Chase Elliott is a NASCAR Cup Series winner.
Elliott had the finest car throughout Sunday’s title race at Phoenix Raceway and simply cruised to his to start with Cup Sequence title about Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin.
Elliott, 24, passed Logano for the race acquire and the championship with 42 laps to go and established sail as the 3 drivers he was racing for the title couldn’t appear shut to mounting a problem. Elliott led 153 laps, the most of any driver.
The championship is Elliott’s first and will possible make him the initially driver given that his father, Invoice, in 1988 to earn the Cup Sequence title in the exact period where he was voted NASCAR’s most preferred driver. Chase Elliott has been NASCAR’s most preferred driver for the previous two seasons and is a shoo-in for his 3rd straight.
Elliott experienced to start out at the again of the discipline on Sunday immediately after his auto unsuccessful inspection numerous occasions. But he moved his way to the front immediately and took the guide for the initially time on lap 79 of the 312 lap race.
Keselowski concluded next, although Logano was third and Hamlin was fourth. Elliott’s teammate and seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson was fifth in his closing NASCAR Cup Sequence begin as a entire-time driver.
Elliott’s selection was fluorescent yellow in honor of Johnson on Sunday. And the young driver broke down in tears in his automobile as he understood that he had come to be a Cup Sequence champ.
The Elliott family members is just the 3rd to have a father-son blend to gain Cup Sequence titles. The Pettys were being the initial with Lee and Richard, and Dale Jarrett joined his father, Ned, when he gained the 1999 Cup Collection title.
It was clear to Elliott that the fact of remaining a Cup Sequence winner was sinking in following he climbed from his automobile in entrance of the grandstands.
“To acquire and lock the championship, this is times you can only desire of,” Elliott explained. “This is a desire. I’m just hoping I really do not at any time wake up.”
Following he bought out from his auto, Elliott embraced his automobile proprietor Rick Hendrick and Johnson at the same time. Hendrick is the winningest operator in NASCAR heritage he’s fielded championship autos for Terry Labonte, Jeff Gordon, Johnson and now Elliott.
No one was a match for Elliott
Logano was forward of Elliott in the closing phase of the race since he pitted a lap previously to consider benefit of fresh tires. But Elliott swiftly ran him down and produced the pass for the lead glimpse easy.
It was all customary following that. Elliott’s margin of victory at the stop was about three seconds as the other three title contenders ended up still left wishing for a late caution flag for a chance at a restart. It wasn’t a nuts want possibly. The Truck Sequence and Xfinity Series title races had appear down to two-lap restarts on Friday and Saturday night. But there was no motive for NASCAR to throw a warning around the previous 100-plus laps of Sunday’s Cup Series race.
The win was Elliott’s second straight and his fifth of the period. He received the final race of the 3rd spherical at Martinsville to make it to the final four. That victory not only ensured that he would be a contending portion of the title race but also knocked Kevin Harvick out of the playoffs. Harvick was the winningest driver in the series in 2020 with 9 wins.
Final playoff standings
1. Chase Elliott
2. Brad Keselowski
3. Joey Logano
4. Denny Hamlin
5. Kevin Harvick
6. Alex Bowman
7. Kyle Busch
8. Martin Truex Jr.
9. Ryan Blaney
10. Kurt Busch
11. Austin Dillon
12. Clint Bowyer
13. Matt DiBenedetto
14. William Byron
15. Aric Almirola
16. Cole Custer
Race final results
1. Chase Elliott
2. Brad Keselowski
3. Joey Logano
4. Denny Hamlin
5. Jimmie Johnson
6. Ryan Blaney
7. Kevin Harvick
8. Matt DiBenedetto
9. William Byron
10. Martin Truex Jr.
11. Kyle Busch
12. Kurt Busch
13. Aric Almirola
14. Clint Bowyer
15. Bubba Wallace
16. Alex Bowman
17. Christopher Bell
18. Austin Dillon
19. Tyler Reddick
20. Chris Buescher
21. Ty Dillon
22. Erik Jones
23. Michael McDowell
24. Ryan Newman
25. Matt Kenseth
26. John Hunter Nemechek
27. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
28. Cole Custer
29. Brennan Poole
30. JJ Yeley
31. Daniel Suarez
32. Joey Gase
33. James Davison
34. Ryan Preece
35. Josh Bilicki
36. Timmy Hill
37. Garrett Smithley
38. Corey LaJoie
39. Quin Houff
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Nick Bromberg is a author for Yahoo Sports.
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