Chase Elliott won a back-and-forth battle in the closing laps of the prime-time NASCAR Cup Series race on Saturday, June 28 and set off a celebration in the grandstands of EchoPark Speedway as the Georgia native made good on his home track.
Elliott, NASCAR’s most popular driver, passed Brad Keselowski in Turn 2 of the final lap of the Quaker State 400, edging the RFK Racing driver and owner by 0.168 seconds as the fans roared their approval.
The 29-year-old scored his first victory of the 2025 season, taking the checkered flag for the first time in nearly nine months. But this win was special to the driver born and raised in Dawsonville, Georgia.
“Unbelievable! Are you kidding me? Thank you so much!” Elliott shouted to the crowd after climbing from his No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet.
Elliott was one of just a few drivers who avoided the massive wrecks that took out more than one-third of the field Saturday night and dinged up the majority of the cars. And because of that, he was able to battle up front in the final stage as the lead changed hands multiple times in the final 20 laps.
First it was Keselowski, then Zane Smith, then Alex Bowman. Then Keselowski again, and Bowman again, and Smith again. Then Ricky Stenhouse Jr. made a bold move to take the lead before Keselowski overtook him to reclaim it. But the final pass would belong to Elliott.
“What a special car,” Elliott said. “It was a lot of fun. This is something I’ll never forget.”
At times the track, until recently known as Atlanta Motor Speedway, resembled Talladega or Daytona with the two multicar crashes that ended Stage 1 and opened Stage 2. One contender after another – including pole winner Joey Logano, points leader William Byron, 2023 Cup Series champion Ryan Blaney, and three-race winners this season in Denny Hamlin and Christopher Bell – were taken out in those crashes, giving a slew of winless drivers a chance to celebrate in victory lane.
The crashes also upended the first round of the inaugural NASCAR In-Season Challenge, which opened Saturday night with a field of 32 contenders, who were seeded and matched up in head-to-head competitions. Sixteen of those drivers advanced to the second round next weekend on the streets of Chicago, and the other 16 were eliminated, including No. 1 seed Hamlin.
USA TODAY Sports had full coverage of the Quaker State 400 at EchoPark Speedway. Scroll below for results, highlights and a recap of the action.
NASCAR Atlanta Quaker State 400 extended highlights
NASCAR In-Season Challenge first round
The first round featured 32 drivers in 16 head-to-head matchups, with the goal to finish better than your opponent in the Quaker State 400. The 16 losers were eliminated and the 16 winners advanced to the second round next weekend in Chicago. Here are the full results and bracket:
Top half of draw
No. 32 Ty Dillon def. No. 1 Denny Hamlin (DNF)
No. 17 Brad Keselowski def. No. 16 Kyle Busch
No. 8 Alex Bowman def. No. 25 Joey Logano (DNF)
No. 9 Bubba Wallace def. No. 24 Daniel Suarez (DNF)
No. 12 John Hunter Nemechek def. No. 21 Josh Berry (DNF)
No. 5 Chase Elliott def. No. 28 Austin Dillon
No. 20 Erik Jones def. No. 13 Ross Chastain (DNF)
No. 29 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. def. No. 4 Christopher Bell (DNF)
Bottom half of draw
No. 31 Noah Gragson def. No. 2 Chase Briscoe (DNF)
No. 15 Ryan Preece def. No. 18 William Byron (DNF)
No. 26 Carson Hocevar def. No. 7 Ryan Blaney (DNF)
No. 23 Tyler Reddick def. No. 10 Kyle Larson
No. 22 AJ Allmendinger def. No. 11 Michael McDowell
No. 6 Ty Gibbs def. No. 27 Justin Haley
No. 14 Zane Smith def. No. 19 Austin Cindric (DNF)
No. 3 Chris Buescher def. No. 30 Todd Gilliland
NASCAR Atlanta Quaker State 400 results
Here are the top 10 finishers of the NASCAR Cup Series race at EchoPark Speedway on June 28 (starting position in parentheses):
(15) Chase Elliott, No. 9 Chevrolet
(6) Brad Keselowski, No. 6 Ford
(9) Alex Bowman, No. 48 Chevrolet
(23) Tyler Reddick, No. 45 Toyota
(26) Erik Jones, No. 43 Toyota
(37) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Chevrolet
(8) Zane Smith, No. 38 Ford
(14) Ty Dillon, No. 10 Chevrolet
(13) Chris Buescher, No. 17 Ford
(30) Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Chevrolet
FINISHING ORDER: Full results of the Quaker State 400
Chase Elliott win NASCAR Atlanta race
Georgina native Chase Elliott, NASCAR’s most popular driver, won on his home track, taking the lead on the final lap of the Quaker State 400 for his first victory of the 2025 season.
Elliott cleared Brad Keselowski for the lead off Turn 2 on Lap 259 of 260 then held off the RFK Racing driver to win by 0.168 seconds.
NASCAR Atlanta: Justin Haley brings out caution with 33 laps to go
Ty Dillon made contact with Justin Haley, causing Haley to spin and bring out the caution on Lap 227 of 260. No other cars were involved. The first two rows are being controlled by two teams: RFK Racing with Brad Keselowski and Chris Buescher, and Hendrick Motorsports with Chase Elliott and Alex Bowman.
NASCAR Atlanta race under caution at midpoint of Stage 3
The ninth caution of the race, for a spin by David Starr, halted the Quaker State 400 with 57 laps remaining. Chase Elliott, Brad Keselowski, Chris Buescher, Ryan Preece, Ty Gibbs and Alex Bowman hold the top 6 positions.
NASCAR Atlanta restarts with 70 laps to go
The Quaker State 400 restarted on Lap 191 of 260 with Ty Gibbs and Ryan Preece on the front row. Most of the field had come down pit road following the caution on Lap 176. Justin Haley, Chris Buescher, Chase Elliott and Ty Dillon are also racing in the top 6.
Tyler Reddick was penalized during his pit stop and lost his front row track position.
NASCAR Atlanta: Shane Van Gisbergen spins, brings out caution
Shane Van Gisbergen, racing in the top 10, spun into the grass on Lap 176 to bring out the yellow flag with 85 laps to go in the Quaker State 400. Alex Bowman had the lead at the time of caution followed by Brad Keselowski, Chase Elliott, Chris Buescher, Erik Jones and Tyler Reddick. Some drivers, including Buescher and Reddick, decided to come down pit road for fuel and tires, while others, including Bowman and Elliott, stayed out.
Chase Elliott begins Stage 3 with lead at Atlanta
A Georgia native and NASCAR’s most popular driver, Chase Elliott jumped out to the lead on the restart to begin Stage 3 of the Quaker State 400. Elliott got a push from Hendrick Motorsports teammate Alex Bowman.
Tyler Reddick wins NASCAR Atlanta Stage 2 in photo finish
Tyler Reddick and Chase Elliott battled right to the line to end Stage 2 as NASCAR went to video review to decide the winner of the 100-lap stage. Officials determined Reddick beat Elliott by 0.001 seconds to earn the stage win.
Chris Buescher, Alex Bowman, Erik Jones, Ty Dillon, Shane Van Gisbergen, John Hunter Nemechek, Zane Smith and Brad Keselowski rounded out the top 10.
Following the huge crash to open the second segment, there was only one other caution when Riley Herbst spun out on Lap 110 and collected Todd Gilliland.
NASCAR Atlanta Lap 220: Battle for the lead
Tyler Reddick and Alex Bowman are battling for the lead with 40 laps remaining in Stage 2. Chris Buescher, Zane Smith and Justin Haley are also racing in the top 5.
NASCAR Atlanta: Eight cars officially out of the race
Following the Big One to open Stage 2 and the multicar crash that ended Stage 1, eight drivers are officially out of the race: Josh Berry, Joey Logano, Ross Chastain, Daniel Suarez, William Byron, Austin Cindric, Cory LaJoie and Ryan Blaney.
Three Joe Gibbs Racing drivers remain in the garage while their teams attempt to make repairs: Denny Hamlin, Chase Briscoe and Christopher Bell.
NASCAR Atlanta race restarts on Lap 77
Chris Buescher and Ty Gibbs led the field to green for the restart of Stage 2. More than 10 cars are either out of the race or in the garage.
Garage area busy after crash to open Stage 2
Joey Logano joined Team Penske teammate Ryan Blaney with an early exit from the Quaker State 400 after his crew was unable to repair the big damage from the multicar crash to open Stage 2. NASCAR points leader William Byron was also in the garage along with last week’s leader Chase Briscoe and Trackhouse racing teammates Ross Chastain and Daniel Suarez.
NASCAR Atlanta Stage 2 opens with big crash
Moments after the green flag waved to start Stage 2, the Big One unfolded at EchoPark Speedway after Denny Hamlin made contact with John Hunter Nemechek, causing a massive crash that engulfed a large chunk of the field. Both cars had begun the second segement in the top 10, so multiple rows racing behind them were collected.
Hamlin, the No. 1 seed in the inaugural NASCAR In-Season Challenge, was towed to the garage as was Stage 1 winner Austin Cindric after both suffered major damage. Pole winner Joey Logano also sustained major damage. An estimated 23 cars were involved in the crash, which will have big implications for the first round of the Challenge.
NASCAR displayed the red flag on Lap 70 of 260 to tow cars off the track and clean up the oval.
NASCAR Atlanta race: Stage 2 begins
Chase Elliott and Chris Buescher led the field to green on a restart on Lap 69 of 260 to begin Stage 2 of the Quaker State 400 at EchoPark Speedway. The second and third segments are each scheduled for 100 laps.
Christopher Bell starts multicar crash; Stage 1 ends under caution
Christopher Bell got loose with three laps remaining in the 60-lap opening stage between Turn 3 and Turn 4 to trigger a multicar crash and bring out the caution flag. Ryan Blaney, Kyle Larson, Bubba Wallace, Austin Dillon, Kyle Busch and AJ Allmendinger were among the drivers who sustained some damage. Blaney exited his car, ending his race, after a hard hit into the outside wall. It was Blaney’s sixth DNF this season.
The stage finished under caution with Austin Cindric winning the opening segment. He was followed by Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano, William Byron, and Carson Hocevar in the top five. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Josh Berry, Shane Van Gisbergen, Chase Elliott and Wallace rounded out the top 10.
NASCAR Atlanta race restarts on Lap 48
Joey Logano and Austin Cindric led the field to green following a roughly 15-minute delay for weather. The majority of cars came down pit road prior to the restart for fuel, tires and/or adjustments, including Ryan Blaney, Chase Elliott, Kyle Busch, Bubba Wallace, Christopher Bell and Denny Hamlin. But the leaders stayed out. There are 12 laps remaining in the first stage.
NASCAR Atlanta race lap 43: Red flag waves
As the race remains under a weather delay at EchoPark Speedway, NASCAR officials displayed the red flag on Lap 43 and brought the cars down pit road. The rain remains light.
NASCAR Atlanta race lap 37: Caution flag waves
A light sprinkle has hit EchoPark Speedway bringing out the caution flag. Joey Logano has led every lap of the race so far. Drivers are expected to hit pit road for adjustments during the caution period.
NASCAR Atlanta race lap 35: Joey Logano leads
Pole winner Joey Logano has led all 35 laps in the opening stage of the Quaker State 400. The first stage is 60 laps. Austin Cindric, Josh Berry, Brad Keselowski, William Byraon and Kyle Larson round out the top six.
NASCAR Atlanta race starts as green flag flies
The green flag has waved for the Quaker State 400 at EchoPark Speedway in Hampton, Georgia. Joey Logano in the No. 22 Team Penske Ford is on the front row alongside Josh Berry in the Wood Brothers No. 21 Ford.
How to watch NASCAR Cup race at Atlanta: TV, stream
Race: Quaker State 400
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Location: EchoPark Speedway (Hampton, Georgia)
TV: TNT, alternate telecast on truTV
Live stream: Sling TV
Stream the Quaker State 400 on Sling
What is the green flag time for NASCAR Cup race at Atlanta?
The green flag to start the Quaker State 400 is scheduled for 7:19 p.m. ET on Saturday, June 28, at EchoPark Speedway in Hampton, Georgia.
What is the lineup for NASCAR Cup race at Atlanta?
Joey Logano won the pole for the Quaker State 400 in the No. 22 Team Penske Ford as Ford drivers took the top eight spots in qualifying. Josh Berry will start alongside Logano on the front row in the No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford. Logano’s Penske teammates Ryan Blaney and Austin Cindric, qualified third and fourth, respectively, and will start on the second row.
QUAKER STATE 400 LINEUP: Full starting lineup for tonight’s race at Atlanta
What is the weather forecast for NASCAR Cup race at Atlanta?
The Weather Channel is calling for a 65% chance of isolated thunderstorms around the Hampton, Georgia area, with the track placed on a lightning hold around 5:30 p.m. ET and lifted just after 6 p.m. ET. If rain hits the track, it should clear out of the area later this evening, with the forecast changing to showers around 9 p.m. ET and mostly cloudy skies at 10 p.m. ET. Temperatures will drop from the low 80s to the mid-to-low 70s.
NASCAR In-Season Challenge first-round pairings
Here are the pairings for the first-round race at Echo Park Speedway (formerly Atlanta Motor Speedway) on Saturday, June 28. The winner of each head-to-head matchup advances to the next round.
Top half of draw
No. 1 Denny Hamlin vs. No. 32 Ty Dillon
No. 16 Kyle Busch vs. No. 17 Brad Keselowski
No. 8 Alex Bowman vs. No. 25 Joey Logano
No. 9 Bubba Wallace vs. No. 24 Daniel Suarez
No. 12 John Hunter Nemechek vs. No. 21 Josh Berry
No. 5 Chase Elliott vs. No. 28 Austin Dillon
No. 13 Ross Chastain vs. No. 20 Erik Jones
No. 4 Christopher Bell vs. No. 29 Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Bottom half of draw
No. 2 Chase Briscoe vs. No. 31 Noah Gragson
No. 15 Ryan Preece vs. No. 18 William Byron
No. 7 Ryan Blaney vs. No. 26 Carson Hocevar
No. 10 Kyle Larson vs. No. 23 Tyler Reddick
No. 11 Michael McDowell vs. No. 22 AJ Allmendinger
No. 6 Ty Gibbs vs. No. 27 Justin Haley
No. 14 Zane Smith vs. No. 19 Austin Cindric
No. 3 Chris Buescher vs. No. 30 Todd Gilliland
How NASCAR In-Season Challenge works: Matchups, rounds
The NASCAR In-Season Challenge puts the 32 drivers in a bracket, which begins with 16 first-round matchups.
The No. 1 seed faces the No. 32 seed in the first round, the No. 2 seed takes on the No. 31 seed, No. 3 matches up with the. No. 30 seed, etc. The losers of the head-to-head matchups will be eliminated, and the 16 winners will advance to the second round, where the winner of the No. 1 vs. No. 32 matchup will face the winner of the No. 16 vs. No. 17 matchup, the winner of the No. 2 vs. No. 31 matchup takes on the winner of the No. 15 vs. No. 18 matchup, etc.
Like March Madness, the tournament will move from a Round of 32 to a Sweet 16 to an Elite Eight to a Final Four and finally a championship race.
First round: 32 drivers in 16 head-to-head matchups; 16 drivers eliminated at end of race.
Second round: 16 drivers in eight head-to-head matchups; eight drivers eliminated at end of race.
Third round: Eight drivers in four head-to-head matchups; four drivers eliminated at end of race.
Fourth round: Four drivers in two head-to-head matchups; two drivers eliminated at end of race.
Fifth round: Two drivers in a head-to-head matchup; winner wins the in-season challenge.
TOURNAMENT: Full visual NASCAR In-Season Challenge bracket
How many laps is the NASCAR Cup race at Atlanta?
The Quaker State 400 is 260 laps around the 1.54-mile oval for a total of 400.4 miles. The race will feature three segments (laps per stage) — Stage 1: 60 laps; Stage 2: 100 laps; Stage 3: 100 laps.
What time does the NASCAR Cup race at Atlanta start?
The Quaker State 400 is scheduled to start at 7 p.m. ET on Saturday, June 28, at EchoPark Speedway in Hampton, Georgia.
NASCAR In-Season Challenge races
All times Eastern
Round 1 — 32 drivers
Echo Park Speedway (formerly Atlanta Motor Speedway)
Saturday, June 28 | 7 p.m. | TNT, truTV altcast
Round 2 — 16 drivers
Chicago street race
Sunday, July 6 | 2 p.m. | TNT, truTV altcast
Round 3 — 8 drivers
Sonoma Raceway
Sunday, July 13 | 3:30 p.m. | TNT, truTV altcast
Round 4 — 4 drivers
Dover Motor Speedway
Sunday, July 20 | 2 p.m. | TNT, truTV altcast
Round 5 championship — 2 drivers
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Sunday, July 27 | 2 p.m. | TNT, truTV altcast
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