LOUDON, N.H. – Sunday’s race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway featured extensive green-flag runs for the first 240 laps of the race – and a flurry of cautions in the final 60 laps.
Through it all, the four Hendrick Motorsports teammates all finished inside the top 14, led by Jimmie Johnson in eighth.
"At the end we came in for tires, and that worked out," Johnson explained. "It took us from about 16th up to eighth. Proud of this team."
Kasey Kahne joined Johnson in the top 10 with a ninth-place finish – his fourth consecutive top-10 result.
Chase Elliott was the next teammate to take the checkered flag in 13th, followed directly by Alex Bowman in 14th.
Kevin Harvick captured the win in the second race of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.
Below is a detailed look at how the four Hendrick Motorsports drivers fared at New Hampshire.
KASEY KAHNE, NO. 5 GREAT CLIPS CHEVROLET SS
FINISHED: 9th
STANDINGS: 17th
RECAP: Starting from the rear of the field, Kahne quickly got to work Sunday at New Hampshire. In the first 15 laps he had already advanced into the top 25, and by Lap 44 he was running 20th. After a cycle of green-flag pit stops, Kahne entered the top 15 on Lap 114. Following a caution for debris – the first of the race – Kahne continued to push toward the front after taking four fresh tires on pit road during the yellow. He cracked the top 10 on Lap 165, and following another debris caution, he moved into eighth with 100 laps remaining. Kahne had just made a green-flag pit stop when a caution flag flew for debris, so he remained on the track and lined up sixth to restart with 52 laps to go. He jumped up to fifth on the restart, which is where he would line up for the next restart after a caution flag flew with 37 laps to go and Kahne stayed on the track. He fell to the back end of the top 10 on older tires, however, but maintained his 10th-place position until there were less than 20 laps to go. He headed to pit road for fresh tires once again when a caution was called with 16 laps remaining, and it allowed him to gain position back into the top 10 before the checkered flag waved, finishing ninth.
CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 24 NAPA AUTO PARTS CHEVROLET SS
FINISHED: 13th
STANDINGS: 9th
RECAP: Rolling off the grid inside the top 10, Elliott inched toward the top five for the majority of the long, green-flag run that began the race. Following a cycle of green-flag pit stops, he returned to the track in eighth, making his way up to sixth after the first caution of the day for debris on Lap 124. On the restart, he jumped inside the top five for the first time, racing ahead to third just behind teammate Johnson. After another caution or debris, he maintained his top-five position, running fourth with 100 laps remaining. Elliott had just made a green-flag pit stop when another caution flag flew for debris. That allowed him to stay on the track for the ensuing restart, lining up fourth and moving up to third with 52 laps to go. He remained in the top five when another caution flag flew with 37 to go, and once again Elliott stayed on the track. He settled into fourth on the restart and after a caution with 16 laps to go, he elected to stay on the track once again and lined up fifth. He fell outside of the top five, however, on the ensuing restart and through one more caution with less than 10 laps remaining, Elliott held on to finish 13th.
JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE’S CHEVROLET SS
FINISHED: 8th
STANDINGS: 8th
RECAP: Starting fourth, Johnson quickly jumped to third within the first five laps. He held onto his top-five position through a cycle of green-flag pit stops, and when the first caution of the day flew on Lap 124 due to debris, Johnson was running fourth. That is where he would line up for the restart, and he leapt ahead to second when the green flag dropped. During the next caution on Lap 166, once again for debris, Johnson took four tires while some leaders elected for two. He restarted sixth, and by Lap 200 he was still inside the top 10, running ninth. Shortly after making a green-flag pit stop, a caution flag flew for debris – and the No. 48 team elected to head to pit road once again for four fresh tires. He restarted 11th with 52 laps to go and jumped up to ninth before another caution was called with 37 laps remaining. He once again stayed out on the track and lined up seventh for the restart but fell just outside of the top 10 on older tires. When another yellow flag waved with 16 laps to go, the No. 48 team took the opportunity to send Johnson down pit road for fresh tires. The move allowed him to move back inside the top 10 before the checkered flag waved, finishing eighth.
ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 88 NATIONWIDE CHEVROLET SS
FINISHED: 14th
STANDINGS: 28th
RECAP: Bowman began Sunday’s race in 18th, and within five laps he had jumped inside the top 15. He continued to push toward the top 10, finding 11th before a round of green-flag pit stops. That is where he was running when the first caution flag of the day waved, and on the Lap 132 restart he jumped into the top 10 for the first time in the race. Following another caution for debris, the No. 88 team elected to put four fresh tires on the Nationwide Chevrolet SS, and Bowman settled into 15th with less than 100 laps remaining. Shortly after Bowman made a green-flag pit stop, a caution flag flew, and the No. 88 team took the opportunity to head to pit road once again. Bowman lined up 13th for the ensuing restart with 52 laps remaining and pushed toward the top 10. After another caution with 37 laps remaining, Bowman moved up to 11th, and he continued to knock on the door of the top 10 for the remainder of the race. He ultimately took the checkered flag 14th.