Chase Elliott in disbelief reacting to Quaker State 400 win in Atlanta: ‘Are you kidding me?’

Chase Elliott won the Quaker State 400 at EchoPark Speedway in Atlanta on Saturday night, and he couldn’t believe it. After the race, Elliott shared his reaction to winning the race in front of his hometown fans.

“Unbelievable. Unbelievable. How about that? Are you kidding me?” Chase Elliott said on the TNT broadcast. “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.”

This was Elliott’s first win of the season, meaning he has clinched a spot in the playoffs. Saturday’s victory in Atlanta was also Elliott’s first since April 14, 2024, when he won the Texas race.

Chase Elliott finally broke through in Atlanta

In some ways, the win was a sigh of relief for Elliott and the No. 9 team. They have been consistent all season long but haven’t been able to break through until Saturday.

“I think a product of a lot of hard work and just a collective effort of just trying to make some improvement and that’s always the goal. Just trying to keep chipping away and I think the team is in a really good spot,” Elliott said in early June, via Bob Pockrass of FOX Sports. “We had a really good week on pit road, they kept me in the game last week and they gave me two or three [positions] on every stop, and I’d give away five or six.

“It was a frustrating night on my end, but I thought the car performed really well and all the pieces to the puzzle were really in place. Just need to continuously work on my craft and make sure that I’m doing my part.”

Elliott has put together a strong NASCAR Cup Series career. Along with 20 career victories, the 29-year-old won the NASCAR Cup Series title in 2020 and the regular season title in 2022. Additionally, Elliott has been named NASCAR Cup Series’ Most Popular Driver for the last seven years.