Chase Elliott came home victorious on Sunday night, winning the Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway and one of four spots in the NASCAR Cup Series Championship.
The Dawsonville native now has an opportunity to bring the championship back to Dawson County for the first time since 1988 when his dad, NASCAR Champion Bill Elliott, won the Winston Cup Series Championship.
Gordon Pirkle, owner of the Dawsonville Pool Room, set the siren off on Sunday night to let locals know that Elliott was victorious.
“That was one of the best races I've seen Chase run,” Pirkle said after the race. “He ran away with it. And that's something even Bill couldn't do - win at Martinsville. It was nearly Bill's worst track.”
Dawsonville citizen Cathy Wilson was at the Pool Room last night celebrating with other Chase Elliott fans by listening to the sirens fill the historic Dawson County square.
“I went to school with Bill, so after being a fan of Bill, we have always been a fan of Chase,” Wilson said in a Facebook post.
Pirkle, who also helps to run the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame in Dawsonville said that they plan to host a watch party for the Cup Series Championship on Sunday afternoon.
Social Media director and local racing historian Cody Dinsmore said that patrons will be watching the race on their 26 foot screen.
“I remember watching Chase nearly win at Martinsville 3 years ago,” Dinsmore said. “It was during the Moonshine Festival and it was such a loss for everyone watching. Yesterday was redemption. He's got a legitimate shot at bringing home the Cup title. There is already so much National racing history associated with Dawsonville, and it might be that the record book grows larger.”
After coming off the biggest win of his career, Elliott could bring glory back to Dawsonville with just one more victory and sound the sirens once again.
“It was amazing what he did and it had to have been his biggest victory of his career,” Georgia Racing hall of fame volunteer Scott Adams said. “He ran that race like he did the road courses. Chase is not bad at Phoenix, but he'll have his work cut out for him. Being on the pole will definitely be an advantage.”