The Quaker State 400 at EchoPark Speedway kicked off this weekend’s NASCAR In-Season Challenge, and anticipation was sky-high. Chase Elliott emerged victorious, seizing the lead in Turn 1 on the final lap to clinch his first win of the 2025 season and 2nd career victory at this venue. Leading 41 laps overall, Elliott held off Brad Keselowski by just 0.168 seconds and punched his ticket into the next round of the In-Season Challenge. While most pundits expected a typical speedway showdown, the event was soon upended by massive wrecks that promised nothing ordinary for night one of the tournament. But the post-race interview spotlight was stolen by Richard Childress Racing and its very own legacy holder.

Among the weekend’s biggest surprises was the performance of Ty Dillon, who averaged a season-best 8th-place finish and clinched a Round 1 upset over the tournament’s top speed, Denny Hamlin. Dillon advanced to Round 2 and morphed from bracket underdog to bracket breaker in one fell swoop. Meanwhile, Hamlin’s night unraveled spectacularly in a shocking Lap 69 pile-up. Contact with John Hunter Nemechek sent him into the wall, setting off a massive wreck that collected 23 cars, including several tournament favorites. The drama prompted a red-flag stoppage as dust settled, and left Hamlin grappling with his third DNF of the season.

In the post-race interview, Ty Dillon celebrated his race ranking with a tongue-in-cheek trademark taunt against Denny Hamlin, saying, “To all of you @DennyHamlin fans out there, I just knocked your favorite driver out [of the In-Season Tournament].” This statement prompted a mix of fan reactions as the internet was divided over Dillon and his antics after not really having a good enough season so far. But Hamlin didn’t take it to heart, as in a humorous reply on Instagram, Hamlin just gave a one-word reply, “Legend,” on Dillon’s comment. While the win may have come from the impact that the multiple-car pile-up had on the field, fans could not help but argue that Dillon, too, deserved the win.

But it wasn’t just Denny Hamlin and Ty Dillon who felt the impact. Stars like Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney, William Byron, and Bubba Wallace were all swept up in the carnage. Corey Lajoie summed up the crash perfectly, jokingly saying, “I don’t know what we’re doing. We just started the second stage. I don’t know why we’re pushing like we’re damn bumper cars at Frankie’s fun park. That’s not to be surprised. I think there’s a lot of guys who don’t make wise decisions driving these things on speedways.” Between weather delays, lightning holds, and stage-ending wrecks, stages 1 and 2 alone felt like a microcosm of unpredictable nature that this In-Season bracket aims to showcase.

But perhaps the most electric moment wasn’t on the track but shortly after Ty Dillon‘s comment. Fan reactions on social media were louder and more divided than ever, while some cheered Dillon’s bold advancement, and the Hamlin loyalists fumed at what they saw as a fluke trashing their hero’s season. The buzz has transformed the race from just another speedway script into a full-blown narrative battle, setting the stage for one of the most talked-about mid-season clashes in recent NASCAR memory.

Atlanta sparks heated debate among NASCAR fans

“Says the mediocre driver who gets rides because of his grandfather,” one fan commented, not taking the comment lightly. Ty Dillon, grandson of Richard Childress, has faced the ire from some fans over the years, as critics point to his seat being assured more by family ties than on-track performance. Despite running over 260 Cup races, he remains winless, with just seven Top-10s, and an average finish hovering around 23rd place. Analysts also noted that the main contention has always been the bountiful opportunities given to nepotism kids, despite lackluster performances. Some even argue that any other driver who didn’t have a veteran team owner as a grandfather would’ve seen their career end long ago.

Another added to the criticism, writing, “It’s pretty sad that this is the biggest highlight of Ty’s cup career.” Dillon remains winless, with just 1 podium finish, which was a third place at Talladega in October 2020, and not-so-well performances in recent years. His lone top-3 came during a chaotic superspeedway race where he slipped through a wreck field to finish behind the top two, earning his career-best result, but offered little else to showcase. For a driver with he backing of Richard Childress Racing, critics argue that a single top finish after hundreds of starts may not be worth celebrating.

Others felt that the multiple on-field wrecks were instrumental in Dillon securing his eighth-place finish, as one commented, “Unless he caused the wreck that took out half the field he didn’t really do anything, as usual.” Other than the 23-car pileup involving Hamlin and John Hunter Nemeckheck, Dillon only acknowledged a minor contact with Justin Haley, and rather than causing chaos, the former navigated through the debris, climbing from outside the top 15 back into the top 10, finishing 8th and advancing by default. It was a good points day when the rest of the field was out of contention, but to see Dillon boast about his achievement didn’t sit well with the fans.

But there were many who also appreciated Dillon for his work and planned out strategies on the track. One fan commented, “love Denny but props to Ty. well played young man..and denny will probably approve if were being honest,” which Hamlin eventually did, silencing all criticisms aimed at Dillon. While Hamlin fans might have been furious at the comment, one cannot forget the fact that it was Hamlin himself who made the phrase popular, notably after his win at Michigan International Speedway. This is also his trademark trash-talk style, famously employed after victories at Bristol in 2023 and the Clash at the LA Coliseum in early 2024, which cemented his reputation as NASCAR’s unapologetic heel.

And while Hamlin loyalists approve of this style, if it were the other way round, it would’ve been normal to see the opposition fans reacting the same way, as one fan confirmed, “As a Denny fan I gotta say that was a good line. Credit where credit due.”

Ty Dillon’s Atlanta moment may not rewrite the NASCAR record books, but it reignited conversations about underdogs and earned swagger. While his career has often flown under the radar, moments like this offer flashes of sharp personality and surprising poise. Meanwhile, NASCAR’s bracket experiment continues to stir the pot, both on track and online. Whether fan or critic, no one left Atlanta without something to say.