Elliott gets first Cup win of season

CONCORD, N.C. (AP) _ Chase Elliott was able to celebrate a victory that capped a very busy stretch for NASCAR.

Elliott reeled in Kevin Harvick with 27 laps remaining and closed out the win at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Elliott was charging hard on Harvick with about 35 laps remaining when he asked if he had enough fuel to make it to the finish. He stayed on the track and came away with his first Cup win of the season.

Elliott shook off a pair of tough losses to finish about 2.2 seconds ahead of runner-up Denny Hamlin. Ryan Blaney was third, followed by Ricky Stenhouse and Kurt Busch.

The rain-delayed event closed a frantic 12-day stretch that featured four Cup races, two each in North and South Carolina.

Elliott’s victory was the first for a Chevrolet driver in NASCAR’s return to Cup racing since the coronavirus pandemic shut down the sport.