The crowd’s reaction to Chase Elliott‘s victory at Atlanta last year is something he will never forget. Planning a perfect pass on the last lap, he overtook Brad Keselowski to break his 44-race winless streak in style. And the win wasn’t just his own, for it was the energy of his fans that pushed him to be at his best. Tomorrow, when he lines up on the grid for the race, he wants to make his home crowd proud once again.

Chase Elliott draws comparisons to entertainers with Atlanta victory

Dawsonville’s Chase Elliott is no stranger to the EchoPark Speedway. First, it was his father, Bill Elliott, who earned the fame at the track. Now, it is his turn to compete for the same and earn it. While talking to PRN Live about his last year’s victory, Elliott revealed his true emotions for the track and its audience.

“I have not been a part of many crowd interactions that were that lively. I felt it must be what a country singer feels like or what an entertainer does on a weekly basis. But, for just a NASCAR driver, I thought that was pretty amazing. The fans deserve a lot of credit for that, right? I think you said it—the racing was so exciting and fun, like over the last 15-20 laps.

“I think they were going to be fired up regardless. But for me, being from there, and that being my home track, I had a lot of friends that were there—that I didn’t even know were going. So, it was kinda cool to find out about later. Just a ton of energy. Something I will never forget. Like I said, I think the fans deserve a ton of credit for making that so special.”

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Elliott’s victory at Atlanta was nothing short of a miracle. It was a chaotic race that brought damage to many drivers. Amongst all the chaos and drivers crashing out on track, Elliott was able to sneak his way to victory safely.

In the race that saw 46 lead changes, teammate Alex Bowman gifted Elliott a push on the final two laps, leaving behind Keselowski. Elliott was flabbergasted at his win and was unable to stop his overflowing excitement.

“I’ve never in my whole life—this is unbelievable,” Elliott said. “This is something I’ll remember the rest of my life.”

To put the danger into perspective, here’s what Denny Hamlin had to say about the race. “Some zigged. Some zagged. Most crashed.”

As the drivers get ready for Sunday’s race, all three of them are in the same boat after the first race of the season. Elliott, in particular, is the one who faced the worst heartbreak in the 2026 Daytona 500. He lost a well-deserved victory at the final turn when he crashed out in the end.

What does the grid look like for tomorrow’s Cup race?

The weather brought forth a lot of bad luck for the drivers who were expecting to make a turnaround in the race tomorrow. They were unable to participate in the qualifying session on Saturday due to heavy rain. As such, the NASCAR rulebook mandates that the starting grid will be set according to the championship standings. Here’s the starting grid for tomorrow:

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