FORT WORTH, Texas – Sparks flew Saturday night at Texas Motor Speedway as the first night race of the 2016 season began.
Passing rain showers prior to the start of the event gave the drivers a very green track to take the green flag, which dropped two hours later than scheduled.
A wild final 100 laps proved to be solid for the Hendrick Motorsports teammates, with four top-10 finishes for the first time in one year since last spring’s Texas race.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. led the four drivers to the checkered flag, coming home in second. His teammates followed close behind, with Jimmie Johnson in fourth, Chase Elliott in fifth, and Kasey Kahne rounding out the team with an eighth-place finish.
Kyle Busch took home the win.
Below is a detailed look at how each of the four Hendrick Motorsports drivers fared in Saturday’s race in the Lone Star State.
KASEY KAHNE, NO. 5 QUICKEN LOANS CHEVROLET SS
FINISHED: 8th
STANDINGS: 16th
RECAP: Starting in the 17th position, Kahne followed teammate Earnhardt through the ranks, breaking into the top 15 just laps before the Lap 28 competition caution came out. Kahne fell back in the field following the green flag restart and went one lap down on Lap 100, running in 18th. Kahne kept his No. 5 Quicken Loans Chevrolet SS consistent through the majority of the race and received the free pass following the fifth caution of the event. He restarted in 14th at the green flag and made it back inside the top 10 with less than 20 laps remaining. He ultimately rounded out the Hendrick Motorsports teammates with an eighth-place finish.
CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 24 NAPA AUTO PARTS CHEVROLET SS
FINISHED: 5th
STANDINGS: 14th
RECAP: After qualifying fourth, a transmission change Saturday caused Elliott to start at the rear of the field. He quickly set to work passing competitors, gaining 10 positions by Lap 14. The rookie continued to climb his way through the pack, moving into the top 15 after the first round of green flag pit stops. By Lap 106, Elliott had made it inside the top 10, holding steady through the next 100 laps. He emerged from pit road after a Lap 211 caution in fifth position and was up to third when a caution came out with 47 laps remaining. He pitted, only taking a fresh set of right-side tires and restarted in third. He grabbed second on the restart and was closing on the leader when a multi-car incident on the backstretch brought the seventh caution out. Elliott pitted and took four tires and fuel this time around. Restarting in eighth, the rookie drove his way up within the top five to bring home a fifth place finish.
JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE’S CHEVROLET SS
FINISHED: 4th
STANDINGS: 2nd
RECAP: Looking for his fourth consecutive Texas victory, Johnson led his teammates to the green in 11th. He quickly advanced through the ranks to just inside the top five before the competition caution was brought out on Lap 28. He restarted just outside the top 10, once again breaking that barrier before Lap 40. With a free track, Johnson steadily gained positions, claiming sixth position behind teammate Earnhardt by the Lap 142 restart. The driver maintained position in his No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet SS through a round of green flag pit stops but would go one lap down after being caught on pit road when a Lap 211 caution came out. However, he got the wave around and restarted on the lead lap in 15th. Johnson climbed through the field, entering the top 10 again with around 50 laps to go. He joined his teammates Earnhardt and Elliott inside the top five, passing Elliott for fourth before taking the checkered flag.
DALE EARNHARDT, JR., NO. 88 NATIONWIDE CHEVROLET SS
FINISHED: 2nd
STANDINGS: 6th
RECAP: Earnhardt took the green flag one spot outside of the top 15 but drove his No. 88 Nationwide Chevrolet SS inside that barrier by lap 15. Through a competition caution and green flag pit stops beginning on Lap 72, Earnhardt found himself in second position by lap 78. The driver continued to hold a top five position through another round of green flag pit stops and a Lap 135 caution for debris on the track. Following the restart, he found himself holding third position steadily, biding his time behind the leaders. Like Johnson, Earnhardt was caught on pit road when the Lap 211 caution was brought out and went one lap down. He received the free pass that allowed him to get back onto the lead lap and was back up to 12th with 100 laps to go. With less than 80 laps remaining, Earnhardt made his way back inside the top 10, holding steady in sixth position. Through two more cautions, he raced back up to third. Taking over second with eight laps to go, Earnhardt wasn’t able to reach the leader and brought home the runner-up position.