As Sunday’s wreck-marred race drew to an in depth, the battle for the win formed up with Chase Elliott attempting to fend off challengers Denny Hamlin, Byron and Ross Chastain.
Hamlin spun out whereas battling Elliott for the lead with two laps remaining within the initially scheduled 267-lap race. On two extra ensuing restarts in time beyond regulation, Byron and Chastain each tried to overhaul Elliott for the lead.
Elliott pulled out to a sizeable benefit on the ultimate restart, and on the ultimate lap, Byron gained appreciable floor on Chastain as each exited Flip 2 and moved to the backstretch.
The 2 ended up making contact, which despatched Chastain’s No. 1 Chevrolet into the wall and introduced out the warning that sealed Elliott’s nineteenth profession win.
Byron was in a position to get again to the checkered flag and seize third, however Chastain went from a contender for the win to thirty second place as he was unable to complete.
“I simply had an enormous run. Ross and I race very well, and I didn’t need to wreck him there, however he blocked me late, which is known,” Byron mentioned. “It’s racing on the finish, however I used to be already there and sadly, we made sufficient contact to the place it acquired him squirrelly, and it occurred.
“So, I hate that that occurred, nevertheless it’s the final lap and I had the run so I’m going to only take the run. I didn’t anticipate it, however I don’t need to try this to a fellow Chevy man, and we all the time race very well.”
Chastain, who has his share of run-ins with different drivers in his Cup profession, declined to take questions after being evaluated and launched from the observe’s infield care middle.
Elliott turned the third completely different Hendrick Motorsports driver to win within the first 9 races of the 2024 season. Byron earned his third win of the yr final weekend at Martinsville, which got here on the fortieth anniversary of HMS’ first Cup win on the iconic brief observe.
“Joyful for Chase and people guys. They did an ideal job; executed very well and had a very good automobile,” Byron mentioned. “Our No. 24 Chevy, we struggled all day and needed to struggle tooth and nail all day simply to maintain our observe place.
“We simply had a number of restarts go our means on the finish.”
