LOUDON, N.H. – Late-race incidents derailed potential top-10 finishes for three of the Hendrick Motorsports drivers Sunday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
In the end, Jimmie Johnson led his teammates to the finish line in 12th.
With less than 30 laps remaining, Chase Elliott and Alex Bowman – the fill-in driver for Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the No. 88 Nationwide Chevrolet SS – suffered tire issues on the same lap, sending both cars toward the wall.
Both were battling for top-10 finishes before the incidents, but Bowman finished 26th and Elliott was scored 34th.
"I had so much fun today," Bowman said, thanking Hendrick Motorsports owner Rick Hendrick for the opportunity, "Obviously I hate that we didn't get the finish we deserved."
With 19 laps left, Kasey Kahne was also involved in an incident that sent him into the wall while he was running inside the top 10. He ultimately took the checkered flag in 25th.
Matt Kenseth took home the victory.
Below is a detailed look at how Hendrick Motorsports fared Sunday at New Hampshire.
KASEY KAHNE, NO. 5 QUICKEN LOANS CHEVROLET SS
FINISHED: 25th
STANDINGS: 18th
RECAP: Kahne began Sunday’s event just outside the top 10 in 11th, but by Lap 14 he had cracked the top 10. Following the competition caution after Lap 35, Kahne restarted 13th, and he gained one position before a caution on Lap 100. He settled back into 13th just after Lap 130, but following a cycle of green-flag pit stops he regained his position inside the top 10, finding 10th on Lap 192. After a caution for debris, Kahne restarted 14th with 74 laps to go. Within 50 laps, Kahne had made his way up to ninth, and moved up to eighth before a restart with 19 laps to go. However, a competitor made contact with Kahne, forcing the No. 5 Chevy into the wall. He headed to pit road for repairs before returning to the track, ultimately finishing 25th.
CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 24 NAPA AUTO PARTS CHEVROLET SS
FINISHED: 34th
STANDINGS: 11th
RECAP: Starting seventh, Elliott remained in the top 10 when a competition caution was called following Lap 35. On the ensuing restart, he jumped from 12th up to ninth, and had moved to eighth before a caution flag waved on Lap 100. Due to a speedy stop by the No. 24 crew, Elliott restarted sixth and once again had a good push to jump to fourth right away. He fell just outside of the top five shortly after Lap 130, settling into sixth. That is the position he would regain on Lap 192 following a cycle of green-flag pit stops. Following a caution for debris, Elliott restarted eighth with 74 laps to go. With 29 laps remaining, racing inside the top 10, Elliott suffered a tire issue that sent the No. 24 Chevy into the wall. He headed to pit road for repairs and returned to the track, ultimately finishing 34th.
JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE’S CHEVROLET SS
FINISHED: 12th
STANDINGS: 9th
RECAP: The pole-sitter for Sunday’s race, Johnson led the opening lap before being passed by a competitor. He remained inside the top four when a competition caution was called after Lap 35, and the No. 48 team elected to take four tires while some competitors took just two. That put Johnson in seventh for the restart. He briefly fell outside of the top 10 on Lap 60 before regaining a position 20 laps later. During a Lap 100 caution, Johnson gained five positions on pit road due to a speedy stop by the No. 48 crew, restarting fifth. He settled into seventh on the restart, and following a cycle of green-flag pit stops, he remained inside the top 10 in ninth on Lap 192. Following a caution for debris, Johnson restarted ninth with 74 laps to go. Johnson was knocking on the door of the top 10 in 11th when a caution flag waved on Lap 264. However, he returned to the track in 24th for the ensuing restart after an issue on pit road. He worked his way through the field for the remainder of the race to finish 12th.
ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 88 NATIONWIDE CHEVROLET SS
FINISHED: 26th
STANDINGS: 15th
RECAP: Filling in for Earnhardt in the No. 88 Nationwide Chevrolet SS, Bowman rolled off the grid 20th. By the time a competition caution was called after Lap 35, Bowman had moved up to 16th. When the No. 88 team elected for two tires while many competitors took four, he jumped up to ninth on the race off pit road. However, he fell behind many of the drivers who took four tires on the restart, falling outside of the top 20 by the time a caution flag waved on Lap 100. On Lap 132, however, Bowman jumped back inside the top 15. Following a cycle of green-flag pit stops, he raced his way up to 12th on Lap 192. Before a caution for debris at Lap 219, he had made his way to 11th, and thanks to a quick stop by the No. 88 crew, he entered the top 10 for the first time for the ensuing restart. He moved up to eighth with 30 laps to go, but one lap later he suffered a tire issue that sent the No. 88 Chevy into the wall. He headed to pit road for repairs and returned to the track, ultimately finishing 26th.