NASCAR at Daytona results: Chase Elliott survives late push, wins 2020 road course race

Dan Bernstein

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NASCAR at Daytona results: Chase Elliott survives late push, wins 2020 road course race image

Chase Elliott strengthened his NASCAR playoff positioning with a runaway road course victory at Daytona International Speedway on Sunday in the GoBowling 235.

Elliott, who also won Stage 1 of the competition, carried a lead of 10 or more seconds for much of the final 15 laps. He didn’t let an ill-timed caution caused by Kyle Busch rob him of his advantage, holding off Denny Hamlin following a restart with three laps remaining.

Martin Truex Jr. finished third, Jimmie Johnson finished fourth and Chris Buescher finished fifth. Kaz Grala, a late replacement for Austin Dillon (COVID-19 positive test), surprisingly finished seventh in his first Cup Series start.

Sporting News tracked live race updates and lap-by-lap highlights from Sunday's NASCAR race from Daytona's road course. Follow below for complete results from the GoBowling 235.

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Top 20 finish order for NASCAR at Daytona

Pos.Driver
1Chase Elliott
2Denny Hamlin
3Martin Truex Jr.
4Jimmie Johnson
5Chris Buescher
6Clint Bowyer
7Kaz Grala
8William Byron
9Joey Logano
10Michael McDowell
11Erik Jones
12Alex Bowman
13Brad Keselowski
14Kurt Busch
15Matt DiBenedetto
16Ricky Stenhouse
17Kevin Harvick
18Tyler Reddick
19Ryan Newman
20Ty Dillon

Lead changes: 12
Leaders: 6
Cautions: 4

NASCAR at Daytona live updates, highlights from 2020 road course race

6:29 p.m.: Elliott hangs on to win. Hamlin felt he had a chance at the very end but couldn't quite make up the ground. Martin Truex Jr. sneaks past Jimmie Johnson for third.

6:27 p.m.: Hamlin up to second.

6:25 p.m.: Green flag with three laps to go. Elliott will have to work hard for this now.

6:15 p.m.: Caution. Kyle Busch.

6:12 p.m.: Behind Elliott ... or we should say WAY behind Elliott ... is Hamlin, Jimmie Johnson, Clint Bowyer and Martin Truex Jr.

6:06 p.m.: With 10 laps left, it would take an unexpected crash or malfunction from Elliott for anyone else to win.

6:02 p.m.: Make that an 11.3 second lead for Elliott with 12 laps to go. Wow.

6:01 p.m.: This race is Elliott's to lose. Once all pitting is completed, he should have a 10ish second advantage.

5:53 p.m.: Kyle Busch is headed to the garage with a brake issue. Fits with everything that's happened to him this season.

5:45 p.m.: As the race enters its final 20 laps, things remain clean. Other than the lightning stoppage, it's been a pretty uneventful afternoon. That could change in a hurry, though.

5:40 p.m.: Elliott has a lead of almost five seconds on everyone else. Kyle Busch is second.

5:33 p.m.: Back to green with 26 laps to go (several go-arounds were completed under caution during this restart).

5:21 p.m.: Engines are indeed warm again.

5:18 p.m.: Looks like engines could fire back up in the next 5-10 minutes.

4:48 p.m.: There's a minimum stoppage rule in NASCAR whenever lightning strikes nearby, meaning we'll have to wait at least another 20 minutes.

4:48 p.m.: The stoppage allows this change to happen.

4:46 p.m.: Red flag for lightning with 29 laps left in the race. Argh.

4:36 p.m.: Harvick spins. No caution, though, as no one hits him afterward.

4:27 p.m.: Hamlin wins Stage 2. Truez Jr. is penalized for speeding on pit road and WILL NOT get stage points despite finishing the round in seventh.

4:23 p.m.: Two more laps left in Stage 2.

4:11 p.m.: Truex Jr. jumps ahead of Hamlin with eight laps remaining in Stage 2.

4:06 p.m.: Hamlin is back out in front.

3:52 p.m.: Chase Elliott wins Stage 1.

3:49 p.m.: Truex Jr. pits before the end of the stage, taking him out of the running for the Stage 1 win.

3:44 p.m.: Martin Truex Jr., who has been mostly quiet this year, is battling for the lead.

3:39 p.m.: Hamlin continues to set the pace for the field in Stage 1.

3:31 p.m.: After careful deliberation, Kyle Busch decides to pit to check out that tire. A frustrating start for him.

3:27 p.m.: Kyle Busch thinks he might have a flat tire. Hamlin passes him to take an early lead.

3:21 p.m.: Green flag. Here's to a fun, rain-free Sunday afternoon road race at Daytona.

3:13 p.m.: Engines fired!

3:01 p.m.: Pre-race activities are taking place currently, and they're on track to fire up engines somewhat soon.

NASCAR race start time today

The green flag for Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series race at the Daytona road course will wave shortly after 3 p.m. ET, assuming there are no rain delays as there have been so often since NASCAR returned to live racing in May.

The good news is that, in the event weather impacts Sunday's race, NASCAR has sufficient lighting for the road course portion of the track to complement Daytona's oval lighting. This means NASCAR could push the race late into the evening, if need be.

With the addition of the road course element rather than a 2.5-mile oval, Daytona this weekend is a 3.57-mile circuit. Sunday's Cup Series race is scheduled for 65 laps and 231 miles with stage lengths of 15 laps, 15 laps and 35 laps.

NASCAR starting lineup at Daytona road course

Here is the starting lineup for Sunday's NASCAR race at Daytona:

Pos.DriverCar No.Team
1Kevin Harvick4Stewart-Haas Racing
2Denny Hamlin11Joe Gibbs Racing
3Martin Truex Jr.19Joe Gibbs Racing
4Kyle Busch18Joe Gibbs Racing
5Joey Logano22Team Penske
6Aric Almirola10Stewart-Haas Racing
7Chase Elliott9Hendrick Motorsports
8Kurt Busch1Chip Ganassi Racing
9Matt DiBenedetto21Wood Brothers Racing
10Kaz Grala*3Richard Childress Racing
11Jimmie Johnson48Hendrick Motorsports
12Clint Bowyer14Stewart-Haas Racing
13William Byron24Hendrick Motorsports
14Ryan Newman6Roush Fenway Racing
15Christopher Bell95Leavine Family Racing
16Matt Kenseth42Chip Ganassi Racing
17Brad Keselowski2Team Penske
18Tyler Reddick8Richard Childress Racing
19Bubba Wallace43Richard Petty Motorsports
20Erik Jones20Joe Gibbs Racing
21Chris Buescher17Roush Fenway Racing
22Ryan Preece37JTG Daugherty Racing
23Ty Dillon13Germain Racing
24Ryan Blaney12Team Penske
25Ricky Stenhouse Jr.47JTG Daugherty Racing
26Cole Custer41Stewart-Haas Racing
27Alex Bowman88Hendrick Motorsports
28John Hunter Nemechek38Front Row Motorsports
29Corey LaJoie32Go FAS Racing
30Michael McDowell34Front Row Motorsports
31Daniel Suarez96Gaunt Brothers Racing
32JJ Yeley27Rick Ware Racing
33Brennan Poole15Premium Motorsports
34Reed Sorenson77Spire Motorsports
35Quin Houff00StarCom Racing
36Timmy Hill66Motorsports Business Management
37Gray Gaulding53Rick Ware Racing
38Joey Gase51Petty Ware Racing
39Brendan Gaughan62Beard Motorsports

* Grala replaced Austin Dillon, who self-reported a positive COVID-19 test.

Dan Bernstein