CONCORD, N.C. – A mistake that could have cost Chase Elliott the race made for one of the most memorable celebrations of the season after he won.
While leading the field on Lap 65, Elliott missed Turn 1 and drove his No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 into the barrier.
"I couldn't believe I did that,” the driver said. “Such a fast NAPA Camaro ZL1, and honestly that was the only reason we were able to get back in it. I pretty well blew it, got the cautions at the right time and brought it home."
Elliott recovered to capture the checkered flag for his third win of the season, advancing to the Round of 12 in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs in the process.
But the lasting image from the victory might be how he celebrated.
“I was coming back on the front stretch and I saw that dang thing, and I was like, well, I couldn't pass this opportunity up to go down here and redeem myself a little bit in Turn 1,” he said.
Elliott drove right back into the barrier for a burnout to remember, and even Hendrick Motorsports owner Rick Hendrick thought it was a “really cool” way to cap the comeback win.
“I was pretty excited about that one,” Elliott smiled. “I'm typically not very quick-witted, but I was really proud of that. I was pretty fired up. Definitely it should have never been special in the first place, but since I went out of my way to make it special today, I felt like I had to go back and see it one more time.”