When the green flag dropped at EchoPark Speedway, Chase Elliott found himself deep in the mid-pack, 18th to be exact, buried under the roar and chaos of the Quaker State 400. Nearly immediately, disaster struck: a massive 23‑car wreck in Stage 2 forced a red flag, scattering contenders and disrupting strategies. Elliott, however, navigated the melee with precision, avoiding carnage and working his way into the top‑10 by the end of Stage 1. And as the race resumed with intensity, Elliott began methodically dismantling the field. 

Each corner, each push from his pit wall, chipped away until it was down to a two‑man duel: Chase in the No. 9 NAPA Chevrolet and Brad Keselowski, who’d dominated the longer green‑flag stretch. Then came the final-lap crescendo: Alex Bowman, a Hendrick teammate, slid alongside Keselowski as Elliott dove low in Turn 2. Tires barely an inch from the apron, he powered past Brad off Turn 4, the hometown crowd erupting in an unforgettable crescendo. This wasn’t simply a 44‑race drought-ender; the stakes had never felt higher, and the reward never sweeter. 

As fireworks cracked over the infield and his pit crew swarmed the No. 9 Chevy, Elliott hopped out with a wide grin, arms raised in triumph. He soaked in the thunderous cheers of his Georgia crowd, then thanked his team, NAPA Auto Parts, and 11‑year‑old Rhealynn Mills, the young fan behind the car’s hand-drawn paint scheme. He was buzzing, energized by the moment. But as the adrenaline settled just enough, and the post-race adrenaline gave way to reflection, Elliott turned to the camera with a light smile and sent a message meant for one man. A message years in the making.

Chase Elliott said, “Say hey to Mr. Hendrick at home—thanks for sticking with me, pal. And yeah, just again, thanks to all you guys, ’cause this right here is—you can’t dream of this.” Many doubted Elliott’s pedigree in 2025, with just one win in 2024, and a shortened winless season before that, the #9 looked bleak in 2025, too. Elliott struggled to lead laps or even win stages for most of the season, but Rick Hendrick never stopped backing him. And how could he?

Rick Hendrick might have been absent at the track on Saturday night, but he has been ever-present in Chase’s story. Back in 2011, Rick Hendrick wasn’t actively looking to sign another young talent. The garage was full of teenage females with promise, and the risk-reward math didn’t always add up. But then he saw a 15-year-old Chase Elliott in action.

The son of NASCAR legend Bill Elliott, Chase wasn’t just riding his father’s legacy; he was carving his own. Hendrick describes the moment with a vivid metaphor, saying, “It’s almost like you get a registered Doberman with such a good pedigree, you know he could be a champion. I just felt he was somebody I was willing to invest in.”

That investment quickly proved fruitful. Chase climbed the development ranks with poise and purpose. By 2016, he earned Rookie of the Year honors in the Cup Series, replacing Jeff Gordon in the iconic No. 24. By 2020, he delivered Hendrick Motorsports a Cup Series championship. Along the way, he became NASCAR’s seven-time most popular driver, winning over fans not just with speed but with humility and heart.

That’s what made Sunday night at EchoPark Speedway so much more than a race. When Elliot extended his gratitude to Mr. H, it wasn’t just a post-race tribute. It was a decade of history compressed into five words. A message for the man who never gave up on him, even when it would’ve been easier to. However, Chase Elliott did steal the win from Brad Keselowski, and as the #9 goes on to celebrate, Brad expresses his heartbreak.

Hendrick Duo snatched the win from Keselowski in a final lap ambush

Brad Keselowski was a formidable force at Atlanta. After starting upfront, he dominated much of the race, leading 46 laps, including the critical stretch from laps 255 to 259, demonstrating clean speed and consistency. It looked like Brad had the perfect setup, especially on the long green flag run late in the race. He even led into the final restart with 33 laps remaining.

As the laps wound down, the pack tightened, and teamwork began to trump solo driving. On the closing circuits, Brad found himself sandwiched by Hendrick Motorsports teammates Chase Elliott and Alex Bowman. They came together like a pincer, and when Elliott dove low for the final lap bid, Bowman’s push sealed the deal. Keselowski gave it everything he had, but it wasn’t enough to hold off the double-teaming attack.

Brad went on to explain post-race, saying, “(Elliott) got a great push from (Bowman). If those guys would race, I could hold them off, but when they double-teamed me like that, it was the same thing when we had a couple of teammates, we were able to hold them off. We lost that at the end, and they were able to double-team me. Good effort, led a lot of laps, in position. I don’t think there was anything I could do differently. Just put ourselves in position.”

Despite falling short, Keselowski himself took the loss with Grace, acknowledging that the No. 9 lock pushed the dynamic. He said, “Every loss hurts. I don’t dwell on it. We’ll go onto next week and try to win.” It was a reminder that in NASCAR, sometimes speed isn’t enough; strategy, timing, and a bit of drafting luck can make all the difference. What did you think of the Quaker State 400? Let us know in the comments!