Chase Elliott Stoked After Energizing Crowd With Wild Atlanta Win

HAMPTON, Ga. — Chase Elliott does not show emotion often, but the exhilaration he showed in winning Sunday night at Atlanta indicated that this win was a highlight among his 20 NASCAR Cup Series victories.

Elliott wasn’t the only one excited.

Having grown up and still living 85 miles from the track, Elliott remains NASCAR’s most popular driver and one of Georgia’s favorite sons when it comes to athletes.

Chase Elliott celebrates following the running of the NASCAR Cup Series Quaker State 400

That was most evident in the roar of the crowd as they cheered his triumph.

"To see them that excited after the race for me was just crazy," Elliott said. "It was surreal. I don't really know how else to describe it. It's just one of those moments you wish you could bottle up and relive it." 

Elliott hasn’t had much of a chance to experience victory celebrations in recent years. 

The 2020 Cup champion snapped a 44-race winless streak with the win. Not only had he not won a race this year, he had not even won a stage. In his previous 99 starts, Elliott had managed just one victory.

So while he had five top fives and nine top 10s in 17 races coming into Sunday night, Elliott’s solid-but-no-trophy season had the vibe of more pretender than contender.

Chase Elliott celebrates after winning the NASCAR Cup Series Quaker State 400 

The victory Saturday night maybe changed all that. He won a wild race where only 21 drivers finished on the lead lap and 12 of the 40 cars were eliminated by accidents.

The racing at Atlanta, a 1.54-mile high-banked track, is supposed to be the same style as Daytona and Talladega. But drivers could often make runs even without help. Now when they had help, the run was virtually unstoppable.

The runs at the end