Chase Elliott passed Corey LaJoie with just under two laps to go and crossed the finish line under caution following blocking and sending LaJoie into the fence Sunday, giving the Georgia native his first win at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Elliott stopped in front of the main grandstand and was greeted by a raucous applause from fans who cheered and shouted every time he came forward and stretched out to Dawsonville, the town on the edge of Georgia that gave birth to the winner and his father, the NASCAR Cup Series star Bill Elliott.
It was a wild ending to another eventful race at Atlanta that denied LaJoie his first career victory, which would have been a huge upset for the low-budget Spire Motorsports team.
Chase Elliott joined his father as the only two Georgia-born drivers with a win at Atlanta. Dale Earnhardt and Dale Earnhardt Jr. are the other father-sons to see the checkered flag at the historic 1.54-mile course.
“Winning at your home track is very important for any driver,” Elliott said. “I have seen many over the years. I feel like today was a great opportunity for us. I’m just very proud. This is obviously my home and the home of many great fans who made a lot of noise for me.”
