Elliott is in position to contend for 2nd NASCAR title following 'surreal' last-lap win in Atlanta
Driver Chase Elliott (9) celebrates with the trophy in Victory Lane after winning a NASCAR Cup Series auto race, Saturday, June 28, 2025, in Hampton, Ga. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
Driver Chase Elliott (9) celebrates with the trophy in Victory Lane after winning a NASCAR Cup Series auto race, Saturday, June 28, 2025, in Hampton, Ga. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
HAMPTON, Ga. (AP) — Chase Elliott couldn't have picked a better setting for a drought-breaking win.
Fans roared in approval after Elliott, the home-state favorite, passed Brad Keselowski on the final lap to end a 44-race drought by winning the NASCAR Cup Series at Atlanta on Saturday night.
Advertisement
Elliott's 20th career victory pushed him to second place in the Cup Series points race, putting him in prime position to return to the top of the NASCAR world after winning his first championship in 2020.
Elliott earned a spot in the NASCAR playoffs with his first victory since April 2024 at Texas. He said he'll always remember the win as a career highlight, in part because of the ovation from fans who chanted 'Chase! Chase! Chase!'
Elliott, a Dawsonville, Georgia, native, climbed into the stands at EchoPark Speedway, formerly Atlanta Motor Speedway, to celebrate with the fans.
'It was, truthfully, a pretty surreal moment,' Elliott said. 'Something I'll remember for the rest of my life. ... Saturday night under the lights, been a while since we won, just getting ourselves a win and advancing up on the playoff thing."
Advertisement
It was his first Atlanta win since 2022.
Elliott has 594 points, 37 behind Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron, who has 631. A third Hendrick Motorsports driver, Kyle Larson, is third.
Another Hendrick driver, Alex Bowman, played a key role in Elliott's comeback win. Bowman, who finished third, gave Elliott a push and then helped block Keselowski on the final lap.
'I'm happy for the 9 team,' Bowman said. 'It's a big win for him in his hometown. ... I'm glad to have a Hendrick car in victory lane. I wish it was us.'
Elliott said he'll try to repay the favor by helping Bowman join the other three Hendrick drivers in the playoffs.
Advertisement
'I recognize that he gave me a great shove," Elliott said. "I recognize that he took his run on Brad, too, to try to get himself to second, which ultimately helped me as well.
'Yeah, those are all things that I remember.'
Elliott advanced to the second round of NASCAR's new In-Season Challenge, a five-race, bracket-style tournament. With the field cut from 32 to 16 drivers, Elliott will be paired against John Hunter Nemechek when the Cup Series moves to the Chicago Street Race next Sunday.
A $1 million prize awaits the winner, and Elliott's odds improved after Atlanta wrecks knocked out the top two seeds, Denny Hamlin and Chase Briscoe.
Advertisement
Elliott wouldn't be the first family member to win a $1 million bonus. In 1985 his father, Bill Elliott, became the first winner of the Winston Million as a reward for claiming wins in three of the circuit's top four races at the time. The bonus earned the elder Elliott the nickname 'Million Dollar Bill.'
Now the younger Elliott is a strong contender to become first in line for another $1 million prize.
'It'd be a really cool thing to win for sure and hope it works out that way," Chase Elliott said.
Elliott's victory drought came after he needed surgery to repair a broken tibia in his left leg suffered in a snowboarding accident and missed six races in 2023. He said the support of longtime crew chief Alan Gustafson was 'in large part' responsible for helping him retain his confidence and reclaim his winning form.
Advertisement
Gustafson said the win was more important for the 2025 playoff race than for ending the victory drought.
'The points were getting tight for the playoffs, for sure,' Gustafson said. 'I think that's probably the biggest thing. I think all the cars contending to win, I don't think any of them had won. I think that's probably the biggest thing we needed was that cushion.'
Saturday night's win was Elliott's third consecutive top-five finish.
'When you're fortunate enough to climb the mountain and be able to stand at the top of the mountain with someone, that's an incredible achievement, right?' Elliott said. 'That's something that (Gustafson) and I will always cherish and remember that we did that together.
Advertisement
'For me it's really, really important to climb that mountain with the same people that we did the first time and know that we never quit on each other. That's just a really important piece of the puzzle for me.'
___
AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
33 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Insider shares new details on Steelers, Dolphins blockbuster trade
More details from the Steelers' blockbuster acquisitions of TE Jonnu Smith and Jalen Ramsey have now been revealed. On a recent episode of The Rich Eisen Show, insider Tom Pelissero explained that the Dolphins were almost forced into a player-for-player type trade scenario — as any trade partner would be more willing to take Ramsey's expensive contract if Miami took a high-salary player in return. Advertisement After trade negotiations with the Rams and Chargers fell through, Pelissero pointed to the perfect scenario that presented itself with Pittsburgh's Minkah Fitzpatrick — but it may have come down to the Pro Bowl tight end: "It just so happened that the Dolphins also had a situation with Jonnu Smith — who happens to be Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith's favorite tight end — where he, too, became available," Pelissero said. "The Steelers had a guy in Minkah Fitzpatrick, who's due $15.5 million this season — his ball production in particular over the last couple of years has not been the same. Minkah is still only 28, but maybe not quite the same player he was the first time around in Miami. "[The Steelers] get a more versatile player, albeit one who's being paid more, in Jalen Ramsey. They think they can do a lot of different things with him, and a bonus out of that trade is they get a guy in Jonnu Smith, who's coming off a productive season in Miami." While some have criticized the Steelers for exchanging aging DBs, one has to wonder — after hearing Pelissero's insight — if Pittsburgh would have even entertained trading Fitzpatrick unless Smith came along as well. Advertisement For up-to-date Steelers coverage, follow us on X @TheSteelersWire and give our Facebook page a like. This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Steelers pulled off Ramsey, Smith trade with key twist, per insider
Yahoo
33 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Former Steeler Ryan Clark blasts Aaron Rodgers to Pittsburgh as 'worst case scenario'
Not everyone is thrilled about Aaron Rodgers heading to Pittsburgh — just ask former Steelers safety Ryan Clark. Clark, an outspoken critic of Rodgers, was asked on ESPN what the dynamic between HC Mike Tomlin and the four-time MVP would be in Pittsburgh — and this was his response: Advertisement "This is the worst-case scenario for Pittsburgh Steelers fans. It continues to keep you mired in mediocrity. Will this team be better? Have they gotten better in the quarterback room? Absolutely. Will they contend for that championship that Pittsburgh Steelers' people, fans, and the organization thinks is the standard? No, they won't," Clark stated. "Five years from when both of these men retire, one of them will give the most motivational Hall of Fame speech we've ever heard. Another will probably give the most interesting — and it won't mean anything." Yikes. This isn't the first time Clark has taken aim at the future Hall of Fame QB. Last December, the former Steeler called Rodgers a "fraud" for his criticism directed at former players working at ESPN. Will Rodgers win Clark over with a dominant performance in Pittsburgh — or does the bad blood run deeper than anything football could fix? Advertisement For up-to-date Steelers coverage, follow us on X @TheSteelersWire and give our Facebook page a like. This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Ex-Steeler blasts Aaron Rodgers' signing as 'worst case scenario'
Yahoo
33 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Former Steelers Alan Faneca and Troy Polamalu make ESPN All Quarter Century Team
Looking back over the last 25 years, the Pittsburgh Steelers have had so many great players, it's hard to narrow down the best. But ESPN undertook the daunting task of doing it for the entire league and put together their All Quarter Century teams for offense and defense. They named one Steeler legend on each side of the football to the team. On offense, Alan Faneca made it as one of two left guards. He shared the distinction with Steven Hutchinson. Here's what they had to say about Faneca. Advertisement A stalwart at left guard for the Steelers before late-career spells with the Jets and Cardinals, Faneca missed only one game from 2000 on -- and that was due to rest in a meaningless Week 17 contest in 2001. His six first-team All-Pro selections are more than any other left guard this quarter century. Moving to defense, edge defender T.J. Watt got snubbed but safety Troy Polamalu was there as the team's strong safety. He joined Ed Reed, Brian Dawkins and Earl Thomas as the four safeties. This was how they broke down Polamalu's career. Polamalu flying all over the field epitomized what NFL teams began prioritizing with modern safeties. He is fifth among safeties with 103 passes defensed since 2000. He also had 80 run stops (tackles to stop runs short of a successful play), which is third among all defensive backs since 2000. This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Former Steelers Alan Faneca and Troy Polamalu named to ESPN All Quarter Century Team
