HAMPTON, Ga. — Chase Elliott doesn’t present emotion usually, however the exhilaration he confirmed in successful Sunday night time at Atlanta indicated that this win was a spotlight amongst his 20 NASCAR Cup Series victories.
Elliott wasn’t the one one excited.
Having grown up and nonetheless dwelling 85 miles from the monitor, Elliott stays NASCAR’s hottest driver and considered one of Georgia’s favourite sons in terms of athletes.
Chase Elliott celebrates following the operating of the NASCAR Cup Sequence Quaker State 400
That was most evident within the roar of the gang as they cheered his triumph.
“To see them that excited after the race for me was simply loopy,” Elliott mentioned. “It was surreal. I do not actually understand how else to explain it. It is simply a kind of moments you want you would bottle up and relive it.”
Elliott hasn’t had a lot of an opportunity to expertise victory celebrations lately.
The 2020 Cup champion snapped a 44-race winless streak with the win. Not solely had he not received a race this yr, he had not even received a stage. In his earlier 99 begins, Elliott had managed only one victory.
So whereas he had 5 high fives and 9 high 10s in 17 races coming into Sunday night time, Elliott’s solid-but-no-trophy season had the vibe of extra pretender than contender.
Chase Elliott celebrates after successful the NASCAR Cup Sequence Quaker State 400
The victory Saturday night time perhaps modified all that. He received a wild race the place solely 21 drivers completed on the lead lap and 12 of the 40 automobiles had been eradicated by accidents.
The racing at Atlanta, a 1.54-mile high-banked monitor, is meant to be the identical type as Daytona and Talladega. However drivers may usually make runs even with out assist. Now after they had assist, the run was nearly unstoppable.
The runs on the finish had been livid, and probably the greatest on this type of racing, Brad Keselowski, was out entrance within the remaining laps. However Elliott, with the assistance of a push from Hendrick teammate Alex Bowman, obtained out entrance after which Keselowski had no assist as Bowman definitely wasn’t going to push Keselowski previous his teammate.
“All of the playing cards fell on the best locations there these final couple laps,” Elliott mentioned. “What a loopy race. … It was wild from my seat. I am so glad we obtained to run that factor on the market to the tip.”
Elliott most likely wouldn’t have received with out the push he may depend on from a teammate similar to Bowman.
“I did not actually have a alternative there on the final lap of what I used to be going to do,” Bowman mentioned. “There wasn’t a chance for me to win the race, sadly. The best way the race would shuffle the chief out each handful of laps, I simply led too early there. … I simply obtained the timing incorrect and did not keep management the race.”
For Bowman, having Elliott win the race was higher than the opposite drivers, as Bowman is on the bubble to make the playoffs on factors. Elliott was a winless driver however gave the impression to be in a cushty place so far as factors.
However the remainder of the drivers jockeying for the win — Brad Keselowski was second, adopted by Bowman, Tyler Reddick, Erik Jones, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Zane Smith — may have impacted Bowman’s hopes to make the playoffs.
“I did not take into consideration that, however you are not incorrect,” Bowman mentioned about Elliott’s win being good for him personally. “Clearly, it is a crew of us [Hendrick drivers] out right here, so having a Hendrick automobile in victory lane is all the time an excellent factor.
Alex Bowman places on warmth shields previous to the operating of the NASCAR Cup Sequence Quaker State 400
Clearly, it was an excellent factor for Elliott, who may take satisfaction in successful the wild race however as he famous, he’ll take wins any approach he can get them.
“Simply to win a race is good normally,” Elliott mentioned. I am not going to get choosy with whether or not it is wild or boring. It was good to come back out on the nice of that. It may have been considered one of 5 or 6 of us on the finish.
“For me, happily, the runs simply actually timed up on the excellent time, and we had been capable of do one thing with them.”
Elliott has had up-and-down outcomes at Atlanta, with just one top-10 end in his 4 begins since a win in July 2022. He has not run nicely when he has sported a paint scheme designed by a affected person of Kids’s Healthcare of Atlanta as a part of a fund-raising program by his basis.
In order that simply made a particular night time additional particular.
It was a particular night time within the making during the last couple of months. A nasty pit cease at Kansas ruined his probability in that race in early Might. Within the earlier two weeks, he completed third at Mexico Metropolis and fifth at Pocono, the place he confirmed extra pace.
Elliott doesn’t get so absorbed within the outcomes as a lot as the method and the way in which they race, no matter what occurs with the outcomes.
“Had been we related? Did we really a shot? I consider on this sport, should you’re doing all these proper issues, that’s one thing to be pleased with,” Elliott mentioned. “And should you’re doing them usually, you’re going to get your flip. The final three or 4 weeks have been an instance of that.”
And the way will Elliott have fun within the wee hours of Sunday morning after he happy his media obligations? He deliberate to drive himself dwelling.
“It’s not that far,” mentioned Elliott, who ought to be capable to make the journey in about two hours. “I’m going to sleep in my mattress.”
Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR and INDYCAR for FOX Sports activities. He has spent a long time protecting motorsports, together with over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting Information, NASCAR Scene journal and The (Daytona Seashore) Information-Journal. Observe him on Twitter @bobpockrass.
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