Chase Elliott’s dog Blitz steals show in Atlanta Victory Lane

Chase Elliott made a last-lap pass on Brad Keselowski on Saturday night to win. He took a great push from Alex Bowman to get to the lead. Bowman then played good teammate and side-drafted Keselowski for position, instead of building a run.

This is the second time Elliott has won at Atlanta. Both wins have come in the superspeedway-style configuration. This win seemed to mean more than most, though. Elliott appeared overwhelmed by the result and the response from the crowd.

A very popular win. When Chase Elliott is at his best and winning races, it makes all of NASCAR better. People like to tune in when he’s winning and contending for wins.

Chase Elliott couldn’t believe Atlanta win

After exiting his car, having won the Quaker State 400, Chase Elliott didn’t really know what to say. He had just won at Atlanta under the lights on a Saturday night. A rarity in recent years in NASCAR. He had a special paint scheme benefiting Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. On top of that, it is his 20th career win.

“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.”

44 races without a win. Chase Elliott was saving this one for a special occasion. There has been a lot of doubt around this team. I’m not ready to say that one race completely wipes that doubt away. But it is clear that Elliott and crew chief Alan Gustafson are starting to figure things out.

Three straight top-five finishes and a win. Elliott has run well at Chicago. He’s capable of winning at Sonoma. He has multiple wins at Dover in his career. Watkins Glen isn’t too far away. There are really solid tracks up ahead on the schedule for Elliott, and he could find himself with multiple wins before the playoffs.