Chase Elliott spins, Denny Hamlin and Connor Zilisch take damage in early chaos at COTA

Lap 1 and we have trouble! Chase Elliott was spun around by Ross Chastain going into Turn 1 on the first lap and chaos ensued. In the aftermath, Denny Hamlin and Connor Zilisch both took damage as cars piled up in the NASCAR Cup Series race.

After starting in the front three rows, Ross Chastain made a huge move into that first turn. It happens every year and it almost never works out for the people involved. Chastain didn’t make it work, either.

Instead, Chase Elliott gets turned and then guys like Hamlin and Zilisch took damage. Just not a great move early in this race.

Not a good start for driver No. 9. pic.twitter.com/HkdePYFIfE

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) March 2, 2025

Denny Hamlin kept it moving but has had issues in the first stage keeping up his pace. His right front fender was more or less ripped off in the incident. As for Connor Zilisch, he had some toe link issues and a flat right front tire that had to be changed.

Chase Elliott is also working his way back up through the field. Whatever these drivers can do to stay on the lead lap and make it to the stage caution. Once that yellow falls, everything will be lined up again for guys like Zilisch and Elliott to recoup and respond in the second stage.

When it comes to road course racing, guys like Elliott and Zilisch have a chance to rebound this afternoon. That won’t be so easy for drivers like Hamlin, especially with the damage to his fender.

Chase Elliott, Alan Gustafson furious at Ross Chastain

As things calmed down after that first lap, Chase Elliott went on his radio. He wanted to know what happened, if it was his fault, or if he simply got shipped in the turn. Well, he definitely didn’t like the answer that Alan Gustafson had for him.

“You didn’t do anything wrong,” Gustafson said over the radio. “It’s just stupidity but you know, we’re gonna have to pay that shit back, because I’m over people like that constantly doing dumb shit. When we get a chance to send him, we’re sending that 1 car.”

“No, that’s totally fine. I’ll do what I need to do,” Elliott responded. “But I just need to make sure I wasn’t in the wrong before I do it.”

Ross Chastain hasn’t been doing so hot since the incident. To make matters worse, Chastain was hit with a pit road penalty at the end of Stage 1.