“Only no’s are Chase Elliott fans”: Fans react as NASCAR’s outing at Michigan earns unanimous praise

Denny Hamlin won a thrilling fuel-mileage race at Michigan International Speedway, while Chase Elliott fans expressed disappointment with how the race unfolded for NASCAR's most popular driver. The 400-mile event was well-received by NASCAR fans, as reflected in Jeff Gluck's weekly Good Race poll.

The FireKeepers Casino 400 featured 15 lead changes between 11 drivers. William Byron led the most laps, 98, but ran out of fuel in the final laps, finishing 28th. The #11 Joe Gibbs Racing driver charged through the top 10 in the final stint, leading the final five laps to secure his 57th Cup race victory.

The two-mile oval at Brooklyn, Michigan, delivered an entertaining show, with its wide layout offering drivers plenty of room to overtake, and the draft helping them build runs. Following a muted response to the Nashville race, fans were enthused with last weekend's race in Michigan.

NASCAR fans on X overwhelmingly voted 'Yes' on Jeff Gluck’s 'Good Race' poll, which is currently trending at 93% with over 17,000 votes. At this rate, it's on track to become the highest-rated Next Gen race at the two-mile oval.

The FireKeepers Casino 400 also had its critics, with 7% of voters not enjoying the race. One X user joked that Chase Elliott fans made up the 'No' votes, as the #9 Hendrick Motorsports driver finished 15th. Elliott led 19 laps in the second stage before a pit-road penalty derailed his race.

"Only no’s are Elliott fans." an X user wrote.

Another X user suggested two of the previous three races have been wildly entertaining, referencing the Coca-Cola 600, which was won by Ross Chastain.

"Michigan was a fantastic race. Some of these recent races have been just tremendous -- Michigan and Charlotte in particular."

Here are a few reactions to the Cup race at Michigan International Speedway:

"It wasn't just good, it was a GREAT race," an X user remarked.

"The no votes have got to be a troll," a comment read.

"Anyone that says no is just mad about the outcome," an X user wrote about the Hamlin's critics.

"Amazing. Besides tire wear there weren't any negatives I could think of. Also, what a difference a good broadcast makes," another comment read.

Meanwhile, Chase Elliott fans should take the positives from the weekend, as the #9 HMS Chevy driver led laps and looked like a genuine contender for a brief period during the race.

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Comparing Chase Elliott's 2025 stats to his Hendrick Motorsports teammates

Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott (Source: Imagn)

Chase Elliott comfortably sits fifth in the regular season standings, thanks to his consistency, while William Byron leads the standings ahead of Kyle Larson. However, the #9 Hendrick Motorsports team isn't performing at the same level as the #24 and #5 teams.

Alex Bowman and Elliott haven't shown race-winning speed this season, while Byron and Larson remain weekly contenders. Even when the 2020 champion has shown the pace to win, pit road struggles have prevented him from snapping his 42-race winless streak.

More than halfway through the regular season, Chase Elliott has led just 95 laps, compared to 851 for Larson and 768 for Byron. More concerningly, Elliott has zero playoff points, while Larson has 23 and Byron has 12.

Heading to Mexico City, Elliott and the #9 HMS team will be aiming for a breakthrough win at this weekend's inaugural race in Mexico City on June 15.