"A whole different ballgame": Chase Elliott on Atlanta Motor Speedway track changes

2020 NASCAR Cup Series champion Chase Elliott has commented on the freshly-repaved Atlanta Motor Speedway (AMS). According to a tweet from Performance Racing Network on January 19, 2022, the driver stated that the reconfigured track would be:

"A whole different ballgame, riding wide open. It could be really good."

The Atlanta Motor Speedway was reworked last year. Other drivers such as Kyle Busch voiced their thoughts on the new track, praising the AMS construction crew.

Kyle Larson, on the other hand, did not believe the track would be ideal under the new conditions: new asphalt laid out, narrower width around corners, and steeper turns. His philosophy was that the high level of tire wear on the previous surface provided a unique challenge and allowed the driver to play a bigger role. He also felt that the narrower width would encourage crashes.

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Chase Elliott's car flips during 2022 Chili Bowl

Chase Elliott made a strong start to the 2022 Chili Bowl. He won his first heat race but eventually, the Georgia driver failed to make the A-main due to not placing fourth or higher in the B-main.

During the 15-lap B-Main, Chase Elliott rubbed wheels with Kyle Larson, causing the former's car to flip end over end and almost clearing the border fence. Fortunately, he emerged unscathed from the wreck. When the commentator went to check if he was okay, Elliott replied:

"Yeah, I'm fine. Hate to tear up Kyle's car."

The driver put his arms to his chest, as seen in FloRacing's clip, while his car was rolling over. The car did not land up on its cage, which, according to the commentators, potentially saved his life.

Elliott primarily competes on asphalt tracks, but wanted to expand his racing profile with dirt racing, especially with NASCAR adding more dirt tracks to its schedule.