HAMPTON, Ga. -- The roars of the crowd were audible inside of the media center at EchoPark Speedway, and for good reason. The Georgia fans had just watched Chase Elliott snap a winless streak at his home track.
Brad Keselowski took the white flag as the leader at EchoPark Speedway, but Elliott dove to his inside and made the race-winning pass in Turn 2. This run put him at the front of the pack at the right time, and he cruised his way to the finish line.
Elliott scored his first win since Texas Motor Speedway in April 2024, and he won for the second time at his home track. More importantly, he punched his ticket to the playoffs.
THE SI-REEN SOUNDS AGAIN! @chaseelliott wins with a last-lap pass of @keselowski! pic.twitter.com/NHal3tq03c
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) June 29, 2025
"Unbelievable. How about that? Are you kidding me? I never in my life," a stunned Elliott told TNT Sports after climbing from the No. 9 Chevrolet.
"This is unbelievable. Thank you guys so much. What a special car. It was a lot of fun. This right here is something I'll never forget."
Elliott added to the memories. Once he completed his burnout, he unlocked the gate in the catchfence and headed into the grandstands to celebrate with the fans.
The Georgia fans seemed excited about this Chase Elliott win. pic.twitter.com/O1pvW4Vwal
— John Newby (@JohnNewby_) June 29, 2025
Elliott explained his emotions during an appearance on the TNT Sports post-race show. He spoke about delivering this win in front of his home fans on a Saturday night. He also explained how this meant more to the No. 9 team based on their season.
Elliott is a champion who now has 20 trips to victory lane in his Cup Series career. Yet, he has not been as consistent in the Gen 7 era, something he has acknowledged many times since 2022.
He and his team have showcased speed, and they have contended for wins, but they haven't been in the mix as much as they were in the Gen 6 car.
This season, in particular, has featured Elliott and the No. 9 team running well. They are the only team to finish top 20 in every race this season. They entered the EchoPark Speedway weekend with nine top-10 finishes and five top-fives, but they did not always have the race-winning speed.
The Saturday night race at EchoPark Speedway was a different story. Elliott's car didn't handle exactly how he wanted when the sun was out, but it improved significantly as night descended upon his home track. He was able to move through the field with ease while making aggressive moves to the inside. He had the speed and the handling he needed to score this win.
"Well I just think that, honestly, all the cards fell on the right places there those last couple laps," Elliott added. "What a crazy race, man. I don't know if y'all had fun, but it was wild from my seat. I'm so glad we got to run that thing out there to the end."