Brad Keselowski left yearning for “a teammate” as Chase Elliott triumphs in Atlanta

Brad Keselowski, co-owner of RFK Racing and driver of the #6, was left wanting "a teammate" during the final lap after Chase Elliott passed him in the 2025 Quaker State 400 at Atlanta's EchoPark Speedway. After leading for 46 laps and nearly achieving a memorable victory, Keselowski had no counter for Elliott, who executed a last-lap pass with vital drafting assistance from his Hendrick Motorsports teammate Alex Bowman.

During the race, Brad Keselowski proved to have pace and a strong desire to win; he led several different stints in a high-level competition that included a total of 46 lead changes from 13 different drivers. Keselowski lamented not having a teammate in support, saying:

“When we had our cars linked up at RFK, we could do the same thing. But we lost that, and it was just kind of a two-on-one, and I fought as hard as I could,” Keselowski was quoted as saying by NASCAR.

In the final lap of the 2025 Quaker State 400 at Atlanta, Brad Keselowski’s team radio captured a defaulting moment as they realised Alex Bowman, instead of pushing Keselowski on past Elliott, chose to pass him. Keselowski lamented the outnumbering in the situation and said:

"Ohhh, I just needed a teammate!"

Brad Keselowski’s 2025 NASCAR season has been notably plagued by a string of bad luck and multiple DNFs, a challenging stretch in his career. Despite showing great pace and technique in several races, he has suffered FIVE DNFs in his first 12 races. One major moment was at Kansas Speedway, where he was running second before a sudden tire blowout caused a crash into the fence. He is 27th on the standings with a total of 306 points.

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Brad Keselowski left gutted as Chase Elliott steals the spotlight in wreck-fest Atlanta race

The race itself was chaotic and intense, marked by 10 cautions, 68 laps under yellow, and 46 lead changes among 13 drivers. The big wreck on Lap 70 significantly altered the race dynamics, eliminating top contenders and creating opportunities for drivers like Keselowski and Elliott to battle at the front. Keselowski’s crew made quick repairs to keep him on the lead lap after sustaining damage, allowing him to return to contention and lead late in the race.

"(Elliott) He just had the 48 (Bowman) behind him giving him a huge push and nothing I could do to cover that. When we had our cars linked up at RFK, we could do the same thing and we lost that. Then it was just kind of a two-on-one, and fought as hard as I could...It ain't over till it's over. Every loss stings," Keselowski said after the race (via NASCAR)

Keselowski expressed deep disappointment but maintained a resilient outlook, acknowledging that “every loss stings” but vowing to move forward and continue fighting for wins.

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Edited by Rupesh