Elliott delivered a dominant performance during the first NASCAR Cup Series race at Daytona’s road course on Sunday, building on his elite road racing record.
Following a restart on the third lap of the 65-lap, 231-mile race, Elliott had to hold off hard-charging Denny Hamlin, the reigning two-time Daytona 500 champion. Elliott took the checkered flag with .202 seconds to spare.
“I had a phenomenal car,” Elliott said moments after his eighth Cup Series victory. “I don’t think I did anything special today.”
Elliott, voted NASCAR’s most popular driver the past two years, acknowledged the fans who were socially distanced in the iconic track’s massive grandstands.