Context:

Chase Elliott clinched his 20th NASCAR Cup Series victory in a dramatic fashion by overtaking Brad Keselowski on the final lap at the Atlanta race, marking his first win since April 2024 and securing his spot in the playoffs. The race, held at EchoPark Speedway, was notable for its numerous crashes that took out many top drivers, including Joey Logano, Denny Hamlin, and William Byron. Elliott's teammate, Alex Bowman, played a crucial role in blocking Keselowski, allowing Elliott to make his decisive move. The event also debuted the new 32-driver In-Season Challenge, a five-race, bracket-style tournament offering a $1 million prize. Despite adverse weather conditions causing delays, the race proceeded, with Elliott celebrating his victory by climbing into the stands to join his fans.

Dive Deeper:

• Chase Elliott, a popular driver from Dawsonville, Georgia, achieved a memorable victory at the NASCAR Cup Series in Atlanta by passing Brad Keselowski on the final lap, ending his 44-race winless streak and securing a playoff spot.

• The race was filled with crashes that eliminated several top contenders, including pole-winner Joey Logano, who got caught in a significant crash caused by light rain, leading to chaos on the track.

• The event marked the introduction of the 32-driver In-Season Challenge, a bracket-style tournament, where high seeds like Denny Hamlin and Chase Briscoe were surprisingly knocked out early due to crashes.

• Elliott's teammate, Alex Bowman, assisted in the final lap by blocking Keselowski, enabling Elliott to make his race-winning pass, highlighting the teamwork at Hendrick Motorsports.

• Weather conditions posed challenges as lightning and rain delayed qualifying and threatened the race, but fans were eventually allowed back into the stands, and the race proceeded as planned.

• Tyler Reddick narrowly defeated Elliott to win Stage 2, a notable achievement as both drivers were pursuing their first stage and overall wins of the season.

• The race's conclusion saw Elliott celebrating with fans, an emotional gesture acknowledging the support from his home-state crowd, as the series prepares to move to Chicago for the next race.