WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. – Fuel mileage strategy played a major role once again Sunday at Watkins Glen International.
On the road course, Jimmie Johnson bounced back from a mid-race incident to take home a top-10 finish. Teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. – who saved enough fuel to make it to the checkered flag – was right behind him in 11th.
Teammates Jeff Gordon and Kasey Kahne weren’t quite as lucky, finishing 41st and 42nd, respectively. Gordon’s No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet SS suffered a leak in the brake line, and Kahne’s No. 5 Time Warner Cable Chevrolet SS got caught up in a multi-car incident during a mid-race restart.
“At this rate we’re going to need to win,” Kahne said of his chances at the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. “There are some tracks we can run really well at.”
Joey Logano took home the victory.
Below is a detailed look at how the four Hendrick Motorsports drivers fared at Watkins Glen.
KASEY KAHNE, NO. 5 TIME WARNER CABLE CHEVROLET SS
FINISHED: 42nd
STANDINGS: 17th
RECAP: With track position hard to come by at Watkins Glen, a 23rd-place start for Kahne left the driver outside of the top 20 for much of the first half of the race. He began to gain position but had to pit road twice during a caution at Lap 26 due to a competitor’s loose tire making contact with the right-front wheel well of the No. 5 Time Warner Cable Chevrolet SS. At the midway point of the race – lap 45 – Kahne cracked the top 20, moving into 19th. But a caution flag waved on Lap 46, and on the ensuing restart, competitors ahead of Kahne stopped short on the restart and Kahne got caught up in an incident. “They all stopped before we were at the start finish,” Kahne said. “Before I could even turn right, I was underneath them." That left him in 42nd, though when he returned to the track for a restart on Lap 61 he was in 43rd, down 10 laps. He was able to battle his way to a 42nd-place finish.
JEFF GORDON, NO. 24 AXALTA CHEVROLET SS
FINISHED: 41st
STANDINGS: 12th
RECAP: Starting his final race at Watkins Glen fifth, Gordon remained in the top 10 until he headed to pit road at Lap 24 for a four-tire change and adjustments. When a caution flag waved for debris just two laps later, it appeared Gordon would gain extra track position, but a leak in the brake line of the No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet SS sent Gordon back to pit road multiple more times. “Great job getting that fixed,” Gordon told the No. 24 crew over the radio. “Sorry that happened. We’ve got to keep fighting and get all we can here.” He returned to the track in 43rd down four laps. He kept battling and ultimately took home a 41st-place result.
JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE’S CHEVROLET SS
FINISHED: 10th
STANDINGS: 4th
RECAP: Johnson, the third Hendrick Motorsports teammate to start the race inside the top 10, ran into an issue early when he missed the inner loop of the “bus stop” on Lap 5 while looking to avoid contact with a teammate. That required him to come to a complete stop before rejoining the race in 22nd. But Johnson kept working and got back into the top 15 by Lap 42. On Lap 57, Johnson spun out after contact with a competitor, leaving him back in 30th for the restart on Lap 61. But once again he kept working his way through the field, cracking the top 20 on Lap 71, and breaking into the top 15 just seven laps later. In the end, Johnson pushed all the way to grab a top-10 finish at the very last moment, moving into 10th just before the checkered flag.
DALE EARNHARDT JR., NO. 88 NATIONWIDE CHEVROLET SS
FINISHED: 11th
STANDINGS: 3rd
RECAP: Earnhardt rolled off the grid seventh, but fell out of the top 10 when various pit strategies overlapped during a caution at Lap 26. Some competitors remained on the track while Earnhardt headed to pit road. He returned to the track in 16th, but it took him just to lap 37 to return to the top 10. When the race went to a red flag to clean up fluid spilled during an incident just past the midway point of the race, Earnhardt was in sixth. When he headed to pit road during a caution just one lap later, he fell back to 26th. But another caution on Lap 57 allowed Earnhardt to stay on the track and gain position all the way to fourth for the restart on Lap 61. He was told, however, that he might not make it to the finish on fuel. Saving fuel, Earnhardt held on to take the checkered flag in 11th to cap a long green-flag stretch.