TALLADEGA, Ala. – Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway, both Chase Elliott and Alex Bowman earned top-10s.
Elliott led the way for Hendrick Motorsports, capturing third place just as he crossed the finish line.
“I got to the end, and those guys around me were working together so much,” Elliott said. “I was trying to move forward and make a lane and push, and they were not interested.”
Bowman was not far behind with an eighth-place result.
Jimmie Johnson was the next teammate to take the checkered flag in 12th place after sustaining minor damage in a multiple-car incident late in the race.
William Byron was involved in the same incident, but the damage to the No. 24 Liberty University Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 was enough to send him to the garage and end his race early. He was scored 29th.
Joey Logano took home the win.
Below is a closer look at how the four Hendrick Motorsports teammates fared Sunday at Talladega.
CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CHEVROLET CAMARO ZL1
FINISHED: 3rd
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Despite qualifying fifth, Elliott started Sunday’s race at the rear of the field due to an unapproved tire change. When competitors headed to pit road for green-flag stops, Elliott remained on the track to move as high as fifth on Lap 32 prior to making a stop of his own. Quick work by the No. 9 team allowed Elliott to return to the track in 12th, and he finished Stage 1 in 11th.
- During a pit stop under caution in Stage 2, the No. 9 team was penalized for too many men over the wall on pit road, sending Elliott back to the 17th position for the ensuing restart. He re-entered the top 15 with less than 20 laps remaining in the segment, ultimately finishing Stage 2 in 15th.
- Prior to the start of the final segment, Elliott missed his pit stall and was forced to head to pit road another time before the restart. The No. 9 team was assessed a tire violation during another pit stop under caution later in the segment, putting Elliott outside of the top 20 once again.
- A four-tire stop prior to a restart with fewer than 30 laps to go allowed Elliott to make a hard charge forward, gaining 14 positions in seven laps to move into fifth place. Down the stretch he continued to hold his top-five position after avoiding a multiple-car incident, running fifth with two laps to go.
- On the last lap, Elliott attempted to start an outside line to make a move on the leader, but the big push didn’t materialize. Still, he raced forward and jumped to the middle to take over third place just as he crossed the finish line.
WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 LIBERTY UNIVERSITY CHEVROLET CAMARO ZL1
FINISHED: 29th
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Byron began Sunday’s race 17th, but by Lap 20 he had made it all the way to the runner-up position as some competitors headed to pit road for green-flag pit stops. Following a green-flag stop of his own, Byron settled into 19th and ultimately finished Stage 1 in 21st.
- After taking two tires between stages, Byron lined up fourth for the Stage 2 restart. On the restart, he jumped up to second, and in the outside lane he took the lead on Lap 62, holding it for a pair of laps before the inside lane took over the advantage and the driver of the No. 24 Liberty University Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 lost the lead.
- Byron fell outside of the top 10 with 20 laps remaining in Stage 2, but recovered to complete the segment in ninth place, picking up two extra points for the finish.
- After another two-tire stop between stages, Byron began the final segment in the race lead once again, which he held for more than 10 laps before losing first place. After he was passed, he began to fall back in the pack as he was shuffled out of line, eventually dropping to 20th.
- Working his way back forward, Byron was involved in a multiple-car incident with fewer than 25 laps remaining, and the damage to the No. 24 Liberty University Chevy forced Byron to the garage, ending his race. He was scored 29th.
JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE’S FOR PROS CHEVROLET CAMARO ZL1
FINISHED: 12th
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Rolling off the grid 16th, Johnson jumped inside of the top five by Lap 17 as some competitors made green-flag pit stops. When Johnson made a green-flag stop of his own, quick work by the No. 48 team allowed the driver to return to the track in 10th. He held that position through the Stage 1 finish, earning one extra point.
- Johnson was back inside the top five with fewer than 20 laps remaining in Stage 2, and he held on to finish Stage 2 in seventh, earning another extra four points.
- Early in the final segment, Johnson maintained his position inside the top 10, running ninth on Lap 118. After a cycle of green-flag pit stops midway through the stage, however, Johnson was as far back as 24th on Lap 134 before getting back to work, finding seventh on Lap 152 and striving to maintain a position inside the top 10. With 28 to go, he settled into fifth in a single-file line.
- With fewer than 25 laps remaining, Johnson was involved in a multiple-car incident but avoided major damage. Quick work by the No. 48 team on pit road allowed Johnson to restart 16th with 17 laps to go. Down the stretch, he continued to push forward until taking the checkered flag 12th.
ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 88 NATIONWIDE CHEVROLET CAMARO ZL1
FINISHED: 8th
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Bowman started Sunday’s race just outside the top 10 in 11th, but just two laps in he had already found the top five using the inside line. He took over the race lead on Lap 17 as competitors headed to pit road, and he maintained it until there were 16 laps remaining in the segment, holding on to second place before heading to pit road for a green-flag stop of his own.
- After the field cycled through green-flag pit stops, Bowman worked his way back up to 13th at the Stage 1 green-checkered flag.
- During a green-flag pit stop in Stage 2, a penalty for speeding on pit road sent Bowman outside of the top 20. Late in the segment, No. 88 team crew chief Greg Ives told Bowman over the radio that he could drop back a bit and that the team would repair some damage to the nose before the final segment. He finished Stage 2 in 21st.
- Bowman found himself 20th early in the final segment, but after a cycle of green-flag pit stops, he was up to ninth by Lap 152 and kept pushing up to fifth for a restart with fewer than 30 laps to go.
- After avoiding a multiple-car incident, Bowman restarted fourth with 17 laps to go, and he maintained his top-10 position for the remainder of the race to finish eighth.