution flag waved on lap 42, crew chief Alan Gustafson called his driver in for four fresh tires and fuel. A fast stop by the NAPA crew advanced Elliott to 10th place on the track. He opted for the bottom lane for the lap 52 restart. From there, he continued to race inside the top 12 for the remainder of the 100-lap first stage, ending it in the ninth position.

Under the stage ending caution, Elliott brought the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevy to pit road for four tires, fuel and a chassis adjustment. He started the second stage from the fourth row on lap 107 and was scored in 10th when a caution came out on lap 112. Once the race got back underway, Elliott held steady in the top 10, running in 10th when green-flag pit stops began near lap 150. The 29-year-old driver visited pit road for fuel and four tires on lap 155. He was in ninth once the field cycled through pit stops and ultimately finished 10th in the second stage.

Another fast stop by the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts team during the stage break gained Elliott two spots on pit road. He took the green flag for the third stage from the fourth row. The 2020 Cup Series champion was running in eighth when he reported that the run was better so far from a balance perspective. He was still racing in that same position when the caution flag waved at lap 237. He brought his No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet to the attention of his crew for four tires and fuel. The race got back to green on lap 243, but another incident quickly brought the return of caution flag. Elliott restarted from the third row and held strong in the top 10, running in eighth when the green-and-white checkered flag waved to signal the end of stage three.

After visiting pit road during the stage ending caution, Elliott started the final stage in seventh. The race was slowed almost immediately for an on-track incident. He restarted in the sixth position on lap 313 but fell out of the top 10 before the final round of green-flag pit stops started. Elliott remained out on the track before pitting from the lead on lap 357. In the final laps of the 600-mile event, the Dawsonville, Georgia, native advanced back inside the top 10, ultimately taking the checkered flag in sixth place.

“We had a really good No. 9 NAPA Chevrolet,” Elliott said. “Pit road was amazing. We gained spots on pit road all day, but I would give them right back on the next restart. I just needed to be better.”

Elliott leaves Charlotte fourth in the Cup Series points standings. He’s 84 markers behind the leader, teammate William Byron.

Start / Finish: 22 / 6
Points Standing / Total: 4th / 415 pts. (-84)

Next Race: Sunday, June 1, Nashville Superspeedway
How to Watch or Listen: 7:00 p.m. ET on Prime, PRN or SiriusXM

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