Toyota has controlled most of the 2026 Cup Series season, with just three races remaining. Two of them were bagged by the NASCAR Chevy camp, both won by the same driver: Chase Elliott.
Elliott won at Martinsville in March, putting his No. 9 NASCAR Chevy Camaro ZL1 in Victory Lane for the first time this season. And he followed it up with a win at Texas Motor Speedway on May 3rd2026, taking the win from – you guessed it – a Toyota. Elliott didn’t actually find the lead until Lap 152 of 267, when he inherited the top spot as Corey Heim pushed his Toyota TRD Camry into the pits for fuel.
Heim continued to spin, triggering a late-race caution. Elliott’s NASCAR Chevy was faced with a challenge: staying on top in a four-lap shootout after the green flag dropped. His teammate, Alex Bowman, uses the No. 1 Camaro. His 48 to push Elliott into the lead, passing the Toyota of Tyler Reddick and Denny Hamlin. He didn’t look back, crossing under the checkered flag, closing out the competition.
“I’m not really sure whether to go up or down,” Elliott said. “You know, the bottom team often wins on restarts. I felt, man, if I don’t get out of (Turn 2), I’m going to be in a lot of trouble.”
He added, “Luckily, Alex [Bowman] gave me a big boost. Being able to execute Turns 1 and 2, get clear, and then manage the last few laps… Yeah, man, it was crazy. You know, to say how much we struggled here to win two races here in the last few years is pretty wild.”
The win was Elliott’s 23rdrd Overall Cup Series win. It was also his second win at Texas, making him the first repeat winner at the track in the last 10 races. He is also the only driver with multiple wins so far in 2026, joining Reddick, who has won five times.
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