Chase Elliott reveals 'super sketchy' aspect of Atlanta track, early concerns ahead of NASCAR Cup win

Chase Elliott snapped a year-long winless streak with a victory at EchoPark Speedway (formerly known as Atlanta Motor Speedway) this past weekend. It certainly didn’t come easy though, as the Hendrick Motorsports star survived an onslaught of wrecks and some stiff competition to get to Victory Lane.

Afterwards, he joined Kevin Harvick on this week’s Victory Lap. Elliott woke down everything that went down in Atlanta, and how the track concerned him a bit in the beginning of the race, before he battened down the hatches and was able to ascend to the win.

“It hasn’t really changed a ton. I don’t know if you experienced this, but really, probably the last three races there, I feel like the first run is super sketchy, for whatever reason,” Elliott told Harvick. “Then, this time even more so than it has been, it was so, you know — everybody’s so far into the corner of having the back of the cars down, and superspeedway-esque setups. We started that first run of the race and I’m like, ‘Man, we have messed up,’ you know, bad.

“It went through the normal transition, and I don’t know what happens to the track or what changes it from the start of the run to the end. Certainly the nightfall, this particular trip, I’m sure had an impact on it. I’ve seen this even during the day, by halfway, the track was super locked down. Had a lot of grip, and you could get away with, you know, those high stop loads and things that you would typically do at speedways only.”

Regardless of the challenges thrown his way, Elliott was able to fight off his peers and win at his home track. Afterwards, the Hendrick Motorsports star was filled with emotion, climbing into the stands to celebrate with his fellow Georgians, and they responded by starting a “Let’s Go Chase” chant.

“Unbelievable. Unbelievable. How about that? Are you kidding me?” Elliott told TNT‘s Marty Snider on Saturday night. “I’ve never in my life. This is unbelievable. Thank you guys so much. What a special car.

“Just a huge thanks to NAPA Auto Parts and everything they do for me and to benefit Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. … It was a lot of fun. This right here is something I will never forget, so thank you guys so much.”

Perhaps Chase Elliott can go on a little run this summer, notching another victory or two, using the momentum gained from Atlanta. One thing is for sure, he impressed Kevin Harvick this past weekend, and the sky is the limit for him over the remainder of 2025.