Elliott's Stunt Lap Propels Monster Energy to Race 402 Glory, Fans Cheer
Mar 15, 2026; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Hendrick Motorsports driver Chase Elliott (9) leads Joe Gibbs Racing driver Chase Briscoe (19) during the Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway | Credits- Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images 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 Hamlin celebrated with family after claiming the Pennzoil 400, Elliott was left to replay the closing laps in his mind, knowing he had come within striking distance yet ran out of road before he could make a move for the lead. The No.
9 Chevrolet driver kept himself in the mix throughout the race. He wrapped up Stage 1 in eighth place and followed it with a ninth-place finish in Stage 2. As the laps wound down, by Lap 242, 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 the No. 11 car, 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. Looking back on the final stretch, Elliott said the team kept digging even after a hiccup earlier in the race. “I just kind of kept fighting before we had one bad pit stop there and fell back in the second stage.