Chase Elliott reflects on 'incredible' home track Atlanta win, running joke surrounding paint scheme

Chase Elliott was excited to win the NASCAR Cup Series race at EchoPark Speedway in Atlanta on Saturday since it is his home track. While speaking to Kevin Harvick on Victory Lap, Elliott talked about the victory and his paint scheme for the No. 9 Chevrolet.

“It was incredible,” Elliott said. “Just everything about it is different. It’s just extremely meaningful. Just the whole picture of everything that was going on and everything that had gone into the week.”

“Historically, the Design to Drive paint scheme has had pretty poor results, and it was kind of a running joke really going into the weekend. So, just couldn’t be more proud of the entire effort.”

Elliott then talked about Rhealynn Mills, the 11-year-old who designed the Design to Driver paint scheme for the No. 9 car. “Rhealynn and the Mills family, just that whole picture was just incredible,” he said. “Their attitudes are amazing, very contagious. It was fun to watch her kind of warm up to all of us throughout the day. Hopefully, we gave her and her family an experience and a moment that they’ll remember forever, because we certainly received that on our end, and she was a large part of it.”

Chase Elliott shares more on his victory in Atlanta

“Big win. Nice to get back to Victory Lane anywhere, anytime,” Elliott continued. “But to do it at home on a Saturday night was pretty neat.”

This was Elliott’s first victory of the regular season, and he’s officially in the playoffs. This was also the 29-year-old’s 20th career Cup Series race win in 340 starts. Since winning the Cup Series Championship in 2020, Elliott has finished in the top five of the standings twice in the last four seasons.

After the race, Elliott spoke to reporters about appreciating wins more after snapping his 44-race winless streak. “I think there’s definitely been lessons throughout that that certainly have made me enjoy them. But truthfully, I was already to a point even before Texas or the road to that, even the road to tonight, that I think I knew that to a pretty large degree,” Elliott said.

“Truthfully, I think the road to one was long enough, and there had been enough close calls and enough just gut-wrenching losses, all those second places that led to Watkins Glen. Fortunately, I think I got a pretty good taste of that. Or, unfortunately, however you want to look at it. But I got a pretty good taste of it early on.”