Chase Elliott Comes Close to Season-Best Finish at Las Vegas

The Hendrick Motorsports driver reflects on his late charge that fell just short of the win.

Mar. 16, 2026 at 6:08am

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

Chase Elliott had his most promising run of the season at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday, coming within half a second of the win in a race that went down to the wire. Though he never led a lap, Elliott went from 15th and crossed the line just 0.502 seconds behind Denny Hamlin, who won his first race of the year. While disappointed not to get the victory, Elliott was encouraged by the car's performance, especially in the closing laps as he reeled in Hamlin.

Why it matters

This result represents a significant improvement for Elliott and the Hendrick Motorsports team, who have struggled to find consistent speed in the early part of the season. The close call at Las Vegas suggests the team is making progress with their new package and could be a sign of more competitive runs to come.

The details

Elliott wrapped up Stage 1 in eighth place and followed it with a ninth-place finish in Stage 2. As the laps wound down, he had climbed to second place behind Hamlin and began chipping away at the gap. At one point, Elliott sat around 1.6 seconds behind, but lap by lap, he reeled Hamlin in until the margin shrank to roughly half a second. Despite the late charge, Hamlin held serve and carried that edge to the checkered flag.

  • Elliott crossed the finish line on March 16, 2026.
  • The race was the Pennzoil 400 at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

The players

Chase Elliott

The driver of the #9 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports, who finished second in the Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Denny Hamlin

The driver of the #11 car who won the Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“I just kind of kept fighting before we had one bad pit stop there and fell back in the second stage. And then, yeah, I thought those last couple runs, honestly, we got our balance really good. I thought I fired off well, and our car held on good, too.”

— Chase Elliott, Driver (Frontstretch)

“So, obviously, room for improvement, but I thought it was a good start for, you know, this new package for us.”

— Chase Elliott, Driver (Frontstretch)

“It was definitely better there towards the end than we had started the run. I thought there might be an opportunity. I knew that he was starting to get tight there at the end of runs. As bummed as I am to come up that close to a win, I have to kind of bring myself back to a reality check, how much better we ran today than we've been running.”

— Chase Elliott, Driver (Frontstretch)

“I wish I'd been a little tidier in those closing laps.”

— Chase Elliott, Driver (Frontstretch)

What’s next

The Hendrick Motorsports team will look to build on this strong performance as the NASCAR season continues, with the next race scheduled for March 23, 2026 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

The takeaway

Chase Elliott's near-miss at Las Vegas suggests the Hendrick Motorsports team is making progress with their new car package and could be poised for more competitive runs in the coming weeks. While disappointed not to get the win, Elliott's late charge and season-best finish provide encouragement that the team is heading in the right direction.