Chase Elliott is back! NASCAR Cup Series’ Most Popular Driver wins race at Texas

Chase Elliott’s winless streak is done.

The NASCAR Cup Series’ Most Popular Driver for the last six seasons returned to Victory Lane for the first time in 42 races on Sunday. Elliott emerged late in a race at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth that totaled 16 cautions and needed to two overtime periods to decide a winner.

Brad Keselowski finished second, William Byron third, Tyler Reddick fourth and Daniel Suarez fifth.

Reddick had opened a late lead by nearly six seconds over Denny Hamlin, whose late spin prompted overtime, but gave some of that time back after a lengthy pit stop. Hamlin worked his way back into the lead as the final stage wound down, battling Elliott.

Hamlin and Elliott were side-by-side before the final restart of regulation, but Hamlin pushed so hard that he spun, which led to the overtime period.

Harrison Burton spun almost immediately after the overtime restart. Elliott, Ross Chastain, Byron and Keselowski held the top positions entering the second overtime, but Chastain spun after Elliott had taken the white flag.

Kyle Larson started from the pole for the second straight week and paced the field throughout Stage 1. He ran well for much of a second stage littered with yellow flags, but his tides turned after unusual trouble during a caution.

One of the right-side tires on Larson’s No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro came off and rolled down the frontstretch. Larson was hit with a two-lap penalty, from which he struggled to recover and ran in the back. He spun during the final laps to prompt the race’s 13th caution before working back to an unofficial 21st-place finish.

Ross Chastain pulled off the Stage 2 win, grabbing the lead late and holding off a charging Bubba Wallace. He kept himself toward the front in the end, battling Hamlin and Elliott.

Here’s a look at the race’s biggest moments as they unfolded:

Lap 276: Another spin! Ross Chastain toward the front, and that will end the race! Chase Elliott — NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver for the last six seasons — returns to Victory Lane for the first time in 42 races!

Lap 275: Chase Elliott takes the lead with the white flag in the air!

Lap 274: Here. We. Go.

Lap 270: Harrison Burton spins in Turn 2! Another overtime restart! That marks the race’s 15th caution — one more would tie the track record.

Lap 269: As we approach overtime: Chase Elliott is the leader, on the front row alongside Ross Chastain. They follow Brad Keselowski and William Byron.

Lap 266: Denny Hamlin spins!!!! He was running side-by-side with Chase Elliott, pushing for the race lead, and spun into the wall. Overtime!

Lap 265: Green again! It’s a Texas shootout!

Lap 263: We’re still under caution, and it looks like there will be two laps left when we restart! How about this? Chase Elliott is currently the leader, seeking his first win since 2022. Denny Hamlin and Ross Chastain hold those second and third spots, and Brad Keselowski is in fourth searching for his first win in three years.

Lap 259: Restart— and already back under caution! Chase Elliott had barely edged Denny Hamlin for the race lead at the time of Kyle Larson spinning in the back of the field.

Lap 257: There will be eight laps left when we go green. Denny Hamlin took the inside position on the front row, alongside Chase Elliott. Brad Keselowski and Ross Chastain are third and fourth, ahead of Daniel Suarez, William Byron, Tyler Reddick, Chase Briscoe, Ryan Preece and Joey Logano.

Lap 256: Denny Hamlin is staying out.

Lap 253: The 12th caution comes with 13 laps left! Ricky Stenhouse Jr. spins. And now — who pits?

Lap 251: Denny Hamlin’s lead is growing, but Chase Elliott is keeping him close. Brad Keselowski, who hasn’t won a Cup race since 2021, has worked through the field to third. Both Elliott and Keselowski are within one second of Hamlin.

Lap 244: Denny Hamlin passes Chase Elliott! The two were battling door-to-door, and Hamlin makes the pass!

Lap 242: Brad Keselowski is emerging in the top five! The 6 passes Ross Chastain for fourth and is battling Tyler Reddick for third.

Lap 241: Tyler Reddick passes Ross Chastain for third!

Lap 240: It’s Chevy vs. Toyota with 27 laps left! Chase Elliott maintains a narrow lead over Denny Hamlin. Ross Chastain and Tyler Reddick are surging behind. Shaping up for a great finish!

Lap 234: Chase Elliott goes three-wide and takes the lead! Elliott, Denny Hamlin, Ross Chastain, Tyler Reddick and William Byron are your Top Five as we close in on the final 30 laps.

Lap 231: Ryan Preece, Kyle Busch and Joey Logano are the first off pit road under this caution. Tyler Reddick and Denny Hamlin had stopped under green and are first and second, respectively.

Lap 228: And there’s caution No. 11! John Hunter Nemechek spins with 39 laps to go.

Lap 213: It was a longer-than-usual pit stop for race leader Tyler Reddick. We’ll see how much that slows him up, but he entered with nearly a six-second lead over Denny Hamlin for the lead.

Lap 209: Tyler Reddick leads Denny Hamlin and Chase Elliott by more than five seconds. Big group of pit stops should be coming soon.

Lap 206: Austin Cindric heads down pit road with 61 laps to go.

Lap 199: Reddick is running well here in the final stage, building a lead of at least three seconds. Denny Hamlin continues running second, with Chase Elliott third and William Byron fourth.

Lap 184: Back to green... let’s see how long this one lasts. Tyler Reddick, Denny Hamlin, Chase Elliott, William Byron and Zane Smith run in the Top Five.

Lap 181: Caution No. 10. Ryan Blaney into the wall. Tyler Reddick is the leader.

Lap 180: Tyler Reddick passes Harrison Burton for the lead!

Lap 176: Green again after our ninth caution. Harrison Burton, who hasn’t pitted in more than 60 laps, maintains the race lead over Tyler Reddick. Denny Hamlin, Zane Smith and Chase Elliott are your current Top Five.

Lap 173: And we’re already back under caution! Harrison Burton, Bubba Wallace and Chase Briscoe nearly go three-wide for the race lead, and Wallace spins into Briscoe and prompts yet another yellow flag.

Lap 173: Green for the Final Stage! Ninety-five laps remain at the 1.5-mile track in Fort Worth. Harrison Burton takes the race lead over Bubba Wallace on the restart.

Lap 166: Your Top 10 following Stage 2: Chastain, Wallace, Ryan Blaney, Erik Jones, Chase Briscoe, Brad Keselowski, Harrison Burton, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Ty Gibbs and Chase Elliott.

Stage 2

Lap 165: Ross Chastain holds off a charging Bubba Wallace and wins Stage 2!

Lap 157: Bubba Wallace cuts to the inside and passes Erik Jones for second!

Lap 155: Bubba Wallace moves into third! Brad Keselowski gets up to fifth. Chastain is pacing the field by roughly a second as Stage 2 nears its finish (Lap 165).

Lap 150: Ross Chastain is the leader! He’s pulling away from the field. Erik Jones and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. are door-to-door for second, with Bubba Wallace right behind.

Lap 143: Michael McDowell crashes while racing Ross Chastain for the lead! McDowell spins across the race track, instantly bringing out another caution.

Lap 142: Green flag is back out! Ross Chastain and Michael McDowell lead.

Lap 138: Ross Chastain stays out, but most of the leaders pit. Ty Gibbs took two tires and won the race off pit road ahead of Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr.

Lap 136: The sixth caution of the afternoon is out, and it’s the second prompted by Josh Berry. The 4 spun and hit the wall for the second time this stage.

Lap 131: Ross Chastain has been surging through the field, and he passes Martin Truex Jr. for second. Chastain is under two seconds behind Denny Hamlin.

Lap 125: We’re green again! Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr. open door-to-door for the lead, and Hamlin moves past Truex for the race lead. Tyler Reddick is third, Todd Gilliland fourth and Ross Chastain fifth.

Lap 121: Another crash! Josh Berry spins and gets into the wall on a turn.

Lap 120: Back to green! Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr. lead the field to green on the restart.

Lap 116: Wow.... Kyle Larson’s wheel comes off the frontstretch! While under caution, Larson’s right tire rolls off the car. The 5 has easily been the dominant car today. Larson now faces a two-lap penalty. What a development!

Lap 114: Trouble for Carson Hocevar brings out the race’s fourth caution! The 77 spins from 23rd place.

Lap 112: Kyle Larson’s lead is by roughly 1.5 seconds, and Martin Truex Jr. has moved up to second place. Denny Hamlin is third. Todd Gilliland runs fourth, with Tyler Reddick fifth.

Lap 106: Green again! Todd Gilliland, who stayed out, is in the race lead. He’s quickly passed by Kyle Larson.

Lap 105: Alex Bowman heads to the garage after running out of time on the damaged vehicle policy clock. He is done for the day.

Lap 103: Most of the field pits, and Ryan Blaney remains the leader. Chris Buescher gets a penalty for equipment interference.

Lap 102: Big crash in the middle of the pack, and we’re under caution! Christopher Bell spun and hit the wall, and then Alex Bowman and John Hunter Nemechek collided.

Lap 100: Kyle Larson makes the move and passes Ryan Blaney for the race lead!

Lap 93: Kyle Larson and Denny Hamlin are surging through the field. Larson restarted toward the front and is up to second, and Hamlin just moved by a host of drivers and got all the way up to third.

Lap 90: Green for Stage 2! Austin Hill stayed out during the stage break caution pit cycle and takes the race lead on the restart. Ryan Blaney, who last pitted on Lap 51, quickly snags that from Hill, driving the No. 33 Chevy.

Lap 82: Your Top 10 following Stage 1: Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell, Denny Hamlin, Tyler Reddick, Chase Briscoe, Ryan Blaney, Chase Elliott, Michael McDowell, William Byron and Bubba Wallace.

Stage 1

Lap 80: Kyle Larson wins Stage 1!

Lap 76: William Byron slips back from seventh to ninth, and Chase Elliott has a narrow lead over Ryan Blaney and Michael McDowell for sixth. Kyle Larson is closing in on another stage win.

Lap 71: Chase Elliott is back up to sixth. He was leading the race when Jimmie Johnson spun, allowing him to pit and sacrifice less track position. Kyle Larson leads Christopher Bell and Denny Hamlin by roughly a second late in Stage 1.

Lap 56: Back to green! Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell, Tyler Reddick, Denny Hamlin and William Byron are your top five with 25 to go in Stage 1.

Lap 55: Ty Gibbs pits for a loose wheel.... The No. 54 started second and has been running well.

Lap 53: Kyle Larson stays out during this pit cycle under caution and reassumes the race lead.

Lap 50: First caution! Jimmie Johnson spins! The NASCAR Hall of Famer had been running in the back of the field and spun around a turn. That’ll benefit Chase Elliott and Todd Gilliland, who had yet to pit from first and second, respectively.

Lap 43: Kyle Larson is up to third, leading drivers who’ve pitted, ahead of Christopher Bell (sixth), Tyler Reddick (seventh), Ty Gibbs (eighth) and William Byron (ninth). Chase Elliott and Todd Gilliland have yet to head down pit road and currently hold the top two positions.

Lap 39: We had a fire in the pits on a trail of fuel momentarily, but crews quickly extinguished it with leaf blowers. Race stays green. Ty Gibbs initially stayed out but pitted eventually.

Lap 36: First pit stops with 45 to go in Stage 1. Denny Hamlin was the first to head down pit road, and many follow, including race leader Kyle Larson.

Lap 34: Kyle Larson leads Ty Gibbs by roughly a second, with Christopher Bell, Tyler Reddick and Ryan Blaney running not far behind. Larson is already alongside a lap-down Kaz Grala.

Lap 14: Not much movement in the early goings as the cars make their first laps around the 1.5-mile track. Your Top 10: Kyle Larson, Ty Gibbs, Christopher Bell, Tyler Reddick, Chase Briscoe, Ryan Blaney, William Byron, Austin Cindric, Bubba Wallace and Michael McDowell.

Green flag, 3:44 p.m.: And we’re racin! Kyle Larson jumps out ahead of Ty Gibbs and Christopher Bell.

3:33 p.m.: “Welcome to beautiful Fort Worth, Texas. Drivers, start your engines!” Sonny Dykes and his family get the engines fired in Texas!

2:40 p.m.: Some timing info for today’s pre-race events, from NASCAR: Driver introductions begin at 2:55 p.m., and then Joe Gibbs will lead the invocation at 3:24 p.m. Fort Worth’s Texas Boys Choir, a Grammy award-winning choral group organized in 1946, will perform the national anthem at 3:25 p.m. TCU head football coach Sonny Dykes will give command at 3:32 p.m., and United States Army Major General Kevin D. Admiral will wave the green flag at 3:43 p.m.

2 p.m.: Happy Race Day! It’s Texas time — the NASCAR Cup Series is back at the mile-and-a-half track in Fort Worth.

The past seven Cup races at Texas Motor Speedway have produced different winners, going back to Kevin Harvick’s back-to-back victories in 2018 and 2019. William Byron pulled off an unlikely win here last fall in the playoffs.

Saturday’s Xfinity Series race ended in a wild photo finish. Ryan Sieg appeared to be headed for his first career win over the final laps, but recent Charlotte Roval winner Sam Mayer ran him down as Sieg took the white flag. Sieg and Mayer ran side-by-side to the checkered flag, and after an official review, Mayer was ruled the winner by 0.002 seconds.

We’ll see if today’s Cup race produces that kind of excitement. Byron’s victory in the fall was far from dominant, but the No. 24 got into Victory Lane for the sixth time after Kyle Larson wrecked late from the lead and a dominant Bubba Wallace lost some speed on the final laps.

Kyle Larson wins 250th pole for Hendrick Motorsports

The driver of the No. 5 Chevy snagged his first pole position in 17 starts at Texas — and it’s an even bigger milestone for his team.

Larson’s second straight pole marks No. 250 for Hendrick Motorsports, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary. He ran a qualifying lap of 28.366 seconds to beat out Ty Gibbs, whom Larson will start alongside on the front row.

Who is the favorite to win the AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400?

Kyle Larson has emerged as the favorite to win, at +275 odds on DraftKings Sportsbook and +320 odds on FanDuel Sportsbook early Sunday afternoon. Tyler Reddick is second on both sportsbooks, followed by William Byron, Denny Hamlin and Ty Gibbs.

The Observer’s Shane Connuck is picking Martin Truex Jr. to get to Victory Lane for the first time this year. It’s gotta happen eventually, right? Truex, the Cup Series’ oldest driver, currently sits second in the standings with five Top 10 finishes in eight starts. He’s never won at Texas, but as mentioned, the 1.5-mile track keeps yielding different winners. Denny Hamlin (twice) and Christopher Bell are the only Toyota drivers who’ve won races this year, and with Truex starting ninth at an unpredictable race track, this could be an opportunity for the No. 19 team to get its first victory.

How to watch and stream the NASCAR Cup Series race at Texas

Race: AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400

Place: Texas Motor Speedway (Fort Worth, Texas)

Date: Sunday, April 14

Time: 3:30 p.m. ET (Green flag scheduled for 3:43 p.m. ET)

Purse: $9,397,736

TV: FS1, 2 p.m. ET

Streaming: FOX Sports

Radio: PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR (Channel 90)

Distance: 400.5 miles (267 Laps)

Stages: Stage 1 ends on Lap 80; Stage 2 ends on Lap 165; and the Final Stage ends on Lap 267

Starting lineup for the AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400