Chase Elliott Prevails in Atlanta in a Race Full of Incidents
In a night full of emotions and accidents, Chase Elliott, the local favorite, took the victory in the NASCAR Cup Series in Atlanta, obtaining his twentieth career victory. Elliott, the popular driver from Dawsonville, Georgia, secured a spot in the NASCAR playoffs with this victory, the first since April 2024 in Texas. Furthermore, this was his first win in Atlanta since 2022.The race, held at EchoPark Speedway, formerly known as Atlanta Motor Speedway, witnessed multiple incidents that affected several of the main contenders. An accident in the second stage eliminated several of the sport’s most prominent names and left others with damaged vehicles. Joey Logano, who led the first 36 laps, was one of the drivers involved in the crash. Other drivers affected by the incident were William Byron, Austin Cindric, Ross Chastain, Josh Berry, Corey LaJoie, and Daniel Suarez.“Never in my life, this is incredible,” said Elliott. “This is something I will remember for the rest of my life.”
Chase Elliott
Denny Hamlin, whose Toyota suffered damage in the accident, added: “Some zigged. Some zigged. Most crashed.” The Atlanta race also marked the debut of the In-Season Challenge, a five-race, bracket-style tournament with 32 drivers. The early elimination of high-caliber drivers highlighted the challenges of predicting NASCAR winners in a format similar to March Madness. The top two seeds were among the early casualties. Hamlin, the number 1 seed in the tournament, finished in 31st place and lost to Ty Dillon, who finished eighth. Chase Briscoe, the number 2 seed, was also eliminated in an accident, losing to Noah Gragson in the tournament. A $1 million prize awaits the winner as part of a new media rights deal that includes TNT. Elliott and Brad Keselowski were on the front row when a caution with 33 laps to go forced a decision on whether to pit for tires. Both stayed out on the track, and Elliott fell back after the restart before launching his decisive attack at the end. Ryan Blaney was eliminated in a crash at the end of the first stage. Christopher Bell hit the wall, triggering the accident that ended the stage with Cindric in the lead. Cindric was involved in the biggest accident at the start of the second stage. Kyle Busch, Hamlin, and Bubba Wallace were also involved in the crash. Tyler Reddick beat Elliott at the finish line by 0.001 seconds to win Stage 2, in a battle between drivers seeking their first stage win and the overall season victory. The Friday qualifying and the Xfinity race, won by Nick Sanchez, were affected by lightning and rain. More lightning and rain threatened the Saturday night race. Fans were encouraged to leave the stands approximately 90 minutes before the race due to severe weather in the area, but were allowed to return as the pre-race was held as planned. The next Cup Series race will be in Chicago for the Chicago Street Race on July 6th.“He wrecked the whole field,” Logano commented. “I still don’t know exactly how it started… but it was total chaos. Cars were sideways and braking. I got hit from every possible side”.
Joey Logano
