Elliott Came. He Saw. He Conquered!

^{Jun 28, 2025 | Edition #195}

👋 Dear Motorheads,
You all loved our Pocono race recap last week, so we figured, why not do it again? Especially with TNT Sports now picking up the baton from Prime Video, we’ve heard from many of you about how tricky it’s gotten to keep up with the Cup Series after the new media rights shuffle.

But don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Sit back, relax, and dive into our latest race recap, packed with all the action, drama, and controversy from the 2025 Quaker State 400.

👀 Driver Weigh-Ins?

NASCAR decided to shake things up at Atlanta by hosting a UFC-style weigh-in for the drivers to kick off the 'in-season bracket challenge'.
And who doesn't love a good dose of drama and trash talk, right? The drivers were having a blast, posing for photos, and goofing around. But then, things got REAL interesting!

Michael McDowell and AJ Allmendinger took things to a whole new level and created a moment that literally made fans' hearts skip a beat!
It’s even hard to describe, so click on the thumbnail below to see for yourself…

By the way, here’s everything you need to know about NASCAR’s In-Season Challenge, explained by the drivers who ‘Invented’ it.

🌧️ Stage 1

As the storm clouds parted over EchoPark Speedway, the stage was set for a wild ride! And with what seemed to be the most adorable ceremonial command ever, we soon heard the engines roar to life. However, if anyone was feeling the adrenaline, it had to be Justin Haley. The guy downed not one, but two energy drinks. Which is pretty crazy and not something we’d encourage you to try.

Talking about being sharp, Joey Logano, with his pole position, led the pack to the green flag. Josh Berry was right by his side, with Ryan Blaney, Austin Cindric, and Ryan Preece rounding out the top five.

Now, Carson Hocevar was the underdog story of the day. Starting 30th, he quickly carved his way through the field and found himself 8th with 30 laps to go in Stage 1. Meanwhile, last week's winner, Chase Briscoe, was having a rough day, dropping from 10th to 38th.

But then, Mother Nature decided to crash the party. Rain clouds rolled in, and the first caution flag waved on Lap 36. Fortunately, after only a 14-minute delay, the green flag waved again, and the cars took off. But little did we know, things were about to take a turn for the worse. 

On Lap 57, Christopher Bell got loose, slammed into the wall, and sent his No. 20 Toyota to the garage for repairs. Ryan Blaney wasn't so lucky – his race seemed to be over. Bubba Wallace got caught up in the mess, but his No. 23 Toyota soldiered on. Here’s the footage of the crash…

In the end, Austin Cindric took the stage win, despite teammate Joey Logano leading a whopping 51 laps. Brad Keselowski came in second, with Logano, William Byron, and Carson Hocevar rounding out the top five.

💥 Stage 2

Moments after the green flag waved for Stage 2, another ‘Big One’ unfolded at EchoPark Speedway on Lap 69. It happened when Denny Hamlin made contact with John Hunter Nemechek, and BAM! The massive wreck collected a whopping 23 cars!

It was like a demolition derby on pit road, with tow trucks scrambling to get everyone out of the mess. Watch this! Unfortunately, some big names got the short end of the stick – Corey LaJoie, William Byron, Ross Chastain, and Joey Logano all had to pack it up and head home. 

But the drama didn't stop there! On Lap 111, Riley Herbst from 23XI Racing got loose and slammed into the wall, taking Todd Gilliland down with him. Herbst's No. 35 Toyota needed some serious repairs, and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. had to get his toe-link fixed. 

You'd think that's all the excitement the day could handle, but nope! Stage 2 ended with a photo finish that'll leave your jaw on the floor.

Tyler Reddick edged out Chase Elliott by a hair, 0.001 seconds, to be exact! NASCAR officials had to break out the video review to confirm the winner. And that’s how Reddick earned his first playoff point of the season.

🏆 Final Stage

At lap 176, came a turning point – literally! SVG spun out into the grass, bringing out the yellow flag with 85 laps to go. Seeing the opportunity, some drivers, like Chris Buescher and Tyler Reddick, pitted for fuel and tires. While others, like Alex Bowman and Chase Elliott, decided to stay out and gamble on the strategy.

However, that was hardly the last incident of the night as then John Hunter Nemechek spun out in Turns 3 and 4 on Lap 196, bringing out the eighth caution of the race. Luckily, he avoided a major crash and was able to keep on truckin'!

Things got even wilder on Lap 228 when Ty Dillon tried to side-draft Justin Haley, but ended up sending the LMC driver spinning wildly on the track. Haley's day was done, and his No. 11 had to be towed to the garage.

But the real magic happened on the final lap. Chase Elliott, the Georgia native, pulled off a slick move, sliding past Brad Keselowski off Turn 2 and taking the lead! He held on tight and crossed the finish line with a 0.168-second gap, taking the win on his home track. With the crowd loudly cheering for one of their own, this was probably the most satisfying conclusion we could have gotten. Just hear their roars…

🏅 Top 10 Standings

🎙️ Post-Race Interview

🗣️ Top Fan Reactions

And of course, there were reactions for the Stage 2 crash…

🎥 Complete Race Highlights

💌 Feedback