Chase Elliott wins rain-delayed NASCAR race in Nashville

Chase Elliott saved a miserable day for Hendrick Motorsports and punctuated a potential Toyota defeat by winning Sunday night’s wet race at Nashville Superspeedway.

Elliott recovered from an early issue that sent him back deep into the field to take the lead with 38 laps to go and fend off three Joe Gibbs Racing drivers for his second Cup win of the season.

It took NASCAR’s favorite driver nearly seven hours and a late four-lap shootout to get on the winning lane. NASCAR delayed the start by 12 minutes because of looming inclement weather, then enforced a one-hour break due to area lightning, followed by a later rain delay that added two hours.

“So proud of our team,” said Elliott. “We had a setback about halfway there and were able to dial the Chevy back in and get back into the mix. It’s been a long day, a fun day.”

The race resumed exactly at half-time, with teams unsure if the full 300 laps would be completed or if the race would be abandoned prematurely due to more rain. Toyota controlled most of the event – four of its drivers leading a combined 253 laps – but Hendrick’s No. 5 crew brought Elliott’s Chevrolet to life in the closing stages.

“We started out as ‘(The) Bad News Bears’ and by the end we got it right and were really good,” said crew chief Alan Gustafson.

He was in control of the race when a warning was issued with nine laps to go and Elliott failed to pit from the fresh tire lead. Nine other drivers stayed behind with him to create a lot of traffic that prevented the Toyotas from catching Elliott after they stopped for fresh tires.

“I thought it was coming. I wasn’t hoping,” Elliott said of the caution. He led twice for 42 laps. But he pulled away at the restart, beating Kurt Busch – in a Toyota for 23XI Racing – by 0.551s.

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“Winning is always huge. Doing it in a really cool city like Nashville is even better. I’m looking forward to this guitar,” said Elliott of Nashville’s traditional winner’s cup.

“These things are hard to come by and you have to enjoy them. You never know when or if you’ll ever get another one. So super grateful and looking forward to next week.”

Elliott’s other win this season was at Dover, which like Nashville is a concrete track.

Busch, who led three laps for Toyota, said he should have been tougher on Elliott on the last restart.

“I went soft on him. I should have thrown some fenders and moved some momentum,” Busch said. “I just had to stick with our strength and screwed it up. The way we run, one second is cool, but we’re here to win.”

Ryan Blaney was third in a Ford, followed by Elliott’s teammate Kyle Larson, the defending race champion. The JGR trio of Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. fell to sixth, 21st and 22nd after the late decision to stop for tires before the final restart.

MIXED HENDRICK DAY

The race went poorly for Hendrick Motorsports in a two-lap sequence shortly after it resumed after the early blitz delay.

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William Byron pulled into the garage minutes after the race resumed with a broken steering rack on his Chevrolet and a lap later Alex Bowman suffered serious damage when he spun following contact with Corey LaJoie.

Bowman mocked LaJoie’s talent on his team radio, while LaJoie asked his team to apologize to Bowman on his behalf. Hours later, during a long rain break, LaJoie posted a t-shirt design on Twitter that read “Really Good Race Car Driver” to mimic Bowman’s insult.

But the damage was done for Bowman, who is sponsored by Ally, who has invested heavily in NASCAR’s return to the Nashville market. The company is the eligibility sponsor for the cup race and is heavily involved at several downtown Nashville tourist attractions.

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Bowman had returned to the event hoping to beat last year’s 14th place finish – which he felt was unacceptable given Ally’s heavy presence on the speedway. He finished last in the 36-car field.

BAD MOOD BUBBA

Bubba Wallace lost his temper with his 23XI Racing crew when he had to pit from sixth place with a loose wheel. He cursed his crew and then said he didn’t want to speak to them for the rest of the race.

“Leave me alone,” he radioed the #23 team. “Don’t talk to me for the rest of the race.”

Crew chief Bootie Barker tried to reassure his driver, who was all over the map in Nashville. He was fastest in Friday practice but then qualified 30th while team co-owner Michael Jordan watched from the pit lane.

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“We’re not out yet,” Barker replied. “I know you are (angry) and deserve it.”

Wallace restarted 31st, the last car on the lead lap. He rallied and finished 12th.

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NASCAR’s Cup Series will be held at Wisconsin’s Road America street circuit for only the third time. Elliott is the defending champion.