Jon’s Race Notes 0005: 2025 QuakerState 400

In a way, this race had the most riding on it for me, other than my first ever. Growing up in Atlanta in the 1990s, NASCAR was the epitome and symbol of what motor racing was. Culturally off limits to me, barely penetrating my Blue Tribe defense shields, I nevertheless managed to know who Dale Earnhardt and Jeff Gordon were, what they did for a living, and what their cars looked like.

By the summer of 2025, despite already following Formula 1 fanatically and even learning about (and falling in love with) IndyCar — and even having watched the entire 2025 NASCAR season up to that point! — it still felt forbidden to me. Only by going to my legendary hometown track would I be able to know once and for all whether I belonged in the tribe of American auto racing.

I came prepared, bringing two equally curious childhood friends, Rob and Joe. Joe had apparently been into racing for years and just never thought any of the old crew wanted to know about it. Joe brought a friend of his, Ben, who had gotten into racing more recently and was just starting to branch out from F1. I had met him earlier that month when he and Joe came over to my house to watch a couple hours of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. After this Cup race, I’d say I have a proper local racing squad.

To my surprise, delight, and relief, the crowd at Atlanta Motor Speedw— uh, I guess I mean eCHoPArk SPeEDwAY was as diverse as it was massive. There were many people meeting the description of who I would expect to attend a NASCAR race, but they were pleasant and welcoming. The age range was also much wider than I was expecting, though, the gender mix seemed even, and even the skin colors and nationalities — and even possibly sexualities!? — on display were remarkably varied. In short, it seemed an accurate sample of Atlanta, providing another reminder of why I moved back home. And to cap it off, two guys I’ve known since we were three came with me to the race.

As for what NASCAR racing is like in person, it is one of the few things I can imagine surviving this much hype and mystique around it for my nearly 40 years of life. If automobiles please you, the appeal is instantly obvious. There’s nothing like the roar and the thunder of the cars, and on a medium-length steeply banked track like this, you can watch and hear them all the way around the lap.

The race was great. A pretty big wreck took out a lot of fast cars at the front, so we got to see some different guys try to seize the opportunity, and they raced through the pack and all the way to the end.

I must admit, Chase Elliott’s unspectacular (though high-scoring) season and his seemingly indifferent personality had not really interested me in this first NASCAR season I followed, though I was aware of his reputation. That changed at this race. Running a funky livery drawn by 11-year-old Rhealynn Mills — a pediatric cancer patient in Atlanta — in support of Elliott’s foundation, our local boy got him his first win in a year, and everybody loved it.