The NASCAR Cup Series returns to EchoPark Speedway this weekend, and if recent history is any indication, fans should expect another dramatic finish.
Last summer’s race produced exactly that, as Chase Elliott thrilled the hometown crowd by making a last-lap pass to score his first victory of the 2025 season.
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Here’s a look back at how the race unfolded before the Cup Series returns to Hampton, Georgia.
Chase Elliott Passed Brad Keselowski on the Final Lap
The 2025 Quaker State 400 looked like it belonged to Brad Keselowski.
The RFK Racing driver led a race-high 46 laps and held the lead with only one circuit remaining before Elliott received a push from Hendrick Motorsports teammate Alex Bowman entering the final lap.
That momentum allowed Elliott to surge alongside Keselowski before completing the pass and driving away to the victory.
The Dawsonville, Georgia native crossed the finish line just 0.168 seconds ahead of Keselowski, while Bowman completed a Hendrick Motorsports double podium in third.
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The victory was Elliott’s first of the 2025 season, his 20th career Cup Series win and his second career victory at EchoPark Speedway.
After climbing from his No. 9 Chevrolet, Elliott could hardly believe what had happened.
“Unbelievable … unbelievable. How about that? Are you kidding me?” Elliott said. “I’ve never in my life. … This is unbelievable. Thank you guys so much.”
He later added:
“Well, I just think that, honestly, all the cards fell in the right places there those last couple laps. What a crazy race, man. I don’t know if y’all had fun, but it was wild from my seat. I’m so glad we got to run that thing out there to the end.”
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The Race Featured Massive Wrecks and Constant Lead Changes
Like many races since EchoPark Speedway’s 2022 reconfiguration, the 2025 summer event was anything but calm.
The race featured 46 lead changes among 13 drivers, while Keselowski, Elliott and Bowman combined to lead 119 of the 260 laps.
The afternoon also included multiple multi-car crashes.
A seven-car accident on Lap 57 collected Christopher Bell and Ryan Blaney before an even larger incident on Lap 69 eliminated several contenders, including Ross Chastain, William Byron, Daniel Suárez, Denny Hamlin, Chase Briscoe and Austin Cindric.
Despite the carnage, Elliott survived the chaos and timed his winning move perfectly over the closing miles.
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Top-10 Finishers From the 2025 Summer Race
The top-10 finishers were:
Can Anyone Repeat Elliott’s Last-Lap Heroics?
EchoPark Speedway has developed a reputation for unpredictable finishes.
Since the track’s reconfiguration ahead of the 2022 season, nearly every Cup race has featured a late lead change or last-lap battle, making it one of the most entertaining stops on the NASCAR schedule.
Elliott’s dramatic hometown victory only added another chapter to that history.
Now, as the Cup Series returns to Hampton for another summer showdown, the question becomes whether another driver can deliver a finish every bit as memorable.
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