Chase Elliott had the strikes, the ability and the drafting assist when he wanted them.
Elliott shot to the lead in an online of site visitors within the remaining 5 miles and received Sunday’s 500-mile NASCAR Cup Sequence playoff race at Talladega Superspeedway. Elliott, successful for the fifth time this 12 months, thus earned a spot within the playoffs’ Spherical of 8. It’s going to mark Elliott’s sixth look in that playoff spherical.
Following Elliott on the end have been Ryan Blaney, Michael McDowell, Ross Chastain and Denny Hamlin. Elliott’s win is the primary by a playoff driver on this 12 months’s playoffs.
Elliott led the final lap and 9 others through the afternoon as 17 drivers owned first place for at the very least one lap on a sometimes aggressive day at NASCAR’s largest observe. Seven drivers, together with Elliott, led laps in double figures.
Blaney led 9 of the ultimate 17 laps searching for his first factors win of the 12 months however couldn’t maintain off Elliott’s cost on the finish.
The victory was big for Elliott, who carries a platter stuffed with playoff factors (46) with him and can be in nice form when the following spherical begins in two weeks at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The Spherical of 12 will finish Oct. 9 on the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval.
MORE: Talladega Cup results
MORE: Talladega Cup driver points
“It was a wild final couple of laps,” Elliott informed NBC Sports activities’ Marty Snider. “I wasn’t tremendous loopy about being on the underside. Luckily, I simply go clear sufficient off of two to maneuver up and had a ok run to get out entrance.”
Regardless of a string of points final week at Texas Motor Speedway and really public complaining by drivers this week concerning the Subsequent Gen automotive, Sunday’s race was comparatively calm by Talladega requirements. There was an early-race multi-car wreck, however a lot of the remainder of the race rolled alongside with out severe incident.
With the win, Elliott jumped to the purpose lead. Blaney is second and Chastain third. Under the cutline coming into the ultimate race of the second spherical are Austin Cindric, William Byron, Christopher Bell and Alex Bowman. Bowman missed the race with concussion-like signs. He was changed by Noah Gragson, who completed nineteenth.
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Powering by way of the highest 5, Elliott moved from the within line to the surface in entrance of Erik Jones and benefitted from Jones’ push as he outran Blaney to the end line.
As has been the case at so many Talladega races over time, dangerous although impactful approach within the lengthy drafting strains was a key. Approaching the end line on the first two levels, Blaney and Elliott made glorious strikes within the trioval to win the levels — Blaney the primary and Elliott the second.
The final spherical of pit stops started with 28 laps to go. On the finish of the pit cycle, Blaney, Chastain and Jones have been on the entrance.
With 10 laps to go, Blaney led the lead drafting line, with Chastain and Todd Gilliland trailing. Jones led the opposite line.
The sector was slowed by warning with seven laps to go when Daniel Hemric‘s automotive skilled engine bother and stalled within the remaining pit row spot.
Bell took a giant place hit on lap 99 when he misplaced management coming into pit highway and slid. He misplaced a lap however rebounded to problem close to the highest 10 within the remaining stage, ending seventeenth.
The race hadn’t reached the midway level of the primary stage when a multi-car accident introduced out the day’s second warning flag.
The wreck started on lap 25 when rookie Harrison Burton misplaced management of his automotive in three-wide site visitors coming into Flip 1. Burton, on the lookout for drafting assist from Ricky Stenhouse Jr. behind him, was bumped by Stenhouse and slid to the left in the course of a pack of site visitors, inflicting drivers behind and round him to scramble.
Concerned within the accident, along with Burton and Stenhouse, have been Austin Cindric, Gragson, Justin Allgaier, Justin Haley, Ty Gibbs and Joey Logano.
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The early a part of the race included some odd cooperation in Talladega’s well-known draft. Racing one-two in tight formation have been Hamlin, the chief, and William Byron, each gaining velocity from their drafting. Final week at Texas, the 2 had main points, leading to Byron bumping Hamlin into a spin under caution and being nailed by a NASCAR penalty.
Stage 1 winner: Ryan Blaney
Stage 2 winner: Chase Elliott
Who had race: Chase Elliott zoomed to the entrance with daring strikes within the remaining laps and scored his fifth win of the 12 months. … Ryan Blaney does all the pieces however win. Sunday marked his greatest end (second) of the 12 months. …Michael McDowell was energetic within the front-line draft over the ultimate miles and completed a powerful third. He has 12 top-10 finishes this 12 months, a private document. … Todd Gilliland (seventh) scored his second Cup top-10 end.
Who had a foul race: Joey Logano was concerned in an early-race accident, rebounded to race close to the entrance however completed twenty seventh. He fell from the purpose result in fifth. … Christopher Bell slid onto pit highway trying a green-flag pit cease. He completed seventeenth and is 22 factors under the playoff cutline. … Kyle Larson was mainly a non-factor, ending 18th
Subsequent: The Spherical of 12 will finish Oct. 9 on the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval (2 p.m. ET, NBC). 4 drivers can be eradicated, and eight will advance.
