The No. 9 Hendrick team made a bold move by opting for short pitting in the final stage, which paid off with Chase Elliott's win at Martinsville.
This victory marks the first win for Hendrick Motorsports of the season and the first for Chevy following five wins for Toyota, four of which were provided by Tyler Reddick and one for Ford.
Denny Hamlin was the class of the field for the majority of the race, leading 292 of 400 laps, just short of the Gen 7 record for most laps led set by Elliott's teammate William Byron last fall.
However, when Hamlin lost the lead to Ross Chastain on a bad restart, it opened the door for a different winner.
Elliott was running ninth in the final stage after qualifying tenth, and passing up near the front at Martinsville was sparse.
Alan Gustafson made the call for Elliott to come in and pit early on lap 262, which proved to be a crucial decision.
With the leaders coming to pit closer to lap 300, Elliott made it up to second when a debris caution was called on lap 311.
Under caution, Elliott was able to go and get tires to get back on the same strategy as the leaders.
The debris caution was followed by a multi-car crash caution two laps later, which further shuffled the order.
Elliott's bold move ultimately paid off, as he made the pass on Chastain to lead for the second time with 68 laps remaining.
Hendrick's early win marks a significant shift in the season, but will it be enough to challenge Toyota's dominance?
