Georgia native Chase Elliott gave his hometown crowd something to remember Saturday night, pulling off a dramatic last-lap pass on Brad Keselowski to win the 2025 Quaker State 400 Available at Walmart at EchoPark Speedway. The race, which opened NASCAR’s new In-Season Challenge tournament, was nothing short of a demolition derby with strategy, survival, and stunning upsets shaping the storyline.
Elliott’s long-awaited return to Victory Lane snapped a 44-race winless streak and earned him his 20th career Cup Series win and a guaranteed playoff berth. It was also his second win at Atlanta—now known as EchoPark Speedway—and Hendrick Motorsports’ third win of the season, joining Kyle Larson and William Byron on the victory board.
Chase Elliott Closes the Deal in a Wild Final Lap
After stalking the lead group through several late restarts, Elliott capitalized on Keselowski getting loose in Turn 3 of the final lap. The No. 9 Chevrolet darted underneath the RFK Racing Ford and held off a charge from behind to take the checkered flag.
“I really wanted this one for my hometown folks. They’ve stuck with me—and this feels sweet.” – Chase Elliott
Behind him, Keselowski, Alex Bowman, Tyler Reddick, and Erik Jones completed the top five. For Keselowski, it was yet another case of so close, yet so far as he continues his pursuit of a win with RFK.
Multicar Wreck Eliminates 19 Cars on Lap 70
The biggest moment of the night came at Lap 70, when a massive pileup on the backstretch eliminated 19 cars and dramatically reshaped the race.
It began when Denny Hamlin, the top seed in the In-Season Challenge bracket, was turned sideways while running mid-pack. The accordion effect collected drivers like Ross Chastain, William Byron, Austin Cindric, and Josh Berry, bringing out the red flag and busting brackets across the NASCAR fanbase.
Hamlin would finish 31st, opening the door for Ty Dillon, the tournament’s 32nd and lowest seed, to pull off a bracket-busting upset by finishing eighth and advancing to the second round in Chicago.
Early Incidents Take Out Contenders
Even before the chaos at Lap 70, contenders were dropping like flies.
Christopher Bell’s night took a nosedive at the end of Stage 1 after contact with Kyle Larson sent him spinning into the path of Bubba Wallace, collecting both Toyotas. Bell would return briefly but ultimately retired in 30th, while Wallace soldiered on before a late-race spin dropped him to 22nd.
Ryan Blaney, meanwhile, suffered the worst luck of all. On Lap 56, Austin Dillon spun in front of him, and Blaney had nowhere to go. The impact sent the No. 12 Ford hard into the outside wall in Turn 4, ending his night in 40th, dead last.
Surprise Names Fill the Top 10
As top seeds and playoff regulars fell victim to incidents, a group of underdogs surged to career-highlight finishes:
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. fought through the chaos to finish sixth.
Zane Smith, in his rookie season, secured a strong seventh-place run.
Ty Dillon used pit strategy and track position to run eighth and eliminate Hamlin.
Chris Buescher and Carson Hocevar rounded out the top 10 in survival-mode finishes.
These results not only shook up the In-Season Challenge bracket but also tightened the playoff bubble, with valuable points being snatched by unlikely names.
Full Results: Quaker State 400 at EchoPark Speedway
| POS | Driver |
| 1 | Chase Elliott |
| 2 | Brad Keselowski |
| 3 | Alex Bowman |
| 4 | Tyler Reddick |
| 5 | Erik Jones |
| 6 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. |
| 7 | Zane Smith |
| 8 | Ty Dillon |
| 9 | Chris Buescher |
| 10 | Carson Hocevar |
| 11 | Connor Zilisch |
| 12 | AJ Allmendinger |
| 13 | Cody Ware |
| 14 | Ty Gibbs |
| 15 | Ryan Preece |
| 16 | BJ McLeod |
| 17 | Kyle Larson |
| 18 | |
| 19 | Cole Custer |
| 20 | Austin Dillon |
| 21 | Kyle Busch |
| 22 | Bubba Wallace |
| 23 | Justin Haley |
| 24 | |
| 25 | Noah Gragson |
| 26 | |
| 27 | Todd Gilliland |
| 28 | Riley Herbst |
| 29 | David Starr |
| 30 | Christopher Bell |
| 31 | Denny Hamlin |
| 32 | Josh Berry |
| 33 | Ross Chastain |
| 34 | Daniel Suárez |
| 35 | Chase Briscoe |
| 36 | Joey Logano |
| 37 | William Byron |
| 38 | Austin Cindric |
| 39 | Corey LaJoie |
| 40 | Ryan Blaney |
News in Brief: 2025 Quaker State 400 Full Results
Saturday’s Quaker State 400 wasn’t just another superspeedway free-for-all—it was a turning point. For Chase Elliott, it’s a shot of momentum and validation after a long drought. For RFK Racing, it’s a missed opportunity. And for the rest of the field, it’s a wake-up call: chaos reigns at EchoPark, and no one is safe.
The In-Season Challenge bracket now heads to Chicago’s Street Course for Round 2, with Cinderella stories like Ty Dillon still alive and top seeds like Hamlin on the sidelines.
If Atlanta was any indication, the road to the $1 million prize—and the playoffs—will be anything but predictable.
ALSO READ: Who Wins Atlanta? 5 Cup Stars to Watch in the 2025 Quaker State 400
