Chase Elliott & Brad Keselowski Wreck in Atlanta Chaos Strikes Late in Stage 2
Atlanta Motor Speedway witnessed a heart-stopping moment during Sunday’s Ambetter Health 400, as Chase Elliott, Brad Keselowski, and Corey LaJoie found themselves in a violent multicar crash on Lap 150.
The wreck unfolded in dramatic fashion, shaking up the race just 10 laps before the end of Stage 2. It was a chain reaction of intense racing, sudden movements, and a costly miscalculation that ended in disaster for some of NASCAR’s biggest names.
How the Crash Unfolded
As the field roared through Turns 3 and 4, Chase Elliott was holding steady in 11th place, running the high lane in a tense three-wide battle. Directly to his left, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Chase Briscoe were fighting for position.
Then disaster struck. Briscoe’s car suddenly drifted up the track, squeezing Stenhouse, who was forced into Elliott’s No. 9 Chevrolet. The impact sent Elliott slamming into the SAFER barrier, triggering an immediate loss of control.
From that moment on, Elliott was a passenger in his own car. The initial contact appeared to break his right-rear toe link, making the No. 9 machine nearly impossible to handle. As he attempted to regain control, things only got worse.
Approaching the start/finish line, Elliott’s car snapped sideways—spelling disaster for Corey LaJoie and Brad Keselowski. LaJoie’s No. 01 Ford and Keselowski’s No. 6 Ford had nowhere to go, colliding hard in the melee.
Keselowski’s Day Ends in Heartbreak
While Elliott and LaJoie managed to limp their damaged cars back to pit road, Keselowski wasn’t as lucky. His No. 6 RFK Racing Ford was too damaged to move under its own power, forcing a tow truck intervention.
Under NASCAR’s new Damaged Vehicle Policy (DVP) for the 2025 season, Keselowski’s team had a chance to repair the car inside the garage. However, significant front-end damage made it a tough ask for the crew.
Speaking to a Fox Sports reporter after reviewing the crash, Keselowski could only sigh.
“Yeah, that makes sense,” he said, acknowledging the brutal reality of the wreck that took him out of contention.
A Costly Incident in the Playoff Hunt
For Chase Elliott, this crash couldn’t have come at a worse time. As a Georgia native from Dawsonville, Elliott was looking to put on a show for his hometown crowd at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Instead, he found himself tangled in a wreck that not only cost him valuable points but also raised questions about his playoff hopes.
With NASCAR’s postseason picture tightening, every point matters. Elliott and Keselowski, both former champions, now face an uphill battle to secure their spots in the chase for the 2025 Cup Series title.
The Ripple Effect of Ryan Blaney’s Move
Though Elliott’s crash seemed like a product of hard racing, some eyes turned toward Ryan Blaney as a possible instigator.
Replays showed that Blaney made an aggressive move from the high lane to the middle, directly in front of Ricky Stenhouse Jr. The sudden move forced Stenhouse to check up, creating a domino effect that ultimately triggered the wreck.
It’s a classic example of how split-second decisions at 190 mph can change everything.
The Bigger Picture: NASCAR’s Superspeedway Madness
Atlanta’s reconfiguration into a high-banked superspeedway-style track has made races here more unpredictable than ever.
With pack racing becoming the norm, drivers are now racing inches apart at blistering speeds, making incidents like Sunday’s crash almost inevitable.
The aggressive drafting, sudden lane shifts, and tight quarters have blurred the line between strategy and survival, leaving little room for error.
Chase Elliott: Georgia’s Hometown Hero Faces Adversity
For Chase Elliott, this was more than just another crash—it was a hometown disappointment.
As the only NASCAR Cup Series driver from Georgia, Elliott carries the hopes of Dawsonville every time he hits the track at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
His father, Bill Elliott, is a NASCAR legend who dominated the sport for years, making Atlanta an extra special venue for the Elliott family legacy.
Though Sunday’s wreck was a setback, Elliott has proven time and again that he can bounce back from adversity.
What’s Next for Elliott and Keselowski?
With Atlanta in the rearview mirror, both Elliott and Keselowski must shift their focus to the next challenge on the schedule.
For Elliott, repairing his damaged No. 9 Chevrolet and regrouping will be key as he fights to stay in the championship hunt.
Meanwhile, Keselowski’s team at RFK Racing will have to assess their playoff chances after yet another frustrating outing.
Can they recover in time? The next few races will decide whether Sunday’s crash was just a minor setback—or a season-defining moment.
The Final Verdict: NASCAR’s Atlanta Chaos Delivers Again
If there’s one thing Atlanta’s Ambetter Health 400 proved, it’s that no one is safe in NASCAR’s unpredictable world.
One moment, you’re running solidly in the top 10—the next, you’re slamming into the wall with your playoff hopes in jeopardy.
For Chase Elliott and Brad Keselowski, Sunday’s crash was a bitter reminder of how quickly fortunes can change.
Will they fight back, or has the damage already been done? NASCAR fans will be watching closely as the season unfolds.
