NASCAR Cup Series driver Chase Elliott not only snapped his 43-race winless skid, but he also ended the “Hooters’ curse” by capturing the AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400 double-overtime victory At Texas Motor Speedway on Sunday.
For the first time since June 14, 1992, a machine with Hooters as a main sponsor visited Victory Lane. Nearly 32 years ago, the late Alan Kulwicki piloted a win at Pocono Raceway, en route to securing the Cup title.
Kulwicki and Elliott’s father, Bill Elliott, competed against each other “back in the day,” the younger Elliott told Fox Sports after Sunday’s win.
After executing two quality restarts during the extra sessions, Elliottl snapped his prolonged skid and fulfilled a personal goal. After taking the checkered flag, he turned around and executed a “Polish Victory Lap,” honoring Kulwicki, who died following a 1993 plane crash.
“It’s pretty emotional for me,” Elliott said. “It’s been a dream of mine to pay respect to the late Alan Kulwicki. “He beat my dad day back in the day.
“It’s really crazy how things came full circle there in that moment.”
X (Twitter) users replied to the blazing-hot weekend action at Texas …
The action on pit road is heating up as the field undergoes green-flag pit stops. 👀 pic.twitter.com/GScfKnpKlA
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) April 14, 2024
And it got really hot at the finish of Saturday’s Xfinity Series race as Sam Smith edged Ryan Sieg by .002 seconds, the second-closest margin of victory in circuit history …
An incredible finish at @TXMotorSpeedway!@sam_mayer_ wins by just 0.002 seconds! pic.twitter.com/EeoVRWysK2
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) April 13, 2024
On the OT restart, Elliott paced the field from the inside and utilized a side-draft bump on Ross Chastain to slow momentum. He pulled away at the 1.5-mile track …
The finish that ended the streak. pic.twitter.com/bAOYpzbhS8
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) April 14, 2024
The tribute …
Elliott does the Polish Victory Lap in the Hooters car.
Alan Kulwicki would be proud.#NASCAR pic.twitter.com/fiGxdFcmN5
— NASCAR on TSN (@NASCARonTSN) April 14, 2024
Elliott’s win was the fourth in which Hooters served as the primary sponsor. The first three came over a 301-day span with Kulwicki earning the trifecta. It took 156 Cup events or 11,627 days for the end of the “Hooters curse” …
One more layer to the Chase Elliott/Alan Kulwicki/Hooters thing: It all began in Elliott country at Atlanta.
Hooters’ first race with Kulwicki was at Atlanta in spring 1991 when their own car DNQed and Kulwicki won the pole with no sponsor on his car. The rest is history. pic.twitter.com/T1xt963keL
— Steven Taranto (@STaranto92) April 15, 2024
After nearly a year and a half, Elliott’s team ended its winless drought. The 2020 Cup champion can now plan on returning to the playoffs after a lost ‘23 campaign …
Back in Victory Lane. 🏁 pic.twitter.com/iN3z2yGJxM
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) April 14, 2024
Before Sunday’s opening green flag, TCU football coach Sonny Dykes kicked off the Texas spring race …
.@TCUFootball‘s @CoachSonnyDykes with the command to fire engines! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/T1YjpJNeQ8
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) April 14, 2024
Are the starts bigger in Texas, too? …
Pedals down, volume up in the Lone Star State!
The #AutotraderEchoPark400 is underway from @TXMotorSpeedway! pic.twitter.com/1TXCjFXlkA
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) April 14, 2024
Zane Smith’s pit crew team created a unique – and dangerous – experience …
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) April 14, 2024
Christopher Bell, who has competed in back-to-back Championship 4 races, found trouble along Turn 4 on Lap 101. The No. 20 Toyota was running P10 when he got loose and involved John H. Nemechek (42) and Alex Bowman …
More trouble in Turn 4 as @CBellRacing goes around!
The Nos. 42 and 48 are also involved. pic.twitter.com/A1oiJMslNg
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) April 14, 2024
Look, mom, three wheels! Kyle Larson, who started on the pole, led a race-high 77 laps and earned the Stage 1 points, his Cup Series-leading fifth stage win. The regular-season points leader leads Martin Truex Jr. by 17 points and overcame a lost tire on Lap 116 …
And now, trouble for the No. 5!@KyleLarsonRacin loses a wheel! pic.twitter.com/UNESEd6Iug
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) April 14, 2024
After leading the field on a restart on Lap 173, Bubba Wallace found his machine going three-wide and making contact with Chase Briscoe, who was running P2. Harrison Burton inherited the lead for the first time this season and paced the field for seven rotations …
Three wide at the front of the field!
The Nos. 23 and 14 make contact! pic.twitter.com/Xvju98rEM0
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) April 14, 2024
Ryan Preece tooks out reigning Cup champion Ryan Blaney and sent him into the wall on Lap 181, finishing P33. Blaney has one top-five finish in his past five outings, averaging a P17 over that time …
A look at the contact between the Nos. 41 and 12. https://t.co/amTZNxOpKM pic.twitter.com/QDdJDwTk9y
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) April 14, 2024
Reddick blazed past Denny Hamlin and moved into a lead that extended to 5.88 seconds, until making a pit stop on Lap 213. Pit-crew trouble on the right rear tire allowed Hamlin to claim the lead …
.@TylerReddick moves back past @dennyhamlin! pic.twitter.com/ZgQqaSXKoa
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) April 14, 2024
Racing in 19th position, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. spun out on Lap 254, bunching the field together …
.@StenhouseJr goes around, setting up a sprint to the finish! pic.twitter.com/Hxv9xuoPJB
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) April 14, 2024
Hamlin looked to execute a side-draft on Elloitt as he passed, but lost control along the second turn on Lap 266, forcing the field the “re-rack and do it again,” Fox Sports broadcaster Mike Joy said, in overtime …
HAMLIN SPINS!! pic.twitter.com/gK7VbOv9hM
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) April 14, 2024
Elliott helped shake the team’s prolonged slump with a rocket move past Reddick …
What a restart by the No. 9!@chaseelliott rockets to the lead! pic.twitter.com/GosedNHIBf
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) April 14, 2024
To Elliott, the win couldn’t have been much bigger at Texas …
Winners at Texas!☝🏼🏁 pic.twitter.com/EUMvhEFBjI
— Chase Elliott (@chaseelliott) April 15, 2024
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