Winners and losers from a curler coaster NASCAR Cup race at Texas

After 267 laps of racing and 7 cautions, simply 4 tenths separated Chase Elliott and Denny Hamlin on the checkered flag as the 2 drivers completed 1-2 for the second time this yr.

It was a race with a whole lot of motion all through the sector and ever-shifting methods. Stage finishes had been hectic, quick automobiles had been eradicated in unusual methods, however ultimately, it was a number of the prime drivers within the championship standings all battling it out for the win.

Here is a take a look at the largest winners and losers from Texas:

WINNER: Chase Elliott for delivering Workforce Hendrick one other win

Watch: Elliott breaks down how No. 9 crew managed the race

That is the earliest in a Cup season Elliott has ever reached a number of wins, and to date, he’s the one member of Hendrick Motorsports to achieve Victory Lane this yr. The ever-consistent driver of the No. 9 is now third in factors, and knocking on the door of second within the standings. Regardless of beginning 14th at Texas, he led probably the most laps (87) in a really spectacular drive. He by no means actually put a wheel mistaken, held off Denny Hamlin in a tense ultimate restart, and the technique from the pit field was on level even with the chaotic nature of Sunday’s race.

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LOSER: Christopher Bell after surprising Stage 1 exit from the lead
 

Bell thought he had a automobile that would compete for the win at Texas, and for good motive. He led 22 laps early, and was battling teammate Denny Hamlin for the Stage 1 win. Nonetheless, that is when all of it got here aside as Todd Gilliland spun simply in entrance of the leaders. Bell tried to go low, however that is the place the spinning automobile was heading as Gilliland tried to maintain it off the wall. Bell received clipped and his No. 20 slammed the wall, leaving him with a last-place end and only a single level on the board. The disastrous exit dropped him 4 spots within the standings, making him this week’s greatest loser within the championship.

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WINNER: Erik Jones as the largest mover in factors after stage win

Erik Jones, Legacy Motor Membership, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., HYAK Motorsports

Photograph by: Logan Riely / Getty Photographs

How concerning the No. 43 crew? Jones stayed out with 4 different automobiles close to the tip of Stage 1, and managed to hold on to safe a stage win for the primary time in his complete profession. These factors had been important in making him the largest mover within the championship standings this week, leaping for positions from Twenty sixth to twenty second. He additionally completed a strong twelfth within the ultimate working order.

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LOSER: Kyle Busch after nice day comes aside in Nemechek conflict
 

What a nasty ending to such a constructive weekend for the No. 8 RCR Chevrolet. Busch certified sixth, and ran inside the highest ten for many of the race. Nonetheless, after restarting eleventh with 4 laps to go, he ended up getting twisted up with John-Hunter Nemechek. Nemechek believes Busch cleared himself off his nostril, whereas Busch believes Nemechek got here down off the wall. Regardless, the end result was the identical, and Busch suffered some harm. Moments later, he deliberately door-slammed Nemechek and wrecked him into the surface wall, worsening the state of affairs. Busch limped house to complete twentieth, a far cry from the place he was working all day.

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WINNER: Spire as Hocevar and Suarez carry house double prime ten

Carson Hocevar, Spire Motorsports, Daniel Suárez, Spire Motorsports, Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing, Chris Buescher, RFK Racing

Photograph by: Logan Riely / Getty Photographs

After their first entrance row sweep, many needed to see if the Spire automobiles might keep up entrance all day. It wasn’t that straightforward, as Carson Hocevar misplaced the lead early, and Daniel Suarez simply cratered down the working order. Nonetheless, they persevered, and Suarez fought again to complete a powerful sixth whereas Hocevar was proper behind him in seventh. That is the third time Spire has secured a double prime ten in simply the primary eleven races of the 2026 season.

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LOSER: Joey Logano after his race ends in pit highway crash
 

Logano went from feeling reduction after narrowly avoiding a direct hit with a spinning William Byron to watching his day finish in a unlucky pit highway collision. Throughout a set of pit stops after a near-miss on observe, Logano was working his manner down pit highway when he came across a near-stopped Cole Custer, who was trying to squeeze into his pit field. Issues had been crowded, and Logano ended up working immediately into the again of the Haas automobile, destroying each machines. Logano, whose final win got here at Texas one yr in the past, was unable to proceed, and completed thirty seventh. The DNF has dropped the three-time sequence champion outdoors of the Chase in the interim.

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WINNER: Corey Heim … regardless of late-race crash

Corey Heim

Photograph by: Logan Riely / Getty Photographs

It is unusual to rely a crashed automobile among the many ‘winners,’ however now we have to present Heim some credit score. The part-time Cup driver was making his tenth begin on the prime degree and his first at Texas. After qualifying seventeenth, he ran properly, and ended up on an alternate technique that noticed him controlling the race by a number of restarts like a veteran, and main 69 laps! Solely the race winner ended up main extra. Sadly, his race got here to an finish late when he backed it into the wall. Even nonetheless, it was a glimpse at what Heim is able to on the sharp finish of the Cup grid.

LOSER: Ross Chastain for making an unforced error, spoiling strong day

Ross Chastain, Trackhouse Racing

Photograph by: James Gilbert / Getty Photographs

Trackhouse was in determined want for an excellent day. Exterior of drafting tracks, Chastain entered the weekend with zero prime 15s. Nonetheless, he had a good day going at Texas, the place he has completed second twice earlier than. Approaching the ultimate set of green-flag pit stops, Chastain was working eighth and had the tempo to climb slightly bit greater up the order. Sadly for him, he by no means received the prospect attributable to a pricey mistake. He sped on pit highway, ruining the day for the No. 1 crew and leaving him with Twenty sixth-place end.  Because the drivers immediately in entrance of him in factors additionally had unhealthy days, this was an actual missed alternative. 

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