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‘Wild:’ NASCAR Cup Series Fans Respond To Chase Elliott Claiming Quaker State 400 Available At Walmart Thriller At EchoPark Speedway

Jeff Hawkins Written by Sports EditorJeff Hawkins
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‘Wild:’ NASCAR Cup Series Fans Respond To Chase Elliott Claiming Quaker State 400 Available At Walmart Thriller At EchoPark Speedway

NASCAR Cup Series insiders spoke about the moment when the big accident would occur.  

They knew it was coming.  

Since the renamed EchoPark Speedway reconfigured the 1.54-mile oval into a drafting track, circuit events have averaged nine caution periods. The debate continues: Should the teams run with restricted horsepower engines? The rule helped equalize the field, leading to high-risk pack racing. 

Like on Lap 69 during Saturday night’s Quaker State 400 Available at Walmart in Hampton, Georgia. 

The big one came, initiated by a bad push between Denny Hamlin and John Hunter Nemechek while fighting for P8. Nemechek’s No. 42 Toyota hit the wall, but escaped series damage. Hamlin, however, finished P37 after spinning into Noah Gragson’s machine, which fueled the multi-car crash.  

The venue continues to deliver heavy doses of drama. Highlighted by 45 lead changes, there’s no debate there.

From 10 total caution periods to a photo-finish at the end of Stage 2, to five of the top 10 drivers starting the final segment needing a win to get into the playoffs. Chase Elliott, a Georgia native who has finished in the top 20 in each outing this season, earned his first win of the season at his home track.

“Unbelievable,” Elliott told TNT Sports after the last-lap pass. “How about that? Are you kidding me? What a crazy race. This is something I’ll never forget.

“Wild.”

X (Twitter) users responded to the new race within the race. Saturday night marked the start of the inaugural In-Season Challenge, pitting 32 drivers in separate head-to-head matchups within the race. The bracket-style challenge will continue for five weeks and the winner will receive $1 million. After the big Atlanta accident, good luck with your bracket …

Elliott’s last-lap pass Saturday night, ending an evening of high drama …

Introducing the former Atlanta Motor Speedway. Saturday night marked the seventh outing on the reconfigured track …

Larry McReynolds’ keys to winning Saturday night …

New track name, same race-starting call …

Going green at EchoPark Speedway …

After pole-sitter Joey Logano led the field for the opening 43 laps, the Cup machines were red-flagged because of Stage 1 rain …

Christopher Bell, who led one lap to win the spring Atlanta race, ignited a bracket-busting incident on Lap 57, collecting several top contenders, including Ryan Blaney, AJ Allmendinger, Kyle Busch and Bubba Wallace. The accident came one lap after Bell created a three-wide situation with Kyle Larson, Austin Dillon and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. for P7. After his No. 20 Toyota received a bump, Bell’s machine started spinning slowly down the track, triggering the melee …

Austin Cindric earned the Stage 1 win under caution, but soon found his machine behind the wall …

Bell spun out on Lap 69, creating a classic Atlanta scenario …

Searching for perfect symbolism for fans’ In-Season Challenge brackets, check out Hamlin’s No. 11 Toyota. During the red-flag situation, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. said on his team radio: “People at home went, ‘Dang,’ there went my bracket.”  …

The event’s fourth caution was called on Lap 110 after Riley Herbst spun out of P5 along Turn 4 after making contact with Elliott’s No. 9 Chevrolet. Todd Gilliland absorbed part of the collision …

With both drivers vying for their first stage win of the season, Tyler Reddick edged Elliott. Both entered the final stage needing a win to qualify for the postseason. One got it …

What happened to Wallace? He’s certainly not being like Mike …

Stage three highlighted the Atlanta drama. Over the final 35 laps, the lead changed hands nine times …

Elloitt must like home cooking …

Jeff Hawkins Written by Sports EditorJeff Hawkins
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry, in both print and digital media. He joined the Sportscasting team in 2021 following a decade of freelancing. He spent his early career as a reporter for various newspapers in Illinois, New York, Florida, North Carolina, and Michigan, with a particular emphasis as a beat reporter for the Chicago Blackhawks. Jeff earned his bachelor's degree in journalism from Oakland University. Over the course of his career he earned several sports writing awards, including two national awards from the Associated Press Sports Editors for column writing and news reporting. One of the five prized columns included a commentary on NASCAR's increasing corporate influences, particularly in northern racetracks — commentary which you might find Jeff building on as part of the Motorsports writing team at Sportscasting now.  
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