CHASE ELLIOTT WINS THE QUAKER STATE 400 AT ECHO PARK SPEEDWAY IN ATLANTA
CHASE ELLIOTT OF DAWSONVILLE, GEORGIA WINS THE QUAKER STATE 400 AT ECHO PARK SPEEDWAY IN ATLANTA! – MOTORSPORT AMERICA PHOTO
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NASCAR Wire Service – Hampton, Ga. — As elation and emotion encapsulated the Georgia night sky, Chase Elliott was at the forefront. For the 29-year-old Dawsonville, Georgia native, the opportunity to capture a storybook victory was apparent at EchoPark Speedway (formerly known as Atlanta Motor Speedway). Following masterful navigation around the drafting 1.54-miler, Elliott did just that, wheeling an electric last-lap pass enroute to an under-the-lights at his hometown track Saturday evening.
The 2020 Cup champion has won at his home track before, scoring a dramatic victory back in 2022. But the atmosphere after his win Saturday as fans rallied around the sport’s most popular driver was unlike anything he had ever experienced. Usually stoic and reserved, Elliott was overcome with exhilaration, throwing his fists skyward and soaking in the roar of the crowd as fireworks exploded behind him.
Moments later, he was walking into the grandstands to soak in the win together with his fellow Georgians. After 44 races without a win, after near-misses and heartbreak along the way, Chase Elliott was headed back to Victory Lane in the state that raised him.
“It was just truly a pretty surreal moment,” Elliott said. “I mean … I don’t even know. I’m not even sure that anything has ever matched that. That was just crazy. It was just such an incredible experience.”
“I’m just really proud of all of our guys for … just showing up every week and having great attitudes,” Elliott said, “just doing everything in their power to put the car, the product on the race track that they do, the effort they put in going over the wall, the way Alan brings intensity to the race track, calling races, meetings, making sure he’s getting everything out of me. It’s all right there. We have such a good, talented group of people that are motivated, good people away from the racetrack, too. You can’t quit on that.”
NASCAR Fans pack pit road at Echo Park Speedway, (formerly known as Atlanta Motor Speedway), before the start of the Quaker State 400! – Greg McWilliams PhotoHometown favorite son, Chase Elliott signing an autograph for an excited little girl during driver introductions at Echo Park Speedway in Atlanta!Chase Elliott’s paint scheme for the race was designed by 11-year-old cancer patient Rhealynn Mills from Thomasville, Georgia. For nearly a decade, Elliott, a Georgia native, has invited young cancer patients at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta to design his race car for one special race each season. The Chase Elliott Foundation is continuing its partnership with NAPA and Hendrick Motorsports for the ninth edition of its “DESI9N TO DRIVE” art collaboration with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. Launched in 2017, the DESI9N TO DRIVE program has raised and donated nearly half a million dollars to Children’s over its first eight years.Joe Gibbs Racing’s Chase Briscoe won The Great American Getaway 400 at Pocono Speedway last weekend and looked to make it two in a row in Atlanta!In the Ambetter Health 400 last February at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Carson Hocevar was a part of another exciting photo finish in Atlanta, claiming a P2 spot on the podium!Ryan Preece’s No. 60 Solomon Plumbing pit crew jump into their pit stall to greet their driver as he passes by during the parade lap at Echo Park Speedway in Atlanta!No. 22 Team Penske’s Joey Logano and No. 21 Josh Berry of the legendary Woods Brothers Team running P1 & P2 during the pace lap before the start of the race!No. 4 Noah Gragson & No. 20 Christopher Bell on the pace lap before the start of the Quaker State 400! C-Bell won the Ambetter Health 400 in February earlier this year in an exciting three-wide photo finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway!No. 54 Ty Gibbs and No. 9 Chase Elliott on the pace lap before the Quaker State 400!Josh Berry’s pit crew member gets a good look at his driver on the pace lap before the start of the race!Green Flag is in the air at the start of the Quaker State 400 at Echo Park Speedway in Atlanta!The field heads for turn one on the first lap of the race in front of the packed grandstand, led by eight Ford Dark Horse Mustangs!Team Penske’s No. 12 Ryan Blaney running side by side with Brad Keselowski early in the race!Race leader Joey Logano in front of a pack of Fords in turn four early in the race at Atlanta! – Greg McWilliams PhotoLap 57 – CAUTION out for a big wreck in turn 4. Involved: Austin Dillon, Bell, Wallace, Blaney, Allmendinger, and more. It started when Bell got loose and drifted through turn four and then spun out. ADillon is able to get back to pit road, Blaney is done for the day. – Greg McWilliams PhotoRyan Preece’s Solomon Plumbing pit crew springs into action on pit road in front of a packed grandstand at Echo Park Speedway in Atlanta!
Austin Dillon in for a change of Goodyear Racing Eagles and Sunoco Racing Fuel in front of the packed grandstand at Echo Park Speedway in Atlanta!Bubba Wallace leaves pit road after repairs to his front right quarter panel!
BJ McLeod in his Pigeon Forge Racing Coaster Chevy! The journeyman driver claimed a P16 finish for the day in the Quaker State 400 at Echo Park Speedway in Atlanta! – Greg McWilliams PhotoGreen Flag and start of the 2nd stage of the race with Chase Elliott out in front for the lead!No. 88 Shane Van Gisbergen from New Zealand holding off No. 78 B.J. McLeod and his Pigeon Forge Racing Coaster Chevy!Massive crash on lap 69 in turn three triggered by Denny Hamlin that involved two dozen cars!
Daniel Suarez limps back to the garage after getting caught in the Hamlin triggered accordion crash. Suarez is done for the night after just 69 laps completed.Quaker State 400 pole sitter Joey Logano hobbles back to the garage after the massive crash in turn three. Logano and other race leaders had pitted on lap 65 after the end of stage one and were unfortunately caught up in the accordion crash on lap 69. – Greg McWilliams PhotoDenny Hamlin just wrecked your favorite driver!Austin Cindric’s No. 2 Menards Penske Ford is caught up in the traffic jam of wreckers trying to get all the wrecked cars back to the NASCAR garage!NASCAR Officials discussing damage to Austin Cindric’s car with one of his crew members!Team Penske driver Austin Cindric runs back to his garage stall to check on repairs to his racecar!
Ross Chastain getting a ride with Emergency Services after the huge crash in turn three at Atlanta.Ross Chastain’s Wendy’s Chevy is done for the night after just 69 laps.Corey LaJoie’s storied return to the series is for naught in Atlanta, as his race has ended after just 69 laps.William Byron’s crew is packing up and heading home.Lap 77 – Back to green. Buescher leads Gibbs and Herbst. Still 25 drivers on the lead lap. Logano, Berry, LaJoie, Byron, Briscoe, Suarez, Chastain and Hamlin officially out of the race. – Greg McWilliams PhotoLap 88 – No. 45 Tyler Reddick takes the lead for the first time tonight, seen here passing Keselowski on the Echo Park frontstretch!Lap 110 – CAUTION for Riley Herbst spinning into Todd Gilliland in turn 4! – Greg McWilliams Photo
Lap 132 – Buescher now the leader, battling Elliott and Gibbs for position in turn four! – Greg McWilliams PhotoTyler Reddick and Chase Elliott race to the line for the end of the stage two finish! Reddick clipped Elliott by just 0.001 of a second, providing another photo finish in Atlanta!The Echo Park Speedway announcer asked the race fans to turn on their mobile phone flashlights to signal the start of the final stage of the race! Stage leader Chase Elliott later commented how cool it looked from a driver’s perspective!Start of the final stage of the race, as fans in Atlanta light the way and cheer Chase Elliott home to the finish!Red Bull’s No. 87 Connor Zilisch doing double-duty this weekend with JR Motorsports driver collecting a P4 finish in the Xfinity Focused Health 250 on Friday night and collecting a P11 Quaker State 400 finish for Trackhouse Racing on Saturday night under the lights in Atlanta!Lap 176 – CAUTION out for Shane Van Gisbergen’s spin on the frontstretch! – Greg McWilliams Photo
Restart after the caution as the Chevrolet Corvette Pace Car turns on to pit road in Atlanta!Lap 196 – CAUTION is out for Erik Jones spins in turn 4! Elliott now the leader as Bubba Wallace heads to pit road! – Greg McWilliams PhotoLap 199 – Pit road is open. Leaders stay out. Elliott now leads over Buescher and Keselowski.No. 71 Michael McDowell pulls onto pit road at Echo Park Speedway in Atlanta!Restart after the caution, with Elliott and Keselowski leading the field as the Chevrolet Corvette Pace Car comes down pit road! – Greg McWilliams PhotoLap 253 – Bowman back out front. Seven laps to go.Lap 254 – Stenhouse seen here setting up his run to take the lead with 6 to go. Keselowski to second.Lap 256 – Now Keselowski to the front with 5 to go. – Greg McWilliams PhotoLap 258 – Reddick to second behind Keselowski, as Elliott sets up for the finish!
Hendrick Cars teammates Alex Bowman and Chase Elliott team up in turn four for a final last lap push to the finish! – Greg McWilliams PhotoNo. 9 Chase Elliott getting shoved by teammate No. 48 Alex Bowman is just the push Elliott needed as he sets his sights on the No. 6 Keselowski when the white flag flies, signaling the final lap of the race!On the last lap dash, Dawsonville, Georgia’s Chase Elliott passed Brad Keselowski to win the Quaker State 400 at his hometown track in Atlanta! – Greg McWilliams PhotoChase Elliott’s great burnout in front of the hometown fans for his win as they roared in approval! Chase Elliott came from 8 spots back with just ten laps to go, that featured five different lead changes!
Chase Elliott pulls into victory lane in Atlanta in front of 11-year-old Rhealynn Mills and her family from Thomasville, Georgia. They were guests of honor of the Chase Elliott Foundation with its “DESI9N TO DRIVE” art collaboration with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, benefitting young cancer patients such as Rhealynn Mills.Have a Coke and a Smile for Chase Elliott, winner of the Quaker State 400 at Echo Park Speedway in Atlanta!Chase Elliott of Dawsonville, Georgia celebrates his win in front of his hometown fans in Atlanta!Echo Park Speedway Executive Vice President Brandon Hutchinson and Chase Elliott celebrate the race with a peach from Southern Bell Farm from McDonough, Georgia!Chase Elliott and his pit crew celebrate his win in victory lane with guest of honor Rhealynn Mills of Thomasville, Georgia!Chase Elliott celebrates in victory lane with his Hendrick Cars sponsor, Kelley Blue Book!Chase Elliott is all smiles as he celebrates with his NAPA family sponsors!Chase Elliott and his pit crew in victory lane at Echo Park Speedway in Atlanta!“And don’t forget son, there is someone, up above”
