Chase Elliott put on a masterclass at Texas Motor Speedway on Sunday, powering his No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet to his second win of the season and the 23rd of his NASCAR Cup Series career. The victory places Elliott in elite company, joining five-time winner Tyler Reddick as the only drivers this season with multiple Cup Series victories.
Elliott dominated the 267-lap race, leading five times for a race-high 87 laps. The decisive moment came on a final restart with just four laps remaining, when Elliott outmaneuvered Denny Hamlin on the backstretch to take the bottom line and never looked back. It was a familiar scene for Hamlin, who also finished second to Elliott at Martinsville in late March.
The win wasn't without drama. Elliott had already taken the white flag when John Hunter Nemechek spun after contact with Kyle Busch in the back of the field. Fortunately for Elliott, Nemechek managed to stay on the apron, keeping the caution flag tucked away and sealing the victory.
Hendrick Motorsports continued to flex its muscle, with Alex Bowman finishing third after recovering from a spin on lap 93. Reddick, the season's other multiple winner, crossed the line fourth, while Chris Buescher notched his first top-10 finish in 17 starts at the 1.5-mile oval—a special milestone given the track is less than an hour from his hometown of Prosper.
Carson Hocevar, fresh off his breakthrough win at Talladega last week, started from the pole for the second consecutive year at Texas. He led 18 laps and finished seventh, adding to his impressive weekend that also included a Truck Series victory on Friday night. His Spire Motorsports teammate Daniel Suarez finished sixth.
Corey Heim, making just his third Cup Series start for 23XI Racing, turned heads by leading 69 laps in the No. 67 Toyota. But the 23-year-old's promising run ended with 11 laps to go when he spun out, triggering the fourth and final caution of the day.
For Elliott, NASCAR's reigning most popular driver, this second win at Texas adds another chapter to his growing legacy—and keeps the pressure on Reddick in the race for season supremacy.