Pushing and bumping is the status quo in superspeedway racing and the Daytona 500 was no exception in that regard. During the 66th running of “The Great American Race,” the drivers were expecting more than just contact. Surprisingly, for the majority of the race, the driver kept their hands clean, but as soon as the chequered flag was in their sights, things took a turn for the worse.

With just 8 laps remaining in the race, the winner, William Byron, clipped Brad Keselowski from the back and turned his car against the wall. This accident was long overdue as drivers were getting more aggressive for leading positions. With a total of 23 cars involved in the crash, Hendrick Motorsport’s driver, Chase Elliott, miraculously steered past the smoke and crashed cars.

With his driver making a Lightning McQueen-like escape from the freak accident, Trey Poole, who was on the spotting duties for the #9 was in absolute disbelief!

Chase Elliott was feeling lucky after he narrowly escaped the wreck at Daytona

Ross Chastain was leading the pack going into the final 8 laps of the race. The tension was palpable. Moreover, with a Daytona 500 win on the line, the clean racing was soon put to bed with a big wreck. The HMS duo of William Byron and Alex Bowman was too close for comfort and they ended up spinning Keselowski’s car.

In such scenarios, the oncoming traffic or the cars behind the wreck often witness heavy damage themselves. Call it dumb luck or skilled driving, Chase Elliott threaded the needle and made it safely through the cleaner side of the track, avoiding a mishap. Guiding him through the radio was his spotter, Trey Poole, who, seeing Elliott breeze past the wrecking race cars, said, “[I don’t know] How you did that?”

In the heat of the moment, the former Cup Series champ was himself puzzled and replied, “Me neither, Holy Sh*t”. After a halt of 15 minutes, the race was restarted, and Elliott started in #5 just behind his teammates, Byron and Bowman. However, another wreck that concluded the race saw him only manage a P14 finish in the overall standings.

While the Daytona 500 did not go as planned, Chase Elliott has his eyes set on the Atlanta race this coming weekend.

Elliott looking to score another home win at Atlanta

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The 2024 Cup Series season is a crucial one for the former champion. After a decent showing at the Daytona 500, the HMS star driver will look to bank on his home support and get his season to pick up the pace with a win at Atlanta Motor Speedway. He does have some cherished memories of his win back in the 2022 season, and it certainly was a big deal for him to emerge victorious on his home soil.

Explaining the feeling of that win, Elliot, while speaking to NASCAR Host & Reporter, Alex Weaver, said, “It was a big deal to me for sure. I mean to win at your home track is really cool and I’d never done it before. I’ve watched other guys do it. You know a guy wins his home track it was always like a neat thing to witness and watch. I didn’t have the family at the track but got to go home and hang out with some friends.”

Read More: “I’ve Not Done a Great Job” – Chase Elliott Admits to his Mistakes in 2023 Heading to Daytona 500

Considering that Atlanta will be acting much like Daytona, the 28-year-old HMS driver will be looking to bounce back after a somewhat disappointing finish last Monday.